the whole armour of God As good no armour as not put on Secondly If he cannot get us to lay aside our armor then his next drift is to turne them the wrong way If he cannot wrest it from us he will seeke to wrest it against us it was the glory of Davids victory that he tooke off Goliahs head with his owne sword and many times and waies doth Satan glory in such conquests over us while wee little discerne him For 1 That he ever conquers us by our owne corruptions every man can conceive which what is it else then to fetch his weapons out of our owne armory 2 But which we lesse discerne he beates us and overthrowes our graces not by corruptions onely but by our graces As if we be sorrowfull for sinne he will have us swallowed up of sorrow 1 Cor. 27. 11. If wee be zealous he will carry us so far as the Disciples who will call for fire from heaven the fire that should warme the house shall burne it If wee be humble he can make us proud because wee are humble in maintaining our Christian libertie he can easily bring us to licenciousnesse in hatred of our former prodigalitie he can easily draw to more hatefullc ouetousnesse and how easily shall wee thinke that to be a vertue which is contrary to a former vice 3 The Word of God a principall weapon he can easily turne in our owne hands against our selves First Sometimes by hiding some part of it which is as a breaking short our sword so as it cannot reach to offend our adversary or defend our selves To embolden men in sinne he alledgeth Ezek. 13. 18. As I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but hides and breakes short the next words but that he repent and turne and 1 Tim. 2. 4. who would have all men saved but breakes off the next words and come to the knowledge of his truth So to bring Christ to presumption he alledgeth Psal. 91. He shall give his Angels charge and they shall keepe thee c. but breakes off the words in all thy wayes Secondly Sometimes by inferring on words of Scripture diabolicall conclusions as Christ died for al therefore thou maiest live in sin He that provideth not for his family is worse then an infidell therfore thou maiest be covetous earthly unjust in word deed a remedy worse then the disease to avoid infidelity by a greater infidelity for never can he speake truth but to deceive and in nothing can he more plausibly hide his lies then in words of truth and most of all in words of scripture Thus Satan foyles us with our owne weapons A third stratagem of this seaven heads is they are very buisy to breake our rankes for thus an army is soone discomfited This policy Ioshuah used against the men of Ai. chap. 8. 20. he set part of the army before and part behind in ambush who when they arose so troubled the enemies rankes that being disranked and confounded they could not stir any way to escape and thus dealeth the dragon The rankes of Christian souldiers are their callings which are of two sorts generall calling of Christianity and the speciall calling in which station every man abideth If Satan can interrupt or hinder either of these he hath drawne us from our wall and fort and soone foyleth us 1 The duties of our generall calling are praying reading conferring meditating and the like in which we must stand continually as the Apostle pray continually in all things give thankes Set the Lord continually at thy right hand if Satan can winne us to discontinue these duties at any time he easily winneth his purpose against us Example in holy David 2 Sam. 11. 2 he was wont in the afternoones to be praising God praying meditating in the statutes compiling holy psalmes But now he must have a nap after that he spies a woman washing her hence was his adultery and to hide that sinne addeth the murder of his faithfull captaine Uriah 2 Our speciall callings are our rankes and if he can turne us out of them which are our way wherein wee have the promise of Gods protection he easily overthrowes us Idlenesse is the devils pillow and anvell an idle mind emptie of good is fit to be filled with evill whereas looke as a full vessell can receive no more so an heart filled with godly meditations or an hand full of good exercises leaveth no roome for satans temptations nor leasure for his designes or enterprises We must therefore abide diligently in our callings which are a schoole and exercise of many graces as humilitie obedience patience faithfulne experience of Gods blessing power and providence with daily exercise of the word and prayer to sanctifie them all which are notable bulwarkes against the incursions of the devill A fourth usuall stratagem of Satan is to dissemble a flight when he need not when he doth not Thus Judg. 20. 32. the Israelites after two foyles drew all the Beniamites out of the Citty by dissembling a flight and by such as were laid in ambush of whom the enemie was not aware cut them off every one So satan often dissembles a flight for his owne advantage For First He can and often doth depart from vexing and afflicting men at the command of the loosing witch nay instead of hurting he will offer his help But 1 to binde his servants more obse quiously unto him 2 To draw the faith of men from God unto him and reject dependancie on him and the lawfull meanes and so do homage to the devill and is not this flight a mighty conquest Secondly He will give a man leave to leave some sinne so he can get him surer into another extreme and then he thinkes this must needs be a motion of the spirit because he concludes it cleane contrary to that which he tooke to be a motion of the flesh or divell Thirdly After much struggling and resistance he departs and seemes to fly but his flight is his forest fight For 1 He departs but for a season 2 Never but to renew his forces and assaults to bring seaven spirits worse then before To bring us into the sleepe of securitie as conceiving both weakenesse in our adversary and strength in our selves to resist him A fift stratagem of the dragon he can greatly weaken the Christian and much availe himselfe by light skirmishes and proveth most dangerous when he seemes to intend least danger as First He will begin mannerly with one sinne and what great danger can be in that which is so necessary too as he cannot thrive without it As to lie or sweare for advantage or to take usury to live by to be a non-resident a gamster or a sociable man but he knowes 1 One sinne never goeth alone one sinne cannot keepe it selfe warme without another 2 One sinne suffered is like a hole in a ship which will sinke a
