and evill workes Psa. 1. 1. and 2 Cor. 6. 17. Touch no uncleane thing but hate the workes of them that fal away 2 Pet. 1. 4. To attaine or retaine the godly nature thou must flye the corruptions of the world through lust A man that would keepe his clothes cleane will not runne into a flaxdressers shop 4 Soundly reforme thy owne uncleannesse wash unto cleannesse An hypocrite may draw out water and wash but there followes no reformation or cleannesse he slubbers and sluts up the businesse and leaves the soyle in But sound reformation brusheth off moats as well as palpable foulnesse appearances of evill as well as apparant evils nor will it stay waiting when soyle will goe off of it selfe but will force it off He knowes it will not leave him but he will leave it What himself sees not or cannot shun he will be glad if another tell him and help him to be rid of it And from thy selfe help to cleanse all about thee Greeve for the abominations and foulenesse of others which thou canst not helpe and for the slaunder of Gods religion by it So David Psalme 119. 136. and Ieremy 5 Observe and make right use of Gods afflictions for when Gods children are loth to be at the paines to clense their garments the Lord himselfe is faine to play the Landresse as once when he washed Ierusalem he whitens them againe by afflictions Dan. 12. 10. As a Fuller washeth and cleanseth a cloth by beating it so doth the Lord. Thou mightest save the Lord some labour and thy selfe some blowes If wee would judge and cleanse our selves wee should not be judged of the Lord. 6 Pray with David Let no man be ashamed because of me What a griefe were it to heare the Papists and scorners to triumph because of thee What a woe that thy pride covetousnesse swearing drunkennesse which professest goodnesse should cast dung in the faces of all Gods Children Doth not offence of one bring woe enough but that with offence of God thou shouldest scandalize all And were it their names only it were a lesse sin but the name of God through their sides is wounded and blasphemed And the Moone was under her feet Here is the second propertie of this woman Where 1. the meaning 2. the doctrine In the meaning two things 1. What is meant by Moone 2. what by under her feet 1 The Moone is not properly taken but by a Metaphor or borrowed speech For this elegant Prophecy of the Revelation is as full of mysteries us of sentences yea as of words The Moone therefore signifieth the world and all earthly things which are aptly compared to the Moone in foure things 1 In inferiority The Moone is the lowest of all celestiall bodies and betweene the Sunne and Moone is no comparison So the world and the externall blessings of it are the least and lowest of Gods blessings neither is there any comparison betweene heavenly and earthly things as there is no proportion betweene sublunary and superlunary things 2 In mutability and ever-changing inconstancy If she increaseth she decreaseth as fast if she be now in the full she is presently in the wane if she shine a few nights that brightnesse shall in a few dayes be turned to blacke darknesse and never is she seene two nights together with one face So all worldly and earthly things are of as round a figure as the Moone unstable and in nothing constant but in inconstancy 1 Ioh 2. 17. The world passeth away and the lust of it yea and the lustre that is whatsoever is desirable in it 3 In her spots and obscurity For the Moone in her chiefe shining is clouded and specked with black spots and a darknesse within her obscureth her so are all worldly things The greatest wealth of the world is spotted with many wants cares feares The greatest glory with sad adversity and some sense of miserie The most delicate pleasures are but bitter-sweet and moth-eaten and very baites covering mortall hookes And all the desirable things the world affordeth cannot supply a light and comfort without some darknesse Not so the sunne and the Churches Sun is a brightnesse and blessing with which God ads no sorrow 4. In the end and use For by Gods ordinance the Moone is set to governe the night as the sunne to rule the day So the profits and pleasures and worldly comforts serve for our use and benefit while wee are in the night of this world and in this vale of darknesse covered with vailes of sinne and clouded and compassed with the darkenesse of calamities the fruits of sinne But the Sunne rising there is no need of the Moone So when that blessed Sunne of righteousnesse shall rise in his glory upon us and wee shall walke in that blessed light of heaven there is no need of the world or worldly comforts That blessed Sun shall swallow up and drowne all the lights of these candles and the Moone it selfe As that holy woman and Martyr going to her death said I goe now to a place where money beares no mastery Rev. 21. 23. That Citie hath no need of the worlds sunne nor Moone for the glory of God and the Lambe is the light of it And ch 22. 5. There shall be no night there nor any use of a candle c. for the Lord gives them light Where the Sunne never sets what need the Moone Isa 60. 20. 2 In the treading the Moone under her feet 1. What is meant by feet 2. What to tread under feet For the first Feet are often taken in Scripture Metaphorically and signifie the affections desires cares endeavours Because as the feet carry the body are the instruments of motion So these carry our minds to and fro For the mind is borne about by the affections as the body by feet Ecc. 4. 