have power over the estate of the life to come 1. Over Heaven Hee claimes transcendent power in that and doth abuse that place in Mat. 16. 19. To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven that whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Therefore he can open the gates of Heaven to them that are dead 2. They have power over Purgatory Upon so much done and given they can help them out of Purgatory They make account the torments of Purgatory are equall to the paines of Hell but that Hell is for ever and Purgatory but till the last Judgment 3. They have power over Hell they have not absolute power to deliver out of Hell only Gregory is said to have delivered Trajans soul out of Hell but though they cannot deliver out of Hell yet they can ease the torment The witnesses of this will hardly owne it but it is the judgment of the most devout to that Sea So that he gave to the Catholick church his power of signs and lying wonders of all kinds of efficacy of delusions and power of making Warre and he gave him great authority over the Scriptures over mens Consciences over the treasures of the Church over Kingdomes and Princes and Powers of the world to come and over Purgatory and Hell And therefore consider if this be not a vast power which is here given and acknowledged to be given by himselfe to the Catholick visible Roman Church You must not wonder that the Catholick Church did not claim all this at first but came to this by degrees and more faster grew to this especially at that time when this second Beast that received in spiritualls his power speaking like a Dragon had got all this transcendant power In the mean time from the very first you shal find this power in the representative Catholick Church They quartered them into severall Jurisdictions into Bishopricks and when they had done that they rested not till they had set one over the rest and that was this of Rome And besides this was devillish Authority to make Laws to bind all Christian Congregations to take their Government from them 3ly In every Councell they devised some new Doctrine and some new form of worship and Government which was the seed out of which this transcendant power was hatched For the reason of the point you may aske how hee should give all this power which he never had himself how he should give that which never was his to a Beast so as to carry all things with that transcendant power for divine power he had not himself he was cast out from it how then could hee give this to any State in the world First from Gods divine Justice and heavy Judgment upon the unthankfull world That look as God in former times did give up the Roman Pagan world to be ruled by Satan as the god of it and therefore he is called in 2 Cor. 4. 4. the God of the world So now God gave up the Roman Christian world as he did the Pagan world before the Scripture tells us so 2 Thes 2. 8 9 10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved he gave them up to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse They loved not the simplicity of the Apostles Institutions concerning Churches and Laws and Doctrine and Apostolick government but did affect high preferments and setled endowments and carnall excellency Now the Lord therefore gives Satan wonderfull power that as of old he was once the God of Pagan Rome so now in the Church he gives them Church-power that what he could not retaine in his owne hands that he substitutes and gives to the Roman Catholick Church to carry it along with great successe and that 's the first Reason the judgment of God upon the unthankfull world A second Reason is taken from the effectuall means which Satan used to advance the Roman Church by to exalt his Church above all others what were the means The means were these First Ignorance raising a smoak out of the bottomlesse Pit darkning all the light of the Church Rev. 9. 2. The Sun and the Aire were darkned by reason of it There was a mighty dark mist as it were They regarded not the love of the truth they studyed it not and so the Lord left them to palpable grosse ignorance in so much that at that time when the second beast arose had we seene any that lived in the former time of Religion and that lived now we would not have thought they had been the same men such palpable darkness were they left unto of ignorance Now palpable ignorance is the mother of all Superstition and Idolatry and the misguidance of all things in the Church A second means which he used was terror of Conscience which he set on effectually by the Locusts Rev. 9. 3 5. There came out of the smoak Locusts and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the Earth have power They had such a notable power to sting the Consciences of men that men would seek for death and could not finde it and take desperate courses drowning or hanging or any thing rather then to live in that terrour They that shall read Parsons Resolutions Granatensis shall find what terrible threats there are applyed to terrifie but never shewed them the way to come to Christ to binde up such broken souls Now the Conscience broken and not healed is fit to sow any superstition in A third means was the superstition and hypocrisie of the votaries and of all afflicted but unsetled consciences Terror of conscience makes them greatly devout They tell them of a state of perfection and that they shall shrowd themselves in such a Monastery and there they should live devoutly and be kept from the pollutions of the world Many Princes have been thus taken and have given large endowments to pray for their souls their consciences being wounded A fourth meanes was the subtilty and sophistry of the School-men suppressing the reading of the Scriptures and mixing Philosophy with Divinity that they might as well have studied a point of Aristotle as their divinity and make as good use of the one as of the other They left studying of Scriptures and read Peter Lombard which was mentioned in Latine and this was a notable meanes A fifth meanes was the policy of the Canonists who had gathered together all those Canons that tended to Christs powerfull Government and fastned them upon the Catholick Church and the Bishop of Rome being head he had it all committed to him a notable means to bring in Tyranny Last of all lying miracles 2 Thes 2. 9. Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes lying wonders Thus you see the means how the
