come to passe that there will be a way made for the Kings of the East to come in for yee heard that by the Kings of the East are properly meant the Iewes as being of old called Kings A royall Priesthood so that way is made for them by this reformation of religion in Christendome The removing of those abuses to wit of the corruption of religion and popish superstition and idolatry way is made for their conversion and doe but dry up those streames and then you leave Babylon dry and you leave the Turkish Monarchy weakened for the staffe of the Turkish Monarchy is the superstition of Antichristianisme From hence therefore yee have heard already these two notes gathered and handled the first is this that the dayes are comming wherein Christian Princes shall dry up the streames of antichristian corruption in Religion And thereby also dry up the Fountaines of the streames of the Turkish tyranny Secondly yee have heard this note also gathered and handled That upon the drying up of the streames of corruption of Antichristian religion and of Turkish Tyranny way is made for the conversion of the Iewes the antient people of God Of these two wee spake the last day and thus much was needfull to be repeated that yee might understand where wee are To proceede to the next note then the third that concernes this Viall but the first at this time Let me first gather the note and then shew you how it rises out of the Text then give some grounds of it and make use of it as the Lord shall helpe the note is this Upon the drying up of the streames of the corruption of religion Doct. 3 in Christendome the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet shall send forth their choisest instruments to stir up and gather together both Popish and Pagan Princes unto a great battell to withstand the reformation of Christians and the conversion of the Jewes This is the summe See all these points expresly and distinctly delivered and fully in these two Verses the 13 and 14. For further then so I shall not goe at this time And this one note opens both these Verses and all the passages therein First yee see upon the powring out of this Viall upon the river Euphrates and the drying up the streames thereof that is upon the drying up of the corruptions of religion superstition Idolatry Murthers and Whordomes restraining and drying up all such Fountaines what followes He saith the Beast the Dragon and the false Prophet sent out of their mouthes three unclean spirits like Frogs which goe forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battell of that great day of God Almighty To open this doctrine and the words a little First for the Dragon yee have heard it noted before from the 12. Rev. 9. verse him to be the old Serpent Satan but taken chiefly as he doth act and govern and dwell in the Roman state And therefore he is described to have seaven hads and ten Hornes in the third verse of the 12 Chapter But take him as he is Satan spiritually and he hath neither heads nor hornes Take him as he governes Rome and so he hath seven heads and ten hones The seven heads are seven hilles And the ten hornes are ten governments who then is the Beast the Beast as ye have heard he is described by the very same Characters seven heads and ten hornes 13. Rev 9. verse It is said to be him to whom the Dragon hath given his power and his seat and great authority it doth therefore hold forth the Roman state not Rome Pagan nor Rome Christian as yee have heard It remaines therefore to be Rome antichristian which is that The Roman visible Catholique Church that 's the first Beast which claimes all the power by pretence of religion which old Rome and the Roman Monarchy claimed by force of armes Who is then the false Prophet The false Prophet hee is never mentioned before in this booke not by name and yet hee is spoken of here as well knowne It appeares therefore this false Prophet is the 2 Beast in 13 Rev. 11 verse to the end The second Beast there is said to worke Miracles in the 13 Verse he doth great wonders c. And 18 Verse he deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by the meanes of these miracles c. And the same yee shall reade of the false Prophet in the 19 Rev. 20 Verse The Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the marke of the Beast And them which worshiped his Image c. The description is the same of the false Prophet and of the Beast both of them holding forth the head of the Roman Church The false Prophet Balaam the Bishop or Antichrist of Rome So that it doth imply thus much that the Dragon and the Devill himselfe did stir up not the Pope onely but the whole Catholicke Church to gather into some councill or some other solemne meeting some chiefe concurse of them who by common content shall out of their mouthes that is to say by their commands their Cannons and Decrees for that is out of their mouthes out of their commands out of their edicts out of their injunctions shall send forth their uncleane Spirits Spirits they be for nimblenesse and activity Spirits they bee for impetuousnesse and strength Spirits they be also for close and cleanly conveyance There is no stoping the gates against Spirits yee cannot so stop the Cinque-ports but they will