hotch potch of his religion Gal. 6 12. false teachers to avoid persecution will make and coyne a new Gospell joyne Moses and Christ justification of faith and workes And many admirers of the moone can finely joyne Papists and Protestants religion together and binde them together with a rope of sand can justifie and qualifie their toyes and inventions and for advantage like hucksters for the Apostle calls them sellers for gaine blend our wine with puddle waters of mens devices There are too many of these patchers that will patch old ragges with new garments and in the meane time bring in disgrace those that are so strict that cannot blend as they doe For what cares he to tread religious persons under foot if times do so that can suffer religion to be troden downe with silence nay with approbation but how impossible is it to have the Sun and moone shine together 5 He that maketh his gaine his godlinesse that bestowes more thoughts care time for the world then heaven That can stand in all windes for profit and by right or wrong get the world That cares not for nor desires but feares the appearing of the Sonne of God the Sunne of righteousnesse to judgement Let this man resolve that the Moone is upon his head or in his heart and not under his feet To conclude thou that wouldest know that the Moone is under thy foote and that thou art a sonne of this woman thou must 1 Magnifie Christ above a 1000. worlds 2 Set up Gods service above the world 3 Subordinate the Moone to thy religion 4 Hate and detest mixture in religion 5 Esteeme godlinesse the greatest gaine hate that gaine that is severed from godlinesse and long for the appearing of Jesus Christ thy happie and perfect gaine And upon her head a Crowne of twelve starres The third propertie followes in the description of this woman who is set forth by a Crowne upon her head Where consider three things 1 Why this woman is crowned 2 The matter of the Crowne a Crowne of twelves starres 3 The place of it on her head 1 The Churches Crowne betokeneth foure things 1 The honor of her person that she is a Queene for no women are crowned but Queenes or Kings wives The true Church is no lesse being espoused to Jesus Christ the King of his Church Psal. 45. 9. upon thy right◠and thy Queen doth stand Salomons wife being a type of the Church set upon the right hand of Jesus Christ the true Salomon 2 Her eminency and glory for a Crowne was ever an ensigne of royall dignitie and crowned persons were ever in ranke above other ordinary persons So is the Church of God of the blood royall and advanced to partake of the divine nature raised to the height of spirituall and eternall glory which common persons are not and therefore the Lord hath fitted her with an incomparable ornament for no ornament is comparable to a Crowne 3 Her rich and abundant estate for a crowne is the richest thing that the world can give So this Queene partaketh of all her husbands wealth and shareth in the riches of that glorious inheritance Eph. 1. 18. And as the crowne compasseth her head so the Lord compasseth her with the riches of grace and of glory in all fulnesse and perfection For seeing Christ is hers so are all things with him 1 Cor. 3. 21. 4 Her victory and conquest For crownes are set upon the heads of conquerors Rev. 6. 9. And to him that overcommeth is granted to sit on the throne Rev. 3. 21. So the Church hath overcome and conquered sinne Satan death hell flesh and all enemies hath in the power right of her husband troden them all under feete For as the wife partaketh of all her husbands victories so she of Christs 2 The matter of this Crowne of twelve starres Other Princes weare crownes of gold beset with pearles and precious stones but this Queene hath a Crowne of twelve starres What cares she for gold and stones that hath the Moone under her feet Quest. What is meant by this crowne of twelve Starres Ans. The shining doctrine of the twelve Apostles here compared to bright and beautifull starres by whose meanes this woman gat this victorious Crowne For this was the Crowne and ornament of the Primitive Church that she was reared and advanced by the diligent and personall preaching and sufferings of the blessed Apostles Ob. But if this was the Churches Crowne then the Church of after ages and at this time hath lost her crowne and ornament Answ. No. For 1 that doctrine is delivered to us in writing to which while we hold our selves fast we are not despoyled of our ornament 2 The substantiall ministeriall duties which the Scriptures ascribe to the Apostles are not to be restrained to their persons but are to be extended to all those that are their true successors which preach the same Christ and him crucified and administer the same Sacraments And Christ is now with the Apostles in their successors to the end of the world as he promised Mat. 28. 20. And this seemes implyed in the number of twelve which is a number of universalitie and perfection including all that purely preach Christ as the Apostles did 3 The Pastors of the Church as they succeed the twelve Apostles in this function of crowning the Church so also have they the name of starres in many places So the Church hath still a crowne of twelve starres 3 The place of this Crowne on her head Some understand by head the beginning of the Church of the New Testament and so it is true she had then the Crowne of Virginitie and purity above all after-times when yet Apostolicall doctrine was not so corrupted by humane devices additions and traditions as shortly after it was But that is not all for the true Church was never without this Crowne But this Woman after the manner of other Queenes is said to weare her crowne on her head To note 1 That her glory and crowne is in and from her head For as the man is the glory of the woman so is Christ the object of the Apostolike doctrine the glory of his spouse the Church 2 That her Crowne is not of or from this world for the moone is under her feet The Crowne is not thē set upon her head whē she is rich glorious to the world but when the shining light of heavenly veritie is set aloft as the starres are above to direct her in all doctrines and actions When by the light of the Scriptures all the firmament of the Church is guided and ruled in all actions aswell inferiour as superiour then is shee a crowned Queene 3 To note a note of visibilitie The head is most conspicuous and the most apparent part of a man and a Crowne set upon the head may be seene a far off as the starres
