might preach on that text on every Christs nativitie day because the Angels have given us that text from heaven saying Behold I bring you tidings of great joy that unto you is borne this day in the Citie of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Therefore sing and make melody in your hearts to the Lord Glory be to God on high peace on earth and good will towards men They which doe this in faith that they are in him that is true in that his Sonne Jesus Christ which is very God and eternall life 1 Joh. 5. 20. by Baptisme into him shall finde more peace with God in conscience and finde good will with men that are the children of God I speake not this that I would have a carnall Christmas kept in prophanenesse as it hath been much abused but a spirituall day in duties of piety and charitie to the poore to shew our selves Christians by honouring Christ in his birth day Thine in the Lord Jesus Christ J. E. The Contents of the Doctrines Reasons and Uses handled in this insuing Treatise GOod Newes for Souldiers or the way to overcome the Devill by the bloud of the Lamb Rev. 12. 11. The Exposition from the 7. verse to the 12. to make entrance 1. Doctrine That all faithfull Souldiers that love not their lives to the death shall overcome the Devill by the bloud of the Lambe and the proofes Three things requisite for to make a man able to overcome the Devill and all his enemies 1. He must have the golden faith of his Baptisme for his Regeneration 2. He must have a lively faith in the white raiment of Christs Righteousnesse And 3. Eye-salve of the Spirit of Christ Six Reasons 1. Reason When Satan tempts to sinne or despaire shew him the bloud of the Lambe 2. Reason When he shews to Conscience the curse of the Law shew him the bloud of Christ 3. Reason When he fights against Conscience with the feare of death say O death where is thy sting here is the bloud of the Lambe 4. Reason When he fights against Conscience with the feare of hell shew him the bloud of the Lambe saying O Hell where is thy victory 5. Reason For by the bloud of the Lambe wee are Conquerours already 6. Reason For by the bloud of the Lambe wee are more then Conquerours And that in foure Respects Uses how to disarme Satan Objection I am not afraid of the Devill but I am afraid of the Papists and Rebels of Ireland to cut my throat Answer If thou hast prevailed over the God of this world thou shalt prevaile with men Object They are wonderfull strong They have great Iron and Brasse Ordnance Ans. So had the Canaanites Chariots of Iron 2. Doctrine That all that fight against the Devill with the shield of Faith of the bloud of the Lambe and the word of their testimony shall surely overcome him for they by it quench all his fiery darts 1. Reason First Because by the word of our testimony wee give God the glory of his holinesse 2. Reason Because by it wee give him the glory of his wisdome 3. Reason We give him the glory of his truth 4. Reason We give him the glory of his power 5. Reason We give him the glory of his mercy 6. Reason We give unto God the glory of his Justice in three points of Justice Foure sleights of Satan to take this shield of faith out of thine hand 1. Use If Souldiers will give God the glory of his holines then they must beware of whoredome and keepe their bodies chaste and pure Temples for the Holy Ghost 2. Use If you give God the glory of his wisedome then aske counsell of the Lord for every battell as David did and you shall prevaile as he did 3. Use If you give glory to the truth of God then Souldiers must speake and practise truth accuse none falsly and then plunder them 4. Use If you give glory to the power of God sprinkle the bloud of the Lambe well and you shall be shot-free howsoever Devill-free 5. Use If you give glory to the mercy of God you must be mercifull as your Father is mercifull not cruell and to whom Justice 6. Use If you give God the glory of his Justice you must practise Justice towards men in three poynts Against the Anabaptists which would not have the Law Preached These things may doe good to many Christian Souldiers Let none stop them from the Presse Written by J. E. GOOD NEVVES FOR ALL CHRISTIAN SOULDIERS DEare Christians in stead of complementing Eloquence I shall endeavour to shew you that love not your lives unto the death how to overcome the Devill by the bloud of the Lambe and by that word of your testimony Revel. 12. 11. In the 7th verse wee heare there was a battell in Heaven i. in the Church saith Brightman and so there is now Michael and his Angels fought Michael which is by interpretation Quis sicut Deus he was sent to destroy his enemies that rose up against his Church when it lay in the Wildernesse for the wrath of the Dragon as it doth now lie in warre by the wrath of the Dragon the Devill and the Beast and false Prophet Michael the Lord Jesus Christ then whom none is stronger in heaven or earth For who is like our God as Meyer noteth in heaven i. in the justified Church which is rightly called heaven as Gal. 4. 