in they will enter into any Court Princes Palaces or great mens Houses there 's no hindering of them they have a cleanly conveyance and secret and close passage And they are also Spirits of Devills It is not the ordinary word Devill but Daemon the which is wont to expresse Spirits for their knowledge and learning They are learned spirits and yet Devills for their deceit and mischeife Ye are of your Father the devill the works of your Father ye will doe Iohn 8 44. Liers for deceit Murtherers for mischeif these are the spirits he sends forth which surely comming as they doe out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet they are not spirits properly so called They are therefore Emissaries sent forth by them men of nimble wits and parts active for nimblenesse and close conveyance and full of deceit and mischiefe And these are the spirits are sent forth and here said to be three spirits comming out of their mouthes not as if one came out of the mouth of one and another came out of the mouth of another but all three of them came out of all their mouthes together at once It is not rightly translated here that he saith he saw them comming out for the word comming out is not in the originall but hee
saw them out of those mouthes out of those mouthes they had came thence they had their originall and from thence they sprange Much inquiry there is who they should bee I will not trouble you with variety of mens judgements The Dragon is no more here the Turkish Empire then before but the Dragon here is hee that is before called Satan acting Rome and so hath seven Heads and ten Hornes which are the Armes of Rome as yee have heard before not of Constantinople And it is hee that consults and conspires with the Beast of Rome to send forth these three uncleane Spirits Now if you shall put all together that hath beene observed by different Interpreters and consider withall what kinde of spirits the Catholique Church and the head thereof the Bishop of Rome hath troubled the Church withall yee shall finde they all fall under three sorts three sorts of spirits they doe all issue from and these have all inspired and breathed into them the very Character of the nature which is found in the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet There are many rables of popish orders which were endlesse to name now But they are all summed up in three Heads for all the other are but hangbies and traines to them all the Emissaries of Rome the spirits whereby shee hath troubled the Church they all fall under these three either Cardinalls Bishops or Jesuites and under the Jesuites I ranke all regular Fryers they are all of them of one nature regular men Cloyster-men of which the Jesuites are the cheife and I would rather instance the Jesuites because the rest of that rabble the other orders of Fryers and Monkes they are described not under the name of Frogs but under the name of Locusts chirping Creatures as the Frogs are Croking and both come out of the bottomlesse pit But the other are more like to Locusts in the 9 Revelations 3 to 11. They be both of them mischeivous both the Locusts and the Frogs too but the Frogs are a little too dull for this kind of imployment which is attributed to the Frogs but these three the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet send forth the Cardinalls the Bishops and the Jesuites yee shall finde the quintessence of nimble wits in these Spirits active and nimble spirits yee shall finde them close and secret in their conveyances like spirits no part can be so secretly watcht but they will enter in no Gates of Princes Pallaces so secret but thy will enter them And uncleane they be as neither fit for meat nor for sacrifice as uncleane Beasts were They are neither fit for Church nor Common-wealth neither fit for the one nor the other neither for meate nor sacrifice uncleane also arising out of the mud uncleane in their Doctrine rooting out the Doctrine of Life uncleane in their conversation as all false Teachers more or lesse bee Iude 8. and 10 Verse And making the Countries uncleane where they come they let loose the raines and open a doore unto all Licentiousnesse and Prophanesse Three unclean Spirits like Frogs This description of them likening of them to Frogs doth exclude them from the Locusts for they are not Amphibia as they call them such as can live upon the Waters or Earth for Locusts love not to be in the Waters but these are indifferent on Earth or Waters Therefore these three can indifferently live either upon the waters or upon the Earth and even as well in the one as in the other It is indifferent to them whether yee imploy them in Church worke they can domineer there or whether you imploy them in state matters they are as free and as busy there in the Courts of Princes and the states of Commonwealths and as impetuous there and as active there and as cunning and as dominering and Lordly there as they are in the Church And therefore looke as were the plagues of Egypt which is called Sodom so are these plagues of spirituall Sodom The Frogs they came upon them cunningly and would come into the Kings Pallaces and no place could be kept free from them Even such are these three uncleane spirits no