great strength in the prayer of faith Ephes. 6. 18. And of the faithfull Acts 12. 5. 7. as for Peter in prison yea prayer is able to muster an army of heavenly souldiers for our defence If all wicked members limbes of the dragon be great enemies we must be wise to avoid their societies and combinations whatsoever peace and favour they pretend flye inward fellowship with them as from dragons whose propertie is to poyson a farre off before we see them Trust not their flatteries and pretences Genes 49 5 6. Simeon and Levi brethren in evill and instruments of cruelty Into their secret let not my soule come It had beene happy if in many passages of latter times the Church had beene more shye and wary of the faire and treacherous pretences of Antichristian dragons who use to pull on faire gloves on foule and carnall fists and pawes And who will trust him that cannot put off the nature of a dragon although he may speake as the Lambe The greater the dragon the greater must our courage and resolution be For such potent and dreadfullen enemies are shadowed out in this title great dragon not to terrifie or dismay us as all Israel runne away at the sight of Goliah but to animate and excite us to manly and stout resistance Quest What ground of courage have wee against so great a dragon Answ. First Wee have a great adversary but wee have a good cause in which we need not feare to dy or maintaine unto death Secondly As we have a great enemie so we have a great and invincible captaine heere is the Lion of Judah against the roaring Lion Hebrews write that the Jewes painted a Lion in a great banner for their standert Let us run under this standart of this Lion and be safe Little David under this standart trampled on the great Goliah Thirdly Wee have great enemies but as Numb 19. 8. God is gone from them they are bread for us great but naked to Gods revenge their sheild is gon Great but cowardly weake and flying to him that resists Jam. 47. Great but conquered and bouÌ„d Mat. 12. The stronger man hath disarmed him He is the great Prince of the world but ours is the Prince of peace and mighty Lord of glory Fourthly We have great enemies but more and greater succours then we have enemies both with us and in us They are spirituall wickednesses that are against us but wee have the spirit of God and of grace with us Wicked men seeme great and dreadfull dragons and as great and unresistable as an hideous dragon by a weake woman But let them combine in most forcible manner all that strength is but as the strength of reeds in comparison of that with the Church see Ezeck 29. 9. 6. Besides they are many against us but more with us then against us 2 King 6. 16 and in us greater is he that is in us then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4. 4. we have greater power in us then any without and against us Phil 4. 13. I can do all things by the power of Christ strengthning me and while we have all the might of his glorious power to strengthen us we are safe Colos. 1. 11. Fiftly Our enemie is great but thence we are assured of greater glory and victory as David the harder taske he had against Goliah the greater was his victory The more difficult the war the more honour is in the conquest A red dragon It pleaseth God in the Scriptures under divers colours to describe divers things As Revel 6. 3. 4. is a vision of three horses of severall colours which expres the several estates of this womaÌ„ here in coÌ„flict The first a white horse which colour noteth in the Revelation puritie and innocency of doctrine and manners and figureth the virgin primative Church upholding the puritie of doctrine and discipline of the faith and worship appointed by the holy Apostles before this white came to be speckled and spotted with blacke errours and staines in doctrine discipline and worship The second a red horse ver 4 deciphering the same Church now red with martyrdome and persecution and effusion of blood by tyrants The third horse is a blacke horse noting the estate of the Church now blacke and in sad and afflicted condition by heretickes which had horribly mingled the truth of pure white and lightsome doctrine with blacke darkenesse of heresies and errours For it were not hard to shew how in the first two hundred yeares after Christ the Church was blacked by the heresies of Ebiâ—n Cerinthus Valontine Marcion and Basilides In the second two hundred by Photinus Samosatonus Sabellius Arius and Eunomius c. In the third two hundred by Pelagius Nestorius and Eutiches c. But this red colour of the dragon lively pourtreyeth the feritie cruelty and bloody disposition of the dragon against the Woman the Church The greeke word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is emphaticall noting him to be a fiery dragon fiery red set on fire and all enflamed with an hellish flame of wrath and crueltie against the Church of God Whence learne The nature and disposition of the enemies of the Church further then they are over-ruled they are red and fiery dragons whom nothing can content but blood and cruelty First See it in the head of the dragon Satan quaerit non quem mordeat vel frangat sed quem devoret Chrysost. He is red blood-thirstie sanguinolent as a thirstie man delights in blood and crueltie affectedly red Secondly He is actually red imbrued with all the blood of the Saints of Abel and of the Prophets Apostles the Sonne of God himselfe and all his holy Martyrs since his ascension He is guilty and dyed with blood Thirdly He is anciently a red dragon a manslayer from the beginning Joh. 8. 44. Who hath slaine all man-kind not in body only but in soule and body by our first fall Fourthly he is originally red yea the authour of all crueltie and blood-shed that ever was in the world and all the homicide done by man upon man t is the proper worke of the devill in whose service homicides are So Christ to the Jewes Joh. 8. his workes yee doe seeking to kill Christ. Secondly See it in the members Pharaoh a red dragon lying in his rivers commands the midwives to kill all the Males and makes a cruell bloody act that every parent should drowne his owne child Haman a red dragon sends posts into all provinces to kill but not content with that to root out and destroy al Jewes young and old children and women in one day least any place should be left for pitty or humanitie Manassah a red dragon shed innocent blood till he had replenished Jerusalem from corner to corner 2 King 21. 16. Saul before his conversion breathes out nothing but slaughters and threatning as a dragon that slayes onely with his breath The like
