inheritance his choise his habitation in which he hath promised to dwell for ever which how could he doe if he should suffer Tyrants either to destroy it or throw him out of possession Fourthly the Church is his kingdome which must have no end but if he should not save it the enimies would soone bring it to an end 3. It is a part of Gods glory which cannot passe in any other to bee the Saviour of his Church because First he alone will bee knowne the onely GOD that heareth prayer to whom all flesh must resort Psal. 65. 2. Secondly hee to whom the glory of the greater belongs to him belongs the glory of the lesser but hee onely hath the glory of saving his people from spirituall hellish and eternall danger by Christ and he onely will perfect his salvation by adding temporall and externall Thirdly for his glories sake he will bee seene the only Savior in such times and maner as none else can save as in many miraculous deliverances which all the world must ascribe onely to his hand Israel must be saved out of Aegypt by an Outcast drawne out of the waters and the sea must make them a way and become a wall to them and a Well to Pharaoh his followers To bring them along Iordan must runne back To feed them and save them from starving heaven must afford them a daily harvest and a rocke must yeeld them water forty yeares To save them from their enemies in battell the Sunne must stand still and the Moone stay her course as in the dayes of Ioshua in which all the world must behold the Lord fighting for Israel How miraculously was Ionah saved when hee was buried in a double grave Twofold instruction ariseth hence to the Church and people of God First wee learne in the greatest dangers and needs to waite for the Lords salvation in the depth of danger if wee be beset as Israel at the sea side or if wee be chased into the bottome of sea now to stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord Exod. 14. Quest. How may wee waite aright for the Lords salvation Answ. 1. Become Beleevers members of the Church for it is said The Lord will save Sion stablish thy faith in this promise give God the glory of truth and when thou art beset with sorrowes pains perils when thou art in the valley of death in the hands of death in the house of death now say Salvation is the Lords and as Iob If the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him 2. Beware of sinne for that which thrusteth thee from the Lord thrusteth away the Lords salvation from thee but sinne separates betweene God and us and may suspend his salvation from his Saints longer than is for their ease Bewaile thy sinne remove by repentance that partition which thou hast thrust betweene God and thee salvation is farre from the wicked because they are farre from God Psalme 119. 155. It is never so farre from the godly yet often not so neare them as they desire because they are not got so neare God by faith repentance and invocation as he desireth Dan. 9. 12. All Israel have sinned and therefore the curse is powred out against all Israel and Iosh. 7. 11. 12. Israel hath sinned a sinne and cannot stand before their enemies If wee would have the Lord to put forth his salvation we must put away our sinne which makes him seeme sometimes as if he could not save his people 3. Fixe the eye of thy soule directly upon the Lord and looke not a squint at men or meanes nor thinke all lost if they set not in for thy helpe for First the Lord whose salvation is needs them not to worke by Secondly all meanes are put in his hand and by his appointment are what they are and if hee doe use any men or meanes as in this Text he did the Christian Emperours yet the Church must sing as here salvation is the Lords Thirdly no meanes may share in his glory nor obscure or darken it Secondly it teacheth to ascribe all honour of salvation to the Lord as here the Church doth for First there is great reason that hee who is our salvation should be our song the Church here makes the author of her salvation the matter of her song so Exod. 15. 2. gnozzi vezimrath Iah The Lord is my strength and song It is equall that the honour of salvation bee returned to the Author of it Secondly the office of the Church is to give knowledge to the world by whom and by what meanes she is delivered that after-ages may repaire in like dangers to the same hand in which onely salvation is see Psalme 102. 18. and Esa. 38. 19. Thirdly for our selves we above all people have just cause to sing unto the Lord our salvation and say Now is salvation the Lords Time was in the dayes of the fathers when our nation lay in darknesse in Idolatry in the midst of Images and teachers of lies worshipping blockes and stones and crusts of bread The blindenesse and darknesse was palpable like that of Aegypt wherein no man could stirre out of the place where his ignorance had set him But God in his due time tooke pitty upon us and tooke possession of us as his people possessed our Kingdome our Princes and people with light truth and the blessed Gospell of salvation now was Antichrist detected darknesse dispelled Idols displaced Masse-mongers and god-makers cast out now was salvation the Lords when hee swept out that Antichristian vermine frighted away those uncleane birds pulled downe their Cages over their heads and made the happy restoring of the Gospell as a birth-day to our Countrey and this English Nation In the yeare 1588. when that invincible Navie as they termed it advanced it selfe with a Catholike strength to swallow up our Nation at one morsell they wanted not his Holinesse helpe to curse and excommunicate our Prince and people they wanted no Engines of torture and cruelty no cut-throates to exercise them they brought over heires for our Lands were provided of choise men designed to Bishoppricks our Baronries our dignities our livings our Offices of Councell and State all was their owne But no sooner they appeared in our Coasts but now salvation was the Lords who would shew the Romish and Babylons Balaam that there is no sorcery nor cursing against Iacob and make his Embassadours know that there is neither power nor counsell against the Lord and that he had no pleasure in such cursed crueltie and covetousnesse The Sunne the Moone the Elements fire water and windes fought against proud Sisera but salvation was the Lords In the meane time what did we but looke on while the God of our salvation made the confusion of that Armado the stupor and admiration of the whole world Add to this the hellish Powder-plot when the necke of our King and all his three kingdomes was upon the blocke and the stroke lifted
in common but not in respect of invisible bands and grace in any particular member 3. They may prevaile for a time to molest many members of the Church but never finally to waste and destroy the whole Church 4. They may prevaile in temporals by which GOD will not have the peace and victory of the Church measured but can never prevaile against the salvation and sound grace of any member 5. Let us not be daunted at the forces and winnings of Antichrist nor stand amazed at his strength I say confidently could wee be daunted at our owne sinnes which are his strength of all enemies wee need least feare him for 1. Hee is sentenced to destruction Gods curse hath blasted him 2. Our Michael hath merited and atchieved victory over him and hath begun it in us by detecting him and though he give us not victory all at once yet he will not give him over till he have utterly abolished him 3 Antichrist is strong and mighty but 1. It is but for the time of his reprieve which time of God when it commeth Gideon and an handfull of men shall prevaile against an host of Mideanites lying like grasse on the ground Iudg. 7. 12. 2 All his power shall turne against him 3 The Church is still stronger than he for they are strongest with whom the Lord is who wants no Armies or Hosts of Creatures to save or smite by 4. Antichrist gets no victory which he shall hold God may by him bring the Church low to teach them dutie and then raise them againe as Israel can learne that in Babylon which they cannot in Sion but Babel must be destroyed and the King of Babel stript naked to Gods wrath for ever so of this Westerne and spirituall Babylon and the head thereof they shall all goe into perdition Now this is a ground of consolation to all true-hearted Christians both in respect of the Church in generall and in respect of their owne speciall condition For the Church in generall no attemps of the dragon and his Angels can overthrow the Church of God Zech. 12. 3. Shee is an heavy stone to lift at if all the people of the earth bee gathered against her they shall onely teare themselves in pieces and how can it be otherwise for 1. They have the power and favour of the King for them and what subject dare stand out against them And blessed is that people whose GOD is the Lord Psal. 144. 15. for though none be so assaulted none are so protected none so victorious 2. So long as the Lords counsell must stand the Church cannot fall Prov. 19. 21. many devises are in lewd mens hearts but the counsell of the Lord must stand who thinkes thoughts of peace and safety to his people 3. So long as the Lord breakes the counsell of the heathen and enemies and ruleth in the midst of his enemies we need not much feare the plots the power the pride the hopes of wicked mē who wait upō lying vanities they may consult against the life of the innocent but til the time be come wherein God cals forth his servants to glorifie him in suffering they cannot touch a haire of their heads they may vow not to eate nor drinke till they have slaine Paul Acts 23. 22. but they could not touch him as they did with the Head so may they with the body they tooke counsell to cast him downe an hill but hee made void their counsell and found a way to passe through the midst of them all for his time was not come Luke 4. 30. 4. In the greatest confusions of the earth when the very foundations seeme to be cast downe and the wicked seeme to carry all and say we have prevailed yet now while they have the Church under they cannot hold it under but now faith prevailes and gloriously riseth unto victory could they hold under our Head or hinder his powerfull resurrection no more can they the happy resurrection of the Church out of the grave of death and darknesse but after two dayes hee will revive it and in the third day he will raise it Hos. 6. 2. The dry and dead bones scattered shall live and bee covered with sinewes and flesh and skinne which lay drie and dispersed in the open field of their captivity Ezek. 37 6. and therefore as our Head triumphed gloriously over the grave and death so doth his Church even in the greatest afflictions Mica 7. 8. Rejoyce not against me O mine enemie though I fall I shall rise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall bee a light unto mee The Church denies not but she may be cast downe but not cast off she denies not but she may sit in the darke but not without all light shee denies not but that God himselfe may afflict her and shee feele his wrath because she hath sinned but onely for a time till hee come to put a difference betweene her and the enemies and then the scoale shall be changed the enemies shall come into her place and shall be covered with shame and trodden as the mire in the street that is utterly confounded and despised How hath the Lord commented this our Text and observation in all the Countries round about us What hath the Spanish Inquisition which hath consumed many thousands of the Saints destroyed the Church No it hath but watred it with blood and the devillish cruelty of it hath made them an hatefull nation in all the parts of the world Did their French Massacre destroy all as they thought when thirty thousand Protestants were murdered against all lawes oathes and promises no here were the boughs lopped but the root remained and within few monthes so sprouted that a mighty army in defence of the Protestants drew that mighty King to such dishonourable conditions of peace as he never enjoyed To come to our selves In the yeare 88. when the great Armado came which the proud enemy called the inuincible Navie to destroy the mother and children and to bring to utter desolation both the Church and kingdome and take possession of all could they conquer yea though their treachery was not lesse than their power and their advantage no lesse upon an unprovided people deluded at that time by their pretensed propositions of peace No but as they came out one way against God so God chased them an hundred wayes and made their confusion the stupor and admiration of all the world In the yeare 1605. when our Romish Babylonians prepared that infernall furnace to destroy the name and mention of our religion and to turne all into a popish Chaos and confusion as neare as they were what effected they did not Gods power and Gods curse upon them and their wicked counsels overtake them in their hellish enterprises against his owne religion who ever saw Hamans device more sensibly falling upon his owne head When the Aegyptians saw Gods power against them in their enterprises against Israel they could confesse the Lord
