the windings of his tail are against Jesus Christ so they are against us He tempts us as I said before somtimes to question our son-ship and somtimes to destroy our selves and someimes to fall down and worship him by his setâ—ing before us the glory of the world as he did before Christ The eleventh thing to be enquired into is What the third part of the stars of Heaven are which by the tail of the great red Dragon are drawn out of heaven and cast into the earth The third part of the stars of heaven are those that are unstable infirm unsetled not built upon the sâ—re foundation that in appearance have shined like stars in heaven they are not to be understood the material stars but it is a Metaphorical kind of expression borrowed from the stars they shined as the stars As there hath bin some in our days that have shined so in shew but are now cast down out of heaven into the earth so that now their lights are put out they themselves are become earthly worldly carnal and the like The twelfth thing to be be enquired into is What the earth is into which the great red Dragon casteth the third part of the stars of heaven The earth somtimes is put for the men of the earth As O earth hear the word of the Lord sometimes it is put for the material earth as Gen. 1. 20. but here it is to be taken for that which the first man is off the first man is of the earth earthly so that it is taken for that earthly mindedness worldliness wickedness wretchedness and filthiness which was in Adam after his fall The thirteenth thing to be enquired into is What the meaning of the great red Dragons standing before the woman which was ready to be delivered is standing is a posture of readiness to devour so that it holds forth this the readiness that the Dragon is in to devour the man-child and that term before her that is before the womans face facing of the woman the womans readiness to be delivered signifies her being nigh at hand to bring forth Now what a sad thing it would be for a woman to have one that seeks her life and the life of her child stand facing of her when she is ready to bring forth it will endanger both the woman and child so it is here O what a sad thing it is to the Church of Christ to have the great red Dragon stand facing of her when she is ready to be delivered of Jesus Christ it is the only way to make the Church of Christ miscarry Thus you see that the meaning of the Dragons standing before the woman holds forth That there is a readiness in the Dragon to devour the Babe either by facing of the woman and so making of her miscarry by reason of fear or by devouting of the Babe when he is born The fourteenth thing to be enquired into is what the meaning of that saying is for to devour her child as soon as it was born To devour is to eat up quite to make an end of as soon as it was born that is so soon as it was brought forth So soon as ever the Saints of God are in a readiness to bring forth Christ in them the great red Dragon stands before their face for to devour him he cannot endure Christ should be in them or brought forth in them but seeks to destroy him 〈◊〉 just as Herod and the Scribes and Pharisees after Christ was born did seek to devour Christ without us so the Dragon seeks to devour him within us and for this purpose she stands before us and faceth us that he might be the more ready to catch and lay hold of Christ and quash the appearing of him in us You know what a sad thing it would be for a woman to have her child as soon as it was brought forth snatcht from her and devoured and eaten up before her face O how it would trouble her So for a soul to have Jesus Christ so soon as he is brought forth in it snatcht from it and devoured and eaten up before its face O what a sad case that soul will be in O how it will cry out for is Jesus is Jesus as the woman would for her child O my child my child The terms in the words being thus explained the first Thesis or Basis upon which I shall build my discourse is this That there is such a thing as the great red Dragon in heaven It is cleer from the words and it is cleer from other Scriptures as that Scripture in Luke 10. 18. saith Christ to his Disciples I beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven he was in heaven and Christ saw him fall from his seat Question But you will ask me What Is Satan in heaven To that I answer as followeth First Satan in heaven is Satan in a Priestly shape Secondly Satan in heaven is Satan in a Prophetical shape Thirdly Satan in heaven is Satan in a Kingly shape First of all Satan in heaven is Satan in a Priestly shape appearing as the Priest Christ Jesus acting his Priesthood doing the very office and work of Christ as offering sacrifice to God putting up petitions to him praying and the like Secondly Satan in heaven is Satan in a Prophetical shape as the Prophet Christ acting him as a Prophet prophesie as he did that is to say speak to edification exhortation reproof and of things to come O how Satan hath bin in heaven in some in this respect in our days In what a Prophetical shape he hath appeared who have prophesied out of their own hearts who have followed their own spirits and have seen nothing but vanity and lying Divination saying The Lord saith and the Lord hath not sent them and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word and they have with their lyes made the heart of the righteous sad when God hath not made sad Ezek. 13. All which we cannot but see fulfilled in our days Thirdly Satan in heaven is Satan in a Kingly shape acting the Kingly Office of Christ reigning ruling and commanding within the heart and without as Christ But to make things more plain the Dragon in heaven is the Dragon on high Secondly The Dragon in glory Thirdly The Dragon at rest For heaven presents us with all these three things Height Glory and Rest First of all The Dragon in heaven is the Dragon on High that is to say in the Chair Seat and Temple of God shewing himself that he is God and saying that he is God 2 Thes. 2. 4. He it is that exalts himself as the Eagle that sets his nest among the stars Obad. 1. 4. He is that Lucifier that ascends into heaven and that exalts his Throne above the stars that sits upon the mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North Isa. 14. 13. He is that Capernaum which is exalted unto heaven and which shall be