in Antiochus and Antichrist typified in him practised wholly to destroy the mighty and holy people Dan. 8. 24. And the same we see in Herod who slew all the male children under two yeares old Thirdly See it especially in the Imperiall dragon the bloodinesse and tyranny of those Romane Emperours was matchlesse who poured out the blood of innocent Christians by thousands and tenne thousands in their streetes and territories like water For the first 300. yeares after Christ were nine or tenne bloody dragons that dyed themselves red in the blood of Christians which they sucked out greedily more like hell-hounds then men that had a drop of pitty or humanity left Nero began and flew upon them as a monster as if they had beene incendiaries of the city which him self caused to be set on fire only to lay it upon them like our incendaries and Romish powder plotters After him Domitian who cast John the Evangelist into a furnance of scalding oyle but when he saw he came forth unhurt he banished him into the I le Pathmos where he writ this Revelation Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 17. After him Traian under pretence that there must be but one religion in one Region persued Christistians with fire and sword and new devised torments to chase the name of Christian out of the world He slew Simeon Iustus and Ignatius the Pastors one at Jerusalem the other at Antioch After him came Antonius Verus who slew with Policarp Pastor of Smirna innumerable Christians What shal I speake of Hadrian that in one Mount crucified 10000. Christians crowned with thornes and darts thrust into their sides in derision of the passion of our Lord Jesus Or of the last of these dragons in one month of whose raigne were slaine 17. thousand Martyrs and innumerable more condemned to mines and slavery worse then death In a word the dragons were so red as the very story seemes to be written in blood which tell us that no man could step his foote in Rome and not tread on a Martyr Fourthly See it in the causes First God in his counsell hath just reason for as he foundeth his Church in the blood of Christ so he finisheth and perfecteth his worke in blood He advanceth his glory and maketh his power shine in working by contraries and confoundeth the adversaries when they see their wrath turned to Gods praise and the blood of Martyrs the seed and watering of the Church Pharaoh shall see he cannot worke wisely enough here is a more glorious world fetched out of a greater Chaos Iulian shall say vicisti Galilaee Secondly So deepe and inveterate is the poyson and malice of a dragon that no lighter or smaller revenge will serve him then death The same poyson lighted upon Christ he was judged unworthy either to live or dye in Jerusalem So the enemies of David when will he die and of Paul he is unworthy to live The rancorous poyson of an enemie of God and grace is such as a smaller revenge will not content them No whipping or mocking of Christ but crucifie him Thirdly The fury and feircenesse of the enemy is still augmented by reason it findes fuell to feed it First the light and grace in the godly which the more it encreaseth and shineth the more their malice and hatred burneth and boyleth against it For Why did Cain as a dragon slay Abel but because his workes were good 1 Joh. 3. 12. Why do the godly make themselves a prey but because they refraine from evill Esay 59. 15. Dragons can plead many causes Amos is accused by Hamaziah that he hath conspired against the King Daniell by the envious princes that he rebells against the Kings proclamation Ieremy if he exhort to go out into Babel according to Gods word and decree that he is a confederate with the Caldeans Paul that he is a troubler of the City and preacheth strange doctrine and pittie it is that hee lives But the true cause is if the white horse go forth the red horse will follow him at the heeles Psal. 38. 20. Mine adversaries hate me without cause Nay because I doe the thing that is good that is cause enough to hate to death Psal. 59. 3. They are gathered against me not for mine offence nor for my sinne This doctrine may serve as a glasse to let many see their owne faces and to what head they belong There is a generation of men who are feirce revengfull and cruell hearted against the godly who may here see what spirit they are guided by The spirit of God is gracious meeke mercifull gentle but they are not led by him His they are whose spirit they resemble in mischiefe and malice Joh. 8. 44. Yee are of your father the devill for his workes ye do A naturall child resembleth his father so do they theirs who was a murderer from the beginning As it was once so will it ever be Gal. 4. 29. He that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit and delighted in scorning the generation of God and seed of the promise these shew themselves a bastardly brood of Ismael who have no part in the promise no foote in the promised land To let us see whence that religion is that practiseth and teacheth all manner of fiercenesse and cruelty against the Saints It is of the devill of the dragon and is no religion of God Abraham makes this aptitude and forwardnesse to homicide a note of a false religion and proper to Idolaters Genes 20. 11. The feare of God is not in this place and they will slay me Hence it followes that the Romane religion cannot be of God for 1 Her head is that Abaddon and Apollyon The great destroyer of bodies and soules Rev. 9. 11. 2 Her members resemble the head for never were any more cruell and fiery dragons and homicides then the Antichristian zealotes and popish Inquisitors which for so many ages have destroyed the bodies of the innocent Saints with fire and sword and innumerable soules with divelish and hereticall doctrines 3 Her principles and positions are bloody and mischievous and such as the Heathens and sanguinary Savages would be ashamed of 4 Her proper colour is red scarlet dyed and drunken with the blood of the Saints which noteth her an essentiall member of the dragon fierie dragons are they furious and sulphurious kindling blazing fires not onely against the bodies of men women and children but laying their fire workes under ground against the bodies of many kingdomes at once This is that generation of which Christ spake They shall thinke they do God good service in killing you And the more fierce any man is against good men the more of this leaven he doth discover in himselfe Pray to be delivered from these direfull dragons Psal. 59. Deliver me from the bloody man and of all plagues which we have deserved let us pray we be never stung with these fiery dragons