17 When thou entrest into the house of God looke well to thy feet Prov. 4. 27. Remoove thy feet from evill that is affect not in desire act not in endeavour For the second The treading of the Moone under the feet of this woman is in one word the contempt of the world And hath in it three things in the phrase implyed 1 A disaffecting of earthly things and a contempt of things below For we shew our disrespect and base account yea a casting out of our affections the things we tread under our feet 2 A mind elevated and lifted above the world and all earthly things The womans affections are set above them all as wee stand wholly above the things which we cast under our feet 3 A setled and undaunted resolution against the varieties and changes of crosses and afflictions swallowing and digesting yea stoutly contemning the calamities and adversities as well as the prosperitie of the world and by no meanes will suffer her selfe to be divorced from her Sunne And this was the very estate of the Virgin-Primitive Church next after the Apostles which
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
great strength in the prayer of faith Ephes. 6. 18. And of the faithfull Acts 12. 5. 7. as for Peter in prison yea prayer is able to muster an army of heavenly souldiers for our defence If all wicked members limbes of the dragon be great enemies we must be wise to avoid their societies and combinations whatsoever peace and favour they pretend flye inward fellowship with them as from dragons whose propertie is to poyson a farre off before we see them Trust not their flatteries and pretences Genes 49 5 6. Simeon and Levi brethren in evill and instruments of cruelty Into their secret let not my soule come It had beene happy if in many passages of latter times the Church had beene more shye and wary of the faire and treacherous pretences of Antichristian dragons who use to pull on faire gloves on foule and carnall fists and pawes And who will trust him that cannot put off the nature of a dragon although he may speake as the Lambe The greater the dragon the greater must our courage and resolution be For such potent and dreadfullen enemies are shadowed out in this title great dragon not to terrifie or dismay us as all Israel runne away at the sight of Goliah but to animate and excite us to manly and stout resistance Quest What ground of courage have wee against so great a dragon Answ. First Wee have a great adversary but wee have a good cause in which we need not feare to dy or maintaine unto death Secondly As we have a great enemie so we have a great and invincible captaine heere is the Lion of Judah against the roaring Lion Hebrews write that the Jewes painted a Lion in a great banner for their standert Let us run under this standart of this Lion and be safe Little David under this standart trampled on the great Goliah Thirdly Wee have great enemies but as Numb 19. 8. God is gone from them they are bread for us great but naked to Gods revenge their sheild is gon Great but cowardly weake and flying to him that resists Jam. 47. Great but conquered and bouÌ„d Mat. 12. The stronger man hath disarmed him He is the great Prince of the world but ours is the Prince of peace and mighty Lord of glory Fourthly We have great enemies but more and greater succours then we have enemies both with us and in us They are spirituall wickednesses that are against us but wee have the spirit of God and of grace with us Wicked men seeme great and dreadfull dragons and as great and unresistable as an hideous dragon by a weake woman But let them combine in most forcible manner all that strength is but as the strength of reeds in comparison of that with the Church see Ezeck 29. 9. 6. Besides they are many against us but more with us then against us 2 King 6. 16 and in us greater is he that is in us then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4. 4. we have greater power in us then any without and against us Phil 4. 13. I can do all things by the power of Christ strengthning me and while we have all the might of his glorious power to strengthen us we are safe Colos. 1. 11. Fiftly Our enemie is great but thence we are assured of greater glory and victory as David the harder taske he had against Goliah the greater was his victory The more difficult the war the more honour is in the conquest A red dragon It pleaseth God in the Scriptures under divers colours to describe divers things As Revel 6. 3. 4. is a vision of three horses of severall colours which expres the several estates of this womaÌ„ here in coÌ„flict The first a white horse which colour noteth in the Revelation puritie and innocency of doctrine and manners and figureth the virgin primative Church upholding the puritie of doctrine and discipline of the faith and worship appointed by the holy Apostles before this white came to be speckled and spotted with blacke errours and staines in doctrine discipline and worship The second a red horse ver 4 deciphering the same Church now red with martyrdome and persecution and effusion of blood by tyrants The third horse is a blacke horse noting the estate of the Church now blacke and in sad and afflicted condition by heretickes which had horribly mingled the truth of pure white and lightsome doctrine with blacke darkenesse of heresies and errours For it were not hard to shew how in the first two hundred yeares after Christ the Church was blacked by the heresies of Ebiâ—n Cerinthus Valontine Marcion and Basilides In the second two hundred by Photinus Samosatonus Sabellius Arius and Eunomius c. In the