Sacrafice to Baal for that was one of the worst dunghill gods It is out of Gods righteous judgement when a man will not be reclaimed when the Lord wounds and crushes him and brings him to the last gaspe if he have a licourish affection still now it is an usuall thing with God to pay men to their own perdition And therefore in Rev. 17. 11. It is said the beast that was and is not shall goe into perdition that 's the head of this Beast that is the next newes you heare of this second beast here in the Text and therefore it is called both the beast and the head of the beast where the first beast is presented in the form of a great whore who is to be brought to the last gaspe A whore she was but he presents her to John as a great beast Now hee gives him leave to rise againe to his own perdition and of many thousands more Thus you see the truth of the point Now for the use of it First it may be a just watch-word and warning to all the Sons of men to beware of Gods checks When the Lord checks you crushes your Crowns and exposeth you to this and that danger in one kind or other beware of this whether you be the children of God or not yet come home effectually to him for this you shall finde if you be in distress and call he is ready to heare He will heare Ishmael and he hears the Lyons that roar and seek their meat of him He will many times once or twice or thrice do thus But if the Lord once strike and almost crush you beware now that you lay aside all carnall ends and ambitious designes for otherwise if you shall recover againe and persist in your former wayes without repentance then the next news is you goe on to perdition And therefore when ever the Lord affects us and afflicts us in any kind it is heavenly wisdome to be warned by the least phylip of his finger be warned by any sicknesses crosses danger by Land or Sea by any thing whatsoever the Lord is pleased to exercise you with this is both childrens bread and the bread of strangers Beware you goe not on still but if the Lord check you then turn back again but if you go forward be sure you go to God-ward and according to Gods will and after Gods ends This is that which God calls for that you walke more exactly and more accurately Ephes 5. 15. See then that yee walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise redeeming the time because God hath thus and thus taken paines with you and hath thus and thus been as a Leopard in your paths It is a strong speech that in Amos 3. 5. Will a man lay a snare and the word is a deadly snare will a man lay a deadly snare and take it up and catch nothing The Lord will catch a prey when he layes a trap for us and he will not leave till he have girded our loynes and our hearts close to him and made us more exact in our way or otherwise if he let us slip it will be to perdition And therefore let all that heare the word ever be sensible of the least wounds checks especially if they grow to some bulky frame I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death and this deadly wound was healed and it was healed to immortall perdition and therefore all that wonder after the Beast they are such as have no part in the Lambs book of Life they have no part in Christ Secondly It may teach us the more earnestly to wrestle with God by faithfull and earnest prayer for any of the Churches of Christ in any parts of the world that if the Lord give them an opportunity to wound the head of any Image of the Beast any of his heads or horns then it will be necessary that all such Churches do take the hint and opportunity that God puts into their hands and that they do not rather close with such heads whom God wounds and be loath to lay hold of those liberties that he procures for them But let this be the constant care of Christians to desire that such heads may not be usurping but if the Lord gives an opportunity the Lord looks that all Christians should improve it to vindicate themselves when the Lord gives any hint thereof When he gives an opportunity then is the time when the iron is hot then strike Intreat God that when he puts a prize into their hands that they then may learn to get wisdome and not in their hearts turn to tolerate arrogant designes and such as are ugly in the sight of God When God wounds the head of Enemies and casts shame upon them and hath rescued his people from them If Churches shal again comply with them then what will the end of that be It is a fearfull thing such kind of Heads goe to perdition and those that dote upon such Heads It is a check especially for this great beast of Rome but it will be dangerous for other States too This will be the finall issue they shall have enough of it they shall be filled with Hirarchicall power and with their Agents in Civill States