26. Jerusalem which is above is the mother of us all is the holy Catholick Church saith Luther out of which Satan was cast which led the people to dumb Idolls Eph. 2. 2. And so he shall in this battell for Michael and his Angels will fight for you which is called the great Prince for the people of God Dan. 10. 21. i. Christ Jesus whose Angels are as Bullenger noteth those blessed ministring Spirits and all faithfull Christians which serve the Lord Jesus to fight against Antichrist and his instruments And the Dragon and his Angels fought i. all evill spirits and all evill men as the wise and rich of this world that fight against the Gospel and against a reformation whose power and subtiltie are their armour to fight against the Church against whom you must fight with spirituall armour Eph. 6. 13. For you have Michael your Prince that will give you the crowne of victory Rev. 2. 10. Marlorat A great battell first in respect of the Souldiers all beleevers on the one part and all unbeleevers on the other part Secondly In respect of the time the Enmitie between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent is the cause of it and therefore as the seed of the bond-woman persecuted the seed of the free-woman so it is now Gal. 4. 29. that now reached to you and will be to posteritie Thirdly The manner of the Battell all beleevers fight by the bloud of the Lambe and by the word of their testimonie which are invincible But the adversaries
by the word of your testimony of the blood of the Lamb you overcome the Devill because you give God the glory of his truth then look you shew your selves to be the children of the God of truth by delighting in the truth for it is a common practice of evill souldiers to accuse men falsly and therefore John the Baptist gave you this caveat that as you would be true souldiers of Jesus Christ so you must practise to speak the truth and accuse no man falsly and then plunder them for what shal it profit you to say God is a true God if you in the mean time be liers you declare that the God of truth is none of your God there are so many lies flie among men that the honest cannot tell what to believe Now you that have received his testimony that the blood of Jesus Christ hath cleansed you from all sin before God and that the righteousnesse of Christ hath made you everlastingly righteous Rev. 1. 5. you have sealed that God is true Let the power of this grace teach you to love to speak the truth and to shame the Devill For as he that telleth lies shall not tarry in Gods sight because he credits the Devill that was a lier from the beginning but hee that speaks the truth overcoms Satan with his tongue as he that believes the truth hath overcome the Devill in his heart he that fights for the truth shal overcome the enemy wth his hand for the God of truth wil uphold his children that fight for the truth by the blood of the Lamb Vse 4 Is it so that they overcame the Devill by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony because they give glory to the power of God Then consider how the Israelites overcame the Destroyer that slew all the first-born of Egypt by faith they slew the Paschal Lamb and the effusion of blood Heb. 11. lest he that destroy'd the first-born should touch them they sprinkled the two side posts and the upper door post with the blood of the Lamb with a bunch of Hysop and they overcame the Destroyer by faith that he could not hurt them for they gave God the glory of his Wisdome and Power that he was able to deliver them so seeing Christ your Passeover is sacrificed for you look that your two door posts of your life body and soul and the upper door post of your spirit be sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb 1 Thes. 5. 23. Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soul and body may be kept blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and how are they sanctified even by the blood of Christ for Jesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Heb. 13. 12. Now should they overcome the destroying Angel that he could not hurt them when by faith they sprinkled the two door posts and the lintell with the blood of the Lamb with a bunch of Hysop and the Destroyer passed over all their houses and could do them no hurt when he destroy'd all the first-born of Egypt both of man and beast So you Christian souldiers that fight under the banners of the Gospel the blood of the Lamb and the white raiment of Christs righteousnesse which you shall find to be the conquering banner For if the blood of Bulls and Goats and Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling them that are unclean sanctifieth concerning the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall Spirit offered himself without fault to God purge â—our consciences from dead works Look the blood of the Lamb begin there first to purge your consciences from sin confesse your selves to be wretched miserable poor and damnable sinners by Adam and originall sin the tree evill and the fruit evill and by the Law accursed in debt ten thousand talents of sin For if we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse 1 Joh. 1. 