CHRISTS VICTORIE OVER THE DRAGON OR Satans Downfall SHEWING The glorious Conquests of our SAVIOVR for his poore CHVRCH against the greatest Persecutors In a plaine and pithy Exposition of the twelfth Chapter of S. IOHNS REVELATION Delivered in sundry Lectures BY That late faithfull Servant of God THOMAS TAYLOR Doctor in Divinitie and Pastor of Aldermanbury LONDON Perfected and finished a little before his death Melior causa est corum qui Diabolum persequentem fugiunt quim qui praeeuntem sequuntur quia utilius est eum bostem habere quà m principem August LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. DAWLMAN at the signe of the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Churchyard 1633. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIP FVLL and others the worthy Inhabitants of Aldermanbury Parish LONDON All happinesse both in Earth and Heaven CHRISTIAN FRIENDS I Am I suppose a stranger to most of you unlesse peradventure you tooke notice of me in preaching the Sermon at the Funerall of your worthy Doctor the Author of this Booke and so I hope you will conceive that I present not this Worke unto you in mine own name but onely in behalfe of the Widow whose modestie permits her not to come in Print To you her worthy Friends Neighbours shee desires to have these Labors dedicated as to whom shee judgeth them most properly due and wisheth you the same profit and comfort in reading as did her deare Husband in preaching By faith Abel being dead yet speaketh faith the Apostle to the Hebrewes By faith also and these works of Faith doth your late worthy Pastor yet speake unto you and here while you reade you may imagine hee still calleth to Faith Obedience Repentance Growth in the Knowledge and Feare of GOD with all courage wisedome humilitie heavenly-mindednes and unblameableness of living His reward is now with the Lord whose hee was and whom he served His Name in the Church sweet and precious and ever will be while a Church remaines on earth to worship GOD aright and to distinguish Beleevers from unbeleevers or misbeleevers The Instruction is yours to follow his holy Doctrine and Example And happy shall every Soule be which heedfully followeth The Clowd of Witnesses For the Worke it selfe I have not much to preface onely our hope is that for supply of defects or connivence at them the untimely decease of the Author and your owne ingenuity will yeeld abundant Apologie The substance is the same with his owne Notes the Tables mine other things the Printers Let the benefit be yours and wee have our desire And certainly hee that falls to the matter with love and hearty affection shall reape some benefit For while hee reades hee will easily understand that in this life the Church and faithfull members of it must ever be encountring with spirituall wickednesses which calls to watchfulnesse and yet is sure of victory hath help enough well led by an able Captaine and furnished with armour of proofe which calls to chearfulnesse in fighting the good fight of faith And when hee that understands it shall carefully addresse himselfe to the practise of it he shall well redeeme his time in reading honour his Captaine who hath chosen him to bee a Souldier performe his vow made against the devill in his Baptisme prepare by smaller skirmishes for great and fiery tryals when they shall come and so having striven lawfully shall receive the Crowne which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give him at that day with all that love his appearing Plentifull Encouragements wee have both to enter these lists and hold out to the end Deale couragiously and the Lord shall be with the good Feare not nor be dismayed goe out against these your spirituall enemies and the Lord will be with you And all hands here may be brought together to the fight even every one that is an Angell of Michael wee must strive together for the faith of the Gospel and our united forces shall be much the more puissant and unresistable Especially while wee help one another by our prayers which is my request for my selfe from you all and I rest Isleworth Feb. 25. 1632. Yours in the service of your Faith and for the help of your Ioy WILLIAM IEMMAT THE ANALYTICALL TABLE OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER With the severall Verses and Arguments The Chapter hath six principall Parts I. A Description of the true Church v. 1. 2. Where 1 The Preface In which 1 What is the Wonder 2 The Greatnes of it 3 The manner of appearing 4 The place whence Heaven 2 The Vision of one of the Combatants Described 1 By her person A woman Described 2 By her properties foure 1 Her Apparell Where 1 The Garment The Sunne 2 The Application Clothed 2 Her Place The Moone under her feet 3 Her Ornament The Crowne of twelve stars on her head 1 Why Crowned 2 What the 12. stars 3 Why on her head 4 Her fruitfulnes being with childe c. 1 Her Conception 2 Her painful travel II. A Description of the Devill another of the Combatants v. 3 4 5 6. Two wayes 1 By his Adjuncts five 1 Magnitude Vers. 3. 2 Cruelty Vers. 3. 3 Subtiltie Vers. 3. 4 Power Vers. 3. 5 Victory Vers. 3. 2 By his Effests 1 Against the Stars He threw downe a third part with his tayle 2 Against the Woman 1 Assailing ver 4. Where 1 His Action He stood before the Woman 2 His Intention to devour the childe c. 2 Disappointed in respect of 1 The woman described 1 By her childbearing v. 5. she brought forth a manchilde 2 By her flight v 6. where 1 The place prepared of God In the wildernesse 2 Her sustentation to feed her there 3 Her continuance there 1260. daies 2 Her Issue whose 1 Sex Amanchilde 2 Office To rule the nations with a rod of Iron 3 Advancement taken up to God and his throne III. A fierce Battell betweene those Combatants vers 7. Where 1 The Battell And there was a Battell 2 The Armies 1 The Actors On one side Michaell and his Angels On the other The Dragon and his angels In both 1 The Generall of the Field Michael or the Dragon 2 The Band or Army The Angels of eyther 2 The Action They fought IIII. The successe of the Battell ver 8. 9. The Dragons overthrow 1 Expressed 2 Interpreted 1 He prevailed not 2 He was so prevailed against that he had no more place in heaven 1 In a description of the party overthrowne 1 By his names titles foure 2 By his effect he deceiveth the whole world 1 The great Dragon 2 That old Serpent 3 The Devill 4 Satan 2 For the maner of his overthrow he was cast out 3 The place whither he was cast the earth 4 His assotiats in the overthrow his angells with him V. The Triumph of the godly for this victory verse 10 11 12. Where 1 The Preface In it 1 What Voyce this was 2 Whos 's Why lowd 2 The Parts Two 1 The
1. 9. Whosoever are enlightened with light of nature or grace have it from this Sunne And not onely these but they who in heaven shine in the light of glory doe borrow of this light Dan 12. 3. they shine as the starres which receive all their shine from the sunne And more they shall shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of their Father Mat 13 43. Because they shall participate of the sunnes brightnesse 2 The effects without are foure and in respect of these also Iesus Christ is compared to the sun 1 The sunne driveth away darknesse otherwise there would be a perpetuall night And at the rising of the sunne things which before were involved in the darkenesse of the night appeare as they are so this Sunne of the Church drives away the darknesse of ignorance the night of our miserie chaseth away the black and thick mist of our sinnes bringeth back the light of knowledge and the day of grace to us who else had layne in perpetuall night and shadow of death And now foule things appeare as they are and sinne appeares out of measure sinfull 2 As the sunne by his beames gives direction to all the waies of our naturall and civil life so this Sun by the beames of his wisdome grace directeth us in all the wayes of spiritual eternal life And as a man can do nothing cōmendably without the light of the sunne so without this Sun we can doe nothing at all 3 The sunne is the most comfortable Creature in all the world warming and refreshing with his beames all living Creatures yea under God quickning creatures dead in themselves so Iesus Christ is the life of the Church and the quickner of all the elect unto eternall life they being in themselves dead in trespasses and sinnes He also warmes his Church with the beames of his love which reflect backe as the sunne beames doe upon himselfe both the head and members He comforteth with his gracious aspect all the faithfull in all corners of the world who had never had life nor breath nor shew of grace without his shine upon them 4 The sun of the world maketh preserveth the severall seasons the Summer the winter the spring the Autumne Iesus Christ the Sun of his Church hath in his power al times seasons He hath in his hand the seed time in grace here the harvest of glory hereafter He appointeth the Summer season and prosperitie of the Church He changeth that season bringeth on her a sharpe winter of trouble affliction All the vicissitudes and changes in the Church are appointed and directed by his wisdome Dan. 2. 21 Nothing befalls the Church by chance but by his most oculate providence 1. Is Christ the Sonne of the Church wee are taught many things As First to a knowledge our Sunne yea to admire our Sunne as ten thousand times passing the sunne of the world For 1 That is a meere creature though glorious but this Sun is the mighty God the creator of that 2 That serves the outward man in the things of this life this the spirituall man in the things of life eternall 3 That riseth on good and bad but this onely on the good onely on Ierusalem Isai. 60 1. Thy light is risen upon thee 4 That riseth every day and every day setteth but this Sunne riseth and never setteth Isai. 60. 20. 