third two hundred by Pelagius Nestorius and Eutiches c. But this red colour of the dragon lively pourtreyeth the feritie cruelty and bloody disposition of the dragon against the Woman the Church The greeke word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is emphaticall noting him to be a fiery dragon fiery red set on fire and all enflamed with an hellish flame of wrath and crueltie against the Church of God Whence learne The nature and disposition of the enemies of the Church further then they are over-ruled they are red and fiery dragons whom nothing can content but blood and cruelty First See it in the head of the dragon Satan quaerit non quem mordeat vel frangat sed quem devoret Chrysost. He is red blood-thirstie sanguinolent as a thirstie man delights in blood and crueltie affectedly red Secondly He is actually red imbrued with all the blood of the Saints of Abel and of the Prophets Apostles the Sonne of God himselfe and all his holy Martyrs since his ascension He is guilty and dyed with blood Thirdly He is anciently a red dragon a manslayer from the beginning Joh. 8. 44. Who hath slaine all man-kind not in body only but in soule and body by our first fall Fourthly he is originally red yea the authour of all crueltie and blood-shed that ever was in the world and all the homicide done by man upon man t is the proper worke of the devill in whose service homicides are So Christ to the Jewes Joh. 8. his workes yee doe seeking to kill Christ. Secondly See it in the members Pharaoh a red dragon lying in his rivers commands the midwives to kill all the Males and makes a cruell bloody act that every parent should drowne his owne child Haman a red dragon sends posts into all provinces to kill but not content with that to root out and destroy al Jewes young and old children and women in one day least any place should be left for pitty or humanitie Manassah a red dragon shed innocent blood till he had replenished Jerusalem from corner to corner 2 King 21. 16. Saul before his conversion breathes out nothing but slaughters and threatning as a dragon that slayes onely with his breath The like
in Antiochus and Antichrist typified in him practised wholly to destroy the mighty and holy people Dan. 8. 24. And the same we see in Herod who slew all the male children under two yeares old Thirdly See it especially in the Imperiall dragon the bloodinesse and tyranny of those Romane Emperours was matchlesse who poured out the blood of innocent Christians by thousands and tenne thousands in their streetes and territories like water For the first 300. yeares after Christ were nine or tenne bloody dragons that dyed themselves red in the blood of Christians which they sucked out greedily more like hell-hounds then men that had a drop of pitty or humanity left Nero began and flew upon them as a monster as if they had beene incendiaries of the city which him self caused to be set on fire only to lay it upon them like our incendaries and Romish powder plotters After him Domitian who cast John the Evangelist into a furnance of scalding oyle but when he saw he came forth unhurt he banished him into the I le Pathmos where he writ this Revelation Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 17. After him Traian under pretence that there must be but one religion in one Region persued Christistians with fire and sword and new devised torments to chase the name of Christian out of the world He slew Simeon Iustus and Ignatius the Pastors one at Jerusalem the other at Antioch After him came Antonius Verus who slew with Policarp Pastor of Smirna innumerable Christians What shal I speake of Hadrian that in one Mount crucified 10000. Christians crowned with thornes and darts thrust into their sides in derision of the passion of our Lord Jesus Or of the last of these dragons in one month of whose raigne were slaine 17. thousand Martyrs and innumerable more condemned to mines and slavery worse then death In a word the dragons were so red as the very story seemes to be written in blood which tell us that no man could step his foote in Rome and not tread on a Martyr Fourthly See it in the causes First God in his counsell hath just reason for as he foundeth his Church in the blood of Christ so he finisheth and perfecteth his worke in blood He advanceth his glory and maketh his power shine in working by contraries and confoundeth the adversaries when they see their wrath turned to Gods praise and the blood of Martyrs the seed and watering of the Church Pharaoh shall see he cannot worke wisely enough here is a more glorious world fetched out of a greater Chaos Iulian shall say vicisti Galilaee Secondly So deepe and inveterate is the poyson and malice of a dragon that no lighter or smaller revenge will serve him then death The same poyson lighted upon Christ he was judged unworthy either to live or dye in Jerusalem So the enemies of David when will he die and of Paul he is unworthy to live The rancorous poyson of an enemie of God and grace is such as a smaller revenge will not content them No whipping or mocking of Christ but crucifie him Thirdly The fury and feircenesse of the enemy is still augmented by reason it findes fuell to feed it First the light and grace in the godly which the more it encreaseth and shineth the more their malice and hatred burneth and boyleth against it For Why did Cain as a dragon slay Abel but because his workes were good 1 Joh. 3. 12. Why do the godly make themselves a prey but because they refraine from evill Esay 59. 