their feete like a Beare will raven in all that they shall all be weary of the burden and shall be so filled with them as to spew them out of their mouths And therefore how should we help the people of God to traverse that wounded Head that it never rise up more Thirdly this may serve to teach such whose Heads have at any time been wounded As there is none of the servants of God but sometimes he will have them sacrifice their Isaac that which is most deare to them The Lord will rend away our most desirable comforts he will follow us there where we most of all are affected And let this teach the people of God that if the Lord then bow their hearts to unfeigned repentance turning from all evill in their hands and hearts how then If the Lord will restore the wounded head of a beast a beastly head of a beastly shape will he not much more restore the hearts of his servants that seek to him for healing of all their corruptions and scattering all their temptations that they may walke before him according to to his will What saith the holy Ghost Hos 6. 1 2. Hee puts words into their mouths come let us return unto the Lord He hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up after two dayes will he revive us and the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight Wherein he shewes the meanes whereby the Lord will apply this medicine to his own servants namely by the death and resurrection of Christ to which he doth allude that as Christ dyed and rose the third day so shall all that have part and portion in him
head of that Church It is cause of everlasting thankfulnesse and watchfulnesse not to be deluded by fine shewes of worldly men but let us see and know where true worship lies as the Lord hath declared himself in Christ and held him forth in the Gospel of truth Forthly let it teach us all where to bestow our admiration and adoration It was a charge that our Saviour gave to the Devill and which accordingly he himself practised and requires us to doe Mat. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve The Devill askes this of Christ to bow downe to him and worship him The Lords Indignation is kindled his holy Zeale is inflamed against such a Sacriligious request Get thee hence Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve And as we are to worship him alone and no God but him so we are to admire none but him Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders Exod. 15. 11. There is matter of admiration who is a God like unto the Lord that forgiveth Iniquity Transgression and Sinne of which you read Mic. 7. 18. and which the Church holds forth there upon this very ground who is a God like unto thee why what is there in him that you so magnifie him he is a God that forgives Iniquity Transgression and Sinne here is cause indeed of admiration They admire and adore the Pope why Because they had satisfaction to their consciences in their way and an ungrounded hope of a better state in another world and pardon of Sinne in this and now they come to fellowship with Christ by the worship of the Devill But who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity Transgression and Sinne So that here is indeed matter of due admiration and let it be fastned there When a mans soul is brought low with the sence of Sinne and overpoured with the burden that lyes upon his conscience by reason of the guilt of Sinne what is matter of admiration now who is a God like unto thee that passeth by Iniquity transgression sin It is not the Pope of Rome that can take away sin it is not all the cunning of the Dragon that can do it And therefore to what end are all the admirations and worships that are put upon the Bishop of Rome and the Dragon that gave him his power They may please themselves in what satisfaction they apprehend they have but their own principles possesse them that they can never come to see the admirable goodnesse of God in forgiving their Sinnes But now when the Lord sheds abroad a spirit of grace and peace in the conscience and applyes the goodnesse of Christ to the discharge of the burden of Sinne and of quickning the heart in the peace of Christ Jesus this breeds admiration Blessed be God the Father of mercy and God of all consolation that of his aboundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope I say this blessing is worthy of admiration and not onely of wonderment but of acknowledging all glory and blessednes to him When the conscience is not pacified by a sorry duty done from man but by a sealed pardon from the spirit of God witnessed by the breath of the holy Ghost this is such a mercy to the soule as indeed raiseth the heart above all admiration of such a Beast I to a true detestation of this Beast and of the Dragon that hath so long bewitched and carried them captive to the imaginations of their own hearts and in the end to their everlasting perdition But let it be the care of Gods people as ever you desire to be blessed from the admiration of such a worm-eaten Religion so grow to an admiration of the God of mercy and grace and so we shall doe that upon just grounds which our Fathers did without grounds to this Beast and to the head of it Upon this ground this head being wounded and afterwards healed all the world wondred after him Here is an Image of Christ he was wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and he riseth againe and he proclaims all power is given him in Heaven and Earth Now see how this Vicar of Christ as they call him usurps as Christ was wounded and is risen againe so it is with this Beast he is wounded to death and afterwards healed and restored and now all the world admire and worship him Have they forgotten that Christ dyed for our Sinnes and was raised again for our Justification and doe they stand admiring at this Beast as he that was wounded and healed Therefore let it be a ground of true thankfulnesse to the Lord for the great change that is wrought in Christendome and let us give the Lord the admiration that is due to him that we may be preserved from those delusions wherewith others have been deceived and may goe on in this way constantly which the Lord hath established and called us unto Revel 13. 