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
their pleasure hee calleth them all by their right names Object What need we care for them seeing God is so carefull Sol. Provoke not God to remove them 1. See the neede of starres for illumination warmth moisture refrigeration by them discerne seasons of grace guide thy course on the sea of this world starres were made not for ornament onely but for use heate influence 2. Make use of their light some hate the light as of commets portending evill to them and blesse themselves from them 3. Reioyce in their light constantly not as the Iewes did in Iohn that counted him a light for a season men receive Preachers as new Starres or Commets gaze a while but care not how soone they be wasted The second effect by which the dragon is described is by his mischievous attempt against the woman as the former was against the starres this effect is set downe 1. By his action he stood before the Woman 2. His intention to devoure the childe when it was brought forth I. In his action observe two things 1. What it is to stand before the woman 2. How he standeth before her 1. To stand before the woman is an allusion to the ancient Story both of the dragon standing before Eve the woman that is the mother of the world and of the Church to seduce her as also of Pharaoh called the dragon of Aegypt watching the destruction of the male children of the Church so soone as the mothers should bee delivered of them to which places out of doubt the text hath reference This standing before the woman implieth two things 1 His readinesse and nearnesse as one at hand narrowly watching observing to assault and destroy the blessed seed 2. His instance and diligence in the purpose hee departs not farre nor long but standeth and abideth proceedeth and persisteth in his mischievous purpose and intention against the Church and members he standeth still but not idle 2. How he standeth before her and that is two wayes 1. By fraud and secret trechery he layeth traines out of sight for her hurt and by flattery seeketh to bring and lure her into his snare 2. By open force and violence to subdue such as by secret traines he cannot allure II. His intention to devoure the childe hee seemeth to doe nothing lesse but the Spirit of God uncaseth him sheweth us the true end of all his couÌ„sels and indeavours Let the dragon dissemble never so much friendship as to Eve in eating his minde is murderous for hee standeth not afore us to abridge us of our liberty or goods or outward comfort onely but his direct aime is to compasse our death and destruction of soule and body Quest. But what had the child done or when should he devoure it Sol. He watcheth the destruction of it before it be borne if the woman miscary not in bringing forth some abortive birth then he bestirreth himselfe to destroy the young and tender birth so soone as it taketh breath in the Church Where in the dragon note three things 1. The groundednesse and setlednesse of malice in the nature of the dragon who out of his wickednesse unstirred and unprovoked carrieth deadly wrath against the children of the Church There is a naturall enmity and antipathy betweene the seed of the dragon and the seed of the woman for what can the childe doe against him before hee is borne 2. The policy of the dragon who will not suffer the womans children to grow up to strength and stature but will oppresse them even in the biâ—â—â— or as soone as they are borne while they are tender and least able to resist hee knoweth the fittest time to blast grace is in herba in the cradle in the beginnings 3. The implacablenesse of this savage dragon whose pittilesse disposition nothing can move not infancy not tendernesse not innocency not causelesnesse nothing can pleade or prevaile for a drop of compassion nay these rather cause and stirre up his wrath and kindle his rage and fury more against them and this is the enemy with whom we have to deale whom Gods spirit hath thus graphycally and punctually described that we might stand so much the more watchfully and preparedly against him So soone as any childe commeth to bee borne of the Church Satan watcheth by all means to destroy him 1 Pet. 5. 8. Satan as a roaring Lyon seeketh whom to devoure The principall businesse of Satan in the world hath ever been to take out of the way and to destroy vijs modis by secret fraud or open force all that should bee spiritually begotten of the Church especially such as should stand up to maintaine the religion of Christ. How Herod the dragon stood before the woman seeking to slay the childe Iesus so soone as he was borne appeareth Mat. 2. 16. hee could not hinder his holy conception his quickning birth but his hope is to devoure him being borne the same fury he sheweth to the members and to come to that our text aimeth at how the dragon by the heathen Roman Emperours and bloody Tyrants Nero Domitian Trajan and the rest did by most cruell Edicts torments and unheard of punishments and persecutions stand in the whole Empire with the greatest vigilancy that might bee to swallow up whatsoever Christian should be borne in the Church utterly to extirpate all Christians and extinguish the Christian faith is manifest in every leafe and line of that bloody Story But especially the dragon by those tyrants watched and observed most diligently lest any defender of the Christian faith either in Magistracy or Ministery should spring up in so much that if any President or Governour was more moderate or lesse rigorous against ChristiaÌ„s he was presently devoured by the dragon as a favourer or childe of the woman His incessant labour to hinder the glory of God for whereas the glory of a King is the multitude of his subjects he cannot abide that Gods glory should bee increased by the increase of the subjects of his Kingdome He is the Arch-tyrant and head of all tyrants in the world and setteth up and holdeth up his kingdome by tyranny and injustice and as Attaliah could never thinke her selfe stable in her usurped authority till she had slaine all the Kings seed 2 Kin. 11. 1. so this monster of tyrants and scourge of the world thinketh his kingdome can never bee sure and stable if he kill not all the Kings seed the sonnes of this woman the Church His extremâ— hatred of the true religion the true service of God amongst the Israelites was an abomination to the Aegyptians and therefore like dragons they oppressed them The dragon never ceaseth to hinder or corrupt the purity of Gods worship or to persecute whom he cannot hinder Let Israel but talk of going to worship in the wildernesse the hellish Pharaoh presently begins to rage to augment the burthens and never cease his unjust vexation till himselfe cease to
corne and let thistles and tares grow in their place and though they may bee stout and will not heare their duty from us yet wee must not faile in our duty for company but let them know they shall not faile to be called upon and if their sinne be not lesse by it it shall bee the greater Thus shall we testifie our love to God to them to their place nay procure the love of God upon our selves and them for as an irreligious Governour is set up by Gods displeasure over a people so a wise and religious Ruler is a gift of Gods love 2 Chron. 9. 8. God set Salomon a wise and religious King on his throne because hee loved Israel and this is true not onely in the supreme but in those that are sent from him And the woman fled into the wildernesse Some may think it strange that the woman should now flie for which fact shee seemeth to have but little reason seeing her sonne the manchilde was in the former words so exalted to the throne of God and so able to defend her with his iron rod this may seeme to weaken the former exposition but we must knowthere might bee sundry causes besides outward force even many inward dislikes and distastes that might haften her out of sight 2. This verse is here inserted by the Spirit of God by anticipation that is when a thing is mentioned in a former place which was done after for here is mentioned the thing but neither the time nor reason for both which wee must consult the thirteenth and fourteenth verses to which time and place this verse doth properly belong for else would follow First that the woman did flie before the battle begun which all this while was but preparing which is not likely Secondly that shee flew twice 3. That shee did flie before wings were given her all which unlikelihood must needs follow if the verse bee not anticipated for it is plaine by those verses that the slight was afterward that the battell with Michael was fought after shee overcame the dragon after the new assault of the dragon against her and after shee had wings given her to save herselfe by flight Quest. Why is this verse so inserted out of his order and due place Ans. The reason seemeth to be this In the former verse the spirit of God had shewed that the dragon although he watched to destroy the man-childe yet hee was safe being taken up into the throne of God and now if question should be made But what became of the woman he would presently adde the woman was safe too and by what meanes as he by his advancement into the throne so shee by flight but not at the same time for many things came betweene Now as the Spirit of God mentioneth this flight but by the way so shall wee speake of it as here wee finde it reserving the reason of it and meanes and other circumstances to the fourteenth verse where wee shall more fitly meet with them This flight of the woman seemeth to be an allusion unto Israel flying into the wildernesse from Pharaoh that red and bloody dragon pursuing them even to destruction In which flight there are three things considerable 1. The place where she flies with a secret reason implyed because that was the place prepared by GOD. 2. Her sustentation that they should feede her 3. Her mansion or continuance 1260. dayes I. In the place two things are inquired First what is the desart Secondly what is the flight 1. The desart is not to be understood of a certaine place as the desart of Arabia or Libia or any other set place to which the Church was to be tyed to at that time as the Donatists dreamed that this wildernesse must bee theirs in Affrike but a certaine state and condition of the Church opposed to her high and heavenly condition wherein shee shined crowned with twelve starres as verse the first The wildernesse then is nothing else but an afflicted wasted and solitary condition of the woman excluded from her former glory forced now to hide her face from the world and to live in poverty and exile and in a private and solitary condition and as creatures that live in the desart flie the sight and aspect of men so shee vanished and disappeared from the eyes of men not daring to bee seene the same shee was before 2. The flight into the wildernesse is not by change of place but by change of her state and ornaments Especially by the flight are noted 1. The speedy corruption of all things in the Church for flight is a quicke motion 2. The dissipation and deprivation of particular and visible congregations To cleare this observe that presently after Constantine had procured peace to the Church and put an end to the bloody persecutions of those imperiall dragons shee came under worse tyrants than ever before which were security ambition wealth and ease for the former tyrants by their tyranny exercised and excited faith and piety but this deadeth and eateth out all the former made the Church glorious and shining as fire doth gold but this darkened her and dusted her as appeareth in these instances 1. Persecution forced them to cleave close to the simplicity integrity of doctrine and rites which Christ himselfe instituted and his Apostles observed but now ease and idlenesse maketh the Pastors at leasure to devise and mingle pure doctrine with uncleane and superstitious rites they now begin to dedicate Temples to Martyrs and proceed to make commemoration of them after to seeke out reliques of Saints hence Origen and others begin to dispute doubtfully of the intercession of Saints for us and Nazianzen Audi quoque tu anima magni Constantini 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si quis sensus insit and after in short time grew impiously to invocate them and after to pray for the dead then came in superstitions as a flood and this was the beginning of the womans flight namely the sudden corruption of doctrines and rites 2. Against the former tyrants they contended earnestly for the faith now ease and wealth maketh them wanton proud and contentious one with an other for primacy praecedency ambition prelacy patriarkhood and motherhood These contentions lost and neglected faith truth and charity 3. All the time of the persecutions the woman held her foundation had the cloathing of the sunne upon her that is the righteousnesse of Christ but now they begin to gard it and lace it with the righteousnesse and sanctity of their owne merits 4. Against all Tyrants shee retained the crowne of twelve starres on her head but now shee must change them into temporall crownes and glorious titles of Patriarkes universall Bishops and Pastors of Pastors yea Princes of Pastors Now must this woman either appeare in the habit of a harlot or flie from the sight of men and so as a faithfull Spouse and Virgin of Christ shee chooseth in a meane estate to retaine her virginity
or our cause Concerning the militant Church what wee hold will plainly appeare in these Conclusions 1. That God will alwayes have a true part of his Catholike Church in the earth that shall hold and constantly maintaine the true faith in their severall ages to the end of the world and that the true Church cannot faile upon earth 2. That this part of the Catholike Church cōsisteth of men which are visible exercise visible ordinances of word Sacraments government c. and often in times of peace appeareth glorious in many particular and visible congregations for we never deny that particular Churches are often visible 3. That these visible particular Churches are not alwayes visible after the same manner neither is any part of the visible Church alwayes so necessarily visible but it may be discontinued and disappeare as all the visible Churches in the old and new Testament ever have done 4. This number of men in whom this part of the Church consisteth may come to be a few and by tyranny or heresie their profession may bee so secret amongst themselves that the world shall not see them neither can any man point to any particular Church and yet the Church is not destroyed for as the Sunne is a shining Sunne in it selfe though in the night we see it not nor in the day a blinde man cannot discerne it so the Church wanteth not her shining glory in her selfe though in the night wee see is not nor in the day a blinde man cannot discerne it the Church wanteth not her shining glory though the blinde world especially in the night of persecution cannot discerne it 5. Although the Church cannot faile upō earth yet the external governmēt of it may faile for a time the Pastors may be interrupted the sheepe may bee scattered the discipline hindered the externall exercise of religion suspended and the sincerity of religion exceedingly corrupted so as the members of the Church are onely visible to the true members within themselves By which conclusions we shall easily meete with the subtilty and vanity of all their reasons which ordinarily conclude from the externall forme to the failing of it selfe in the being and from the invisibility to the blind world to the invisibility amongst themselves as if they would conclude A man is hid therefore he is no man or A blinde man cannot see therefore no other man also or because hee that is without dores cannot see what I doe within therefore neither