they shall more easily prevaile and deceive the more â—lilie and subtily they worke Open enemies are sooner prevented then secret and satan hath subdued more with his serpents wiles then his dragons force And when he cannot prevaile with his Lions pawe he puts on the foxes skinne and goes to worke with his wiles and subtilties Thirdly God will have his Church every way tryed and exercised to shake her out of securitie How was Israell tryed By Pharaohs policies to destroy them before his open force for 1 He laid heavy taskes on them to weaken them from generation 2 Cruelly oppressed them by taking away the straw and exacting the same tale of brick 3 Slaying and drowning the male children as fast as they were borne And after assayled them with all the power of his country How was David exercised and kept waking by Achitophels counsel which made him apply God by prayer to turne his counsell to folly How was Ioseph and Mary exercised by Herods subtiltie who pretended to worship Christ but intended to kill him First By this we may take notice of the dragons wiles and subtilties which are as many as his heads And because the knowledge of his plots and discovery of his devises is more then halfe the prevention of them wee will spend a little time in laying open some of his stratagems and secret traynes laid out of sight every way reaching to catch and circumvent us These are reduced to three heads as they concerne 1 Persons 2 Actions 3 Assaults First The dragons subtiltie concerning persons is in two things 1 In dissembling his own person 2. In taking advantage of ours First Although he be a dragon and devill and deadly enemie he commeth commonly as a friend and in the habit of a good counseller and though he be a prince of darkenesse he transformes himselfe into an Angell of light 2 Cor. 11. 14. that where he cannot force he may allure Satan well knowes how the Gibeonites closed and gate within the Israelites by dissembling their persons Joshu 9. 9 and so he gets in with us To Eve though he appeared in the shape of a serpent yet seemes to be more friendly to her then God could be God knowes ye shall be as Gods And he that came to Eve in the shape of a serpent appeares to Saul in the shape of a Prophet and Samuel himselfe could not speak better words nor truer in the event then this counterfeit 1 Sam. 28 He commeth to Christ in the person of a friend Master pitty thy selfe as if he had pitty on Christ who kindled and stirred all the dragons in the world against him to sting him to death And who can thinke but he is a friend of Christ who can preach him to be the Sonne of God Mar. 1. 24. And who can preach the Apostles to be the servants of the living God Acta 16. 17. The poore lambes of Christs fold are never in greater danger then when the foxe preacheth Of all other a preaching dragon is the most dangerous who will winde us in by scripture and by that which is the onely preservative against sinne draw us into sinne As To abet coveteousnesse earthlinesse and worldlinesse and to binde a mans hands from doing good he will put thee in mind of that Scripture He that provides not for his family is worse then an Iufidell To harden and imbolden men in sinne he hath a plaine text Where sin aboundeth grace abounds much more To an ordinary Sabboth breaker he hath a comfortable text The Sabboth was made for man not man for the Sabboth To him that is not at leasure to repent yet he can preach upon that text At what time soever a sinner repenteth c. To strengthen the libertine and loose gospeller that hates nothing more then to be tyed to the rules of godlinesse he hath as direct scripture as may be Eccles. 2. 7. 18. Be not just over-much What can be more plaine against these nice and precise fellowes Beware also of a friendly dragon The Crokadile shedds teares but it is to shedd blood To an angry man the dragon as a great friend askes him why he will suffer himselfe to be troden under foote and tells him if he suffer this or this he shall never live in peace as if he wished his peace and prosperitie who never ceases to blow the bellowes of wrath and anger To a profane and carnall man What need you trouble your selfe with religion you have a charge and looke to the maine chance What is it for you to suffer your servants to let their time and work to runne to sermons as Pharaoh to Israel Ye are too idle And many are brought in mind that if their servants be religious they cannot possibly thrive Heathenish Civilists scarce so heathenish Romish dragons insinuate into their proselytes they lament the estate of their soules and perswade like very good counsellours to leave these heretikes and come to the catholike religion they can faine Crokadiles teares calling heaven and earth to witnesse that they respect nothing in the world but to promote the truth and save mens seduced soules And it is nothing but the Catholike faith that makes them venture their lives and fortunes and a great number more empty and windy words and â—ll to ensnare simple and unsetled persons Nay and which is a deeper plot of the dragon he can pretend peace friendship amitie mariages oaths and what not and all under pretence of peace and clcake of friendship that hee may slay and devour as France in that horrible Massacre 1572. had wofull experience Nay if need be hee can pretend religion and support of the Catholike cause when he is digging and undermining and laying barrels of powder and iron barres for the destruction of whole States and kingdomes Here are religious Dragons A foolish and silly woman shall the Church be to give any credit hereafter to the flatteries and fayre pretences of so often perfidious Dragons who salute to wound and never kisse but to kill Secondly He takes advantage of our owne persons setting upon us when we are weakest As First In our solitarinesse He overcame Eve when she was alone Cain set upon Abel when he had him alone in the field helplesse Dinab being alone in the field was set upon and foyled And when set Pâ—tiphers wife upon Ioseph but when they were alone in the house A Christian man must never sit alone if he have no company of men be sure of the company of God and his Angels and then he is never alone Secondly In our sorenesse as Simeon and Levi set on the Sichemites when they were sore and could not resist as in the terror of conscience distresse of minde If God lay on his little finger now satan layes his heavy loines Thou art an hypocrite a dissembler hast sinned the sinne against the holy Ghost And many he prevaileth with to speake in his