15. Dragons can plead many causes Amos is accused by Hamaziah that he hath conspired against the King Daniell by the envious princes that he rebells against the Kings proclamation Ieremy if he exhort to go out into Babel according to Gods word and decree that he is a confederate with the Caldeans Paul that he is a troubler of the City and preacheth strange doctrine and pittie it is that hee lives But the true cause is if the white horse go forth the red horse will follow him at the heeles Psal. 38. 20. Mine adversaries hate me without cause Nay because I doe the thing that is good that is cause enough to hate to death Psal. 59. 3. They are gathered against me not for mine offence nor for my sinne This doctrine may serve as a glasse to let many see their owne faces and to what head they belong There is a generation of men who are feirce revengfull and cruell hearted against the godly who may here see what spirit they are guided by The spirit of God is gracious meeke mercifull gentle but they are not led by him His they are whose spirit they resemble in mischiefe and malice Joh. 8. 44. Yee are of your father the devill for his workes ye do A naturall child resembleth his father so do they theirs who was a murderer from the beginning As it was once so will it ever be Gal. 4. 29. He that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit and delighted in scorning the generation of God and seed of the promise these shew themselves a bastardly brood of Ismael who have no part in the promise no foote in the promised land To let us see whence that religion is that practiseth and teacheth all manner of fiercenesse and cruelty against the Saints It is of the devill of the dragon and is no religion of God Abraham makes this aptitude and forwardnesse to homicide a note of a false religion and proper to Idolaters Genes 20. 11. The feare of God is not in this place and they will slay me Hence it followes that the Romane religion cannot be of God for 1 Her head is that Abaddon and Apollyon The great destroyer of bodies and soules Rev. 9. 11. 2 Her members resemble the head for never were any more cruell and fiery dragons and homicides then the Antichristian zealotes and popish Inquisitors which for so many ages have destroyed the bodies of the innocent Saints with fire and sword and innumerable soules with divelish and hereticall doctrines 3 Her principles and positions are bloody and mischievous and such as the Heathens and sanguinary Savages would be ashamed of 4 Her proper colour is red scarlet dyed and drunken with the blood of the Saints which noteth her an essentiall member of the dragon fierie dragons are they furious and sulphurious kindling blazing fires not onely against the bodies of men women and children but laying their fire workes under ground against the bodies of many kingdomes at once This is that generation of which Christ spake They shall thinke they do God good service in killing you And the more fierce any man is against good men the more of this leaven he doth discover in himselfe Pray to be delivered from these direfull dragons Psal. 59. Deliver me from the bloody man and of all plagues which we have deserved let us pray we be never stung with these fiery dragons
great care and provident eye over his Church by whose almighty power this small flock of sheep is safe amongst a drove of wolves Lions and a whole foxest of foxes and dragons Take notice of the perpetuall condition of the Church and her dangerous estate that wee may not marvaile or take offence at the tumults and hostile forces raised against the Church at this day 1 Let not the might and power of the enemies gathereed against her dismay us nor their great and puissant armies and Captaines nor that royall and imperiall forces are raised against this poore Woman utterly to destroy her this is no new thing that mighty hornes and the highest of all humane power should lift up themselves against her she hath from the beginning beene acquainted with such tryals Nor let us startle at the multitudes of enemies Princes and armies that stand about her it is not the first time that ten hornes at once have assaulted and pushed her nay seldome shall yee see this Woman but in the midst of these ten hornes al ready to make a present spoile of her Neither let the fiercenesse and savage disposition of them against her be strange to us seeing they are the dragons hornes dragons are guided by no law but by their owne fierce and truculent nature flying upon their prey without all pity but no cruell and truculent beast or dragon is so fierce against men as wicked men are against the Woman no law of nature or nations no bond or tye no respect of sex or age stoppeth them but pitilesly without all mercy the dragons seize upon young and old male and female high and low nocents or innocents if they fall in their way whosoever professe the feare of God and true religion against them they are gathered See it in one example Haman because Mordecai will not bow to him because he was of another religion getteth to the King enformeth against all the Jewes as having a law and religion of their owne contrary to the Kings and it was not for the Kings profit to suffer thē presently without any course of law no man being heard nay no man complaining but Haman privatly slaundering the King delivereth the whole nation men women and children some 2. or 3. thousand persons to death and bloody buchery al in a day but that God prevented it a thiefe or guilty fellon shal have a due course of law shal not be