hee that is within with me Having thus bounded and laid the question let us see how they bend the force of their arguments Ob. 1. The body of Christ is visible but the Church is the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 27. Ye are the body of Christ speaking to men visible Ans. 1. They might tell us what they meane by the body of Christ the Scriptures make mention of a threefold and never a one visible to humane sense 1. His naturall body that is invisible in the heavens 2. His Sacramentall body that is invisible in the Sacrament 3. His mysticall body and that is spirituall and no object of sense II. They might alleage the Scriptures sincerely and not as they use deceitfully to suppresse the words of the Text which would fully answer their arguments the words of the Textare Yee are the body of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for your part which words suppressed by them sheweth us 1. That hee speaketh of a particular Church which then was visible but this is farre from proving the Catholike so to be which is the question 2. That both parts of their reason be false the former because it is not generall for the whole body of Christ is not visible and the later because the Corinthians were not the whole body of Christ for the Apostle saith they were both part of it Object But the Apostle writeth to visible men Sol. 1. From a particular to a generall the reason cannot hold because I see some men by me therefore I can see all men that ever were or shall bee or because I can see a particular congregation at Corinth I can see the Catholike Church in heaven and earth borne and unborne in the way in the countrey Such fond reasons may bee plausible to Romish blinded and hooded sots but as the Sunne maketh mists to vanish so the light of the Gospell doth these mists and fogges of subtilty and deceit 2. They might remember that the Church is a society of men not as men for so a number of Turks might be the body of Christ or a nest of Arians but as beleevers therfore the Church as the Church cannot be seene but beleeved which force of words hath made Bellarmine himselfe to confesse whose words are Videmus enim coetum hominum qui est Ecclesia sed quod ille coetus sit vera Christi Ecclesia non videmus sed credimus and what say wee more or lesse 3. They seeme either not to know or to dissemble the reason why the Church is called visible which is not because the men are visible but because of the external visible forme which being interrupted the visibility is gone though the persons not seene to the world they remaine seene amongst themselves 4. How absurd is it to define a Church by our senses and measure them by flesh and bones this is as one saith Chirurgum agere non Theologum hee that doth so would make a better Surgeon than Divine but these muzes cannot long hide them Hence then I conclude this first objection from their owne premisses thus If the Church be the body of Christ then it is not visible because it is not his naturall body for Christ had not two naturall bodies but his mysticall then invisible this being the true difference betweene a mysticall and a physicall body the one is subject to sense the other the object not of sense but of faith Object II. But the Pastors and Doctors the Sacraments the preaching of the Word the building of the Church are visible ergo the Church is visible Sol. 1. All this concludeth but particular congregations to bee visible which wee deny not but no reason can conclude hence the visibility of the Catholike Church and then it is too short to reach our cause and controversie 2. Consider the visible Church two wayes First according to her external matter and forme and thus consisting of men met together to performe externall Ecclesiasticall actions so farre I say a particular Church is visible Secondly according to her inward forme and so farre as they be of the Catholike Church by effectuall vocation faith righteousnesse and holinesse thus are the same members invisible for though wee see the men professing the faith yet who knoweth which or whether of them professe in soundnesse or in hypocrisie 3. Although a Church be now visible in eminent Pastors in numerous professors and in their glorious fruition of Christ and his ordinances yet no Church in the
name or we will not heare Ier. 44. 16. to delight and rest in flattering and smooth Ministers that may not disturbe us Esay 30. 10. to dull us from hearing the rod not turning to the smiter to rest in the outward meanes of good and not on the Author and blesser All these fore-runneth desolation and sheweth the Church to bee neare the wildernesse II. The second point in the womans flight is her sustentation that they should feede her alluding to the feeding of the Church of the Iewes in the wildernesse this woman is fled into the vaste and desolate wildernesse where she is sure to bee safe because the Text saith God hath prepared her a place but now shee seemeth in as ill case as before what shall shee doe for food there is no tilling sowing reaping no fruits in the barren wildernesse how shal she doe for food the Text answereth They shall feed her The word They standeth in relation to some persons spoken of before for it is not said That she should be fed nor that he that is the Lord might feed her but that they should feed her Now who are those that must feed her The words then have reference to Chapter the 11. 2. so that the two witnesses shall feed her for the time of both fitly agreeth Quest. What is meant by those two witnesses Ans. The Papists grosly conceive them to bee Henoc and Elias who they say are reserved above in Paradise to returne againe in the dayes of Antichrist to oppose him whom Antichrist shall slay and trample their dead bodies in the streets of Hierusalem but they shall revive the third day at which miracle the Iews say they shall be converted to Christ and shall slay Antichrist in the Mount Olivet and cleave unto Christ who shall come againe five and forty dayes after A notorious fable without all colour of Scripture for of Henochs returne in flesh or spirit is not a syllable in the Scripture and of Elias his spirituall returne it was â—â—â—formed before Saint Iohn writ this Prophesie as our Saviour affirmeth Matth. 17. 11. in Iohn Baptist I forbeare to follow or persecute so manifest a falshood Some also understand them of such Pastors and witnesses of the truth as assisted the woman and resisted the corruptions of those times not too precisely but a few noted by that number and by that number because the law requireth two witnesses at least to confirme every truth But I doe understand the two witnesses to be the two Testaments of holy Scripture for 1. Both witnesse unto God in his holinesse truth power justice mercy and all other attributes and to Christ Iohn 5. 2. Both witnesse the will of God to man in all things to bee beleeved done 3. Both witnesse against the wicked not the Law onely not Moses onely but the Gospell the word that I speake saith Christ shall judge you at the last day 4. Both feed the woman in the wildernesse maintaining heavenly life and strength both supply her with a dayly showre of Mannah as was notably prefigured in that type to which allusion because the Spirit of God here looketh I rather chuse this interpretation of Augustine and others The words thus unfolded we may learne That God feedeth his children even in the wildernesse and provideth for his owne in times of greatest scarcity as here the woman in a place of famine barrennesse banishment and persecution is fed and provided for Never was the Israel of GOD without a showre of Mannah nor a Rocke of water in the dry and barren wildernesse 1 Kings 19. 6. Eliah flying for his life is fed by an Angell and what else would our Saviour teach by thoâ—â— two miracles of so many thousand in the wildernesse with so small meanes Matth. 14. 18. but that such as follow Christ and cleave unto his word shall not bee destitute of any thing needfull though in never so vast and terrible a wildernesse They are first in respect of God secondly of themselves In respect of God for three causes 1. Because of his gracious promise so often passed Psal. 34. 10. The Lyons shall want but they that feare the Lord they shall want nothing that is good Psal. 84. 11. no good thing shall be wanting to him that liveth uprightly Psal. 37. 19. they shall have enough in dayes of famine for godlinesse hath the promise even of this life as well as of that to come 2. Because of his mighty power who can doe what he hath promised 1. He can create food where none is as Mannah in the wildernesse and water out of a Rocke the most unlikely meanes in the world and out of an Asses tooth to Samson as dry as a flint 2 Hee can multiply a little and make it supply many and make it last long as 1 Kings 17. 14. the Meale in the barrell 2 Kings 4. 3. Oyle in the Câ—use we see the like in Christs miracles feeding many thousand with seven Loaves 3. He can by extraordinary meanes supply his servants if ordinary faile if men feed not Elias Angels shall if Angels doe not Ravens shall 4. He can without all meanes sustaine them if both ordinary and extraordinary faile them as Moses and Elias forty dayes without any food This mighty power added to his promise assureth his Church to be fed seeing nothing can hinder him from doing them good 3. Because of the fulnesse and abundance of grace in God and fulnesse of goodnesse to communicate it who can deny him to be the Ocean and full Sea even the inexhaustible fountaine of goodnesse and who can hinder his full streames from issuing forth and running abroade in all affluence or whether should it flow and issue if not to his Sanctuary who have the Buckets to draw out of this deepe Well but beleevers In regard of themselves and in this respect there are three more causes 1. The right of the Church for the beleever having Christ hath in him right to all things of this life good for them If Christ be yours then all is yours whether things present or to come 1 Cor. 3. 22. 2. Their relation to God they are nearer than Gentiles yet he feeds them they are nearer than Oxen yet God hath care of oxen they are nearer than sparrowes yet he feeds them for 1. They are his servants The Prodigall childs father is said to have bread enough for his servants much more have Gods servants in his house 2. They are childreÌ„ He that provideth for dogs and Swine will hee not provide for his children 3. They are the Spouse and wife of Christ will a loving husband suffer his deare wife to want food and necessaries if hee know her need and be able to supply it therefore so long as the Lord hath knowledge of the Chuches estate and love of her person shee shall not be destitute 3. Their power and prevailing of their faith procureth them food they trust in him and commend
we all professe our selves his souldiers and subjects and hope to be saved by him Ans. If the dragon prevaile against any of us and have us under his power it is otherwise we cannot belong to two contrarie Captains we are his under whose colours we fight and to whom we have given our selves to obey Now therfore examine this point whether or how farre the dragon hath prevailed in any of us Rules of examination are these First where Michael cannot prevaile in such persons the dragon doth prevaile Now there Michael cannot prevaile where 1. His Word 2. His Spirit 3. His arme and hand is resisted ordinarily I. That his Word prevailes not in many of us is too manifest Did Gods word rule many of our Rulers they would goe through stitch and shew courage and conscience in Gods causes in beating downe the sinnes of the times frame their government according to Gods Word and till they doe so Christ rules not by them and if Christ prevaile not the dragon doth except a lying spirit step out and say there is a third 2. How little Michaels Scepter prevailes among many inferiour men is evident by the prevailing of ignorance in such dayes and meanes of knowledge How the god of the world blindeth a number of infidels is lamentable to consider who after many yeares hearing have still the vaile over their hearts and lie and live in grosse Aegyptian darknesse as ignorant as children as farre to seeke in substantiall grounds of Catechisme as they were at their first hearing that we cannot say Christs word prevailes in them unlesse wee may say that the light prevailes at midnight Oh what a pity it is How many civill honest men whose soules out of servent love wee mourne for are reached by this doctrine Not to speake of numbers who would be thought some-bodies in religion yet many turne away from it many turne against it yea hate and abhorre it 3. Adde hereto an other infallible conviction of many a one in whom the word prevailes not because it works neither reformation nor change both which it workes where it prevailes In many hearers it reformes not within the thoughts are idle unclean unsavory the affections are unruly violent passionate disguised c. It reforms them not without their words are vain as ever as unbridled unchristian as swearing as lying as ever their actions as unprofitable as uncharitable and hurtfull for who can looke for figs of thistles their whole life is unchanged what lust raigned that raigneth not still In none of these Michael prevaileth but the dragon hath them fast enough II. That the Spirit of Christ is likewise resisted and cannot prevaile is manifest both in his motions and graces How many good motions doth the Spirit suggest in the night in the day as upon other occasions so especially in the Ministery of the Word thou goest away and hopest to be better by this or that admonition but either thy slothfulnesse lets it die of it selfe or thou lettest in some lust to kill and quench it and so thou art much worse than before for wheras before he was kept out now thou hast driven him out and thus many men weare out their age in purposes and vaine hopes of amendment and are cut off before ever they seriously attempt it So mightily hath the dragon prevailed Add to these another Band who finding the word knocking at the dore of their hearts and the Spirit calling aloud from their lusts and beloved sinnes begin to quarrell and resist the Spirit and fight valiantly against all such motions and all the messengers by whom he moveth there is no perswasion of the Spirit can prevaile lusts must bee served profits sports and carnal delights must be intended and followed and who sees not the dragon effectually prevailing in such men For where the motions of Gods Spirit are repelled how just is it that GOD give over such persons to the efficacy of Satanicall delusion Now for the graces of Gods Spirit by which Michael prevaileth in how many that come to Church are they resisted scorned and blaspemed Is any thing made a more common by-word at this day than the light of grace and the power and practice of sound grace and what childe cannot see that the dragon who rules in darknesse doth there prevaile where nothing is so much chased as the light and the glory of the Saints is turned to their shame and reproach who but dogs and dragons would barke and spet poyson against grace III. They also resist Michael that suffer not his arme to prevaile How many incorrigible sinners be there whom neither Gods word nor workes can bow or bend Let God backe his word with visible judgments strokes round about them upon them yet they harden their hearts still and still turne to their old course going on from evill to worse Let God curse their trades they will breake the Sabbath still let God drowne their Boates their goods they will row on the Sabbath still let God smite by milder rods they heare not the rod nor who appointeth it let God breake the staffe of bread they will still make stones bread let God bring heavie strokes they will not understand though the foundations of the world be moved Psal. 82. 5. how doth Michael prevaile when such sensible strokes make men more senslesse and why should hee smite them any more who fall away more and more Esa. 1. 5. The second Marke or Rule of tryall is this Where the dragon holdeth a man under his slavery there he prevaileth but this he doth sundry wayes 1. When hee fetters any man as a slave to his owne lusts and the commands of the flesh chaines him to a blinde and rebellious heart to passionate and froward affections and throwes him into the streame of corrupt nature This prevaling of lusts is the dragons victory when sinnes and lusts grow in number strength continuance 2. The dragon prevailes by the world when hee brings men in bondage either to the profits or pleasures or to the fashions of the world What a number follow the world with full streame and their whole strength who cannot so truely be said to have the world as that the world hath them this eager love to the world signeth a man to have cast out the love of God from his heart see Iam 4. 4. 1 Iohn 2. 15. and that the Prince of the aire prevaileth in the course of the world is apparent Ephes. 2. 2. According to the course of the world according to the Prince of the power of the aire the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience where is he almost that conformes not to the corruptions of times places and callings If times bee for Protestants so be they if times were for Papists so would they if times throw downe the Gospell and Preachers of it so can they in their whole course frame in religion to their senses not to their faith