9. then confesse that the blood of the Lamb is able to wash away all your sins from your consciences and relie upon it take the Sacrament upon it that when you take the cup of the new Testament in Christs blood and drink of it the warme blood of the Lamb will testifie in thy conscience the remission of all thy sins and that God is become my father and I am one of his children and my sins and iniquities shall be remembred no more and wee may conclude as Paul for if the blood of Bulls and Goats c. If the blood of the Lamb sprinkled did deliver from the Destroyer that slew the Egyptians how much more shall the blood of the Lamb of God being sprinkled by faith on your bodies and souls and spirits deliver you from the destroying bullets that are sent to destroy your first-born all the true believers of the Gospel There is a strong delusion that goes among ill souldiers that Amulets or Charms or inchantment will make them shot-free but I will warrant them they are not Devill free for by such means they have made themselves an abomination to the Lord Deut. 18. 10 11 12. and the Devill will destroy them they shall not escape the Devills shot but he that shall fight against his enemies by faith in the blood of the Lamb and in his lawfull calling asking counsel of the Lord for every battel at the Oracle of Gods Word whether God doth approve of the war or no he shall not only be Devil-free but shot-free also for he shall give his Angels a charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways and they shall bear thee up in their hands that thou dash not thy foot against a stone keep thy calling and the Angels shall keep thee but if thou keep not thy calling the Angels will not keep thee take heed to keep thy generall calling to be a faithfull Christian and keep thee from all wickednesse Deut. 23. 9. And keep thy particular calling and the Angels shall keep thee Vse 5 Is it so faith by the testimony of the bloud of the Lambe gets victory over the Devill because it gives glory to the mercy of God that as thou sayest thou givest him the glory of his mercy it must cause thee shew mercy as your heavenly Father is mercifull for what though your heavenly Father be mercifull if you be cruell you shall be of your father in Hell for his works you will doe he was a murderer from the beginning and if you be cruell murderers you shall be of him therefore if you give God the glory of his mercy give him glory in the practise of mercie to be mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull even to your enemies Quest What shall we spare all and put none of our enemies to death when we have conquered them Answ I answer He that
when it is more needfull to strive for a wedding garment for to him that overcometh and keepeth his garments Rev. 16. 15. will I give saith Christ to sit with me in my Throne Rev. 3. 21. signifying that shall be the conquering and raigning people whom Christ hath loved and washed from their sins in his own blood and made Kings and Priests to God his Father and they shall raign upon earth Rev. 1. 5. and 5. 10. Let England consider Christs words Rev. 3. 18. I counsell thee to buy of mee gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be made rich which is the lively faith in the merits of Christs death in baptisme which make men rich that were poor by Adam and white raiment that thou mayest be cloathed that the filthinesse of the wickeness of sin may not appeare which is the white wedding garment of justification which makes a Christian know hee is ready for Christ when he hath it and eye-salve of the spirit of Christ that we may see how to walk by the Spirit and in discipline of the Word for untill this counsell of Christ be taken in England both of the Angels and Church this war will not cease for untill a mans wayes or Churches wayes please the Lord he will not make all his enemies to be at peace with him Prov. 16. 7. And when shall that be in England think you when they will be guided by his counsell i. Rev. 3. 18. he will then receive them to glory Psal. 73. Now many men dote so much about Discipline that they think to make a rare Church by it but are greatly deceived For if a man should take a company of Vipers to make them Nightingals do you think he can make them such by Discipline all the orders and skil let him order them how he can will not make them become Nightingals but if he can make them new creatures they may be made Nightingalls as well as any other creature There were two Pharisees which were the generation of Vipers Matth. 