5. That obscureth the starres this enlightens beleevers by his presence who shine as starres 6 That may be eclipsed or darkned but the light and grace of this Sunne can never lose or lessen his shine and glory it may be a while clouded from us but never eclipsed in it selfe Secondly We are taught to rejoyce in our Sunne All creatures rejoyce in the sunne but hatefull Bats and Owles which flye the light All creatures in nature follow the sunne and thrive and prosper in it the silly plants as Marigold Dazie Turnsoll so all that are new Creatures doe follow and prosper in this sun And if wee be so we wil draw neere to the Sunne that we may have the blessed beames of his grace to shine upon our cold and frozen hearts that by his spirituall heate we may be revived and refreshed to everlasting life We can open our windowes to let in the Sun-shine to our comfort and why should we not set open the doores and windowes of our hearts that the beames descending from Iesus Christ may enter in enlighten and comfort us Oh our little respect of the ministery shewes plainly enough wee would shut out this Sunne if we could Many of our hearers doe what lyes in them Thirdly we are taught to be thankfull that this blessed Sunne is risen unto us who were in woefull darknesse How thankfull was Paul and those in that dangerous voyage with him Act. 27. 20. when not having seene Sun Moone nor starres for many dayes they saw againe the desired light of the Sun But in so dangerous a tempest of Gods wrath as we had for ever beene tossed and drowned in to get a glimpse of this Sunne of righteousnesse is a farre greater cause of thankfulnesse to God which disperseth all clouds and stormes and brings a most calme and comfortable season The poore men in the Gospell to whom Christ restored sight how glad and thankful were they so soone as they were able to behold the sunne They leapt for joy praised God and preached Christ they made it knowne they had met with Christ No lesse joyfull is he whose eyes of mind Christ hath opened to discerne his change that hee is turned from darkenesse to light Fourthly wee are taught to imitate our Sunne labouring to preserve our purity though wee see much foule behaviour and being conversant among sinners and in many occasions yet as our Sunne did we must keepe our selves pure and not be plucked away with the errour of the wicked as Lot in Sodom abstaining from evill and all the appearance of it Fiftly Wee are taught to walke beseeming our Sunne 1 Warily and uprightly because this Sunne discovers those rubbes and perills by which men fall and hurt themselves In a mistie and darke night to stumble and fall is no such great disgrace but at noon day the sunne shining argues blindnesse or heedlesnesse or some great distemper of body and mind For Christians now to sinne against such light is farre more shamefull then in darkenesse of Popery and ignorance 2 Watchfully In the darke night men may sleep but in the day and sunshine it is time to awake from sleepe and shake off security and walke as in the day The sun of the world may be seene of all eyes but it sees nothing But our Sun seeth all things even the hidden secrets of hearts which no eye else can see neither can any deepe bee hid from his infinite light and knowledge This should move us to watch all our wayes and actions thoughts
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
such a dignity as all the honor and happinesse crownes and kingdomes which earth can give are but chaffe light and worthlesse A poore and despised Lazarus is happier then all Divesses in hell or earth Did the greatest prophane Monarch in earth know but the happinesse and honor of a poore Saint and his owne woefull estate hee would seeke to change estates with him and if he had a thousand kingdomes he would give them to boote and whatsoever were dearer to him Let no godly man fal out with his estate because it is meane in the world nor any wicked man scorne it Haman would have beene Mordecaies Lackie still but must up to the gallowes 3 Let the godly learn to carry thēselves as Princes so as beseemes such as are anoynted and crowned Kings David in private estate carryed himselfe as a shepheard but crowned a King demeaned himselfe like a King So Saul in private estate followed his fathers Asses but once anoynted was changed into another man 1 Sam. 10. 9. So is the Christian. Qu. How may the Christian behave himselfe as a King An. 1 As Kings we must spend our time and thoughts not in base and inferiour trades or affaires but in the great affaires of the kingdome If a King should lay aside his Crowne and betake himselfe to some handicraft every body would marvaile and shal Christians that are crowned as Princes cast aside this Crowne to bend their thoughts and endeavors either wholly or principally to the attaining of the world 2 As Princes sort themselves not with base and beggarly company but with nobles and Princes So the Christian must not sort himselfe with wicked men that are vile and beggarly in grace but with such as are noble wise counsellors ' and excell in vertue 3 Bee valorous as Kings and couragious against bold and audacious enemies never out of cowardise or timerousnesse contracting base leagues with professed enemies but be still in the field against wicked persons practises and wicked spirits True valour hath two excellent properties First to disdaine the reproches of base and abject persons A noble man scornes to fight with a peasant as a stout man with a boy so the Christians must scorne to revenge themselves on leud and wicked persons or foule their fingers with them not holding such fit matches for them And secondly a noble and generous minde will contemne the losse of any thing goods lands and life before he wil be stained in his honor so a Christian will suffer the losse of all he hath in the world and of the world too before he will basely forsake his Lord. It is truely counted fortitude in a common souldier to follow his captaine through all adventures yea with losse of life and is it not so in a Christian much more 4 Bee armed like Princes with the armour of God and weapons mighty through God against all principalities and enemies in strong holds this is stronger then Castles Guards and all defenced Cities 5 Be bountifull as Princes Christians must be mercifull liberall to distribute as Salomon gave silver in Jerusalem as stones 1 King 10. 27. The godly must be rich in good workes 1 Tim. 6. 18. As Kings are ever giving or forgiving giving to them that can repay them nothing so must we 4 Learne that counsell to the Angell of the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 11. hold that which thou hast and let none take away thy Crowne Kings stand to the death to defend their Crownes so must the beleever stand a professed enemie to all the enemies of the Kingdome of Christ yea stand out in the extreame perill of his life in the defence of his Crowne Qu. May the Crowne be taken away An. The crowne is either First of eternall life which cannot be lost in respect of Gods purpose and preservation though in respect of our infirmity it else might Ob What meanes the threatning An. It is conditionall except thou persevere but Saints doe persevere by 1. Gods keeping them 2. Christs intercessiō that their faith faile not 3. Their prayer of faith and watchfulnesse 4. Their obedience to holy exhortations and menaces Or Secondly the Crowne is the Crowne of holy Ministery and profession called Rev. 3. 10. The fast holding of the word of my patience And this Crowne is especially meant and will be lost if Christians hold not fast But the Christian must stand in defence of shining and saving doctrine of the Scriptures which is his crowne and let none take it away 1. Not the world must draw thee from the knowledge and practise of the sound doctrine of the Apostles What a base thing were it to raise up the Moone above this Crowne of twelve starres Consider Demas and Iudas 2 Let not persecution or temptation pull away thy crowne but demeane thy selfe as a Prince who with valour and courage will endure all difficulties that offer themselves so as he may uphold his Crowne so must thou contentedly digest and stoutly contemne all tribulations and afflictions that happen for the Gospels sake Considering First the way that Christ went was from the Crosse unto the Crowne and he was consecrated Prince of our salvation through affliction Heb. 2. 10. and 12. 2. Secondly that thou must be conformable unto him 3. Let not thy owne lusts and strong corruptions make a mutiny or rebellion in thee to bereave thee of thy Crowne A carefull Prince is vigilant to extinguish and suppresse civill warres especially Doe thou bestirre thee in subduing and resisting the unruly wils affections inclinations and passions of thine owne soule that thy whole man may be brought into the obedience of Christ. He is not worthy the name of a Prince who suppose hee had the rule of all the world were not able to rule himselfe 5 Note what a dangerous thing it is 1 To strive against and resist the word and Gospell of Christ a note of a rebell who pulls the Crowne off the head of the Church To pull downe faithfull Preachers is to pull the Crowne from off the Queenes head and yet this will worldly men do so ill can they brooke faithfull dealing with their soules 2 It is no lesse dangerous to wrong the godly the members of the Church It is above scandalum magnatum in Gods star-chamber an high treason against the spouse of Jesus Christ. What saith Ahashuerosh of Haman Will he force the Queene before my face And then they covered his face as unworthy to see any more light So Christ will say of his Queene And how darest thou wrong the members of the Church in Gods sight Thou shalt dearely buy thy presumption Thus much of the 3. first properties of the Church Who so long as she shined in the clothing of the sun and held the Moone under her fcet and carryed the starrie Crowne upon her head so long she continued the chast spouse of Christ. But in processe of time when in
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