up to hatefull things condemned by themselves to drunkennesse filthines usury base and shamefull courses that their name stinkes as a Candle sluttishly put out not after but before they are put out that all men may see them cast out of their place parts before hand and if the wicked servants talēt be taken from him what remaines but the other part of the sentence Cast him into utter darknesse Mat. 25. 30. 2. Another note of a man whose place shall not bee found is hee is one whose place is not found amongst Gods people in his House and ordinances Cain as vile as hee was being cast out from the presence of God complaines of a miserable case many outcasts now wilfully excommunicate themselves and please themselves in it their owne hatred of grace hath cast them out from Gods people and worship already Gods house hath already spewed them out as unworthy of the fellowship of Gods people and whither are they hastening hee that will not abide to have his place found amongst Gods people shall one day have his wish his place shall never bee found among them Thirdly a man blowne about as chaffe and dust already shall never have a stable estate hereafter as I. If any bee carried with every blast of false doctrine as unrooted unsetled in the faith never was there change of religion but Satan raised false teachers and seducers who did privily bring in damnable heresies such as Iannes and Iambres that resisted the truth and carryed away numbers from the truth themselves first carryed away by the deceit of Balaams wages beware of such Popish Pedlers that helpe to sell the people of God into the hands of the cursed Babylonians Ieremie describes such 1. They cast aside the Word of God and deliver their owne dreames chaffe instead of wheare they bend and straine their wits to looke out vaine and foolish things causes of banishment Lam. 2 14. 2. They are described by their intolerable Iesuiticall lying fathering that upon the Lord which the Lord never spake where doth the Lord in al◠the Scripture enveigh against the powerfull frequēt preaching of his holy word Shall we beleeve he speaks from God who cryes out of too much Preaching I must beleeve that his eyes are sore or bleared who cries out of light how can a Torch-light be welcome to a company of theeves or robbers how can the light of the word be welcome to Atheists Papists and Iesuiticall spirits who would robbe the Church of the word of salvation 3. They are described by hucksterly blending the wine of Gods word with the puddle-water of humane inventions watch them and disclaime them that would sow our field with the miscelen of Popery who like their Jesuiticall friends with one wipe will cast out all the reformed Churches from being the true Churches of God with whom wee have joyned as sisters ever since the restoring of the Gospell as in the harmony of Confessions appeareth with another overthrow the better halfe of the fourth Commandement as their friends cast out the whole second Commandement and as like the Jesuites as may bee cast dirt and foame upon the faithfull able and zealous Preachers because they see them stand in their light as the greatest opposites to their Popish projects Well for giving heed to such deceitfull Prophets the Lord threatneth Ierusalem to wipe her as a maid wipes a dish If we would not be cast out of our places Churches let us beware of such locusts whose property is to eate up every greene thing Rev. 9. 4. especially beware of the delusiō of Antichrist who is that beast that must goe into destruction and the King of these Locusts for how shall they that adhere to him stand or bee found in their place when his place shall not be found II. The like of one who is carryed away with the blasts of temptation from sinne to sinne having no stedfastnesse in a good course None can bee established by iniquity III. The like of them that are carryed away with Apostasie from good beginnings without constancy in their hearts or mouthes or good actions such withered leaves are blowne away with windes Psal. 1. And IIII. Of them that runne after the world setting their hope and heart on earthly things for how can such a ones place be found when earth and heaven flies away and their place found no more Revel 20 11. when all Ilands and Mountaines shall not bee found Rev. 16. 20 Vers. 9. And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devill and Satan which deceiveth the whole world hee was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him This Verseis a large confirmation or interpretation of the former and in it are foure parts I. A large description of the party overthrowne the grand enemie of the woman and that by two arguments 1. His names and titles which are foure 1. The great dragon 2. That old serpent 3. The devill 4. Satan 2. His effect he deceiveth the whole world II. The manner of his overthrow He was cast not downe but out III. The place designed whither he was cast into the earth IIII. His company and associates in this overthrow and his Angels with him First of the description Quest. Why is the Spirit of God so large in it Answ. 1. That we should not mistake the enemie overthrowne and conceive of any naturall or physicall dragon in proper sense 2. That wee should not doubt of the truth of the overthrow For the meaning of the names I. The great dragon is the arch-enemie of mankinde who had in all ages by his instruments oppressed and outragiously wasted the Church but especially as wee have seene in this Text by the great and prophane power of the old Romane and imperiall dragons in whom he had ruled at his will tyrannized over the woman spreading upholding all Idolatry blasphemy heresies and plotting dēvising and executing all injustice tyranny and barbarous immanity against her this dragon is now cast out of whom and his greatnesse wee have spoken at large verse 3. and will neither repeate nor add to that discourse II. The Title is The old Serpent where 1. His nature 2. His adjunct His nature he is a serpent First because hee hid and covered himselfe in the serpent in his first stratageme against our first Parents Secondly because of his serpentine disposition in two things 1. His poyson and malice both in the fountaine and streams for in his owne nature his poyson is alwayes ready as in a fountain and in his effects it runneth incessantly as in full streames first and principally against Christ the Head of the Church and then against all the members for the Heads sake His speciall hatred is against Christ for as the serpent carries a most deadly antipathic and fight against the Hart or Hinde so this serpent against Christ who is aijeleth hashahar the hart or hinde of the
Scriptures out of their Countries to receive in humane traditions thrusting down the pure worship of God to set up horrible Idolatry blasphemy and sacrilegious worship of stockes stones and the breaden god persecuting to death the faithfull and godly Preachers taking into their bosomes shavelings Baals Priests fabulous Fryars Jesuiticall King-killers and Antichristian god-makers What a griefe is it to cast our eyes abroad into the world and consider what a small part of it is come in as subiects to this King In the Easterne part of the world we may see Gog and Magog Turkes Jewes and Sarazens to hold out this Kingdome of Christ and set up Mahomet against him the god of that part of the world In the Westerne part we may see Antichrist Apollyon his Holinesse the Arch-enemy of the Churches of the Gentiles holding out by power and policy by force and fraud this Kingdome of our God in the most of this Westerne world and none may buy or sell no nor breath or live but such as receive the marke of the beast in their hands and foreheads So as wee must beleeve Jesus Christ to bee the great King For if we should trust our senses he seemeth in comparison of the world to be as Ishbosheth a King without a Kingdome II. To come nearer to our owne Countrey If we turne our eyes home wee may finde matter of mourning that this Kingdome of the Lord hath gotten no more ground in this Kingdome or rather hath lost much ground of late yeares sure it is God never gave more excellent gifts nor more furnished lights to his Church in any age since the Apostles then in this last age since the discovery of that Antichristian darknesse nor in this age unto any nation more than unto this nation and where he giveth much doth he not require much But oh the misery that is come upon his Church that 1. Whereas wee should have beene generally setled on our Rocke and foundations without wavering we are now calling our grounds in question and must dispute against deniers of our principles 2. Whereas Antichrist and Popery was a dead stinking carkeise detestable to every man of any nose or iudgement now the dead bones seeme to reunite themselves and flesh and skinne to come on them and begin to revive and take heart and contest yea iustle againe with the truth which once gave it the deadly wound as if it had brought seven spirits worse than before to take possession againe 3. Whereas painefull Preachers have beene worthily honoured and Gods graces admired in them in former times when the Word of God had free passage and was glorified what a griefe is it to see them now disdained and in stead of them to behold those Locusts the Priests and Jesuites fighting under their King Abbaddon and consuming the greene grasse and prevailing against so many high and low in these dayes of light to see these set by 4. Whereas the doctrine of the Sabbath was described plainely out of the Word of God and practised unlesse in very rude places in holy and commendable manner now the holy observation of it is rather accounted a kinde of heresie and all the dayes of the weeke afford not so much profanesse as that day wherein all the subiects of the Lords Kingdome ought onely to attend upon himselfe 5. How did the Lord Jesus mourne when hee saw the Jews without able Teachers as sheep without shepheards Mat. 9. 36. And what a mournfull sight were it to see a goodly field ready for the harvest but never a man in the Countrey to gather it in but there it must rot So what a lamentable thing is it to see so many Churches and Parishes without able Ministers and some countries utterly barren of meanes to gather them into the Kingdome whose Ministers in stead of feeding them either sterve them or poyson thē in stead of directing and comforting the poore Church smite her wound her shame her by taking away her vaile from her What a case was the poore Church in when the Pharises made a Canon that if any did sincerely professe Jesus Christ hee should bee excommunicated Iohn 9. 22. and afterward whē Diotrephes cast men out of the Church for receiving the brethren 3. Iohn 10. 6. How did David mourne and his eyes gush out rivers of teares because men kept not the Word The same cause have wee to see men generally cast off the regiment of Jesus Christ and led by the devill and their owne lusts The desperate prophanesse against the meanes is most damnable The Trumpet of the Gospell cals them to subiection but they say This man shall not rule over us 7. Wee have cause of mourning to see the Gospell going away and the Kingdome a taking away from us that is The Word of the Kingdome and the meanes of grace Who doth not see the Word of the Kingdome gone in the power of it For where may a man see the power of it but in a very small remnant so farre from the power of converting that it cannot prevaile against open sins nor trifling vanities And who seeth not the kingdome going away in the presence of it as wel as in the power Will Christ stay where hee is so unwelcome May wee not heare the same voyce as the Jewes did Mat. 21. 43. because they refused the Corner stone therefore the Kingdome should be taken from them and given to a Nation that would bring forth the fruits of it Or is it not a refusing of the Corner stone to trample upon the Preachers and Professors of holy religion and preferre before them Priests and Papists and to fall in love againe with Antichristian Idolatry and Masses and Breaden gods which reverse our Corner stone and cannot stand with the presence of the Arke So long as we have the Bridegroome with us wee may reioyce however other things goe with us but if he goe then our sorrowes come in as an unresistable flood III. To come to our owne places It will set griefe to every good heart to see how little ground the kingdome of the Lord hath gotten a long time If we shall see that after thirty or forty yeares constant preaching Magistrates professing religion are carelesse of religion as Gallio let religion runne as it will so that their aimes may succeed and projects prosper and not seldome turne the edge of authority against religion and religious persons If wee see that Magistracie will not bee wonne to joyne with the Ministery to set an edge and add a point to holy doctrine to make our weapons the more mighty and piercing against sinne and sinners Well knowes Satan the Kingdomes of the world would bee the Lords if these his two Ordinances should shake hands if David and Nathan or God stand together Iosias and Huldas and therefore labour to divulse them and prevailes so farre as wee seldome enjoy their happy conjunction What a griefe is it that when wee call for the