more place in the Church to domineere and tyrannize against the Saints as they had done but they are now conquered and expulsed out of heaven Quest. 3. What conquest was this or when was it obtained Ans. The conquest of Michael against the dragon was 1. Generall 2. Speciall The former was when before this time the dragon was most powerfully conquered 1. By the death of Christ spoyling all principalities and powers 2. By his powerfull resurrection thereby conquering and triumphing over sinne death hell Satan the world the grave c. 3. By the powerfull preaching of the Apostles in the conversion of the world to Christ. 4. By the profession confession and Martyrdome of the Apostles themselves whereby the most potent tyrants were convicted and subdued This generall overthrow is not here properly meant but a speciall victory and overthrow of some speciall dragons that rose up afterward to waste the Church because this is a prophesie after S. Iohns time the proper interpretation and accomplishment whereof is plentifully cleared in Ecclesiasticall History For 1. What place had the dragon in the Church when those fierce Tyrants and tygers those imperiall dragons Nero Domitian Dioclesian Trajan and the other who shed a sea of Christian blood to abolish the very name of Christ were miserably destroyed and extinct by foule and fearefull deaths and destructions and some of them as Iulian the Apostate being wounded to death blasphemed with extreme fury cryed with his bowels and blood in his own hands Vicisti Galileae 2. What place had the dragon in the Church when noble Constantine had slaine those foure savage Tyrants and Monsters Maximinus Maxentius Licinius and Maximinian and became the great Protector of Christian faith and to signifie that now the dragon was overcome not without Gods speciall Providence he set up upon the gates of his Palace his owne picture with a dragon lying slaine under his feet and a Dart thrust through him as Eusebius reports which is a plaine demonstration of the accomplishment of this Prophesie 3. What place had the dragon in the Church when by the free preaching of the Gospell by orthodox Pastors and Bishops the Idols and heathen gods were cast downe their worship abolished their Temples destroyed Paganisme was turned into Christianisme and Christs Kingdome grew so fast as that it was received through the world in the places and countries where the dragons had formerly cast it out 4. What place had the dragon in heaven when those innumerable droaves of Heretikes such as Valentinus Basilides Manes Marcion Photinus and especially Arrius who had infected the whole world and other most deadly enemies to Christs person natures and offices were first wounded and smitten and condemned with the sword of the Spirit the hammer of heresies and after with the hand of God upō them in miserable and wretched deaths as Histories are plentifull in observation Thus have wee seene the truth of this Prophesie when and how the dragon and his Angels were cast out of heaven and their place was found no more Quest. 4. How can it be said that the dragons place was no more found in heaven seeing he returnes againe and renewes his warre against the woman vers 13. and 17 Answ 1. Our Saviour in Iohn 12. 31. saith The Prince of the world is cast out and so the death of Christ hath cast him out of possession so as although hee may come to claime yet never to possesse 2. He may come to assault the Church molest the woman but never to dispossesse her of her heavenly happinesse all the dammage he brings her is but nibling at her heele he cannot reach her head Ioh. 14. 30 The Prince of the world came against Christ but found nothing in him that is had no power no advantage against him and so it is in proportion with the members 3. Hee may shew himselfe in temptations and in raising horrible and hidious persecutions as at this day but without all power or hope of prevailing He comes not to stand to it if hee bee resisted nor to overcome in the issue but to be overcome and at last so fully overcome as his place shall never bee found in heaven nor in the Church but shall be bound fast in chaines of blacke and hellish darknesse for ever Doctr. Note hence that all the enemies of the Church shall bee finally destroyed so as their place shall bee no more found Iob. 20. 7. The wicked shall perish for ever like his dung and the eye that hath seene him shall say where is hee Psal. 37. 10. 36. Yet a little while and the wicked shall not bee yea thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not bee and He flourished as a greene Bay-tree but hee passed away and loe hee was gone I sought him but he could not be found For why 1. Gods curse takes hold on them and is too strong for them Genes 12. 3. I will curse them that curse thee This curse cuts off First their persons Psal. 37. 38. They that are cursed of God shall bee cut off Secondly their plots counsels hopes aymes and wishes as in the same place The end of the wicked shall be cut off and frustrate Thirdly their present jollity even in this life often the curse meets them in every corner as the Angell with his sword did Balaam so in Pharaoh Haman Iudas Iulian and almost all tyrants and heretikes came to lamentable destruction Fourthly alwayes their hoped happinesse in the life to come for as GOD hurles the wicked man out of his place in earth so hee sends him into his own place as is said of Iudas that he may dwell for ever in the place of his iniquitie Iob 8. 4. 2. Gods justice pursueth and hunteth the wicked man to destruction let him seeke never so many muses and burrows of craft and policie to hide himselfe in the Lords revenge followes him step by step till it overtake him 2 Thess. 1. 6. It is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that trouble you Achan troubleth all Israel and the Lord troubleth Achan Ioshua 7. 25. the enemie makes the Saints drinke the cup of affliction but they taste but the top which is medicinable but the Lords justice reserves for him the dregs and bottome of his cup of wrath for poison they chase the Saints unjustly out of the earth with a sea of sorrow but the Lord justly casts them out of earth and heaven into a bottomelesse sea of everlasting wrath 3. They must bee covered with shame that warre with Sion Psal. 129. 5. First because she being Gods owne Spouse and delight hee accounteth her cause to be his her sufferings his her enemies his and cannot but out of love and jealousie avenge her quarrels and execute vengeance on her adversaries Deut. 32. 43. Secondly because her sonnes are the blessed seed If Mordecai be the seed of the Jewes Haman shall fall before him and make no