5 6. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue forty and two moneths And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven THE events that followed upon the healing of the Beast the first was That all the world admired him The second was Vniversall worship given both to the Beast and to the Dragon that gave power to the Beast of which wee have already spoken The third event remains now to be spoken to and that is the deligation of power to this Beast upon his recovery and the power given him is four-fold 1. There was power given him to speak great things and in particular great blasphemies 2. There was power given him to continue that is as the word signifies to be doing to be active to be powerfull and efficacious in his worke 42. moneths 3. There was power given him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them 4. Power was given him of dominion over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations First There was given him a mouth speaking great things Secondly There was power given him to continue 42. moneths and both these Authorities or Liberties they are amplified by the effect it wrought in the Beast He did effectually take that power which was given him and employed it to the utmost As he had a mouth given him so he opened his mouth in blasphemies and that amplified by the object of his blasphemy against God and God distributed his Name his Tabernacle and those that dwell in Heaven The note then that the words do afford first is this That after the healing of the wounded head of the Beast there was given to him power to speak great things even blasphemies which also he did effectually and abundantly exercise or
did any earthly Prince challenge that he could not erre nor that none must controll him if he did There have been Laws made to controll the greatest Princes Nebuchadnezzar was taught to be controlled that in the end Shadrach Mesech and Abednego goe away rewarded 3. The Catholick Church and the Pope is the head of it claimes a power of binding and loosing To bind mens consciences by his Laws and to loose mens consciences by his Indulgences and that not ministerially as Ministers do from the Word but by a Juditiary power to dissolve the bond of naturall Obedience incestuous Marriages Oaths and Covenants in Marriage Natural relations between Parents and Children and morall Relations between Princes and Subjects There is not any bond that he cannot loose nor any liberty which he cannot restraine And this not over a few only but over the vast world so far as it is Christian And 4. It is a great thing he speakes and he speakes it not behind the door when he challengeth Soveraign dominion in way of advancement of Religion over all Kingdoms so as to depose their Kings and dispose of their Kingdoms leave any State to choose where he hath power If his Crowne be to be fetched from Rome as it was in former times when it was most active He will set it on but dash it off againe out of the plentitude of his power to â—et up and throw downe at his pleasure He opened his mouth to speak great things He is never so in his element as when he doth hold forth such vast authority and divine propriety proper to the Father Son and holy Ghost Now as he speaks great things so blasphemes against God and wherein Against his Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Against his name All these are blasphemies against Gods name to attribute all these divine properties to a beastly man to a great beast And it is blasphemy to ascribe any divine honour or to put it upon any creature Images served the holy Ghost calls blasphemy Isa 65. 7. You have blasphemed me upon every green hill And in Ezek. 20. 27 28. he complaines of the like blasphemy that they blasphemed him by their Idolatires In Mar. 2. 7. Why doth this man speak blasphemies who can forgive sins but God onely It were to speak blasphemy in any but in Christ Secondly It is against his Tabernacle that may be either meant the body of Christ as 1 John 14. He tabernacled amongst us Or it may be meant the visible Churches such as are instituted by him For the body of Christ it is blasphemy to go to every Masse Priest to make him the body and blood of our Saviour Or if you understand the Tabernacle to be the Church that is the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. 