because they saw their craft must faile by Pauls preaching of Christ but they cunningly cover their covetousnesse with another fine pretext of religion stablished through the world and make it a dangerous State matter vers 27. 3. Revenge The heart of every wicked man lusteth after envy against Gods people and yet they must goe for the onely men of peace and onely peace-makers Now in the midst of revenge that they may retaine a vizard of peace they can weave some false accusation out of some stuffe finely spun by which they can easily blinde the eyes of those in authority that they may usurpe their name and authority their power and forces to vexe Gods people thus Dan. 3. 8. the Caldeans envying the advancement of the Jewes above themselves devised a meanes of revenge but finely hide themselves in a grievous accusation they come and flatter and pray devoutly for the King O King live for ever then the King must beleeve that they are the only men observant of his Lawes O King thou hast made a decree then they charge the Jewes with rebellion for they will not worship the Kings god newly set up And thus doe the Romish Catholikes deale with those among them who will not frame to their Idolatry and superstition 4. Their hypocrisie Enemies of sound goodnesse they are but must not seeme to oppose goodnesse and therefore must they accuse things well done and repute them as faults justly punishable now must they call good evill Neither may they seeme to vexe and prosecute good men as good men therefore they must traduce them and make them seeme malefactors and enemies to peace and order and government and then they being so few in number of small ability and smaller grace in the world they may despise them with priviledge Thus cunningly can they weild this hellish weapon and make it serve to all their purposes Note hereby the old practice of the devill in the generall sin of these dayes How often doe we heare the whole religion of God by the enemies thereof traduced disguised accused to be factious hereticall turbulent What is the sincerity of religion to many but hypocrisie and vaine-glory what the power of religion but giddinesse and distemper of unruly spirits what the Preachers thought but as Paul and Silas troublers of the City teaching things contrary to Law Good Ieremy ever sought the wealth of the City and people both temporall and eternall yet was charged to discourage the people and weaken the hands of the men of warre and that he sought not the wealth of the people but the hurt Ier. 38. 5. Holy Daniel whom they could not touch by all their prying and devising against him but in the matter of his God yet how did they combine against him What a thanklesse office is it to bee a faithfull Preacher to a wilfull people how are things depraved which ought to receive a good construction how doth every one act his part in devising and receiving devises against him Why he hath nothing to doe here no calling what hath hee to doe to meddle with us c. 2. Learne a point of wisedome not rashly to condemne or censure every one that is accused which were often to condemne the innocent Consider well both the person and the cause and then judge with righteons judgement If accusation had made a guilty person Christ himselfe had not beene innocent for hee was accused to bee an arch-deceiver of the people And the greatest fault that hath beene usually objected by the wicked against the godly is the doing of some part of their duty Therefore avoid this sinne of credulity and rash judgement bee slow of beliefe Charity beleeveth all things but all good things and thinketh not evill 3. Let good men comming to Gods service prepare themselves for accusation for First Satan will practise betimes upon thy goodnesse even in the tender yeares of thy grace so hee did against Ioseph being very young Secondly thou hast the true cause of false accusation if thou hast any goodnesse that is assigned the cause 1 Pet. 4. 4. Because ye runne not with them to the same excesse of riot they speake evill of you Thirdly the enemies Corah and his complices wil mutiny against Moses though Gods rod be in his hand with never so many mighty signes nay though the wrath of God bee on their necke to make the earth open and swallow them The greater grace the greater is their resistance the more report God gave to his Apostles the more wretchedly doe they assault them 4. Let the godly not too much afflict themselves when the dragon be wrayes himselfe in false accusation for 1. It is the same affliction that hath befallen our brethren in the world and our elder brother it is no new thing 2. Our Lord Jesus hath sanctified all our sufferings in this kinde and sweetned them 3. It is before our God who is witnesse of our innocency and watcheth over our name and innocency The Lord was with Ioseph in prison 4. Truth and innocency is strongest and may bee hid but not extinct and shall breake out as the Sunne at noone day Psal. 37. 6. A godly man shall bee found best at last his graces shall bee as the Starres which the blacke night doth but shew more bright and shining 5. If thou suffer evill speeches falsly for righteousnesse sake blessed art thou Gods measure and mans doe differ hee measures truth of heart and grace of life with another measure than the world doth these deserve favour amongst men but finde it not but the Lord will justifie and testifie unto them and remunerate them with an unheaped measure of righteousnesse and mercy This of the second point 3. Satan and his instruments are impudent and instant in false accusing the godly for they doe it before our God day and night Gen. 39. 14. how impudent was Potiphers wife in accusing Ioseph for although shee set adulterous eyes upon him and impudently entised him with alluring speeches and instantly solicited him by unshamefac'd behaviour yea although hee harkened not unto her nor would be in the company of her as one that would avoid all occasions yet shee both impudently and instantly accused him first to his servants and then to the Master and then maintained her accusations all the yeares of Iosephs imprisonment which was about three yeares in all Dan. 6. 4. The impudency and instance of Daniels accusers appeareth in that to the King himselfe with whom Daniel was in great favour they durst accuse a man in their owne conscience so innocent as they could finde nothing against him except concerning the law of his God and follow their accusation so subtilly with envious and false suggestions as also so instantly as though the King himselfe laboured to deliver Daniel till the Sunne going downe yet either hee could not or would not Daniel must die that night lest the King should perhaps remember
of his foule death and damnation both in soule and body with many passages after his buriall and stirre of the devils about him which comming to Luthers hands hee answered Of Queene Elizabeth they spred in forraine parts some yeares before shee dyed that shee was dead and had reconciled her selfe to the Pope Iohn Husse yet alive was accused that hee affirmed a fourth person in Trinity who when he desired the author or witnesse to bee brough forth and could not obtaine cryed out O miserable man that I am who am forced to beare such blasphemies and standers 2. Another note of an impudēt blasphemer accuser is to accuse in things wherein himself is most guilty With what impudency did Potiphars wife accuse Ioseph of incontinency when only her selfe was unchaste and the solliciter Satan accuseth Iob before the Lord that if hee touch Iob a little hee will curse and blaspheme him to his face whereas nothing is more usuall with Satan himselfe than to curse and blaspheme God perpetually Nero to picke a quarrell against the Christians set Rome on fire and charged the Christians with it hence were they apprehended clad with skinnes of beasts and torne in pieces with dogs and many crucified and heapes of them cast into blazing fires as if they had been cōmon burners destroyers of men The most treasonable massacre that ever the Sun saw was laid upon the pretended treason of poore innocent men drawne into the shambles as sheepe thirty thousand of whose throats were cut in one month At home the Parliament House must bee blowneup and the fact laid upon the Puritans with extreme and ridiculous impudence whereby also Papists charge us with heresie with corrupting the Scripture with Idolatry c. and as impudently doe grosse Recusants accuse conformable men of inconformity some of faction being most factious themselves Athaliah cryes Treason 3. The impudency of accusers appeareth in that when they can prove nothing they lay many hainous things upon the godly to oppresse them with multitude and make the world thinke something must be true among so many and whereas one such crime would beare action enough if true they lay on loade with all manner of crimes Daniels fellowes were charged with First singularity they alone stand out against the Image of the King Secondly Irreligion they will not worship the Kings God Thirdly rebellion and sedition they rebell against the Kings commandement Mar. 15. 3. the High Priest and Pharisees accused Christ of many things And Christians must expect from this impudence all manner of evill sayings for Christs sake falsly Mat. 5. 11. 4. To accuse all the godly for one is a note of an impudent accuser Haman thought it too little to destroy Mordecai but all the seed of the Jewes also For the quarrell is seldome private or personall but generall against all the persons of them that feare God Satan would root out all the godly The same cause that stirres up his wrath against one doth inrage him against every one that is Gods grace and Image Hence it is that no one good man can bee falsly accused but so is every good man in him for they are all alike all dissemblers hypocrites never a good c. See Satanicall impudency 5. A tricke of Satanicall impudency is for some persons sake to accuse the whole religion it self for it is not enough to throw downe the persons but the worship and religion of God also being so contrary to them which is apparent in a number of gracelesse men who never take offence against a godly man but presently flie upon his religion Wilt thou impudently raile on the Sunne because a man stumbles in the Sunshine here is a more hatefull madnesse 6. Another is to seeke occasions of accusing and not finding occasion yet to accuse as they Ier. 18. 18. Come let us devise against this Ieremy and smite him with the tongue Dan 6. 4. the impudency of Daniels accusers is that they fought an occasion and will not stay till occasion be offered and they confesse Daniels innocency among themselves saying Wee shall finde no occasion but in the matter of his God and yet contest against it to the King himselfe Luke 6. 7. The Pharisees watched Christ to get accusations against him Let watchers and devisers of plots against innocent men see with whom they runne 7. It is high impudency in accusing that when they cannot for evill they will for good Daniel for praying Christ for healing on the Sabbath the godly for the matter of their God for tendernesse of conscience for going to heare Sermons for singing Psalmes in their houses for carrying Bibles for care in keeping the Sabbath for repeating Sermons at home for exercises of religion for not swearing for not being gamesters tosse-pots and Taverners his impudent accuser can make it more easie and seeme more gracefull to bee manifestly prophane and vile than sincerely good and a resister of evill 8. It is shamefull impudence to accuse where speciall respects binde to defend honour and imitate But a shamelesse accuser casts off with all shame all bands and respects 2 Sam. 16. 3. Ziba will not spare but falsly and villanously accuse his raiser and Master Mephibosheth and that of no lesse than high treason that he stayed in Jerusalem to be made King and so got his lands 2 Sam. 15. 13. Absalon spares not his owne father There is no man to doe justice Not the nearest band of nature can stay an evill heart from accusing where it should honour and defend It will neither acknowledge him from whom it hath received benefits nor yet beeing in the world The sinne is likest Satan when it is most ungracious and unnaturall II. Next the motives or disswasions from false accusation are so much the more to bee urged because of our great pronenesse and inclination to this sinne For First slipperinesse of the tongue a nimble member casteth many headlong into this sinne unawares especially in persons addicted to loquacity and garrulity or chatting who as empty vessels give a loud sound but no soundnesse or savory matter or choise discourse can bee heard from them and wanting matter in themselves will finde it upon others Secondly lying and false accusing agreeth best with the corruption and depravation of our nature which being at first corrupted and spoyled by a lie wee leane that way ever since and as a vessell keepe the smell of our first liquor yea our whole nature is degenerate into a lie Thirdly wee have selfe-love in abundance and pride of heart by which wee set up our selves and contemne and treade upon others This admiration of our selves makes us disdaine others and according to this distemper we speake and fil our mouths and others eares with detraction and false accusation lest so much be detracted from us as we heare or see added to another Seeing therefore we are so prone to drinke in this puddle water of detraction and false accusation
with weeping for his sin against the good Bishop of Jerusalem III Now wee come to the meanes by which godly men may fence and arme themselves against this keene weapon of false accusation 1 Accuse and judge thy selfe daily yea night and day before God Thou preventest the accuser by accusing thy selfe 1 Cor. 11. 13. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged Be carefull above all to stop the mouth of three accusers First make sure that God accuse thee not Let nothing stand betweene him and thee whereof thou hast not already judged and accused thy selfe Hereunto beleeve in Jesus Christ against all false accusation get Christ to justifie thee be once in Christ and he shall answer all crimination and if he iustifie who shall condemne Rom. 8. 33. Secondly see the word of God accuse thee not stop Moses his mouth Ioh. 5. 45. There is one that accuseth you even Moses not his person but his doctrine Hereunto repent of thy sinne confesse and forsake it that is the way to mercy Evangelicall obedience stops Moses mouth Thirdly avoyd and stop the accusation of thine owne conscience that thou mayest have a witnesse within thee First of thy sound peace and reconciliation with God Secondly sense of grace and sanctification Thirdly carefulnesse in Gods service Fourthly innocency and uprightnesse in the most sincere endeavour of heart and life 2 Walke circumspectly avoyding occasions and appearances of evill False accusers can make of gnats in good men elephants and of mole-hils mountaines as big as the globe of the earth If thou esteeme any error small or sinne little so will not they Oh that all Christians would or did so walke as that all accusations might proove shadowes and pretenses Oh that all the keene weapons of wicked men were thus blunted with innocency and that all prooved but the doing of their dutie 3 Let the righteous smite thee for this may keep thee out of wicked hands Take counsell endure rebukes from the godly heare with willingness loving admonition For else it is just the wicked fall upon thee Some have beene publickely instructed by the word and privately perswaded by godly friends to avoyd occasions of scandall to avoyd the company of loose and riotous persons and to watch narrowly over themselves for their professions sake but they unconscionably rejecting the counsell of Gods word and servants and rather quarrelling with the counsellers then following the counsell have beene given up to themselves and led away till they have become a by-word to all the prophane in the country who flout and triumph over them and their profession as if the Philistims had got in another Sampson Had it not beene better to have borne the wounds of friends then these gashes of the enemies 4 Defend and plead Gods cause against false accusation and he will plead thine When truth is gainsaid or his name or servants evill spoken of if wee would bestirre our selves for him he also would be ready to defend our names and innocency A wretched Councel it is in which al crie crucifie Christ and not a man to speake a word for him Many such wicked Councels there are in which bold and impudent accusers do stand against God and his worship and servants and throw downe and tread on not only the innocency of good men but the worship and service of God and not a man to speake a word for God or good men or causes But never was there such a councell set against God but God set against them and brought that dishonour on themselves which they sustered to be cast upon him his name Wee need not go far for examples 5 Do to anothers name as thou wouldest have thine done by He shall dwell in heaven who neither raiseth nor receiveth slaunders Generally when we heare accusation and reports of out brethren we receive them beleeve them laugh at them adde to them But what measure thou measurest to others shal be measured to thee againe thou shalt be payed in thine owne coyne looke what entertainement another mans name findes in thy house the same shall thy name finde in another mans house Wee must therefore open our mouthes for the dumbe for the absent for the innocent The difference betweene the slaunderer and receiver is this the former hath Satan sitting in his heart and tongue the latter in his heart and eare 6 Another meanes is resolution never to depart from thine uprightnesse but to keepe thine innocency as Iob though with infamy and false accusation So did Ioseph So the Apostles resolved to passe on their way by honour and dishonour through evill report and good report Never leave off to doe good nor give over any dutie to avoid false accusation Hazzard rather thy name and credit then thy faith and piety 7 Another is appellation so walke ever before God as thou mayest appeale from all unjust accusation and sentences to his most just righteous sentence that thou mayst boldly expect and call for both his testimony and assistance clearing For the first David appeales to the Lord Lord thou knowest whither I have done this thou knowest they lay to my charge things that I know not Iohn Husse appealed to Jesus Christ from the wicked sentence of the Councell of Constance Iobs witnesse was in heaven For the other is that in Psal. 119. 