place can they be kept out from And like unto Frogs are they for their continuall croking nothing but one kinde of tune their own matters they never leave croking of not like these Frogs here in America that have a severall tune in each part of the yeare but they are alwayes in one or two or three at the most either the Catholique visible Church or the Pope the Judge of controversies or of visible succession And then looke as yee see it is with Frogs they are most busy with their notes when it growes darke and in the heat of the day they are a great deall more silent for then they get them downe into the mud so it is with these uncleane spirits they ly close if the light of the Gospell shines forth brightly And if it grow warme in the zeall of the spirits of Christians then yee here no newes of them but they are in some muddy places then they are husht then I if you should come with a Torch in the midnight they are silent and still then But now when there is want of light or want of heat of Religion then it is indeed that these spirits are most croking and tumultuous and unquiet but otherwise if the spirits of Christians and States-men grow warme in Religion ther 's no noise nor newes of these spirits so these are the three uncleane spirits that come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet And these three have left a spice of their own nature in them the Devill hath left a spice of his murther and malice against religion and well ordered government tending to disorder the Catholique Church hath left them hir state and preheminence hir Lordly Dominion and spirituall supremacy and authority carying all before him The false Prophet hath left them corrupt Doctrine and corrupt worship These corrupt all where they come and with cleanly conveyance in the Name of the Lord and thus saith the Lord when indeed it is nothing but the meere inventions of the sinfull false hearts of the sonnes of men To goe on a little further in the exposition of these spirits They are the spirits of Devills That is to say all of a devillish nature they are not Gods spirits men they will be accounted to be but they are spirits of the bottomlesse pit the spirits of Devills Devills for learning and Devills for deceit and Devills for mischeife Working miracles It is a proper worke of the second Beast but they are all but lying wonders they come saith the Apostle Paul with all power of signes and lying wonders 2 Thes 2.9 And these being all thus furnisht the Text tells you They goe forth unto the Kings of the Earth by Earth in this booke is meant the
Earthly Religion and so to the Princes of Earthly religion they goe forth therefore they goe unto the Kings of the Earth And of the whole World They doe not containe themselves in the limits of Christendome but the other Princes the Princes of the whole world that is to say to Pagan Princes They would have power to prevent if it were possible this great mischiefe to themselves that they might crush these Christian Kings that brought in the reformation Therefore they goe forth to the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World To gather them to battell To the battell of that great day of God Almighty That 's not the last judgement as some have thought there will be no warring then but every day of great execution is called a great day of God Almighty But that we shall speake to God willing when we come to it of that great day of God Almighty But what day is that yee have it expounded in the 19. Rev. 17. It is the day of Gods great Supper that yee may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captaines and the flesh of mighty men c. This is the great day of God Almighty on which these worldly and wicked these Popish and Pagan Princes with all their power and all their forces and armies they are able to make shall come forth against the Lord Jesus and against these Christian Princes that have beene serious and studious in the reformation of Religion and in the drying up of these streames of corruption Thus you see the words opened and the plaine and true meaning of them I cannot speake of the comming of Christ now and of the gathering together to the great battell of Armageddon and I would not open more then I am able to finish at this present Therefore now consider the Doctrine againe and the truth of it how it doth plainly arise from the words of the Text. Upon the powring out of the sixth Viall that is to say upon the drying up of the current and streames of the corruption of Antichristian religion or Christian religion for Antichristian religion is but the corruption of religion in Christendome The Dragon that is to say the Devill and the Beast that is to say the Roman Catholique visible Church and the false Prophet that is to say the Pope the head of the Church did send forth out of their mouthes that is to say out of their commands three uncleane spirits that is Cardinalls and Bishops and Jesuites To stir up the Princes of the Earth and of the whole World that is both Popish and Pagan Princes to a great battell To what end ye may see by the occasion of it is was upon the powring out the Viall of the wrath of God upon the streames of corruption of religion therefore they would turne