16. Now to call the Church of Christ a Conventicle of Hereticks and Schismaticks it is blasphemy and so they count all the Churches here And for the Saints in heaven to put upon them divine worship to build Temples to them to put up Prayers to them to keep Holy-dayes to them it is blasphemie to them it is a great dishonour Paul and Barnabas when they saw men to come and offer sacrifice to them Men and brethren why doe you these things you cannot do us a greater injury And for the Saints in heaven that is pure Churches he condemns them for Hereticks and Schismaticks and as unworthy of Christian communion and Christian burial these are blasphemies So you see the meaning of this Scripture There was given him a mouth to speake great things and to blaspheme God in his Name in his Tabernacle in those that dwell in Heaven Thus hath he done many yeares and thus doth hee still Now for the reason of the point you see the point stands upon two branches 1. That such power was given him 2. That he did effectually and abundantly put it foâ—â—h He opened his mouth Let mee give the reasons of both 1. Why such power was given him it was First from God in his just judgement to punish the unthankfull world that received not the love of the truth Therefore the Lord gave them over to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 10 11. This is the just judgment of God that since they refused the simplicity of wholsome Doctrine and had itching eares they should have such men as came with the subduing word of the Law to speak great things and they should have what they aske This is from Gods just jugement A second Reason is from Satan for God concurred and Satan concurred and Christian Princes concurred herein Satan concurred for this reason that he might be avenged of God and despight the name of Christ that had cast him out and dethroned him from his divine power That whereas he was the great God of the world and the God of Israel but a puny God of the lesser Nations now hee is to be no God to trust on but like a Toad or Serpent this doth so enrage the venome of the old Devill that he powrs forth a flood of malice and venome against the Church and Christ as much as may be to testifie to the world hee would be Lord and the Lord Jesus should not prevaile And if he may not be God he will set up a Beast that shall be adored as God And it is a great despight to Christ to advance a Beast that shall carry great State and power and dare and will speak greater things then all the Churches of Christ I as great as the Lord himself shall speak look what one speaks the other wil speak it all and speak it abundantly As the Devill himselfe sometimes said to Christ All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me The same doth he speak at this day and he will speak without controll Another reason that binds Satan so to speak is not only his old enmity to Christ but from his malice against the Church When hee saw that the seed of the woman had thus dethroned him and cast him out of divine power he powrs forth a flood of malice after her and he sends forth an ugly Beast that if he can may root out the face of Christianity and root her out from the face of the earth Rev. 12. 15. These are the Devils reasons that mooved him to stirre up the Beast and to give him a mouth to speake so boldly as hee did But why will Christian Princes be so prodigall to submit themselves to him God had committed to them the care of the Churches that all Churches should live peaceably and quietly under them in all godliness and honesty why would they so degenerate and suffer the Bishop of Rome so to arrogate and speak such great blasphemies The reasons were 1. Because they were ignorantly blinde It was a time of palpable darknesse darknesse
take notice of them and give them so to come to Christ and all that the Father hath given him shall come unto him The Lord will draw them and then they shall come in the meane time he keeps them from his Fathers eternal donation in John 17. 17. Those whom thou hast given me I have kept Hee hath not lost any but one that was not given him to keep he prays to God to keepe them through his own name he keeps them by his own spirit and this was agreed on from the foundation of the world when this book was written and it was not written yesterday but before the foundation of the world Rev. 17. 8. His thoughts were about thee and me and whoever is written therein a matter of much praise and glory to God that he should have such marvellous precious thoughts to us Psalm 139. 17. How precious are thy thoughts to me O God And so in Psal 40. 5. we read of the precious thoughts of God towards us that hee should have such thoughts when time yet was not neither we nor our fathers and all he did fore-see in thee and me would but provoke his wrath what was good he must work and that was from his counsell If you see any vanish away or fall away from his grace and from his Saints and he hath no pleasure in them they are not given to Christ you see he is the giver of them but if men be not given to Christ they will fall away All that the Father gives me shall come unto me it is my Fathers will I should not loose one of them If men will not hearken to the Bishop of their souls the Lord Jesus Christ see the desperate danger thereof and the originall root They are not written in the Lambs book of life It may be of singular comfort to all the elect of God whose names are written in the book of Life It is a great comfort that a man is written to life hee might have beene written to death had not the Lord been pleased so to doe You read in the Epistle of Jude vers 4. Of certain men crept in unawares who were of old ordained to condemnation The word in the Originall is fore-written written afore-time to destruction Now I say that a man is not written to destruction but to life and to life in Christ not as Adam that was to stand by his own strength and so long as he useth grace well he shall live but if not he shall dye and he so used it that if God give him not life in Christ he dyed for ever This is in Adams covenant not in Christs that was for a man to live by his own righteousnesse Do this and thou shalt live Levit. 18. 