123. Answer for thy servant in that which is good and let not the proud oppresse me as if he had said Lord I am slaundered where I am not where I cannot answer for my selfe do thou answer for me besides I crave only thy protection in an honest and good cause thou that art goodnesse it selfe maintaine it and me in it And for clearing thine innocency wayte God will one day discover it Consider the story how God cleared Athanasius from the villanous accusations of the Arrians First they suborned a lewd woman to exclayme upon him in open assembly that he would have ravished her the night before against her will Which slaunder he shifted off by sending Timotheus Presbiter of Alexandria in his roome who asked her before the synod whether she would sweare that he had ravished her shee answered she would sweare and vow he did it thinking he had beene Athanasius whom she never saw So the Councell perceiving the matter quitted his innocency Secondly they accused him to have slaine one Arsenius whom themselves kept secret and that he carried one of his hands about him by which hee wrought miracles and enchantments But Arsenius touched by God stole away from them and came to Athanasius who brought him before the Judges with both hands and confounded his accusers 8 The last meanes is apologie and necessarie defence of our words and facts against false accusers which Christ used alwaies for himselfe and his disciples And as necessarie it is for his Ministers and Members For First we may not lose our innocency if by good meanes we may maintaine it Secondly
we may and must cut off the vizards of envious obtrectors and slaunderers if not for our persons yet for the truth Thirdly impudent accusers abuse the patience and modesty of good men and by their silence make thēselves more audacious to slaunder Fourthly a good man may be as bold in defence of innocency and goodnesse as they are impudent in disgracing them Samuel did not boast or preach himselfe when rejected by the people he asked Whose Oxe or Asse have I taken Our Saviour Christ many times askes Which of you can accuse me of sinne If Papists or Atheists make it the discourses of their table and sawce of their meats to belye and slander Preachers of the Gospell a Preacher may as I doe this day challenge all Papists scoffers enemies of the truth which I preach c. if the Roman law were in force which Eusebius and Nicephorus speake of that hee that had falsly accused his brother and not able to prove it should have both his legs broken what a number of criples should we have I wish them better that God would breake their hearts with godly sorrow and breake their malice rather then their limbes that embracing the truth they may acknowledge the bringers of it The accuser is cast downe The second part of these words is The dejection of the dragon He was cast downe not utterly expulsed or destroyed for he will ever stand up as an accuser before Gods tribunall and mens but he falleth in his accusation and is cast in his cause Quest. Wherein standeth this dejection of the dragon Answ. In two things 1 In regard of Gods tribunall he is foyled because Christ is risen for the justification of Beleevers and is ascended into heaven to cleare all accusations and now reigneth triumpheth over all enemies whom he hath made his footstoole 2 In regard of mans tribunall at this time which our text aymeth at the heathenish power which had long oppressed the Church being subdued and Christian religion stablished by Christian Princes those horrible accusations by which the poore Christians were daily brought to death by hundreds and thousands were stayed and in great part cut off and the Christians were cleared and acquitted from those hatefull and impudent accusations layd against them And now the innocency both of their persons and profession appeareth 1 The holinesse innocency peaceablenesse and godlinesse of their persons began more and more to breake out the booke of their Adversaries false suggestions was as an honourable crowne upon their heads now God gives them favour and honour in the sight of their Adversaries 2 That which is more now the profession and religion of God and his Sonne Jesus Christ as odious as it was formerly made by hellish blasphemies begins to be received advanced spred abroad and lifteth up the head above all heathenish and idolatrous religions in a word grace and glory comes unto it in stead of former infamous imputations cast upon it This is the casting downe of the Accuser Note hence that there is a time when the accusers of Gods people shal be cast downe and put to silence Though Ioseph a long time lie in the place of the Kings prisoners his mistris is impudent in accusing his master credulous in beleeving cruell in putting his feet in the stockes and laying irons on him and himselfe hopelesse of favour or deliverance yet the Lords time came when he came out of prison with honour and much more grace then all his disgrace came unto Mordecai and his people may be accused condemned a day of execution appointed no hope nor helpe appeares but ere that day commeth the Lord brings forth his innocency Haman his accuser must honour him and proclayme him the second man in the kingdome and quickly after hansell his owne gallowes There was a time when the den and furnace were thought too good for Daniel and his fellows so grievous are the aceusations and so haynous their facts but soone after they are raysed to honour and high advancemet and their accusers cast into their roume There was a sad and heavie time in which the poore Christians bare the burden of tenne bloody tyrants and monsters their names blacked their goods spoyled their blood shed as water but afterward a Constantine came who acquitted them honoured them cherished and protected them 1 This must needs be in respect of God in whom if we consider foure things wee shall see it cannot be otherwise First his knowledge and cleare discerning of the innocency of his servants Now their righteousnesse and innocency is denied and derided enemies would bury it in the grave of everlasting oblivion and take deepe counsells to roll great stones of infamy and reproach upon it that it cannot rise in the after-ages of the world But all things are naked to him with whom we have to deale who preserves the bones of innocency and will rayse it out of the ashes and bring it into a cleare and glorious light See Luke 12. 2. Secondly his justice The righteous judge of all the world cannot alwayes hold his peace at wrong nor alwaies suffer justice to be turned into wormewood nor truth to be alwayes covered with sackecloth and ignominy He must shew himselfe a patron of truth and a revenger of wrong Be it farre from him the doing of this thing that the righteous should be even as the wicked that be farre from him shall not the judge of all the world doe right Gen. 18. 25. Thirdly his promise in Psal. 37. 6. Commit thy way to the Lord and he will bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgment as at noone-day implying that righteousnesse may be hid with darknesse and covered with the blacke night of impudent slaunders but yet after darknesse it shall see light the longest and darkest night that ever was saw a morning and the sunne rose and chased away darknesse and mists and revealed all that was hid in darknesse And so God promiseth it shall be to all his disgraced Saints Doth he promise and doth he not meane to performe is he not able is he not willing to accomplish is not he truth are not his promises so both from truth and for truth and those that are of the truth Fourthly his affection to innocency The righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse What a man loveth he will maintaine much more the Lord though he tarry long yet at last will step forth and plead for truth and will not suffer it alwayes to bee smothered with smoake and mists of lyes and falshood 2 It shall so be in respect of Jesus Christ to whom the Saints must be conformed and by whom they are confirmed and upheld First as the Saints are conformed to Christ in his crosse so in his crowne as in his combate so in his victory And therefore as the Head was accused accursed crucified buried and a great stone rolled upon him and a sure watch about him and all
in the day goe to thy rest a few houres will bring the Sunne and morning which shall discover all things againe Commend thy cause in well doing to him that judgeth righteously Flie not on men to be revenged but flie to him and waite for two things First Gods time Ioseph lay in irons till the time appointed came and the counsell of the Lord had tryed him Psal 105. 18. Secondly Gods meanes Object I see none all wayes of clearing my selfe are shut up Ans. Yet God hath wayes enough 1. Angels Mary had innocence but no way in earth to discover it Ioseph was putting her away but the Angell from heaven acquites her God watcheth in the night over our innocency as over hers 2. Good men hold themselves made by God keepers of their brothers credit Ionathan will speake for David though a speare bee throwne at him 3. Evill men themselves Saul shall preach Davids innocency and Pilate the Judge condemning Christ shall acquite him This of the first point 2. In that the Saints here praise the Lord for that the accuser is cast downe wee learne that when the Lord hath scattered the clouds and mists of false accusation for us and made our innocency appeare wee must by all meanes shew our selves thankfull for it The eighteenth Psalme is a Song of thanksgiving in the day that God delivered David from the hands of Saul who accused him of treason and aspiring and affecting the Kingdome see vers 43 46 48 49. Hest. 9. 26. the dayes of Purim were instituted for a perpetuall and publike praise of God both for the clearing of the Jewes innocency falsly accused by Haman and the overthrow of the accuser 1. As God doth all things for his owne glory so especially here his glory shineth in much brightnesse for First he riseth up in righteous judgement and manifesteth the whitenesse of his Throne whiter than Salomons which was of white Ivory demonstrating the purity of the Judge and judgement and here advanceth his Throne above all the thrones of the world which cannot cleare themselves from corruption Secondly he advanceth his power above all enemies they are potent to suppresse the truth but he is omnipotent to support it Thirdly hee magnifieth his wisedome in preventing all the cursed policies and counsels of his enemies against the Saints and either turneth them to folly or bringeth them on their owne heads as Achitophel and Haman Fourthly hee expresseth his affection to his people in turning the enemies curse into a blessing as in the instance of Balak and Balaam Numb 23. 11. I called thee to curse mine enemies and loe thou hast blessed them The more Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites the more they increased Now as the Lord putteth forth his glory so hee expecteth that his people should declare it and ascribe the same unto him considering that if they honour him not hee loseth all his honour upon earth for wicked men shut their eyes against it and further how well it pleaseth him when the Saints goe out of themselves and ascribe al their safety onely to his mercy disclaiming their owne strength merit or goodnesse and onely glory all the day in him whom they acknowledge the Patron and defender of truth and innocency 2. After all victories the Saints used to praise the Lord when they saw him rise up for them against his enemies But in casting downe accusers is an happy victory wherein many hellish plots are overthrowne many stratagems discovered and armies of diabolicall enterprises chased the fury and force of enraged enemies is defeated themselves turned backe and cloathed with confusion The heathens would not carry a victory without sacrificing to their gods and shall the Saints deny the Lord this sacrifice of praise when their enemies are cast downe before them 3. When the Lord heareth our prayers he is greatly to be praised Psalm 28. 6. Praised bee the Lord for hee hath heard the voyce of my prayer And how can a godly heart who hath commended his cause and innocency unto Gods clearing and findeth that the Lord who seemed to have beene departed and not to respect him or his righteous cause is now returned and manifesteth his presence in stopping and restraining the fury of the enemie and bringing forth into light the innocency of his servants how can a good heart now but returne with praises to God who hath heard all his prayers and brought about all his hearts desire 4. The benefit it selfe to have slanders and evill surmises dispersed is not so small and worthlesse as it is not worth thankes How thankfull would wee be to that man who when wee could not tell what to doe in a great cause concerning our estate would step in as a faithfull witnesse on our side but how much more when the Lord vouchsafeth to witnesse for us seeing we can neither deserve this favour nor repay any thing else for it Therefore let us not deprive him of his praise which is his tribute Psal. 50. 15. I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie mee And it is the end of all Gods intention in the donation of mercy and ought to be our end in the fruition of it Againe it is a note of an evill man to be more ready to pray for supplies in his straites then to praise God for supplies in his liberty and inlargement Finally it was ever the constant practice of the Saints Psal. 59. 16. I will sing of thy power and praise for thou hast beene my defence c. Quest. How may we expresse our thankfulnesse for this mercy Ans. 1. If God honour or preserve our names wee must much more honour and uphold his referring all our credit and reputation to maintaine his name and honour contrary to those who know not how to wield honour and greatnesse but in swearing cursing gaming and the like 2. This we shall doe by carefull and watchfull upholding the holinesse innocency of our own lives For the end of our redemption from our enemies is to serve our God in holinesse and righteousnesse all our dayes Luke 1. 15. And it is the end of our justification both before GOD and man that wee should shine out in holinesse and walke beseeming so great salvation Verse 11. But they overcame him by the blood of the Lambe and by the word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives to the death AFter the Church in this triumphant song hath sung out the praises of God the giver of all victory in the former verse now in this are set forth the due praises and commendation of the army or band of Michael who had valiantly stood with their Generall in the conquering and subduing the Dragon In the words are two things First a report of the victory and that the Saints were masters of the field But they overcame him Second the reasons or causes of this victory and they were of two sorts 1. The meritorious cause and principall efficient