to God to teach him to number his dayes Psal. 90. 12. For by nature a man is never the wiser by any chastisement he sees or heares except God nurture and teach him It is true that the dim light of nature could highly prizetime for some outward profit as the usurer husbandmen Merchant occupyers and the heathens No day without a line and Titus could say Heu diem perdidi Alas I have lost a day But it must be the teaching of grace that makes us to reckon the minutes and moments of our present precious time so as therein to make our selves gainers of something more precious then it selfe And how few are thus taught by grace appeares seeing few hold it a seed-time to go forth to sow in teares few hold it such a moment as on which eternity dependeth few hold it a time of trafficke till the Master come but as if the Masters absence were for eating drinking and smiting the fellow-servants few know the worth of their time before the want of it Many are niggardly of their wealth but prodigall of their time Many complaine of the shortnesse of life but not of lósse of time Many utterly cast away this short time by doing nothing or as good as nothing And as little children who have spent their candle in play are glad to go to bed by darke and never till too late see their folly so these None of all these ever had their hearts taught by God of the shortnesse of their dayes 3 Knowing that our time is short we must make another use of this knowledge then Satan doth His knowledge provokes his diligence in all mischiefe the shortnesse of his time whetteth and sharpneth his wrath But our knowledge of the shortnesse of our time must make us industrious in grace that wee may make a quicke and profitable returne thereof to our selves Thus our Lord commanded Ioh. 12. 35. worke while the light lasteth the darknesse hasteth when none can worke And thus he practised Ioh. 9. 4 I must worke the worke of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke The same did his Apostles 2 Pet. 1. 13. Knowing that shortly I must lay downe this my tabernacle I think it meet to stirre you up Reasons hereof are these 1 It is a signe of a good man to be best and busiest at last Psal. 92. 14. the just are more fruitfull in their age Revel 2. 19. The Church of Thyatira her works were more at last then at first For though no part of the life of a Christian converted be fruitlesse yet is it the autumne of his life that yeilds most fruit and as to him that hath more is still given so the more he hath given the more is his employment and the more receipts the more returne 2 Christian wisdome teacheth the Beleever that this short time is alotted to worke not to loytering and to worke the greatest worke in the world both in performing acceptable service to God in doing good unto his brethren according to their needs spirituall or temporall and in gathering up his owne comfort by making his election sure both by increase of graces and fruits of faith in abundance of good workes All which call for a wise husbanding and improoving of his time and a diligent hand so much the more as the time or season hastneth from us or we from it as in harvest the fairer the day and nearer night the more busie are the carefull workemen so must it be here 3 It argueth a heart zealous of Gods glory to do all the good he can while he may and is only grieved that he hath done so little good and can do no more A good heart still complaines of the unprofitablenesse of it to will is present with it it loveth obedience and purposes of obedience shal not perish when performances often fayle 4 It bringeth comfort to the heart when the conscience witnesseth to a man that he hath not slipped his opportunity but done the businesse he had committed unto him Our Lord himselfe thus comforted himselfe toward his death Ioh. 17. 4 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name and I have done the worke which thou gavest me to do And the Apostle Paul neare death rejoyced that he had fought a good fight and finished his course and now was layd up for him a crowne of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 46. 1 This reprooves idlenesse in all men whose time is so short Gods word teacheth that he that sleepeth in harvest is the sonne of confusion Prov. 10. 5. and that the harvest is not to last alwayes neither will God hold out his grace alwayes when he is held off with delayes The unreasonable creatures who have no reason to perswade them none to call on them or admonish them know their times and seasons the silly Ant knows and labours in summer a creature of no account or respect yet men are sent to her to learne her wayes Our owne experience hath knowne many cry out of themselves in the end of their time because they knew not their time and have not received answer or comfort which they could ever expresse because God had often cryed and called and they would not in time answer Now it were well if at length such as would never learne this lesson from God and his word nor from his workes and creatures nor from their owne experience would learne it of the divell to be busie in their proper worke as he is in his because his time is short But of all men old men especially who must either now worke or never who if they spare not at the bottome of the vessell of their time are for ever hopelesse and desperate 2 Let us provoke our selves to diligence in wel-doing The divell knowes if this short time be shut in he cannot do any more mischiefe and therefore plyes it while it lasteth So if thy day be shut in and thy short time expired thou art taken away and canst returne no more to do any good and therefore seeing none of us have any long time it stands us in hand to supply the shortnesse of our time with diligence in dispatching our principal businesse Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thou hast to do do it with all thy power for there is neither wisdome nor invention in the grave And as the dragon the more mischievous his worke is the more active he is in it so the better our worke is we must be so much the more earnest in it for shall the divell be earnest in mischiefe and wee slacke in good The worke of the Ministery is an excellent worke and therefore the Minister whose time is commonly shorter then other mens the shorter his time grows the more earnest must he be in preaching writing counselling comforting the people of God Many resolve to take their ease when they grow into yeares but then is true grace most active the