the streame againe to prevent the way of the Kings of the East that is the conversion of the Iewes by bringing in old Idolatry and superstition spirituall Adulteries and Whoredomes and Witchcrafts for the maintenance of the Sea of Rome Thus you see the point plaine from the Text neither is there any difficulty that remaines for the opening of it that I doe discerne Now then for the Reasons of the point and so briefly to come to the use The reasons are two why that upon this drying up of the streames of corruption of Religion these three great commanders should thus send forth such kinde of Emissaries instruments that will bee active and nimble to gather such a fearfull Battell against the Lord and against his servants The first reason is taken from the nature of their Kingdome Rea. 1 Antichrists kingdom is contrary to the Kingdome of Christ his Kingdome is not of the Earth theirs are from beneath his Kingdome is not of this World But theirs are of this World These are of the World saith Iohn speaking of Antichrist in the 1 Ioh. 4. Chapter 6 Verse And therefore minde yee the weapons of their warfare are carnall full of malice and full of envy and devillishnesse their instruments are not spirituall but carnall and worldly And therefore being thus shaken as they are their returne is not to Fasting and Prayer or the power of the holy Ghost or the power of spirituall gifts or so forth these are estranged from them And now they fall to carnall policy and worldly power and devillish engines and instruments these are fit for this use This is one Reason Rea. 2 The other reason is taken from their implacable malice and hatred against the reformation of religion and the conversion of either Iew or Gentile to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus there is nothing more grevious to these spirits then the prosperity of religion they gnash their Teeth for paine in the former Viall this is that will vex them more then all the rest to see these Rivers dried up and these streames dryed up and now the holy City of Rome blasted this doth stirre them up to implacable malice and mischiefe and now they care not who they confederate withall so they may crush the Christian Princes and hinder reformation It was truly prophesied of by the Apostle Paul That evill men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Timothy 3 13. So it is with these evill men here if they see they cannot get victory over Protestants though they have pretended warre with the Turke for the recovering of the holy Land yet now they will consent with him they sticke not who they agree with so they may mantaine their war To come then briefely to make some use of what ye have heard the use of the point is thus much Vse 1 First it may teach every noble wit and every active spirit and every man of cleanly conveyance not to pride himselfe much lesse to blesse himselfe in such gifts and parts what ever they be pride not your selves blesse not your selves in them you see heere is a Generation of nimble spirits and active wits cleanly spirits spirits of as neat and cleanly conveyance as ever the World saw men full of wit and full of dexterity men good for Church as they count it notable there and not able for the Common-Wealth they are marvelous fit for all kinds of imployment in their owne wayes and that 's very large for their owne ends and yet see they are but made instruments to the Dragon to the Beast and to the false Prophet so that verily if a man now should take pride in his gifts and blesse himselfe in the activenesse of his spirit and cleanly conveyance aplaud himselfe in such kinde of inlargements as these be I tell you the Devill hath as quick wits as you are and as active spirits as you are and men of as dexterous conveyance as you can be And therefore never pride your selves in these they are such as are as fit instruments for the Devill as for Christ and many times the Lord Jesus takes lesse delight
in such as these then hee doth in plainer and simpler men Yee see your calling Brethren saith the Apostle Paul in the 1 Corinthians 1.26 How that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called It is I say therefore an abasement unto all flesh and unto all the glory of the flesh all flesh is as Grasse and the goodliest of flesh and bloud is but as the flower of the Field that fadeth away take it at the best it s but a Flower but take them as they may bee improved by Satan none more mischeivous none more active instruments for the Devill for sinne for Corruption then these fine quicke wits and spirits bee These nimble wits these active spirits pride not your selves in these things I say these are the most dangerous if the Lord set not in to take hold of them pride not your selves therefore in these things The more learned and witty you bee the more fit to act for Satan will you bee if the Lord leave you the more neat handed and quicke witted and nimble spirited you bee the more notable and profitable will you bee for the Devill if hee take hold of you pride not your selves therefore in these much lesse allow your selves in sacrificeing of these to Satan But see you doe sacrifice your wts and spirits and dexterity and what ever you bee or have as a living