starres of heaven both in themselves in respect of divine and heavenly light and gifts of wisdome and knowledge especially of sanctitie and heavenly conversation as also in respect of the high regard and reverent respect which faithfull Pastors have amongst true beleevers for as they have the highest place in the Church of God so walking worthy their place they have the highest place in the hearts of beleevers Now these starres set by God in their orbs shining in so high place are said to be drawne downe and throwne to the earth 11. The second thing in the meaning is How the starres are said to be cast downe to the earth Ans. To fal froÌ„ heaven to earth here is not to be taken literally but it is in matter of religion to fall froÌ„ a heavenly profession and hope to carnall and earthly counsels and courses and then the Pastors are said to fall from heaven to earth when they fall backe in their 1. judgement 2. affection 3. practice and conversation 1 Then in judgement they fall and faile when the light that was in them is turned to darknesse when they turne away from divine and heavenly truth to errours lies mens fancies and traditions to doctrines of libertie to please carnall mindes and turne from substance to superstition 2. When in affection they change the love of the word into the love of the world they affect the winning of wealth and ease above the winning of soules in stead of minding divine studies to save themselves and others now they minde earthly things in stead of the love of Christ which they seemed to professe and expresse in feeding his I ambes now they are carried with selfe-love seeking and feeding themselves only here is a lamentable â—all of starres from heaven to earth 3. When in practice they exchange their godlines with gaine their piety and sanctimonie into earthlinesse covetousnesse and worldlinesse their conversation which seemed and should have beene in heaven into earthly fleshly and unfruitfull courses This is a woefull fall of the starres which have lost their station as pernicious to the Church and to theÌ„selves as if the starres in heaven should fall upon the earth III But how or by what meanes could the dragon cast downe such excellent men that shined by the light of holy doctrine and conversation as bright as the starres in the heavens Ans. By his taile by which word are there implied all those base artes wicked instruments meanes by which the dragon casts down the stars and these are three which the word most expresly implieth 1. By force and tyranny Dragons have more force in their tayles than in their jawes and therefore this is a figurative speech befitting the nature of a dragon when by the rage of persecution and bitter war and wrath by their fire and sword and cursed cruelty the dragon forces many of the Pastors who had shined and ought still to have done in their places to fal froÌ„ their shine froÌ„ their doctrine holy professioÌ„ holy conversatioÌ„ first to corrupt earthly doctrine then to corrupt and earthly life and behaviour such as other men of earthly mindes and professions have undertaken and expressed 2. By flattery and insinuations by which as by a dragons tayle the Pastors were beaten downe for as dogs do use to fawne and flatter their masters with their taile so the dragon not by open force onely but by secret fraud and insinuation assaileth the stars namely by many faire promises and sugred perswasions making offers of wealth and preferment favor and what else the world can bestow on her favorites by which meanes hee drew many ambitious pompous and câ—vetous teachers from their former study and care in propagating the truth and from their diligence and labour in advancing the salvation of men unto earthly studies and cares how to build their owne houses and feather their owne nests not caring that Gods house lay waste 3. By poyson and infection much poyson lieth in the taile of a serpent the dragon poysoned a great number more with heresie and poysoned opinions against the truth of Christian religion for which end he daily stirreth up heretikes and false apostles and false teachers who being furnished with all arts to deceive draw a number of the starres away from sound and heavenly truth into the apostasie of earthly and impious doctrines cleane contrary to the Scripture and to the person natures and offices of Jesus Christ. Thus the Prophet Isay 9. 15. saith The false prophet which teacheth lies is the taile calling him so in foure respects 1. For basenesse and contempt let them beare themselves aloft in conceit of their wit and learning and others admiration of them 2. For their base flattery and playing the parasites and sawning upon patrons and Princes as dogs on their masters with their tailes for a bone or a crust 3. For their inconstancy and mobility as a dogs taile wags and moves easily on this side and that so they in their doctrine and conversation are here there and buzzing every where for an advantage 4. Especially for their poysonfull and hurtfull disposition and effects for as venomous beasts hide their venome in their tailes by which on occasion they doe much hurt and mischiefe so false and corrupt teachers by eloquence sophistry and base shifts hide the poison of false and erronious doctrine by which they infect and taint the Church of God for which cause Isa 59. 5. false doctrine is compared to the egges of Aspes which if they bee eaten bring most present death and broken sendeth forth a Basiliske that is is most perniciòus both Autoribus to those that invent and devise them and also Auditoribus to those that receive and digest them it bringeth eternall destruction to both as certainly as if they should eate the egge of a Basiliske which is most deadly of all serpents slaying men onely with her sight and poysonfull vapours that sparkle out of her eyes In the times next after the Apostles at which the spirit of God here more expresly aymeth how the imperiall dragon bestirred himselfe and how many starres he drew down stories are not silent to relate 1. Infinite numbers by persecution as Euseb. lib. 8 cap. 3. when wicked Dioclesian commanded the Christians oratories to be demolished and laid even with the ground the Scriptures to be burnt the Bishops to bee cast in prison and compelled by torments to renounce Christianity and offer unto Idols many suffered death constantly Sed alij infiniti animis prae formidine perculsi facile post primum impetum prorsus tandem succubuerunt In the seventh persecution under Decius we read of Serapion and Nichomacus who through their tyranny renounced Christianity and Cyprian de lapsis lib. 2 cap. 8. mentioneth Enaâ—stus a Bishop in Aftrike and Nicostratus a Deacon who made shipwracke of faith and as starres fell for feare from heaven to earth 2. Many starres
purity faith rather than enjoy the pompe and glory of the world by waxing wanton against Christ Hence note The true Church is not alwayes conspicuous visible and glorious to the world but may be hid obscured and oppressed So was the Church of God in Aegypt thrust out into the wildernesse than which no place is more solitary none more free from the pompe and glory of the world What glory and visibility had the Church in Elias time when hee complained that hee was left alone his life was sought so that hee was faine to flie into the wildernesse to save his life yet were there seven thousand that bowed not their knee to Baal What glory and visibility had the true Church in the Babylonish captivity being compared to dead bones dryed and scattered in the open field Ezek. 37. 2 What visibility had it in the death of Christ when the shepheard being smitten the sheepe were scattered or after his ascention when all the earth worshipped the Beast Rev. 13. 12 Because the Church is a selected company called out of the world a little flocke Iohn 15. 9 as a Parke of God paled in from the waste of the world hortus conclusus Cant. 4. 12. the Garden and Paradise of God wherein wilde beasts may not enter Now God hath put such a distance and enmity betweene them as that the blinde world neither can nor will abide to see her but to chase her out from her how can the world see her that is called out of the world The true Church is such a body as is not alwayes visible to mans eye suppose good men even Elias himselfe for it is Gods onely priviledge to know who are his the foundation being in Gods election and the union spirituall The Churches desert and merit abusing peace and prosperity driveth her here into the wildernesse maketh the Lord strip her naked and set her as in the day she was borne and not onely sendeth her into the wildernesse but maketh her as a wildernesse and leaveth her as a drie land as Hosea 2. 3. The Churches safety as Elias to bee safe was sent into the wildernesse so here the Church provideth for her safety in evill times by flying into the wildernesse Hence is showne hatred to the Dove of Christ dwelling in the Rocke Cant. 2. 19. that is as the Doves by the Kites or Hawkes are chased into the Clifts and Rockes to hide them so the Dove of Christ. The militant condition of the Church in the world suffereth her not alwayes to bee conspicuous and visible neither is shee tyed to any one estate or any one place Not to one estate being compared to the Moone which is sometimes in full sometimes in waine sometimes shining and sometimes hid and not seene and to the Arke tossed with waves and billowes sometimes aloft and presently downe againe in the deepes and to the ship in which Christ was a sleepe so ready to sinke as the Disciples crie Lord save us and this is the continuall estate of the Church in the troublesome sea of this world The Mirtle trees in the bottome Zach. 1. 8. Neither to any certaine place whether Rome or Antioch or Hierusalem but forced oft-times to change her seate as well as her state and tossed hither and thither as 1 Cor. 4. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee have no dwelling place Heb. 11. Hence are the Papists confuted who 1. Affirme the Catholike Church to be a visible company of men under one visible head for what visible head hath the Church in the wildernesse 2 Denying that ever their Church fled into the wildernesse or that ever she disappeared from the world wherein they plainly deny her to be the true Church and this no other who fled into the wildernesse and if their doctrine bee true that the Church must ever bee as a City on a hill the spirit must bee false and the Scriptures which affirme shee must flie into the wildernesse from the fury of Antichrist The Papists object many things against our doctrine but how impertinently and vainely will appeare if we set downe the right state of the question betweene us both in their tenents and in ours 1. They say that the Catholike Church which hath alwayes continued hath beene alwayes visible now would I to beate out their meaning aske what is the triumphant Church in heaven visible or by what glasse or spectacle can they see that glorious company of Prophets Apostles Patriarkes Martyrs and Saints which is the chiefe part of the Catholike Church as Heb. 12. 23. Or is their Church in purgatory visible when two chiefe parts of it by their doctrine are invisible and the other part in earth but a handfull to them Well then they must meane the militant Catholike Church which is a speech absurd enough for as one halfe can never be the whole so cannot the militant Church be Catholike no more than a finger can be a hand or a hand the body or perhaps they would have us beleeve two Catholike Churches whereas our Creed teacheth us to beleeve but one But we will take their meaning namely that God hath alway a Church consisting of a great multitude as conspicuous to the world as any earthly kingdom part whereof and alwayes the head shall bee visible at Rome and the rest visibly subject to the Bishop of Rome Now what we hold concerning the point I will propound in sundry conclusions and then examine some of their chiefe arguments By the Church which wee hold invisible wee meane the Church mentioned in the Creed which is but one and Catholike even the multitude of all elect which are or were or ever shall be and to this company all they and onely they whether they be in the way or in the Countrey doe belong For we beleeve according to our Creed that the Church is holy and no wicked person belongeth unto it and that it is a communion of Saints onely to which belongeth remission of sinnes and life everlasting and we cannot but wonder that Papists who mumble up so many Creeds should so fondly hold that the Catholike Church should consist of good bad for are the wicked the body of Christ as they say the Church is or is not Christ the Saviour of his body If wicked and reprobates are the body of Christ why then are they not saved This Catholike Church we say is invisible to the world for 1. Gods election the ground and foundation of it is invisible 2. The greatest part of elect are not subject to sense not the Saints in heaven neither many true beleevers on earth nor numbers of the elect not yet borne or borne againe 3. Visible things are not beleeved but invisible faith is of things not seene and if wee beleeve the holy Catholike Church we cannot see it Now every Popish argument must either prove this to bee visible which none of them doe or they touch not us