5. How wofull was our condition in this case but to be written to life and to life in Christ that is Because hee lives we shall live also I am the way the truth and the life And by this being written in the Lambs book of life that the Lord should think upon us when we had no thoughts of him nay had no being that he should then undertake for us that when the Father gives us he will receive us and by receiving us keep us spotlesse to his heavenly Kingdome that he wil preserve us from possibility of damnable Errors They shall seduce if it were possible the very Elect Mat. 24. 24. But there is no possibility what a marvellous matter is it that it is not possible that any of those that are given to Christ should be seduced it is such a mercy that may swallow up all discouragements all afflictions all blasphemy of a mans good name and state and wealth and health and all whatsoever this may support him that it is not possible he should be seduced For the Lord knows who are his the foundation of God stands sure the Lord hath written it and he is more constant then Pilate or the Kings of Persians and Medes The Law is written and established by the Kings Ring and God is more stedfast then any of the Kings of the Earth what he hath written shall be accomplished the Lord will draw them to Christ and Christ will keep them not one of them shall perish not one of them shall worship the Beast or if they do they soone see their folly and are recovered out of all snares they shall not prevaile against them It may be of instruction and exhortation to provoke you to make your election sure then you make your salvation sure and preservation from Popery and the world and from the Devill and from your own corrupt Nature sure that you shall not be carried captive with the polutions of the times and places you live in though hundreds run from God one way and ten thousands another way fall off hither and thither yet you shall still be preserved in John 6. 68. where our Saviour asked his Disciples will ye also go away when many of those that were his Disciples went away and fell off from him being offended from something which he had spoken to them and that was that Doctrine that we have now in hand and some other corolaries from it they walked no more with him then saith Christ to the rest will yee also go away Peter answered in the behalfe of the rest Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life As who should say whether shall a man go to mend himself Thou hast the words of eternall life and having the words of eternall life how shall they do better else where so it behooves us then as we desire to be preserved from all apostacy and backsliding from God notwithstanding all the temptations of the flattering world or busie world or from the destroying world by persecution and flattering by prosperity and busie world by the cares of the world and continuall cumber about the world and distempers in our hearts on that ground in such a case as this what shall preserve us If our names be written in the Lambes book of life truely we shall be preserved that neither the world nor our passions and lusts shall prevail against us My father saith Christ is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand and I and my Father are oue my Father and I will keepe them Joh. 10. 27 28. Obj. You will say it is a needlesse exhortation to make our election sure if that be not done long ago for it is not begun in this world but long before it is concluded long before or else we are not written in the Lambes book of life one of these two is concluded in Heaven Christ knows those that are given to him by his Father before he knows them by name John 10. 14. It is worthy of memory that Christ knows them all by name that argues the particularity and singularity of them as he knows all the Stars in Heaven so doth he much
but the power of the blood of his Sonne and the world hath such hold of us and we of it that if it were not for the blood of the Sonne of God we should never be rescued from that engagement And therefore let all flesh know there is that power of sinne and of the world in the best natures and best education that unlesse the Lord come with the blood of his Sonne we should be wedded to the world and our sins and lusts and perish everlastingly And for the Devil you say you defie him and did renounce him in Baptisme and promise it or some other in your stead But if there were not a strong power of Satan in us how comes it that the blood of Christ must be shed to destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill Heb. 2. 14. And therefore consider of it so strongly did the cuâ—se of the Law â—â—reaten us such power hath sin over the best nature that were it not for the blood of the Sonne of God is were not possible we should be redeemed from them Therefore if thou hast a good opinion of thy selfe that the world hath no hold of thee nor thy passions and lusts and the Devill least of all whatever the Law of God saith know that there was nothing could redeem us from this but the blood of the Sonne of God and if thou dost not believe this however thou art thus naturally born the truth is thou tramplest under foot the blood of Christ as not worth the spilling If men be thus exact in their courses so equal in their dealings if the Devil have no power over you to what end did he through death destroy the Devill that had the power of death If sinne have no dominion over you wherefore did he shed his blood that the power of sinne should be destroyed And therefore all the while a man is out of Christ and the warme blood of Christ is not applyed