sacrifice to Christ Jesus to his advantage or else they will bee improved to the service of the Devill and his instruments The great and monsterous Beast the Roman Catholique visible Church and the head thereof the holy Father the Pope as they call him Secondly it may take off the fond doting of the sonnes Vse 2 of men upon the lesrning of the Jesuites and the glorie of the Episcopacy and brave estate of the Prelates I say bee not deceived with these pompes and empty shewes and faire representations of a goodly condition before the eyes of flesh and blood bee not taken with the applause of these persons yee have many at this Day that stand and wonder upon the reading of the Jesuites at the witty inventions and marvelous dexterity of judgement They are strong perswaders and strange practitioners of what they take in hand marvelously are men taken with the strength of their judgements and the strength of their wits And dote mervalously upon the Cardinalls and upon the Bishops and upon the Jesuites and upon holy Catholique Mother Church and their holy Father the Pope These are the gods many of them doe adore I pray doe but looke well upon them all what are they all of them Let but the holy Ghost give his judgement of them who is onely wise let his Counsell bee taken and what They are spirits indeed but uncleane spirits spirits of Devills that come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast the Roman visible Catholique Church is in the esteeme of the Holy Ghost a monsterous Beast as yee heard in the 13 Chapter Revel 1 Ve. And the head of the Popish Church a false Prophet And what are these nimble wits and goodly glorious persons yee speake of uncleane spirits neither fit for meat nor sacrifice neither fit for Church nor Common-Wealth Oh ye will say they are fit for both But saith the holy Ghost they are Frogs and not Church-men as they call them and uncleane and not fit for civill use neither fit for Church nor State but fit to corrupt both and breed corruption in both Frogs they are and their Songs are much what as Frogs are if yee mind them their note is alwayes much at one either visible succession and that 's one note the Judge of controversies which they say must bee the Bishop of Rome and the Roman Catholike visible Church the holy Mother Church as they call it these are their notes their Song but it is but a Frog-like Song what ever they thinke and yee shall ever finde it that when Religion hath been most lightsome and Princes and States-men have beene most warme in Religion then yee shall here no noise of these Frogs they ly close in the mud But when Religigion growes darke once the shadow of the Sunne growes low and large when Christians wax cold and Courtiers begin to be Popish or carnall or I cannot tell how conformable to the corruptions of the times then they begin to croke loud and all things must be as they will have them but I say take them as they be and they are but uncleane Frogs that doe corrupt both Church and State And mind yee they are confederate with the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet Yee shall finde it in time that they will be confederate with Turke or Russian Indian or Infidell they will be ready to confederate with them all and make no scrupill of these things And yet they as men thinke are the onely Patriarkes and make the greatest shew of religion bee not deceived you see how the holy Ghost describes them And let those that are of God learne what they are And thirdly this may serve to teach Christian Princes Vse 3 and States that when Religion comes to bee reformed they must looke for battells and great battells There is no hope that Satan will rest the Dragon cannot rest when his Kingdome is shaken And hee hath such of his confederacy the Beast and the false Prophet that cannot be still Especially when the streames of Rome begin to decay the streames that doe water and refresh Rome Then looke for Warres and Tumults of Warres great Warres mustering up of Popish Princes and their Armies and pagan Princes and their Armies there will be no backwardnesse in these earthly spirits in this case to the captivating of all if it were possible to the maintenance and supportance of Rome And last of all and so I make an end Let this bee Vse 4 the last use It may serve to be some ground of stay unto Christian Princes and such as shall bee instruments of this reformation which this sixth Angell brings with him Instruments of this wasting and drying up of the corruptions of Religion which shall waste Rome I say though great Warres may arise from all the chiefe Princes of the VVorld both Popish and Pagan and a great day of battell it will bee when ever those dayes doe shine forth as hasteing they be why yee shall finde this to be the comfort of it a great day it shall bee It is so said in my Text but not a great Day to the Beast nor a great Day to the Dragon nor a great Day to the false Prophet They looke for a Day of it but it shall be a great day of GOD Almighty men are afraid if they stirre they shall bring Warres about their Eares true they shall doe so they will arise at once but though the battell will bee great and terrible yet never the lesse most comfortable to the People of