Diotrephes who pratled against them with malicious words neither received the brethren but forbid them that would and thrust them out of the Church 3 Ioh. 10. 2. By stirring up false teachers flatterers and deceivers who insensibly rob the Church of her treasure which is true and holy doctrine The envious man by them soweth his Tares whilest men sleepe Matth. 13. Hence we read of sundrey doctrines of devils 1 Tim. 4. 12. namely the forbidding of meats and mariages so called because the devill who still laboureth to corrupt the Ministerie in and by these fights against Michael and his Angels 4. Where hee cannot hinder the powerfull preaching hee fighteth by making the truth of the Gospell preached ineffectuall sundry secret wayes as 1. By blinding some that they cannot see the truth shining upon them 2 Cor. 4. 4. holding them fast in incredulity and contumacy 2. Snatching the Word from others who heare it carelesly so the dragon prevaileth against many as ye heard Luke 8 12. 3. Thrusting from their practice such as heard with attention when men heare and put not on the new man it is a giving place to the devill Eph. 4. 27. 4. After the knowne and professed truth by pulling away many from the simplicity of the Gospell by revolt and apostacie 1 Tim. 5. 15. many goe backe after Satan 2 Cor. 11. 3. I feare lest as Satan deceived Eve by his craftinesse so also hee deceive you Thus in all changes of religion numbers have gone backe after Satan Now after the manner let us see the reasons of this fight Contraries must needs fight here be two contrary kingdomes the kingdome of light and of darknesse two contrary Princes the God of heaven and the god of the world the Author of truth the father of lyes two contrary bands no marvell if the whole band of the dragon would pull downe the whole Kingdome of God how can the kingdome of sinne but fight against the kingdome of grace There is a deadly hatred of the dragon against God and Jesus Christ. 1. All the spawne of the malignant dragon seeketh by all meanes to hinder and obscure the knowledge and glory of God and to set up honour and yeeld obedience to the dragon for God see wee not how Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God and demeaneth himselfe as if he were God but what moveth him the dragon acteth him with strong delusion and his comming is by the efficacy of Satan 2 Thess. 2. and the same efficacy of Satan casteth downe Idolaters at the feet of antichrist to receive lawes from him to binde conscience to worship at his word a breaden god made by a Baker in stead of the Maker of the world which is nothing but to adore the dragon no other wayes than the Jewes who are said to offer to devils when they offered to Idols Psal. 106. 1 Cor. 10. 2. In the dragon and all his angels is an unconquerable hatred of Christ and his members hee perpetually opposeth the humanity the divinity the offices of Jesus Christ that hee should not be truly knowne and beleeved in the world and this reason our Saviour giveth why the Scribes Pharisees and other wicked men were so busie against his person and doctrine Iohn 15. 24. They have hated both mee and my father for the hatred of Christ they never cease to persecute the Church his Spouse and the faithfull his members so our Saviour saith If the world have hated me it will hate you also Iohn 16. 3. and this they will doe to you because they have not knowne me nor my father The dragon and his Angels fight to add unto and inlarge so far as he can his kingdome and dominion he would have al the world his throne to domineere in he would thrust Jesus Christ out of all his right he would bring in all mens soules into his owne dānation and because he cannot get all he is restlesse and never giveth up his quarrell why else doth the Antichrist of Rome the chiefe Commander under the dragon maintaine and abet such bloody quarrels against the Reformed Churches but because hee would have small and great rich and poore free and bond to receive his marke in their hands and foreheads Rev. 13. 16. Haman must have all knees bow to him else hee is sicke of anger and prepareth for the death of every Mordecai that refuseth They therefore fight to uphold the dominion hee hath gotten in the world as great Princes goe to warre to maintain their rights and territories in every part of their countrey even so if the Gospel come into any countrey to turne them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God what tumults tragedies doth the dragon and all his angels excite and stirre up against it and what else doe all the present warres in this part of the world tend unto but to hold the Countries subject unto Antichrist under the power of the dragon still and to keepe out and chase out the sound and mention of Christ as the truth is in Jesus Christ. Beware of this note of a wicked man to fight against Christ. Ob. We professe Christ and are baptized into Michaels name have taken our presse-mony of him and therefore what is this to us Sol. Can. 1. 5. The sonnes of my mother contended with me and thus was I wounded in the house of my friends Is this Christs voyce would wee know these dissembled friends the markes are cleare 1. Those that wilfully resist any of Gods ordinances fight against God Acts 5. 39. If this be of God yee cannot destroy it but bee fighters against God therefore hee that fighteth against the standard of Michael that is the voyce of the Gospell is a ranke rebell to Christ as hee that shooteth against the Kings standard He that resisteth the power of the word which is Michaels Scepter will give it no place nor obedience in themselves and scorne it in others that mutiny against preaching and preachers of truth and practice of sincerity fighteth as directly against God as hee that would wrest the Kings Scepter out of his hand He that resisteth the holy observation of the Sabbath is an ordinary breaker of it by worke or play that scornes strict and circumspect walking is a fighter against God 2. Those that in thēselves or others uphold the dragons dominion these apparently fight against Christ not one of their lusts must fall downe before the word looke in what sinne the devill did raigne for that they strive and contend still and none so great enemies as those that strive against their sinnes they must sweare and lie and game they must outface conscience and scorne godlinesse so also they are loath the devill should lose any ground in others and therefore they strengthen sinners and incourage them in all their wayes of loosnesse gaming wasting out their time and drunken companionship resisting tumultuously a faithfull Ministery 3. Those that strive
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
dreadfull and severe against such revolters Was cast out The second thing to be observed in the overthrow of the dragon is the manner of it namely Sathans dejection or rather ejection out of the Church Quest. What ejection is here meant Answ. 1. Not that after his fall for that was not by warre as this but a just sentence and punishment that was because hee stood not in the truth this because heestood against it 2. Nor that finall ejection in the day of judgement for after that hee never assaults the woman but after this hee doth after that he is cast into hell but here into the earth 3. Therefore Satan is cast out of heaven these two wayes 1. By the head of the Church 2. By the members Christ our head hath obtained a perfect victory over him two wayes 1. By the power and merit of his death by which he encountred the devills and conquered them spoiling principalities and powers Col. 2. 15. So as the Dragons erecting a crosse for Christ set up a gibbet for themselves as Haman and for Christ a chariot of tryumph 2. By the vertue and efficacie of it daily applyed to the elect through the power of his resurrection ascention and sending of the holy Ghost into the hearts of the faithfull by whose grace as by a stronger then himselfe Sathan the strong man is ejected and can keepe possession no longer This is when faith apprehends the merit of his death and the efficacie both of his resurrection ascension and sitting at the right hand of God whence hee sendeth the Spirit But this ejection by the head is not properly meant for it was done before Iohns prophecie but this was after This ejection of Sathan then is properly by the members three wayes 1. By casting out and resisting Paganisme idolatry blasphemie impiety and all injustice and immanity against God and man in which the Dragon ruled and raigned as the god of the world 2. By the preaching and promulgation of the Gospell which is the hammer of the dragons kingdome and the utter overthrow and eversion of his whole power Luk. 10. 18. The Disciples in their ministery saw Satan fall downe like lightening 3. By open profession and maintenance of the faith and truth of the Gospell and lifting up the name and glory of Christ there where formerly Satans throne was This secondary ejection here meant and aimed at seemeth to be when after the daies of the Romish tyranny by the heathen Emperours the great and unlimited power of the old Roman Monarchie in which the Dragon had ruled and overspread the earth with all idolatry and blasphemie and had poisoned and corrupted the whole knowne world was now broken and throwne downe the maintenance of Christian faith and profession was restored and liberty given unto Christians by the manchild afore-mentioned Now was the devill cast out his idolatries detected the deceivablenesse of heathenish error discovered and his whole power so broken as hee could no longer either hinder the preaching of the Gospell or the propagation of Christian religion nor keepe the nations longer from the truth of the Gospell as he had long before done by his tyranny This I take to be the ejection of the dragon out of the Church aimed at in this text The note is that till Christ and his Gospell came the Dragon was not ejected Wheresoever Christ is not there the dragon stands in full state and strength Matt. 12. 29. the strong man keepes the house till a stronger come to dispossesse him This house is the uncleane world the whole world that lyeth in wickednesse 1. Iohn 5. 19. Whole mankinde in the first Adam all unregenerate men for so the world is taken Rom. 5. 12. By one man sinne entred into the world that is the whole world out of Christ or the whole world not chosen out of the world 2. Tim. 2. ult Before men come to the knowledge of the truth namely of Christ they are all in the divels snare taken of him at his will These snares are errours of judgment lusts of life depravation of manners or some raigning sinne or sinnes by which Satan holds them under his vassallage as a fowler can hold the bird by one foot or by one twig and snare as well as by the whole body or net For first as sinne hath given him possession of all mankinde as in Iudas his heart so hee never goeth out of himselfe nay hee is loath to be cast out and when he is it is not without extraordinary reluctation molestation Mark 1. 26. The uncleane spirit departs not without tearing and vexing and throwing him in the midst of them saith Luke all signes of extreme impatience Secondly none can cast him out but Christ for onely Christ is stronger then hee men cannot cast him out no not holy men as that man said Master wee came to thy Disciples but they could not cast him out Angels cannot cast him out for they cannot satisfie sinne onely the seed of the woman breakes the serpents head Gen. 3. 