redeeme us Gal. 3. 13. Fourthly death seised on us in the day we sinned but this blood of the Lambe is the death of death who is swallowed into victory Hos. 13. 14. Fiftly the wrath of God pursueth sinne infinitely but here is a propitiatory sprinkled with blood and as the propitiatory did cover the Arke in which the law was layd so Christ our propitiatory hides the law from the eyes of Gods justice and stilleth the accusing clamour of it against us freeing us both from the rigor and malediction of it The sixt enemie is sting of conscience and restlesnesse but this blood raseth the handwriting there also both pacifying it in sealing remission of sinnes through his blood Col. 1. 14. as also purging it from dead workes 9. 14. The seventh is enmitie of the creatures which all take their Lords part against us but this blood reconcileth all things Col. 1. 20. saveth from revenging Angells Heb. 11. 28. changeth Lions into Lambes sealeth the covenant not onely betweene the Creator and us but the creature also The last enemie is hell and hellish sorrowes but this blood hath shut hell and opened heaven Our high Priest hath carried his owne blood into the holy place and there pleadeth for us better things then the blood of Abel Heb. 12. 24. It hath merited and now prepareth us entrance and mansions in the Holy of Holies Next this blood answers all objections so as by this blood the members must overcome all enemies as the head did 1 The world gives many a blow and thrust against godly men But be of good coÌ„fort this Lambe hath overcome the world 2 In sense of the grievousnesse of sinne this blood is more efficacious then the blood of bulls and goats to pacifie wrath Heb. 9. 13. 3 Oh but my heart is infinitely hard and rebellious Answ. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sinne by pardoning and purging it 4 Oh but I lie open to the adversarie and am prone to sin and fall away Answ. The destroyer had no power over those houses that were marked with the blood of the Lambe and this blood hath more safety and protection 5 But my owne conscience followeth me with liue and cry Answ. This blood in earth cancelled all bonds and now in Heaven speaketh better things then Abels Secondly the Saints overcome but in overcomming must be humble being in themselves weake and unequall to such a battell and must conquer by the blood of him that loved us Rom. 8. 35. Here wee are taught to disclayme all merits and strength of our owne By nothing but by faith in this blood can we prevaile 1 Ioh. 5. 5. Who is he that overcometh but he that beleeveth Thirdly Christians so overcome as all the glory must be the Lambes Wee must give the honour of victory to the Lambe and say Thâ—â— art worthy for thou wast killed Revel 3. 9. No man nor Angell must share in the glory of this victory they never fought this battell for us they never shed blood for us Woe unto them that ascribe any part of this victory to any but the Lambe who payd so deare a blood for it Let Papists consider it who ascribe the victory to merits satisfactions pardons c. It is said in Revel 14. 11. The smoake of their torment shall ascend continually who worship the beast or receive his marke Fourthly highly value this blood Nothing in the world can conquer the least enemie or sinne but this blood which onely is of infinite price If all the seed of Adam had shed their blood for sinne yet had no enemie beene conquered no sinne satisfied This blood is opposed to all corruptible things as silver and gold 1 Pet. 1. 18. This is the treasure of the Church to which all things else are drosse and dung Phil. 3. 8. Never did they know the price and power of this blood that will eeke it with the merits or passions of Saints Martyres Traytors Highly do all they sinne against this blood that despise the grace of the covenant in the blessed meanes of it or the word of grace which is the booke sprinkled with this blood Heb. 9 19. or the people of God the remnant of grace bought and sprinkled with this blood As also fearefully do they tread this blood under foot who lye in their unbeliefe and obstinate impenitency and they that by swearing by blood and wounds by the death and passion of Christ cause this blood to cry for vengeance against their soules more loud then the blood of Abel And time comes when this blood of Christ so dispised and trampled shall lie heavie on such mens consciences Fiftly did our Lord by resisting unto blood for us obtaine victory we must also get victory by resisting unto blood Heb. 12. 4. striving against sinne and looking unto the author and finisher of our faith He without sinne resisted sinne unto blood and shall not we who are pressed with sinne in way of thankfulnesse resist unto blood seeing our resistance and suffering tends dayly to the weakening and consuming of sin in us And by the word of their testimony Now we come to the secondarie and instrumentall causes of the victory of the Saints the former of which is the word of their testimony This word is the faith and doctrine of the Gospell concerning salvation by Jesus Christ. Where are two questions 1 Why is it called the word of their testimony seeing it is called the word of the testimony of Jesus vers 17. and chap. 1. 2. the Testimony of Iesus Christ. Answ. It is both in divers respects 1 If we respect the author it is the testimony of Jesus whose all truth is or if we respect the matter or subject of which it treats Christ is the matter to whom all the Gospell testifieth But 2. if wee respect the subject in which it is also the testimony of the Saints not because it is the word of man but because it is witnessed unto by men for God doth so far honour his Saints as to admit them witnesses to his truth 2 How doe the Saints testifie to the Word or Gospell Answ. Foure wayes 1 By preaching publishing and declaring Christ to be the Messiah and Saviour of the world and this either by word or writing For the former the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie or gift of teaching so preachers are called witnesses Act. 1. 8. In the latter sense Iohn calleth himselfe a witnesse testifying these things because he was the pen-man of this prophesie concerning Jesus Christ to the Churches 2 By profession and confession of Christ declaring and witnessing with the mouth what he beleeveth in his heart concerning Christ and salvation by him 1 Tim. 6. 12. and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses 3 By holy life and conversation expressing the vertues of Christ and the power of Christian religion this is an actuall witnesse 4 By passion and suffering Martyrdome when
more cowardly lost the field then those that presumed most of their strength and valour at home Goe out of thy selfe and pray that by his strength thou mayest be able to all things Verse 12. Therefore rejoyce ye Heavens and ye that dwell in them Wo to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the divell is come downe unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time AFter the victory atchieved over the dragon and the due praises both of Michael the Generall and of his band and armie sung out in the former triumphant song now in this verse is described a twofold fruit of the former benefit 1 The joy of the Saints therefore rejoyce yee heavens and ye that dwell in them 2 The sorrow and extreme griefe of the wicked called the inhabitants of the earth and sea in opposition to the former with the reason of their sorrow For the divell is come downe c. For the joy of the Saints it is invited by an Apostrophe or conversion to them in which are two things 1 The cause or reason of their joy in the word of inference therefore 2 The titles of those that are called to rejoyce ye heavens and ye that dwell in them The cause of their joy is in the word therefore because the Church both in the Head and members hath got so happie a victory over the dragon therefore they are to rejoyce Note hence that godly men triumph after victory not before Israel triumpheth when Goliah is slaine and lyeth dead 1 Cor 15. ult Thankes bee unto God who hath given us victory Revel 7. 14. Who be they that say Amen Praise glory wisdome thankes honour power and might unto our God for evermore but those that are come out of great tribulation 1 Christ our Lord triumphed after his victory Col. 2. 15. He made a show and triumphed over the principalities and powers when he had spoyled them This was for our example 2 The nature of a triumph is ever after victory and before is as unwise as unseasonable For the event of warre is uncertaine and falls sometime on this side and sometime on that And therefore the counsell of the King of Israel to Benhadud assuring himselfe of victory from the multitude of his army which was so numerous that the dust of Samaria was not enough to give every one of his followers an handfull was grounded on wise policie 1 King 20. 11. Let not him that girdeth on his armour boast as he that putteth it off 3 All the true triumph of Saints is grounded in Christs victory soundly applyed to themselves No flesh must rejoyce in it selfe that according as it is written He that rejoyceth let him rejoyce in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 31. Which serves to thrust downe all carnall and ungrounded triumph and boasting before the victory as First Many formall Protestants defie the devill have a strong faith and ever beleeved and it were pitty he should live that doubts of his salvation and of all men they are surest to be saved But here is a foolish triumph before victory all this while they come not in Christs victory or strength they meane wel and deale justly with men are sober civill chaste not adulterers drunkards theeves they come to Church and heare the Prayers and Sermons and yet are none of these forward and precise fellowes But all this while the enemie hath thē fast enough and is well pleased they should so delude themselves For they are without faith which should be their victory over the world without repentance and mortification which should be their victory over their sins and lusts without sound fruits of faith the only ensignes of victorious conquerors Secondly Papists glorie and triumph but before victory for 1 Finall victory stands with Christ not Antichrist 2 Sound victory is founded in the victory of Jesus Christ and not in prevailing against Christ and his Kingdome as all theirs is 3 Sound victory glorieth first in truths victory and not in treading downe the truth and Professors of it as theirs doth 4 True victory gloryeth in the lawfull just and Christian meanes of obtayning it But how overcome they In their fight against spirituall enemies they will overcome by their good deeds and merits by their owne holy-water holy relickes holy crosses by buying Masses pardons trentalls and indulgences by round summes to avoyd Purgatory and the like Here be conquerors whose safety and salvation lyeth in despaire For whom have they enemies in all this but God and his truth such conquerors as Saul and his armour-bearer who dyed on their owne weapons And for their temporall enemies by what meanes carry they victory but by stabbing throat-cutting burning Massacres powder-plots perjurie treasons Is this to be victors to be superiors in fury fiercenesse slaughters and effusion of Christian blood Let Papists thus conquer and glorie in their shame the more such victories they carry lesse cause have they to triumph unlesse they triumph justly in making themselves and their religion the shame and infamy of the whole world 2 The persons that are called to rejoyce are the heavens and they that dwell in them By the heavens we understand not the heavens or any of them literally or naturally nor by the inhabitants the Saints and Angells dwelling in the third heaven though even these have a share in the generall joy of the Church militant For as the cause of this joy properly belongeth to the Church militant as wee have heard so the word of inference therefore calleth on them as whom it most concerneth to rejoyce in their owne happinesse By the heavens and those that dwell in them are meant the Church on earth and the Saints and Beleevers the members of it which is not usually in this Chapter nor in this booke chap. 18. 20. O heavens rejoyce over her where the company of the godly in earth are called to rejoice in the destruction of Antichrist and his Kingdome Now to the former reasons elsewhere why the Church militant is called by the name of heaven we will adde these 1 Because there is not a more lively resemblance of heaven in the world then the universall company of Saints in the militant Church here upon earth as might appeare in many things The inhabitants of the Church here below dwell together in an holy communion of Saints enjoying the presence of God separate from the world and the wicked inhabitants of it knit among themselves by the inward band of the Spirit and the outward meanes of association the word sacraments prayer and other more private helps in which heavenly society they resemble that immediate and perfect fellowship which they expect in heaven both betweene God and his people and mutually among themselves 2 Because of the high estate and condition of the Saints on earth above others uncalled who are advanced beyond them as the heaven is higher then the earth For