consideration of the approach of death was a spurre to the Apostle Peter to double his diligence in the Ministery 2 Pet. 1. 13. The Magistrate hath a notable worke in hand in repressing the wrath of the dragon upholding and encouraging godliness and annuall Magistrates have but a short time when it is longest in their office Have you but a short time be the more stirring and carefull to do good that little time Wee have seene some in that short time have done a great deale of ill businesse therefore imitating the dragon because they would not heare the voice of God But a good man in office will do a great deale of good in a short time Wee heare sometimes some Magistrates reckon what a short time they have to weare out I would wee could heare what good they are resolved to do in that short time which will away apace for it is onely the good they do in it which will abide for their comfort Finally the private Christian hath an excellent worke in hand namely to worke out his owne salvation and to further others both in workes of piety and by workes of mercy spirituall and temporall to helpe them unto heaven and in earth Hast thou but a short time for so great a worke be so much the more diligent Seest thou the dragon because his time is short so industrious in heaping up his owne damnation and wrapping as many others as he can into his judgment and wilt or canst thou slack thy pace and diligence in promoting thine own and other mens salvation 3 As the divell and his instruments shew and declare the shortnesse of their time by extreme wickednesse because Satan powres forth his spirit upon the world to poyson it with outragious sinnes so let us manifest that wee keepe in mind the shortnesse of our times and that we are cast into the last ages by our readinesse and cheerefulnesse in good duties and in abundant fruits of the spirit which in the last dayes was to be powred out Act. 2. 17. Wee must expresse the powring out of this spirit by our increase in knowledge faith obedience and be more fruitfull in our age Thus wee shall aright testifie our right judgement of our owne time and of the last age of the world And as the wicked of the world shew apparātly the last time and Christ neare at hand by abundance of iniquity by worldlinesse atheisme excesses of carnall delight for is it not as in the dayes of Noah wherein men eate and drinke and marry and give in marriage and cast off all care of judgment so let us shew it the last age and that a short time remaines by using the world as not using it by marrying as not marrying and by heavenly conversation and all this because the time is short as the Apostle adviseth 1 Cor. 7. 29. 30. because there is no constancy or durance of any of these earthly contentments no more then of the world it selfe let us use these moderatly and gaine those which are lasting unwithering and unperishing Vers. 13. But when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child SAtan being cast out of heaven I meane that heaven upon earth which is distant from the earth not in distance of place but in sanctity of faith and manners so as he cannot prevayle to prejudice the same as hee would for neither can hee hinder the sound of the Gospell but it prevaleth in the world neither can hee seduce the Elect nor prevent the Saints of their salvation Now seeing himselfe cast vnto the earth he rageth among earthly-mindedmen and stirreth up his agents and vassals to raise up horrible persecutions and new tyrānies to root out if it were possible the name and mention both of Christ and the woman his Spouse but all in vaine as the former assault was as appeares in the sequell of the Chapter In this and the fourteenth Verse are two things 1. A new onset of the dragon upon the woman with the reason in this Verse 2. The evasion or escape of the woman with the meanes in the next Verse In the Onset consider First the person persecuting The dragon Secondly the person persecuted The woman Thirdly the time and manner When shee had brought forth the man childe I. The persecutor is the dragon that is both the devill the head of that fierce kingdome and all such instruments as he raised and used against the Church in this new assault and persecution for there is but one persecutor of the woman in all ages even Satan who is the same but hee hath many members and Ministers even a continuall spawne and succession who as they carry his nature so here also his owne name and are one and the same dragon in minde in will in malice in act Hence it is that in Scripture whatsoever the one doth the same the other is said to doe Revel 2. 10. The devill shall cast some of you into prison What Commodus Decius or the other Tyrants did the devill is said to doe and the workes of the Jewes in persecuting Jesus Christ is called the devils worke Iohn 8. 44. Ye are of your father the devill his workes yee doe 1. Because the dragon being the god of the world ruleth the hearts of wicked men who inclines their wils to hate the Church and stirres them up to persecute and leades them at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. and a slave cannot doe but what his Lord commands him onely he inspireth and acteth voluntaries 2. The same causes which stirre up the one stirre up the other to this fury First as there is an old enmity betweene the woman and the serpent so is there betweene the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent If there be hostility betweene two Princes it is maintained among all their subjects Secondly as the dragon being a deadly enemy to Gods glory incessantly seeketh to hinder and abolish pure religion holy worship and worshippers because it is contrary to his designes and stoppeth his power which prevaileth in Idolatry superstitiō and Atheisticall liberty so doe wicked enemies his issue and off-spring in all ages fight against the true worship of God holy religion and pure worshippers as against their contraries because they despise their false gods detest their idolatry resist false religion contest against their superstition and actually reprove their Atheisticall liberty and all their proceedings contrary to the light of grace and the word of grace Thirdly as the dragon feares that Christ and his Kingdome will weaken his kingdome so the spawne of the dragon feare the same Herod and Domitian feare the comming of Christ and therefore command them of the stock of David in Jewry to be slaine If we let this man alone say the Pharises all men will beleeve him and down goes our credit Yea say the Rulers and the Romanes will come and
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