3. which were made sweet Nightingals by baptisme wherein they were made new creatures and sang sweetly in the night as Nicodemus that having learn'd the doctrine of regeneration of water and the Spirit in baptisme he was so changed that in the night when the other Pharisees as Vipers would have condemned Christ sang for him thus Doth our law condemn any man before it heare him and hee sweetly buried him with sweet odors And another notorious Viper that was a murtherer and a blasphemer Saul was so changed by baptisme when he did arise and was baptized he washed away his sins in calling on the name of the Lord that of a murtherer and blasphemer he became a sweet Preacher of the Gospel by night and till the dawning of the day and sang Psalmes in the night so sweetly that the Lord heard him and sent an earthquake Acts 16. Wherefore if you would make a good Church it must be by faith in our baptisme into Christ when wee were little children and by the white raiment of Christs righteousnesse applyed by faith Discipline may order a childe in good manners but he must have a soul and body first Now Baptisme and the white raiment is as the soul and body of all Christianity he that wants faith in this cannot tell whether hee be in Christ or no Discipline may order a Church but cannot make one Truly I never look to see a pure Discipline untill the Jewes be called which I wish all the faithfull to pray for except the woman clothed with the Sun begin to make one which hath the bright morning Star which are that chast and holy Congregation as Mr. Brightman calls them which are the place of Gods pleasures and the hill of his delights wherein God taketh more delight then in any thing of the world as Rev. 19. 17. which Church is now arising out of the corruption of the Church of Laodicea Corruptio unius est generatio alterius for though he will spue the luke-warm out yet there is a few names in Laodicea that shall sit with Christ in his Throne wherefore if you be brethren and going to the new Jerusalem remember Josephs words to his brethren Fall not out by the way for a Discipline who shall have the preeminence Let not him that putteth on the armour boast as he that putteth it off for as victory is of the Lord so is government If you look for government before wee have peace the gift of God you reckon without your hoast wherefore I command you from the Lord study to be quiet and do your own busines and work out your salvation with fear and trembling and perswade Euodius of the Presbyters and beseech Syntiche of the Independents to be of one accord in the Lord and labour all to overcome the Devill by the bloud of the Lamb as this Sermon shews you who would set you together by the ears to kill one another that he might get both I have writ of the miseries of England and of the remedies of the same and have shewen at least forty causes how the Bishops have brought the sword upon the land and therefore are justly put down of the Lord and his Parliament which I purpose to set in print if Satan hinder it not Let it not be said that the Presbyters and Independents have set dissention in the Parliament and City and in the Armies and brought the sword into their own bowells to make the Papists sport wherefore let no man speak any more of any government in the Church of England except by Parliament untill the wars cease those that shall remain shall pray unto the Lord to shew them such a Discipline out of Gods Word as shall be pleasing unto him Men may imagine that there may be a smiling shew of peace but they shall finde that Male sarta gratia nequicquam coit there is so much blood in the morter that it will not daub love will not grow within there is so much blood without and yet for my part I desire if the Lord will and pray for the peace of Jerusalem that peace may be within our walls and plenteousnesse within our palaces for no peace no plenty for where wars and sedition remain wee must look for earthquakes famine and pestilence Luke 21. 9 10 11. you shall have little pleasure in a Presbyterie or Independencie before these warres cease for there is a flood of Gods judgements coming now on all the world there shall none escape but those that get into the Ark of the faith of their baptisme into Christ 1 Pet. 3. 21. and such as take Christs counsell Rev. 3. 18. which are the blessed people that keep Christs garments unto them that their filthy nakednesse may not be seen Rev. 16. 15. and such as keep the word of his patience Rev. 3. 10. these shall be delivered from this hour of tentation Question 2 Now there is another Question also among many