hence the dragon in this verse is said to be cast downe into the earth where he was before but into a farre lower condition 3 Because the Saints by holy profession and godly conversation testifie the glory of God as the heavens do Psal. 19. 1. and therefore as their house and inheritance is there so are their cogitations and conversation 4 They have a tast of heaven and beginning of heavenly joy and gladnesse for the victory and salvation which in part they have already obtained by Christ against enemies spirituall and temporall which is pointed at in this text For as in heaven is a perfect and unmixed joy for a full deliverance and perfect salvation so here is a tast and resemblance for a deliverance in part None are called to rejoyce in Scripture but onely godly men who are said here to dwell in heaven Psal. 32. 11. Be glad ye righteous and Psal. 40. 16. Let them that seeke the Lord rejoyce Now by joy I meane not any naturall joy arising from things pleasing to nature which wicked men and reprobates yea the beasts have in abundance but that heavenly and spirituall joy which is called the joy of the Spirit both because it is wrought by the Spirit of God and also hath spirituall and heavenly things for the obiect of it as 1 The ioy of reconciliation with God and remission of sins 2 Joy of heavenly graces faith love c. called ioy of faith Phil. 1. 25. 3 Joy of heavenly glory held in certaine hope this is called ioy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1 8. and joy of salvation Psal. 51. 12. This ioy is limited in Scripture to the faithfull and therefore is called the joy of Gods people and all other are barred out from it Prov. 14. 10. The stranger entreth not into his joy 1 The godly are only qualified persons and fitted for holy reioycing For First they onely have Christ who merited this ioy and therefore it is called His joy Ioh. 15. 11. 2 They onely have the Spirit the immediate worker and preserver of sound ioy whence it is called a fruit of the spirit Gal. 5. 22. and the oyle of ioy because it flowes from that anoynting 3 They onely have faith which is not of all men and therefore they onely have joy of beleeving having with Christ gotten all things they have purchased the field and goe away reioycing Simeon reioyced when his faith had got Christ into his armes 4 They onely are such as mourne and onely such are called to ioy Mat. 5. 4. It ariseth out of sound sorrow and a broken heart as the Lute is tuned to sweet musicke by wresting the strings as if wee would breake them to pieces 5 They onely have attained victory in part over enemies and are delivered from the dragons power As Israel having escaped the sea and mountaines and Egyptians so the Israel of God being set free frō hell sinne sinners and the curse of sinne have iust cause of ioy and gladnesse and all but they want it 6 They onely are in heavenly state and condition and have taste of the ioyes of heaven which differ not in kinde from those they expect in heaven but only in degree 2 Wicked men are never bidden to reioyce nor are capable of this ioy He never enters into it nor it into him for First he is at warre with God a stranger to the covenant without Christ without the Spirit What joy where is no life what joy can man dead in sinne have separate from Christ the fountaine of life and wanting the quickning Spirit Secondly what joy can hee have on whom sentence of condemnation is passed and hee going on to execution If such a man laugh every one will thinke hee hath little cause It is a laughter in the face not in the heart Thirdly what true joy can hee have who neither hath the Well nor can abide the Bucket by which he should draw out of the Wels of salvation and consolation Esa. 12. 3. Gods Word which onely hath the joyfull tydings of salvation hee hath no part in it is a bill of indictemēt to him The Sacraments to him are Seales set to blankes seale nothing to him His prayers are abominable he hath no joy in any service all the duties of his calling are sinne to him Hee rejoyceth indeed in the creatures of God but as a theefe in a true mans purse and that joy which ariseth out of the creature perisheth with it Fourthly wicked men need not bee bidden rejoyce for 1. What hindereth or pincheth such his sinne troubleth him not it is his delight Temptations of the devill vexe him not hee runnes out to meet the Tempter His conscience troubleth him not that is brawned up The world vexeth him not but dandles him as her darling 2. They are surfetted already with carnall joy and are called from such joy to mourning and howling Iam 5. 1. and Luke 6. 25. Note hereby what a miserable estate a wicked man is in who cannot finde one syllable in all the Scripture to ground any comfort in and so hath no warrant nor cause to reioyce in any thing For God hath covenanted nothing but woe and wrath with them Esa. 65. 13. My servants shall rejoyce and yee shall be ashamed my servants shal sing for joy of heart and ye shal cry for sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of spirit Consider a little 1 What good thing is there in heaven or earth good as in it selfe so to thee that art an impenitent person Looke at God the chiefe good he is thine enemie a consuming fire what ioy hath stubble and chaffe in the fire Looke at Christ the Saviour of his body and he is thy Judge and he whom thou hast pierced In stead of the sweet Comforter thou hast the spirit of bondage and feare a sound of feare is ever in thine eares Iob. 15. 21. Looke on thy selfe thou art a man in the divells fetters ruled at his will and within thee a wicked conscience eyther following thee with hue and cryes vexing and accusing thee or else dead and benummed which hath given thee over to all sinne to swallow it with senslesnesse and greedinesse Looke without thee thou swimmest in a streame of outward contents and fulnesse and herein thou reioycest too much but thou hast thy portion here and to the impure all is uncleane thy table meat drinke wife children all are a snare to thee all upheapeth thy sin and vengeance thou hast nothing out of Gods love because thou hast nothing in the Sonne of his love Looke beyond thy self the presēt what hast thou to ioy in what hope hath the wicked in death when God takes away his soule A few mooveables God sends thee away with but the inheritance is reserved for the sons of the free-woman 2 As thou hast no cause of ioy so thou hast no hold of thy ioy who hast grounded it in perishing things Well
must expresse against sinne treading in the steps of our Lord and Master Marke 3. 5. hee looked about him angrily but mourned for the hardnesse of their hearts So mee knesse forbids us not anger against mens sinnes but injoynes us pity and compassion to their persons Wee must hate the workes of the Nicolaitans and bee angry not so much against the men as their wilfulnesse and obstinacy 4. Meeknesse seasoneth zeale and zealous reproofes with Sugar that is some manifestation that the sinner may see himselfe not hated when his sinne is sharply reproved and moderateth it with a readinesse of minde to heale the sinner so soone as he seeth his wound It stints the number of stripes as in the law that they exceed not The Apostle was zealous against the incestuous Corinthian but so that upon his sorrow hee is carefull to comfort him lest hee be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow 2 Cor. 2. 7. Acts 2. 37 38. when they were pricked at their hearts Peter comforts them and Paul the Jaylor Acts 16. 31. And hee that mournes and prayes for his brothers sinne as Christ over Jerusalem and Moses for the Idolatrous Israelites Exod. 32. will rejoyce in nothing more than such a one wonne by the rebukes of the Word and receive him as joyfully as the father his lost sonne returning Well if Ministers must bee faithfull in delivering the legall part of the Word then those Ministers are reproved 1. Who want breath to blow this Trumpet dumbe and unable persons blinde guides and insufficient men who in that place let in a fludgate of sinne and mischiefe amongst the people 2. Such as are more able but as unfaithfull they winke at sinne and will not see it or coldly reprove it as afraid to blow the trumpet too loud for waking the sinner these are farre from making sinners afraid of sinne Should such a trumpet blow and not make men fear Amos 3. 6. Is not Gods word a two-edged sword to pierce the very heart of the sinner and the hammer of God to breake the heart to pieces and will this be done with dallying reproofes as if men were at foynes No no if the Minister can doe it with down-rightblowes hee shall finde them little enough Besides is not sinne growne to a great height and impudency as a disease come to the height of his crisis and is that curable with a gentle remedy No it is the blewnesse of the wound that must purge most evils of this age and the stripes within the bowels of the belly Prov. 20. 30. Add here to that all sinners are not alike for as in a materiall house all stones are not alike some are soft and easily hewed for the building some are of an harder and flinty or marble disposition which require sharpe tooles and strong blowes to frame them to their place so in the house of God some stones are more soft sooner humbled and reformed but most are harder as the Adamant and easily yeeld not to the strokes of the Word lightly to smite these is but to hearten and harden them in sinne 3. Of all other the most mischievous are they in their places that either out of a carelesse and unconscionable coldnesse or out of ayme and desire to please or feare to displease or out of purpose to get applause of being peaceable men or out of base covetousnesse flatter men in their sinnes cloake their knowne evils and dissemble their vilenesse All is well so that it may bee well to themselves all the praises of piety shall guild rotten posts for base hire and reward Oh the sinne of these men is passing great who incourage and uphold men in their wickednesle betray them into the hands of the devill drowne them deeper in the pit of destruction and set their feet on their neckes to keepe them under from ever rising any more whereas they should lend an hand and reach them the line of a faithful reproofe to helpe them out 2. This shewes the corruption of many who cannot abide to heare the threatnings of Gods word Oh our Preachers are so tart and sowre they preach nothing but hell and damnation and seeke to bring men into despaire they cannot abide these Bonarges sonnes of thunder they would faine once change them with â—ome sweet-tongued Prophets and Zidkiahs that will sew pillows under their armes and by their flatteries cause them to erre To these I answer 1. Hee is farre from reforming his sinnes that will not abide them to bee reproved and his heart shall never be pricked with godly sorrow that will not have his sinnes pricked with the sharpe needle of the Law 2. Hee is farre from pardon of his sinnes that will not heare of them David because hee willingly heares of his sinne presently heares of pardon but Herod because hee will not heare Iohn Baptist speake of his sinne never heares of pardon 3. A property of a good heart is to delight in the Law of God in the inner man Rom. 7. 22. and hold it a sweet benefit by it that it still discovers the secret evils which must bee repented of and reformed The joy of a godly soule is to bee anatomized by the Word and searched But hee is a bankrout that cannot abide his estate to be cast up 4. It is a property of soundnesse to justifie the Lord in all his sayings as David did being reproved by Nathan of foule things Psal. 51. 4. A true humble spirit acquainted with repentance will acknowledge that no part of Gods Word can bee so sharply spoken as justly If God bee sharpe in reproving and threatning it will stoupe and say it is most just I have matter enough in me and given cause enough if he threaten me with a thousand hels and damnations When the Lord threatneth Eli with the destruction of his house 1 Sam. 3. 18. hee yeelds himselfe It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good When Esay threatneth Hezekiah with the like destruction of his house and state hee yeeldeth 2 Kings 20. 19. The Word of the Lord is good Hee might have beene more severe and brought it in my dayes Mat. 15. 27. Christ calleth the Cannanitish woman dog she justifieth him in his saying and saith Truth Lord I am no better but give me some crummes of mercy If legall doctrine strike thee downe in thy selfe and send thee forth to seeke mercy as she here is a note of soundnesse 5 There is not a more certaine note of a wicked man and hypocrite then to taxe Gods word of too much severity If God threaten Cain for killing Abel oh his punishment is greater then he can beare he could beare an heavier sinne lightly but the punishment and threatning is too heavie Let Iohn Baptist reproove Herod for incest the reproofe is too harsh and heavie he shuts Iohn up in prison So Act. 7. 51. Steven calls the Jewes stiffe-necked uncircumcised resisters of the holy Ghost whereas they should have justified
watched and brought upon the world since the fall was the raysing of Antichrist He had beene mischievous before and wrathfull in open tyranny but now he putteth forth a greater wrath in secret delusion Which truth will appeare if we consider 1 Antichristianisme in it selfe 2 In comparison with open tyranny 3 In the more feareful fruits and grievous effects of it 1. Antichristianisme in it selfe is the most fearefull plague that ever the wrath of God or Satan strucke the world withall if we consider 1. The cause 2 The effect 3. The generality In the cause it proceedeth from the greatest wrath that ever God put forth upon earth for 1. It is a wrath from the divine iustice due to the most fearefull sinne in the world which was the worlds reiecting the truth of the Gospell wherein the wrath of God is come both upon the Jew and Gentile to the uttermost 2. It is a wrath of the dragon whetted by the wrath of God in which God sendeth the strongest and most prevailing delusions that ever were in which that wicked spirit who seemed to bee cast out of the world by the preaching of the Gospell is returned againe and hath brought seven worse spirits than himselfe 3. It is a wrath not onely punishing sinnes of such a deepe staine but with most fearfull sinnes such as immediately forerunne damnation even that universall damnation of all those who chased away the truth of God to embrace the delusions of Antichrist 2 Thess. 2. 10. God shall send strong delusions that all they may be damned who loved not the truth 4. It is a wrath so great as the Spirit of God finds no parallell to compare it with but the great day of Gods wrath and therefore in the opening of the sixt Seale Revel 6. 12. which describeth the comming of Antichrist into the world hee resembleth the time of his appearing to the greatest day of wrath that ever was before it and describeth it by all those fearefull events which shall accompany Christ himselfe when he commeth to his last and universall iudgement The signes of the wrath of that great day of wrath are seven by this wrathfull day of Antichrist notably resembled 1. Great and fearfull earthquakes shall goe before the comming of Christ Matth. 24. 7. Even so at the comming of Antichrist the foundations of the earth shal be shaken a new face of things shal appear the pillers and foundations of old Apostolicall doctrine and discipline shall bee shaken downe and a new Ecclesiasticall Monarchy shall eate up the ancient civill and Imperiall government which was the studd and pillar upholding the earth and societies of men 2. The Sunne shall bee darkned as sackcloth Mat. 24. 29. and Christ the sunne of righteousnesse who shined so cleare in the firmament of the Church the onely Saviour Mediatour and satisfaction shall bee wholy darkned and horribly ecclipsed in the day of Antichrist the holy doctrine concerning his person natures offices and benefits shall be cleane obscured as the Sunne at midnight a blacke vaile of traditions and a thicke curtaine of humane constitutions blacked and darkned all his most sacred Ordinances the Sacraments by theatricall pompes and devises shal be adulterate the worship of Christ by adoration of Idols and veneration of creatures wholy depraved Now is the Sunne of the Church turned into darknesse 3. The Moone shall be turned into blood So the Church which as the Moone receives all her light from the Sunne of righteousnesse shal seem all blood partly by the cruell and bloody warres and partly by the bloody persecutions of Antichrist who shall boast of both swords and fill both his hands with weapons of wrath and cruelty 4. The Starres shall fall from heaven Marke 13. 