15. Christ onely is that Angell which Iohn saw Revel 10. 1. descending from heaven by his incarnation having the key of the bottomlesse pit that is power over hell and death as Revel 1. 18. and a great chaine in his hand the strong chaine of his omnipotence which chaine hath many linkes 1. The strong linke of his passion and death upon the crosse which had more strength in it then the lives of all men and Angels 2. That invincible linke of his resurrection for it was impossible for him to bee held under death The Jewes could devise to put him to death but not to hold him in the grave but by his mighty power hee opened his owne grave and all the graves of the Saints 3. That mighty linke of his ascension by which he opened heaven for his Church when the devill would for ever have barred it up against us 4. That mighty linke of sending out the holy Ghost and sending out the Apostles and Pastors with a mighty and unresistable commission for the conversion of the world But what was the end of this mighty chaine of so many strong linkes Even to binde up Satan the Dragon described here and there in the same words a thousand yeares The power of Christs death published in the ministery of the Gospell bound up the devill by destroying Paganisme and converting the nations to the faith as fast as ever any Conquerer bound his enemy in chaines and restraines him from the execution of his mischievous will against him for had not the Dragon beene bound Christianity could not have conquered the world as it did but now saith Christ Iohn 12. 22. speaking of his death is the prince of this world cast out though not wholly and fully as in the last day Thirdly the wicked world is so farre from impeaching the state and power of the Dragon that it strengtheneth and establisheth it
out of the Church into the earth and there among earthly and carnall men holdeth his power still Ephes. 2. 2. The Prince that ruleth in the aire worketh among the sonnes of disobedience 2 Thes. 2. 9. Sathan worketh in Antichrist by all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish 2 Cor. 4. 4. The god of this world blindeth the mindes of infidels or unbeleevers And why 1. Sathans raigne is in the reigne of sin that is his scepter a wicked heart in which sinne raigneth is his chaire of estate But sinne raignes not in the elect that are under grace Rom. 6. 14. 2. Sathan being the Prince of darknesse rules in the kingdome of darknesse whence wicked spirits are called rulers of the darknesse of this world Ephes. 6. 12. The devill is the father of all spirituall darknesse of lies heresies false doctrines false worship and all workes of darknesse This is the world of darknesse in which hee ruleth as a king in his Kingdome But the godly are gotten out of this Egypt out of the reach of this hellish Pharaoh and are gotten into Goshen the Church where light is Ephes. 5. 8. Ye were once darknesse but now are light in the Lord. 3. Sathan is the father of sinne and sinne is the mother of death by which necessary connexion appeares who are his subjects over whom hee holdeth his full and absolute power to weet a world of dead men dead in trespasses and sinnes destitute of the life and Spirit of God and as dead men laid and buryed in the earth among these hee ruleth As the demoniake in our Saviours time lived among the graves and there tyrannized so doth Sathan being cast out into the earth which is as another Golgatha But the godly are quickned by Christ being formerly dead in trespasses and live now the life of the Sonne of God and have part in the first resurrection Gal. 2. 20. And so are exempted from the power of Sathan Which is a ground of comfort to all true hearted Christians that stand in the spirituall combate 1. Thou fightest against a conquered and bound enemy who is cast out of all thy Lords dominions 2. Hee is cast into the earth and keepeth state in the world as the god of the world but thou art called out of the world and brought from the earth Object If hee be cast out how comes it to passe that I am so afflicted with horrible hellish and violent temptations Answ. 1. The Dragon is not cast out of all power till hee bee cast into hell but hee is cast out of full power in the godly 2. There is a reserved wrigling power of the Dragon which may assault thee but hee shall never hurt thee that art one of Gods chosen neither by his temptation nor persecution For first though they may afflict and exercise thee yet all the gates of hell cannot overcome or extinguish thy faith Secondly though they may trouble thee and hinder thee in the way as the Moabites did Israel by their wiles yet can they not in the end of it which is life and glory Thirdly though they may hinder the sense and comfort and joy of thy salvation yet can they not the right nor assured hope of thy happinesse Object I finde these temptations prevaiâ—e in mee and if the devill raigne in sinne I feare he is not cast out of mee Answ. There is the least feare of that sinne that is most feared The feare of sinne keepes downe the raigne of it But for the strengthening of such as are in combate we must know that the best have sinne but sinne hath not them the best slip and fall but lye not in falls the best do the acts of sinne but not habitually they trade not nor walke in sinnes at least with delight as men in a pleasant way the best have flesh but walke not according to flesh And therefore although thou findest sinne present with thee yet if thou canst finde the power of it weakened if thou sometimes sinnest but art so farre from tumbling and trading in sinne as that thou hatest what thou doest all is safe the dragon is cast out for all that 2. Here is a rule of tryall to know our estate whether wee belong to heaven or are yet in the earth under the dominion of Sathan If Sathan uphold his power and state in sinne and unrighteousnesse within thy heart thou art apparently in the earth and of the earth Christ hath no part in thee nor thou in him Art thou an enemy to grace to the doctrine of grace Art thou a stubborne and obstinate sinner an enemy to the perswasions of the Word and Spirit a sonne of disobedience a rebell against all thou hearest Art thou a lover of thy sinnes an hater of them that hate and discover them Art thou of the Dragons trade and walkest in fraud lying accusing and envying Gods children Dost thou cast thy selfe out of the Church and wilfully excommunicate and separate thy selfe from God from his house and worship from his Saints and people Now this doctrine tells thee that for these accursed qualities the devill himselfe was cast out by Christs victory and so shalt thou as an enemy of Christ shall Christ cast him out and keepe thee in who resemblest him no confounded shall ye be together and eternally excommunicate from God and his Church 3. This is a ground of instruction if Sathan bee once cast out to keepe him out and let him enter no more When Christ cast out a devill he said Go out of him and enter into him no more So hee never recovereth his power against the Church againe being once cast into the earth Apostasie and revolt from the truth once received gives him a stronger and surer possession then before For he never comes againe but hee brings seaven worse spirits then himselfe And now seeing that Sathan is cast out of our Church into the earth let us not turne to worldly rudiments and that earthly religion and doctrine of Popery and Antichristian idolatry which is from earth set up and upheld by earthly power and policie thrusting it selfe on the world by serpentine craft lying pretenses of miracles martyrdome concord of doctors perpetuall succession from the Apostles c. But let the Dragon rage and dominere in the earth whither hee is cast and in that fleshly doctrine which carrieth away earthly and unstable men Let him make spoile in his owne dominion amongst Papists and Idolaters and hypocrites and atheists Let us keepe that pretious truth which is committed to us and hold fast that which Michael hath wonne for us shall wee runne after the dragon cast into the earth Consider hereunto 1. How can that be a religion of God that openeth a wide gate to all manner of hatefull and unnaturall sinnes by licenses pardons before and after sanctuaries c. that exempts subjects from lawes obedience oathes and allegiance to Princes that under pretence of Christ
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
glory of our Head Phil. 2. 17. Paul was glad to bee offered upon the sacrifice and service of the Churches faith even so every good shepheard after the example of Christ should bee ready to give up his life for his sheepe The salvation of soules and confirmation of faith must bee dearer to us than our ownelives Col. 2. 24. Irejoyce in my afflictions and fulfill the sufferings of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake The Apostle rejoyced in suffering for the body of Christ not for the redemptiō reconciliation or expiation of sinne for so onely Christ the Head suffered for the body but for the profit and edification of the members And if thus the Apostle sustaine all things for the Elect that they may obtaine salvation much more must we sustaine all things for the glory and honour of our Head If Priscilla and Aquila shrunke not to lay downe their neckes for Paul how much more chearfully must every private Christian for Christ Rom. 16. 4. This shewes that Christianity is no soft and easie life Is it easie to take up the Crosse daily and to weare a crowne of thornes continually is it easie to leave all for Christ is it easie to be killed al day long for his sake that is always to be ready to indure death it self for our profession Is it an easie thing to carry alwayes about with us the dyings of the Lord Jesus and the marks and brands of our profession Which I speak not to discourage any that looke toward the wayes of God but to admonish all that undertake Christianity to make account of the costs and expences of their profession left they deceive themselves in their reckoning for it may cost thee the sweetest thing which God hath given thee in earth even thy life It is in our nature to conceive with the Disciples in the infancy of their faith to make our selves great gainers in earthly priviledges by Christ as they dreamed of great earthly honour glory plenty and ease and the largest share of worldly happinesse by following him in the meane time they thought not of the troubles persecutions bands stripes leading whither they would not and cruell Martyrdome which they met withall afterward But was the life of Christ himselfe led at ease or shall the servant looke for ease where the Master cannot expect or meet it was the end of Christs comming to bring peace and security or fire and sword warre and enmity not onely betweene strangers and enemies but betweene nearest kindred and dearest friend Mat. 10. 34. What other was the promise and prediction of Christ but that in the world we must have affliction Iohn 16. 33. and that by my many tribulations we must enter into heaven Act. 14. 