thee thy soule is a bleeding to death That look as it is with some men when in a consumption have little hope of recovery then they wil kill some lamb and while it is warme will take the warme body of the lamb and fasten it to them that they may be repaired Truly thus doth the Lord with us he knowes we are farre consumed in a state of worldlinesse and a state of sinne and Satan how shall the Lord rescue us and repaire us No way but this here is an innocent Lamb he wraps him about us warmes us with his blood and so he recovers us againe from our consuming condition consuming with sinfull lusts and passions and Satanical delusions Look as Physitians they will soon ghesse what the disease is by the receipt If the Lord prescribe such a receipt as this the blood of the innocent Lamb of God then know it for a certain truth we were in a desperate condition consuming and wasting and dead too overspread with the world and Satan and so had everlastingly perished had not the Lord provided such a plaister as this And indeed this will yet humble us the more in case the Lord make it appear that all this is done for me and thee we may say as Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 19. 28 what are we but as dead dogs in the sight of God that the Lord should give his onely Sonne to recover such dead dogs as we from that wofull estate in which we and our fathers lived and many of them dyed in yet the Lord hath been more mercifull to us but what are we all but that the Lord might have cut us off Herein the Lord commends his love to us that when we were sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5. 8. Secondly it may serve to teach us the wonderful and unspeakable love of God and of his Christ to us the one that was thus willing to send his Sonne the other thus willing to go that his blood should be thus spilt like water upon the ground and himselfe cast aside of men for the while but for ever accepted of God that we might be saved Herein the Lord magnifies his mercy to mankinde his justice that he will be satisfied his mercy that he will have satisfaction in his Sonne and doth not require it of our persons It is rich Grace that so we may stand and wonder that the Lord should ever do it to such as we to give his Sonne an innocent Lamb for us Thirdly it may teach us for ever to loath and abhor all sinne as that which so deeply displeaseth God so as no satisfaction might be made for sinne but the blood of his own Sonne and no blood could satisfie but that and this sin hath been the slaughterer of the innocent Lamb of God It provokes God greatly and slaughters his own Sonne this is the power and venome of Sinne. And therefore unlesse we take delight in the deep displeasure of God which is unappeasable but in the blood of his Sonne how shall we that are dead to sinne live any longer therein Rom. 6. 2. He means dead through Christ Christ is dead and we in him and with him all that have fellowship with him Can we see the wrath of God rising again first in our soules and breaking forth in fiercenesse of the Lords indignation How shall we dare to tread under foot the blood of the Covenant as if it were an unholy thing If there were no other argument to discourage from sinne this alone might prevaile the nature of sinne that so deeply displeaseth God as there is no satisfaction but by the blood of Christ and to consider that sinne hath slaughtered Christ Jesus And therefore the meditation of the slaughter and death of Christ should be as a slaughtering knife to cut asunder all temptations to sinne What is it that all pleasures and profits can put upon us to countervaile the losse of the favour of God and the blood of the Lamb can any sinne procure the favour of God or any thing answerable to the favour of God or can any allurements of the world or temptations that can put upon us or Satans suggestions can they make the blood of Christ an unworthy thing or give us greater matters then the blood of Christ hath purchased And therefore how shall we sinne against the love of God how shall we commit this great wickedness and sinne against God sinne against the blood of this immaculate Lamb of God These very considerations are enough to cut off all sinne Fourthly this may serve therefore to teach us all to give up our selves back again to Christ that we may now live to him That we may now live to the father and to the Son that we may not live to sinne to Satan to the world But to him that hath dyed for us and given himselfe for us I live by the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. Christ suffered for sinne he dyed for us that we might not now
the Churches and Saints of Christ that have been overcome or have suffered any hard-ship from any of these Those that have been troublesome to Gods Churches and people the Lord will one day visite them all and he will one day root them out of the land of the living They shall one day know what pillars and scourges and fire and faggot meanes what torments meane what bloody inquisitions meane They shall be recompenced seven-fold into their bosomes Here is the patience and faith of the Saints The third note is this The Lord doth as much acknowledg and accept the patience and faith of his Saints that have suffered under the Roman Catholique Church as he did the faith and patience of the Primitive Saints that suffered under the Roman Pagan Emperours against Heathenish idolatry The Papists themselves are full of acknowledgment of the Primitive Martyrs and will write many Legends of them as the Pharisees they did build the Sepulchers of the Prophets and yet killed their Successors Fulfill saith Christ the measure of your fathers You garnish the sepulchers of the dead bodies and yet you kill their Successors They will acknowledg them the Primitive Martyrs but what are those that suffered in Switzerland in France in England in Germany They look at those as Lolards and Hereticks But what saith the Lord of them Even of them as well as of those that suffered in former times the Lord doth accept their sufferings and saith of them Here is the patience and faith of the Saints Wherein the Lord doth acknowledge the faith by which they overcome this Beast and patience to be the patience and faith of the Saints The world saith otherwise but the Lord saith of those that suffered under this Beast Here is the patience and faith of the Saints So in Rev. 12. 