25. So in the appearing of Antichrist the Bishops and Pastors shall become Apostates from the truth and of shining starres in holy doctrine holy life and beautifull graces in their severall Orbes shining in humility charity sobriety diligence and heavenly-mindednesle shall fall to pride ambition contention wordlinesse warre seats of Judicature and whatsoever is earthly and sensuall and pompous 5. At the comming of Christ the heaven shall depart as a scrole so in the day of Antichrists comming the Church the heaven upon earth shall bee shut up and hide it selfe and shall not bee visible and conspicuous to the world And although many good and godly men still in all ages contested against Antichrist yet were they condemned for heretikes and were counted no part of heaven nor faithfull members of it 6. The Mountaines and Ilands were removed out of their places By Mountaines are meant Kings and Emperours who by the fraud and power of Antichrist were removed from their high places and authority which was swallowed and ingrossed by Antichrist and by Ilands the people and nations who were all forced upon paine of damnation in stead of obedience to Christ to submit themselves to the tyrannie of Antichrist Nothing so firme as Mountaines nothing so farre off as Ilands but Antichrist reached them 7. As in the day of Christs wrath the wicked shall in utter despaire of their estates call for the hils and Mountaines to cover them and hide them from it so shall the great day of Antichrist drive great ones to utter despaire not knowing what shall become of them and of their estates and this shall bee the hire and recompence of all the ayders and supporters of Antichrist in the day of their particular iudgement if their consciences bee awakened at farthest in that last and great day of wrath in the generall iudgement Thus wee see the Scripture setting out the day of Antichrist to bee as wrathfull as the great day of Christ which of all dreadfull things is to all wicked men most terrible Secondly now consider the great wrath of Antichristianisme in the effect and we shall see it the most horrible mist and black darknesse that ever the world was stricken withall Other heresies and hereticks which made way to this are called the black horse Revel 6. 5. as being contrary to the white horse Verse 2. which was the integrity of Apostolike doctrine but those did obscure and darken the light as in the evening But when Antichrist comes this heresie chaseth away all light as at midnight Not that the Church ceaseth to bee no more than the Sunne ceaseth to be at midnight but it appeareth no more in that Horizon or Hemisphere thā if it were not all Heaven passeth as a scrole which is no lesse but lesse seene Hence is the Kingdome of Antichrist called spiritually by the name of Aegypt Rev. 11. 8. for it resembleth that Kingdome especially in three things 1. In Idolatry 2. In cruelty and oppression of the Israel of God 3. Most of all in blindnesse and darknesse with which that Kingdome was covered for three dayes Exod. 10. 21. And betweene the darknesse of that Aegypt and this there is apt resemblance 1. Of all the plagues of
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
not bee in houses Temples Cities but in prisons Mountaines Dennes Desarts and Caves of the earth But shee is alwayes safe for First if shee cannot be safe in the City shee shall bee safe in the wildernesse God provideth a safe place for her Secondly the purpose of God for the safety of the Church cannot bee altered or abrogated by all the enterprises of the enemies for his counsell must stand and therefore let Pharaoh slay all the infants beside Moses must bee preserved alive by his owne daughter in his owne bosome to be a Deliverer the onely thing hee would prevent Let Herod slay all the infants under two yeares old hee shall misse of him whom he seekes Thirdly Gods high account of his Church makes her alwayes safe as the signet on his hand as the Apple of his eye the Church is as the Lords wheat saith Augustine and shall be kept in the Lords Granary If Aegypt bee not a safe place for Moses he appoints him Midian to flie into If Iudea bee not safe for the childe he shall bee safe by a flight into Aegypt a wildernesse in comparison till the appointed time Athanasius who dyed in the yeare 390. speaking of those that were hid from the persecutions of those times said The childe was preserved whom Herod sought to destroy Fourthly Gods wisdome makes it healthfull for the Church sometime to bee hid that shee may alwayes bee safe for else the whole world would fall upon her all at once and utterly destroy her Which serves to remove the brag of the Papists concerning their Church and their brand and scandalous imputation against ours For their Church they prove it the true Church because they have had a perpetuall externall splendor and a continuall glorious visibility and a true noted and famous succession of Pastors and Professors since Christs Ascension till this day To which I answer two things 1. It is false that the Romish Church hath held a true succession either in doctrine or persons for two Reasons First because there is no part of Popery wherein it dissenteth from the Reformed Churches which is neare the age of Christ and his Apostles but came in by patches and pieces many hundred yeares after and some points very lately till the whole Antichristian Chaos and confused body was made up I might instance in their Latine Service Transubstantiation Communion in one kinde worshipping of Images prohibition of Ministers marriage and the patching together of the severall shredds of the Masse with a number of other new devises coÌ„fessed by themselves to stand onely by the Churches constitution and not by authority of the Scripture Secondly as that argues their doctrine not successive from the Apostles so they have no true personall succession from them For there was not a Papist in the world for the space of sixe hundred yeares after Christ nor any Father Councell or learned man in all those ages who held the same points of Popery as now these doe This hath Bishop Iewell unanswerably discovered in 27. points and Master Perkins in thirty nine in his learned Probleme against Iodoâ—us Coccius 2. Another thing I answer to their bragg is that if it were true as they say of such perpetuall glory and visibility then could they not more strongly conclude themselves a false Church seeing the true Church of Christ must flie into the wildernesse many hundred yeares from the fury of Antichrist unlesse they can make it appeare that a perpetuall glorious externall splendor a perpetuall visible head and the most domineering Monarchy in all the world comporteth with the abject desolate and retyred estate of the wildernesse a place full of annoyance wants obscurity and solitarinesse For their brand and challenge of our Church that wee cannot derive the pedigree of our religion beyond Luther nor shew where it was nor the names and persons of any that professed it To this I answer 1. with Tertullian Quod antiquissimum verissimum That which is indeed ancientest is of all other the truest and wee hold our religion from the ancient Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles therefore it is the true religion and hath a true succession in doctrine and consequently of persons suppose wee could not name them because it is the religion and faith of the woman in the wildernesse which sometimes Antichristian tyranny suffred her not openly to professe she flyeth into the wildernesse according to Gods Word to hold and preserve it to all succeeding ages Object But if you have so true a succession why doe not you name them Answ. This miserable shift of the Jesuites apparently argues the desperatenesse of their cause and is like a Crayfish which hath more picking than meat a very tricke and triviall inconsequence to call us from the cause whereof they are weary unto persons as if wee had no sounder arguments for the truth of GOD and verity of our religion then from mens testimony and succession We know that if we receive the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater and professe as the Samaritans to the woman We beleeve not our religion for any mans word or any womans or because any hee-Pope or shee-Pope saith it is so or contrary but because wee have heard Christ himselfe speaking in the Scriptures Wee take our religion as wee take gold not onely or chiefly by the sound but by the touchstone and ballance and we have learned in our Creed to beleeve the Catholike Church though wee see it not And because contraries make one another more perspicuous I would aske them whether wee may not beleeve that the Towre of Babel was built unlesse wee could name all the persons that brought Brick or Lime to it all the Masons all the labourers and workmen that were upon it or whether wee may not beleeve that a tree is growne unlesse wee know the person the name the particular time and houres of the planting sprowting and growing of it Doubtlesse if wee did not know when and by what degrees or by what persons and workmen their Romish Babel is built and reared yet wee see and must beleeve that it is built And suppose wee did not know which in most essentiall differences wee doe the persons nor the very period of the time when every branch of the tree of Antichristian heresie did begin to sprout and bud out yet our eyes see and we must beleevè that the tree is deepe rooted large spred and growne tall and thicke And were it not most absurd that matter of divine truth must not be beleeved unlesse wee can name all men that ever spake or beleeved it But to hold them to short and manifest reason I conclude in this forme Whatsoever Church hath a true succession of doctrine from Christ and his Apostles hath also a true and perpetuall succession of persons whether that succession bee visible and nominable or no But wee have true succession of doctrine from Christ
never saw so the serpentine seed hateth all the womans seed which it never saw And as hunters know not nor never saw the particular game they take but lay nets and deadly engines for any of the kinde so these Nimrods and hunters spare none 2 The wrath of every wicked man is a sparke from hell and an ember of the dragons wrath who here hateth the Woman hid aswell as appearing And looke as the dragon hated Christ the head deadly while he was in the world and now hateth him with no lesse deadly hatâ—ed when he hath left the world he hateth him absent as much as present even so his brood hateth his members that were in the world aswell as those that are in it even those that they never knew nor saw and persecute their dead ashes and are as spitefull to their names and memory and to their posterity as their predecessors were to their persons while they lived 3 Darkenesse hateth all light neare or farre off They that hate God the chiefe good must needs hate all the godly that follow the thing that is good They that hate God himselfe must needs hate his image every where for he that hates the father hates all the children whether he know them or no. They hate the glory of God and the true worship and service of God and that they may abolish it they cannot but seek to root out all the people and persons that uphold it 4 Such a venome and poyson is seated in a wicked mans heart as knows no bounds of reason or moderation but overflowes all bancks and limits For there is no spirit to checke or restraine them so as neither sea nor Alpes bound a wicked mans wrath against godlinesse 5 They hate them whom they know not because they know them not for so it was with Christ himselfe they saw him but they knew him not for had they knowne him they would not have crucified the Lord of glory Ioh. 8. 29. When the Sonne of man shal be listed up then ye shall know that I am he So with his members they know them not nor their innocency let their lives be never so unblamable and just If they cannot picke quarrells against Daniel in the matter of the Kingdome they will see what they can do in the matter of his God If God himselfe shew favour to them and his power for them they will not know who the Lord is as Pharaoh but lay on burdens the heavier and therefore as Balak and Moab they seeke their confusion Num. 22. 2 3. A reproofe of numbers of men who in these dayes expresse with what spirit they are guided The Papists raile upon and revile al the godly restorers of our religion whom they never saw nor knew It is a third part of the Pamphlets they send dayly in amongst their Proselytes A man would thinke they had their hands full of adversaries alive and that they need not breake up the graves of the dead and persecute dead ashes What spirit besides the dragons ruled the Councell of Constance who sentenced the dead bones of Wickliffe to be digd up and burnt 41. yeares after his death did any of them ever know or see him or was not the wrath of their predecessors enough against his person Who seeth not the wrath of the dragon in a number of prophane beasts who incessantly make it their table talke to revile and use opprobriously men who never made nor medled with them men hid in their innocency and retyred in their privacy whose life in respect of them is as if they were out of the world And others that exclame against all that make shew of religion as men not worthy to live the worst of all men all dissemblers lyers factious all alike as if they knew them all Whence riseth this wrath certainely not from particular causes but from the generall not from the persons they revile but froÌ„ their own vile dragon like disposition They may pretend some personal quarrells now and then but the cause and care lyeth deeper they will hate the same goodnesse in any other person where soever they may discover it Here now is the dragons wrath against the Woman hid out of sight 2 This is a word of instruction not to marvell in observing the hatred of wicked men against the godly whom they know and see for they doe the same against those they never knew See wee Ahab hating Eliah Micaiah and all the true Prophets he knew no marvell he hath a fountaine of poison ready to flow on all that he knows not if he could reach them And so doth every wicked man if he hate any one good Minister because he is so he hates every one See wee all wicked men be they never so fallen in pieces among themselves yet all joyne in hatred of all the godly then see in them the work of the dragon who plots an unity and agreement against the Church hatred of goodnesse is the bond that joynes wicked ones together And yet Gods hand is in all this the godly must be throughly tryed and the wicked must go on to the filling up of their measure Are wee cast among men who when they cannot hurt godly men yet will not helpe them but as Balak said to Balaam neither blesse nor curse them Praise God that hath limited the power of wicked wills and violent affections They that would hurt one godly man would mischiefe all if they could and those that will not help them would hurt them if they were able See wee evill men desirous and contriving to cast downe the worship of God and a faithfull Ministery in the place where they live their wrath reaâ—heth beyond that place if it it were in their power they would abolish the true worship of God out of the world and leave no faithfull Ministery standing in the earth Hatred is of kindes and the dragon hates faithfulnesse every where fearing the decay of his Kingdome and his owne fall by their standing 3 This teacheth us 1 to unite and combine our selves to all the Saints even those whom wee never saw nor knew they being of the same Father Mother blood spirit family and inheritance with us 2 Againe as we love the head so also the members but the head though wee have not seene yet we love and beleeve 1 Pet. 1. 8 so the members whom we beleeve every where to be dispersed wee must love though wee see not for the love of the members must bee a sparkle from the flame toward the head 3 Further wee must not ground the love of Saints in our senses but in our faith which cannot but worke by love if to him that begat so also to all that are begotten 4 If faith may not be measured by sight being of things invisible no more may love the daughter of faith But if wee beleeve in him whom wee see not wee must also love them whom wee see not 5