22. And therefore whosoever thou art that soundly professest the Gospell shift off the sufferings of the Gospell as long as thou canst or if God hold them off a while left discouraged in thy first entrance into the profession thou shouldest looke back to the former thraldome yet bee sure to meete with the Crosse of Christ and afflictions for the Gospell ere thou beest a Conquerour and gettest possession of Canaan If thou beest in a faire way of ease and credit among men suspect and mistrust thou art wrong and if thy way bee rough thorny and strewed with crosses be not discouraged for so must the way of heaven be here be right markes of the right way 2 This teacheth us that many dainty Professors of the Gospel are farre from soundnesse in Christianity Here is a note of soundnesse not to love the life to the death for Christ and Christian profession And this will cast out a number of our Protestants who onely have a name they live but are dead and like Cyphers in Arithmetique fill up a number but themselves are not in number or any value as 1 Such as value their reputation above Christ and his profession in sincerity To come to Church and heare and receive the Sacrament sometimes and make a formall profession none will blame them it were disgracefull to bee Atheists unprofitable to bee Papists or Recusants But to bee a forward man in religion or noted for precisenesse or a favorer of such to be seene or heard to stand for Gods glory or good causes and men with zeale and courage oh beware this will draw on reproach and scorne of men oh I am undone if ever I heare that voyce but from a Damsell Thou art one of them Now is thy name dearer unto thee than the name professiō of Christ Mayest thounot love thy life in this comparison with Christ and doest thou preferre a little blast of vaine men before him never thinke thou canst give thy life to death for Christ thou mayest like heaven well but yet lovest earth before it 2 Such as will bee at no losse nor cost for Christ and his Gospell are farre from soundnesse A base sinne of base minded men who say they will have the wealth of heaven by Christ but for Christ or any good cause of Christ for the upholding of his Word and Gospell will not diminish a graine of their wealth Be there not many in this place that will cast away more at one cast at Bowles or dice than they will part with to the servant of God that labours with them in word and doctrine all the yeare long Bee there not many of our chiefe men and most able that doe not hold Christ in this exercise worth a brasse farthing for many yeares together Assure thy selfe thou wilt never part with thy life for Christ who wilt not part with thy penny for his sake and profession 3 Such as will not part with any sinne for Christ nor his Word but against the voyce of Christ retaine envy malice injustice Sabbath-breaking deceit in trading swearing gaming reviling Gods servants nothing is reformed by the Word Wilt thou suffer thy body to be slaine for Christ when thou wilt not suffer one sinne to die or be slaine at his Word and for his glory 4 Those that will not indure the paines of godlinesse the tediousnesse of mortification the labour of love the diligence required in Christian duties are farre from this practice Canst thou endure to goe to prison for Christ that wilt not bee at paines to goe to Church to meet him Canst thou indure the paines of death for Christ whose sluggishnesse denieth the paines of obedience to his Commandements Hee that will not disease himselfe in active obedience will much lesse in passive 3 If we must not love our lives to death for Christ then we must change the corrupt love of our selves to the sound love of Christ and his truth This sound love of Christ floweth from the love of Christ unto us and is but a reflection of his owne beame upon himselfe and therefore of the nature of his love to us which seeing it was to the death for us it calleth for our love to the
with his corne some he sends to mill to grind but some he reserves for seed so the Lord appoints some of his servants as Ignatius to the mill I am saith he the Lords wheat and now I must be ground with the teeth of Lions to become good bread but others are reserved for succession and growth So as the Church and her members shall not want wings for safety if God see it not better or fitter for them to be throughly tryed for his glory and their salvation and then if they be not saved from the danger they are saved in it and by it Use. 1. It serves for the consolation of Gods people in the midst of so many dangerous difficulties 1 The dragon may create the woman trouble so as she shall want no molestation for a time but he cannot hinder her from wings to make an escape seeing God hath undertaken she shall not want seasonable deliverance 2 If wee want wings of our owne or our wings want strength the Lord lookes on our weaknesse and as an eagle puts under his wing to sustaine us Thinke on this in sickenesse weakenesse wants c. 3 These wings of God cannot be clipped shortned weakened or broken off which is a sure stay in all the affronts against the Church by Antichristian forces who if they could get the Church from under these wings of God would soone effect their exploits but as soone must Christ fayle as his Church his death and passion and all should then be in vaine 4 These wings greatly comfort the Church in danger by implying the quality or properties of Gods deliverance as 1 It is speedy as having long and large wings what speed was made in Israels deliverance out of Aegypt when they came out all in one day and all Aegypt in one day sunke and was drowned 2 It is unresistable these eagles wings carry the Church through all hazards and enemies beyond all reach of danger or dart as if the eagle had her young above the clouds and sight of men Thus the Lord caryed Israel through the wildernesse beyond all hazards and enemies on all sides as if no enemie had seene them Thus the Lord caryed the Arke through a world of waters waves windes rockes mountaines as if there had beene no danger at all 3 It is most comfortable for besides the safety that the wing of the hen affordeth from injurie of weather and the birds of prey how doth the wing cherish and refresh and strengthen the birds under it keeping them warme from cold and chillinesse the same comforts do the Lords wings of protection afford to his children Use. 2. This serves for instruction 1 Acknowledge that all the wings which the Woman hath for her preservation are from the Lord and a free gift of his mercy Psal. 3. ult Salvation is the Lords and besides him is no Saviour He is not only the Sonne in the peace of the Church but the sheild in her trouble Psal. 84. If then we have meanes of good ascribe them and the glory of them to God not to our owne industry policy forecast or endeavours Neither have Saints Angells Prophets Apostles Virgins Martyrs any wings for us to hide us under But this point we prosecuted at large in the beginning of the tenth verse 2 In all our dangers to fly under the shadow of these wings as David prayed Psal. 17. 8. Hide me under the shadow of thy wings For First Here is a strong and sure hold for safety the name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous run to it are saved no power can scale it no stratagem can win it Secondly other creatures being pursued fly to their dennes and neasts in earth but the Churches hiding place is in heaven Psal. 32. 7. Thirdly God therefore acquaints his children with dangers to chase them under his wing for as the henne sometimes calls the chickes but they come not but if a kite or hawke be above them then they run under her even so never do the Saints more desirously runne under these wings then when they are most frighted by wicked men Iacob afraid of Esaâ— runs under them David pursued by Saul runnes apace under them and composeth that Psalme Ne perdas Psal. 57. 2. In the shadow of thy wings will I trust till these stormes be overpast Fourthly God therefore gives us experience of the comfort of these wings that wee should run under them and do as the chicks who finding the comfort and cherishing of the wings still run under them Psal. 36. 8. Oh how great is thy goodnesse therefore the sonnes of men trust in the shadow of thy wings and Psal. 61. 5. Because thou hast beene my refuge I will seeke protection under thy wings Have wee in the Church and Land had such experienced safety under the wing of God against the Spaniards in 88. in the gunpouder treason in the safe and happy returne of our Prince in all which wee were given as lost let us still run under the same wings 3 Though wee see not wings presently to escape danger and trouble yet let us depend upon the Lord who in due time will supply them Abraham had them not till the third day nor saw them till he was in the Mount even in his deepest triall and then the Lord gave him wings of deliverance Israel saw no wings till he was in the bottome of the Sea and in the deeps and then the Lord afforded these two wings of a great Eagle for their deliverance Seest thou no meanes as yet wayte still perhaps thou art not yet deepe enough but in the deepest sorrows wings shal be supplyed Ionas sees none in the deepe till the third day nor our Lord himselfe the true Ionas 4 Be sure that all the wings and meanes of safety bee given thee of God that they be lawfull warrantable and good be sure they be allowed and ordained of God for he gives no other Be able to say as Abraham to his sonne My sonne God will provide a sacrifice If we want wings Satan would have us make stones bread Esau wanting wings will make himselfe a paire by selling the birthright for present maintenance Saul wants wings of escape and provides them from the witch of Endor and from her takes advice and helpe Nay Peter in the sight of Christ if he want wings to fly out of danger will make him two wings to save himselfe by by denying and forswearing his Master Gehezi will get wings by lying and deceiving and so do many Tradesmen But these wings are not given of God but of the devill Against all such unjust and impious meanes wee must hold the resolution of those godly men If the Lord should forsake us wee will not do this I will not seeke to the devill nor to the witch I will never owne the wings and meanes which come by lying swearing deceiving Sabbath-breaking I