condemned unheard sometimes pity spareth a seditious and rebellious multitude that have deserved death because they are many After warre and hot blood the most furious enemies will spare such as are overcome though they would have spoyled and not spared them in hot blood In sacking and taking cities the Conqueror often in humanity spareth women children when their lives are in their hands But in this cause of Religion these horned dragons put off all humanity cloath themselves with barbarous more then brutish cruelty no humanity nor humility no intreaty nor sex no age nor place can plead for one drop of pity As in plentifull examples both old and new might be proved namely the French Massacre 1572. and our owne powder Treason Quest. But what shall the Church be devoured by so many and potent horns how can a silly weak woman be safe among them Ans. No this Woman was never yet overcome by them nor shall be she may be tyred terrified pusht wounded by them but not overcome For 1 The dragons great power is but limited and restrained as Satan must not touch Iobs wise and Laban against his owne evill intention is commanded Gen. 31. 24. Take heed thou speake nought to Iacob save good So can they doe nothing against Iacob which is not good or shall not be turned to good Though their power be great yet there is a greater and over-ruling power which curbeth them both in the attempting proceeding and ending of their intentions Herod Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles can attempt nothing against Christ but what the hand and counsaile of God hath before determined to be done Act. 4. 27. In the executiō this over-ruling power can blunt their hornes at his pleasure If Esau be come forth with a band of men to revēge on Iacob this power can turne their hearts to favour his brother in the end they are over-ruled for wheras they would make no end of pushing and goaring he will have them go no further then he please And the rod of the wicked shall not alway lie on the lot of the godly 2 The hornes of the dragon have great power but being set all against God his Saints it cannot prosper Job 9. 4. Who was ever fierce against God and prospered their power shall never effect all their wils being so contrary to the will and counsaile of the Almighty their will is to destroy and roote out the Saints of the most High but his will and counsaile is onely to chasten them their will is not onely to destroy the person but the faith also fortitude but they can doe neither for though they may prevaile against the persons of some members yet never against the person of the Woman the whole Church and those that are overcome of them in respect of life are never in respect of faith the gates of hell cannot prevaile against that so as though they be slaine they are never overcome 3 Although mighty hornes are raised up against the Woman yet hath God raised up for her a more mighty horne of salvation Luk. ◠69. Even the horne of David stronger then they all the greatest enemie of the Church is but as Antiochus a little horne to him Ob. But here are ten hornes what is one horne to so many Answ. Christ our Lord and head wants not a sufficient number of hornes to encounter the dragons ten hornes Rev. 5. 6 the Lambe hath 7. hornes though the dragon seeme to exceed in number yet doth not for the number of 7 is a number of perfection and argueth in Christ perfection of power which is not in the number of ten whether it be taken definitly or indefinitly in the dragon and there is not one of these 7. but is stronger then all the dragons ten And besides whereas the dragons hornes are confined to his heads which they exalt and carry aloft our Lord Jesus hath many hornes comming out of his hands Hab. 3. 4. that is Omnipotent in all his works especially in his battailes against the dragons ten horns for he hath atchieved an admirable victorie over principalities and powers and made show of them openly as a triumphant Conqueror on the Chariot of his Crosse and at his ascension professed that all power in heaven and earth was given to him 4 Although the dragon hath his hornes and agents every where so as the Dove of Christ knoweth not where to set her foot to rest safe from them for there be 4. hornes which scatter
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
his good service and change his minde ere morning How impudently and instantly did Ieremies accusers pursue him The false Prophets and Priests accuse Ieremy to the Princes and all the people saying This man is worthy of death for he hath prophesied against this City as yee have heard with your eare Ier. 26. 11. Hee is charged that hee sought not the wealth but the hurt of the people that hee discouraged the people by his preaching and weakned the hands of the men of warre But when they could not by slandering and false accusing impeach his innocency nor get the law passe upon him they come basely to the King and besought him to put him to death Ier. 38. 4. 