13. Here is the patience of the Saints Write blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from hence-forth as well as in ancient times Blessed are they that dye in the faith of Christ Jesus in the hottest and highest times of Popery The Reason is evident First because the faith of such Christians and their patience was the faith and patience of Christ That is to say that which both fastned upon Christ and bore witnsse unto Christ and suffered patiently for Christ as did the Primitive Christians in the ten Persecutions And it was such a faith as by which they overcame the world 1 John 5. 4. It was faith in Christ Jesus even that faith by which they chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Heb. 11. 24 25. It was that faith by which they despised honour Even the same case of Christ in Moses hand and in their hands and the point is of like nature Roman Idolatry is but another Edition and their Errors are as fundamentall subvertions to that which shouâ—d be the faith of Gods elect And their Government is directly contrary unto the Gospel-government of Christ Jesus as light is to darknesse When their faith in the cause of Christ do carry them along in suffering for him it is then the patience of Christ It was the like faith and patience of Christ to suffer under Annas and Caiaphas as under Herod It is true in the one he suffered as an enemy to Caesar in the other as a blasphemer but the case is all one No matter what the persons 〈…〉 Christian in profession Iâ— the cause be the 〈◊〉 of Christ it is the patience and faith of Christ which is in his 〈…〉 whomsoever they suffer 〈…〉 Reason is from the greater exercise of saith and 〈◊〉 to discern and suffer under Christians against Christians 〈…〉 Pagans 〈◊〉 Heathen persecutors For the use of the point Fiâ—st it cryes downe all the scandalous sentences that Courts have given against the Saints of God they say here are the suffering of Lolards and Hereticks Jesus Christ from heaven saith Here is the faith and patience of the Saints Do not therefore count it obstinacy and contumacy in heresie nor pravity It is the faith and patience of the Saints if Chrâ—st calls it so his word must carry it When they shall all appear before his Judgment-seate whose word shall stand then his or theirs He will say here is the cruelty and outrage of the persecution of Antichrist that puts the Lambs of Christ to death Secondly It may serve to teach us how much the Lord delights to honour his patient and faithfull servants Hee writes upon their Toomb-stones as it were so many Saints or faithfull Martyrs of Christ are those who have thus suffered This doth the Lord Jesus Christ write upon their stakes where they are burned in Smithfield or else-where and upon the chains wherewith they are bound A great encouragement it is unto Christians to be constant in the profession of the Gospel and to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints We must not therefore be afraid to stand fast in the profession of the Truth and to hold it to the death If we should dye in his Cause in a way of persecution to be slaughtered by the outrage of ungodly men what ever the world say of it the Lord will from heaven beare this witnesse to it That it is the patience and faith of the Saints Thirdly it must teach all who would suffer for the name of Christ to be well assured of their cause and then to adde constancy to their suffering in their cause Otherwise unlesse it be the cause of Christ it is no patience but obstinacy blindenesse and ignorance But see that your cause be the cause of Christ and then cleave unto it by the invincible â—aith of Gods elect to overcome the world and look Lyons and Dragons in the facâ— without fear and astonishment and look at punishment and tortour as not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed It looks at them as things that Christ hath endured greater and other of the Saints of God have gone before uâ— in the like or a greater martyrdome Therefore first look to the cause and then believe in the truth of the cause and the faithfulnesse of Christ that will maintaine his servants stable and firme and cause them to hold out unto the end But do not take up your reformation upon custome nor side with any thing for custom of the country where you are because your Magistrates and Elders do commend it to you for it behooves every christian man to know well what he beleives and practise and to know the doctrine of Christ and the Government and the worship of Christ and that not because men say so but because you see light for it from the word of the Son of God Then your next care is to look that you depend upon Christ for strength that as he suffered for you you may be able to suffer for him ther 's the faith of Gods children And for