still in the Temple of God neither is the woman yet got out of the wildernesse Neither doth this time begin presently after the revelation of it for there must come betweene the womans dwelling in heaven the cloathing of her with the Sunne the Crowne of twelve Starres the treading of the Moone under foot the assault of the dragon the birth of the manchilde the foyling of the dragon and after all these the flight as wee have heard and all these are not done on a sudden but require many hundred yeares for their effecting 5. Propos. If it cannot bee knowne certainly unto us à priori who have not seene the accomplishment and conclusion of this Prophecie yet it shall bee knowne to the Church à posteriori as other parts of this divine Revelation are by the events and performance Some godly men have conjectured à priori and set downe their opinions which how farre they carry truth time will discover I will onely alleadge three late Writers and leave their opinions to your consideration 1. Of Pareus who on Revel 11 2. saith if it were lawful for him to conjecture hee would say this terme might begin in the yeare 606. when Boniface 3. gate up into the chaire of pestilence and then it must end in anno 1866. but that of this terme saith he God will cut off some for the Elects sake 2. Of Moulin a French Writer in the booke intituled The accomplishment of the Prophecies dedicated to his Majesty who begins the time in the yeare when the Pope laid the foundation of his temporall Empire anno 75 5. to which number if ye add these 1260. yeares of this Hierarchicall Kingdome and Empire it must last to the yeare 2015. of Christ according to which reckoning it hath 391. yeares yet to come but that saith hee of this time some may be shortned for the Elects sake 3. Of learned Brightman who supposeth it to begin about the yeare of Christ 426. and to expire in the full account about the yeare 1686. yet these daies as neare as they be for the Elects sake may be shortned For on Chap. 19. 4. he tels Rome when shee kept a Jubilee 30 yeares ago that within a Jubilee of 50 yeares from thence shee should keepe a Jubilee not so much for her owne joy as the joy of all Gods people over her who shall rejoyce in her utter destruction and therefore shee had more need intend her funerals than Jubilees How true this is he knows who inspires his speciall servants Onely wee see greater likelihood of it every day than other The Lord hath said it wee must waite and pray him to hasten his owne worke for the joy and deliverance of the Church 6. Propos. In all these difficulties and differences among the most learned scarce one consenting with another in the period of entrance I add the last conclusion that the safest opinion of the most modest and learned is that a number finite is put for an indefinite and that this number is indefinite not that it is not certaine and defined to God but that it abides undefined as yet and uncertaine to us for the terme of beginning and expiration This is the judgement of the modest and learned Bishop Abbot in the 108. page of his demonstration against Antichrist It is the judgement of Bishop Cowper In this opinion rests that learned Pare us because he saith hee findes not a better nor safer To these agreeth To stanus and other the soundest of our Writers And in this the safest and soundest I also will rest Now to sundry Observations which wee have noted concerning the time on Verse 6. wee will briefly add these following 1. No sorrowes or afflictions can steale upon the Church but all are knowne foreseene and determined by God Here the woman chased into the wildernesse is knowne of her Lord the place provivided by him and shee in it provided for all the time Her state is hidden to the world retyred in her selfe but not hidden unto God but by him she is hidden in the chambers of his Providence during all this tyrannie and raigne of Antichrist In all our sorrowes and restraynts consider they are foreseene of God and we are not unseene in them Let us with Hagar in the wildernesse say Thou God seest mee Have I also looked after him that seeth me 2. God hath measured all the afflictions of the Church that although tyrants may disturbe and hinder pure religion by force and violence yet is it but for an appointed time Antiochus may interrupt Jewish religion and bring in Swines flesh into the Temple but it is but for three yeares and ten dayes a time times and piece of time Antichrist that great Apollyon may make havocke and â—â—ead under foot the holy city but it is but for 42. moneths a time times and halfe a time even three Propheticall yeares and an halfe Iezabel wasts the Church and causeth the Prophets to hide themselves in Caves and flie for their lives but it was but three yeares and an halfe in the letter The Jews may bury Christ in the grave rol a stone upon him and seale watch the sepulcher but they can keep him down only three dayes Know that what affliction soever thy selfe or any member or the whole Church sustaineth it is not endlesse neither shall the whole nor parts suffer one houre more then Gods wisdome hath assigned The proudest waves cannot passe those bounds and bankes which Gods power hath set them 3 All the sorrowes of the Saints are by Gods divine power overruled to their good and safety to preserve them from some present danger spirituall or temporall and to chase them under Gods hiding place as David Psalm 32. 7. Truly may the woman say Periissem nisi periissem I had not beene safe if perill had not driven mee into the wildernesse And did not the Lord see his Church safest in the wildernesse he would not suffer her hid there the greatest part of the time of the New Testament He over-ruleth death it self to be the greatest of al deliverances 4. In all the sufferings and oppressions of the woman this comfort abideth by the godly that shee is not left of God nor destitute of his presence nor of his Providence for supply nor without a promise of deliverance nor without faith of the accomplishment nor without a joyfull assurance that the time of this oppression is not farre from expiration Verse 15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a â—lood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood THE woman chased out of sight being now in the wildernesse in a close and secret dispersion in corners But this contents not the dragon that shee is out of sight because she yet is and hath a beeing he is still unquiet because she is not brought to utter havock and confusion he would afford her no roome in
4. Reasons 4. Vse vnhappy men that preferre the world above Christ. And who refuse Christ for the world To fortisie our selves against this profanesse 6. helps 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Motives to keepe the Moone under our feet 1 Al are alike fugitive 1 Riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Honors Date obulum Belizario 3. Pleasures Psal. 16. 11. 4 Life it selfe 5 Whole world 2 God hath put them under our feet 3 Hath put no great worth in themselves Good men as the Moone seldome in the full but in danger of eclipse Signes of him whom the Moone hath under her feet 5. 1. 2. Ier. 44. 19. Iob. 31. 26. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. 5 Signes of him that hath the Moone under his feet Property 3. The crowne of the Church implyeth 4. things 1 Honor of her person 2 Eminency above others 3 Her rich estate 4 Her victory The Crowne of 12. stars is the shining doctrine of the 12. Apostles The woman is still crowned with 12. Starres 3 Reasons I. 2. 3. The Crowne said to be on her head for 4 Reasons 1. 2. Doct. Ministers are as starres in the firmament of the church 4. reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Vse And must resemble Stars 1 In humilitie for 4. reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. 2 In stability 3 In fidelity 4 In unity 5 In coÌ„stancy Motives to these duties 3. 1. 2. 3. Doct All Saints on earth have Kingly dignity Reasons 1 Have royall birth as Kings 2 Are anoyn ted as Kings 3 Have the power of Kings 1 A commanding power 2 A performing power 3 A conquering power 4 A judging power 4 Are all crowned as Kings Vse To magnifie Gods grace And the state of Gods children And to demeane themselves as Princes 1 In great affaires 2 With Nobles and Princes 3 With valour and courage 4 Be armed as Kings 5 Be bountiful as Princes Let none take away thy Crowne How a Christian may loose this Crowne To resist the Gospell is to pul the crown off the head of the Church Quest. Bringing forth children in nature and in grace resembled in 5. things 2. 3. 4 5. Quest. How the Woman is ready to be delivered Quest. How she cryed in paine to be delivered Doct The Church is a fruitfull Mother of Children to God Her bed is greene 2. Reasons Reasons 3. 1. 2. 3. Vse Not to content ourselves with our first birth in nature reas 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. How to know the true Mother Church 1 Note because she is called Catholike A nomine ad rem non valet consequens Nulla fuit unquam haeresis quae nolit videri catholica 2 Nor by Antiquity 4. reas 1. 2. Vâ—tustas erroris 3. 4. De Poenit. distinct 5. a De Clericis l. 1. cap. 19. b Art 92. c Sess. 24. d 3 part Thom 4. 80. art qu. 3. 3 Nor by perpetuity or durance Numerum numerantem augens non numerum numeratum Romae dicitur Babylon quia ad finem seculifutura est officina omnis Idololatriae et fedes Antichristi 4 Nor by multitude and amplitude Ecclesia fuit in uno Abeli in uno Henocho Multitudo orthodoxa Totus mundus factus fuit Arrianus Hi vulgus habent nos sidem 5 Nor by succession of Bishops 4 Reasons 1. 2. 3. Successio Cathedrae et doctrinae Church of Rome hath no succession either of 1 Doctrine 2 Seat Non habent haereditatlm Peâ—ri qui non habent sidem Petri. De poenit c. 6. Scripturam docere quae sunt notae Ecclesiae de notis Eccles. c. 1. Cap. 3. The true Mother known by 5. notes 1 Her face and what that is 2 Her voice 3 Her vertues 2. 1 Holinesse 1 Of doctrine 2 Of persons 3 Of manners 2 Meeknesse 4 Her marriage 5 Her carriage 1 To her husband 1 Faithfull 2 Subject 3 Dependeth on him 4 Honoureth him only Necessitate praesentiae non efficientiae 2 To her children 1 Nurseth them 2 Teacheth them 3 Provideth for them Rev. 13. 8. Galat. 4. 30. How we may know our selves sons of this Mother 7. notes By our change in 5. things 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 2 The voice of Prayer 3 Sucking the breasts 4 Image of his Father 5 Growth in strength stature 1 In understanding 2 In affection 3 In activity 4 In strength to suffer 6 Child-like affections 1 To our Father Honor. Love 2 To our Mother Love Par in parem non habet jus Compassion 7 Brotherly-affection Doct. 2. The Church brings no children to God without travell 4. Reas. Reas. 1. 3. 4. Foure maine hindrances of new birth Naturall ignorance Fleshly feare Joh. 12. 41. Irresolution Love of sin Use. 1. The dignity of the Ministry The end of the Ministry Comfort of faithfull Ministers Vse II. Reasons why God would not sever Christ and his crosse Travell in the meanes of grace 3. Reas. 1. 2. 3. By the dragon what is meant 1. Satan called a dragon for 4 reasons 2. Instruments of Satan called dragons Why. The whole kingdome of the devill but one dragon 3. Reas. 3. Heathen persecuting Emperours of Rome dragons 3. Reas. Doct. All wicked men united against Christ. 4. Reas. Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4. Vse 1. Unitie no note of the Church 2. What unitie and peace Ministers must preach for 3. Christians must unite themselves in the truth Reas. Dragon called great in 4. respects 1. 2. 3. 4. The Church is beset with fierce enemies and dragons Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4. Vse 11. Aids to be procured against the dragon 1. 2. 3. 2 Chro. 20. 15 Ve ll I. Vse 4. 5 Grounds of courage against so great a dragon Iste Leo ob feritatem Christus ob fortitudinem Christus Leo ad vincendum diabolus ad nolendum August Doctr. The fiery disposition of enemies of the Church 1 The head 2. 3. 4. 2 In the members 3 In the Imperiall dragon Three causes hereof 1. 2 3. Vse 1. Vse II. Vse III. Vse IV. 3 Grounds of comfort Doctr. The dragon is as subtile as cruell 1. 2. 3. 4. Why God giveth good gifts to evill men that abuse them 3. Reas. Why do wicked men contrive and bend their wils against the Church 3 Reas. 2. 3. 1. Vse I. 1. Dragons subtilty in dissembling his person Satan assayleth us 1. In our solitarinesse 2. In our sorenesse In our sleepe 4. In our nakednesse 3 Instances 5. In our death II 1. Satans subtilty in hindring good actions Satans subtilty in shaking and holding out graces Of faith 2. Of Repentance 3. Of Sanctification Of sanctification 4. Thrusting on good things by ill meanes Propounding to good actions bad ends What good the dragon cannot hinder he will disgrace Whether personall Or sociall Satans subtilty in frustrating good actions The word frustrate 3. waies Satan frustrates seemly profession 3. waies 2 3. 2. The dragon as subtill to thrust on evill as to trust out good 1 By making evill seeme good 2 Or lesse evill III. Satan a most subtil