1. This comes of extreme hatred of grace and incessant wrath against the light whether in doctrine or in practice for all wicked men are carried by the same wicked spirit and Prince of darknesse and all of them plot and contrive how to disparage and discourage both the one and the other This extreme malice makes them shamlesse in accusing as in Satan whose malice against God made him accuse GOD himselfe to Adam There is no light so bright and shining but they will darken no conversation so cleane and unspotted but without all shame and feare they can traduce Now what an impudency is it to barke aganst the Sunne 2. Tyranny of sinne where it raigneth carrieth a man beyond all humanity and all bounds of modesty to act and pursue whatsoever gracelesse fact the devill moveth against all lawes of God and nature It carrieth Cham away to deride his owne fathers nakednesse and Absolon to rise in rebellion against his owne indulgent naturall father and to take his wives in the sight of Israel putting off all shame and forehead and all but the name of a man The reason hereof is because a slave must not contest with his Lord nor stand reasoning the case with himselfe but must doe what the devill will have him to doe hee must be ruled at his will beside the similitude betweene the devill and a man given up to this sinne of accusation for many other sinnes men have common with beasts fiercenesse craft indociblenesse filthinesse but this sinne men have peculiarly common with devils and participating with his sinne participate in his name called Diaboli 2 Tim. 3. So as when the devill groweth modest and moderate and out of the goodnesse of nature is ashamed of any sinne which hee can either act or get acted then may wicked men cease to bee impudent in accusing but not before 3. Satan and his instruments have alwayes bad causes in handling and accordingly must bring them about by bad and wicked meanes such as most shamefull lyes and slanders and most impudent accusations which the lesse ground or colour of truth they have the more clamor impudence and instance must they thrust them forward withall If so then take no offence against the truth or true religion because it hath beene and alwayes is exposed to false accusations by the father of lyes and his lying of-spring who all know that if the Gospell succeed and flourish their kingdome cannot stand if the light approach darknesse is chased away So long as may bee verified of Satan and his fellow-accusers what is said in Ier. 3. 3. Thou hast an whores forehead and couldst not be ashamed so long the Church must bee as it hath beene in all ages and times of the world stifly and instantly accused of rebellions insurrections seditions treasons and the most grievous scandals that hell can devise Here for the better proceeding consider three things 1. The markes of impudent accusers and accusation 2. Motives to beware of this sinne 3. Meanes by which godly men may fence themselves from the same I. The markes are sundry 1. It is a diabolicall impudency to accuse of that whereof the accused are not onely guiltlesse but to which they are cleane contrary Were it not an high impudency to accuse the Sunne of darknesse or piety it selfe of the highest wickednesse to accuse the godly of that which their whole course actually confuteth How blacke was the devill faine to appeare in the dayes after the Apostles when the Heathens cryed out of Christians as the causes and authors of all publike calamities and plagues If Nilus overflowed not their field if earthquakes pestilence or famine came on them presently the poore Christians were cast unto the Lyons How like unto those Heathenish cryes are those of this day that godly persons keepe no lawes disobey Princes are seditious enemies to the State c. But is not all cleane contrary for if there bee any true peace in any Land it is for and by the Gospell which is a Gospell of peace How like unto those were those horrible slanders cast upon the Protestants of Paris to make them odious Priests and Fryers in their Sermons perswaded the people that the Lutherans met at banquets in the night and putting out the Candles went together Jacke with Jill after a beastly maner Other Sorbonists accused them that they held there was no God that they denyed the humanity and divinity of Christ the immortality of the soule the resurrection of the dead and the whole body of religion and all this when the confession of their faith was extant to the contrary How is the government of Jesus Christ thrust away by most impudent pretexts that Christian policy is an enemy to civill policy whereas the Kingdome of Christ not being of this world incroacheth not into matters of civill government and civill policy is so farre from being abated or abolished as that it is strenthened and stablished by the preaching of the Gospell The Romanists to shew their brood and off-spring and the Jesuites the first-borne of Satan are attained to such an impudence as they may teach their Tutor to accuse 1. In that they fasten impudently on us hundreds of wicked doctrines which our religion is a flat enemy unto as That wee require onely faith to salvation That we condemne all good workes That we say the Church hath failed many hundred yeares till Luther and Calvin That we teach God the Author of sinne That wee wrest the sword out of Princes hands c. and infinite more which they write and print with such invincible impudency as shewes them to have lost with truth all forehead and blushing 2. In their devillish devises and accusations of holy and godly men bothliving and dead That Calvin called upon the devill That Bucer at his death denyed Christ to be come That Master Perkins dyed in despaire of whose gracious and happy end my selfe was an eye-witnesse What marvell if they could devise such Cart-loads of slanders after their death who could not stay till they were dead Of Beza they wrote a booke that hee dyed a Catholike with many strange stories of his death which booke himselfe being alive confuted with great zeale Of Luther they published an horrible miracle