brought down unto hell Matth. 11. 23. Secondly The Dragon in heaven is the Dragon in Glory which is nothing else but the Dragon in an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11. 14. Gal. 1. 8. And no marvel for Satan himself is changed into an Angel of Light And Satan was changed into an Angel of Light in those false Apostles in this respect in preaching another Jesus Spirit and Gospel that was not preached received and accepted and truly we may see the Dragon changed into an Angel of Light in our days in this respect There is another Jesus preached that was not preached not that Jesus which dyed at Jerusalem but one which is within us say some when as he that dyed at Jerusalem and he within us is all one Jesus or another Jesus that is they preach salvation by works another Spirit which is a Spirit of freedom to do any manner of wickedness and another Gospel which is justification by Works not that Gospel which Paul preached That Christ dyed at Jerusalem for our sins according to the Scripture and that he was buried and that he rose again 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. In which saying lies hid more glory than we dream of and is more hard to be believed than many think it is Thirdly The Dragon in heaven is the Dragon at rest for Heaven notes rest See Revel. 18. 7. She saith in her heart I sit a Queen and am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow She sits a Queen sitting notes rest she sits a Queen that is as one in State and Honour and no Widdow that is she is in no Widdows state which is a sorrowful state she sits a Queen there is the great red Dragons being at rest in her which is the Dragons being in heaven I shall further illustrate it by these four following things that is to say The Dragon in Heaven is the Dragon in and under things that seem to savour of Piety Zeal Holiness and Righteousness The Dragon in Heaven is the Dragon I say covered over with a seeming savour of Piety Zeal and Holiness He pretends much Piety Zeal and Holiness in Professors much Prayer much Fasting much keeping of the Sabbath much giving of Alms as in the Scribes and Pharisees he did When the Sons of God came to present themselves before God He came with them Job 1. 6. which was to shew how religious he was but under these his specious shews lies subtilty mingled with bloudyness and cruelty Secondly The Dragon in Heaven is the Dragon in Peace for Heaven notes Peace that is at quiet with a Professor that he doth not disturb nor molest him night nor day so that the poor soul knows not what to do Now the Dragon is then in Peace when he sees all is so in the soul as he would have it he will never trouble that soul but if it be not so in the soul as he would have it as it is not in Saints O then he is never at Peace and Quiet but is always tempting and troubling it so that the soul hath no quiet in its Spirit the Dragon thinking thereby to bring about his Designes Thirdly The Dragon in Heaven is the Dragon in joy Now then the Dragon is in joy if I may so say when by his tempting and troubling of a Saint he hath gotten the best of him then he rejoyceth O how merry and joyful he would be indeed if he could quite ruine a Saint The Dragons joyfulness lies in the Saints sadness trouble and overthrow The more or less sad troubled or overcome they are the more or less is his joy Lastly The Dragon in Heaven is the Dragon in a pretended perfect immediate and high enjoyments of God in the Spirit Allegorizing the Scripture and so denying the letter thereof Those whose eys God hath opened cannot but subscribe to this for this is to be seen now a days in Professors O how have they pretended perfect immediate enjoyments of God in the Spirit under pretence whereof denying the Scripture O how they have vaunted and said we enjoy God immediately that is without the Scripture Alas what is the Scripture say they how scornfully they have spoken of it though it be profitable for Instruction that the man of God be throughly perfect to salvation as Paul saith Some there are that Allegorize the Scripture and under pretence of that make void the Letter which allegorizing the Scripture they call the spiritual interpretation of the Letter when as the spiritual interpretation of the letter is that interpretation which the Spirit of God gives of the Letter It is true there are some things in Scripture which are to be taken otherwise then they are set down in the letter that is when they are allegorically parabolically and symbolically spoken But they allegorize every place of Scripture almost which I know no warrant for and so deny the letter I will name but one place of Scripture and that is in 1 John 4. 2. Every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ come in the flesh is of God that is come within us say they And so under pretence of this deny Jesus Christ in manifestation in the flesh and suffering at Jerusalem c. and so utterly overthrow what Christ hath done for us and so they become the greatest Antichrists in the world There are two sorts of Professors in the world that deny Jesus Christ come in the flesh One sort of Professors are those that altogether look at Jesus Christ within them and deny him without them and these are those that deny Jesus Christ come in the flesh and so are the Antichrist There is a second sort of Professors that look at Jesus Christ altogether without them as one suffering at Jerusalem and being raised c. but never look at him as within them they never find the Life Power and Spirit of him within them and so they are Antichrist as well as the other Now that Professor which acknowledgeth Christ come in the flesh and Christ come in his flesh and whose faith is fixed on Christ as one in the Heavens and in every place and as one that is in his heart as well as he is in the Heavens and in every place is not Antichrist If it be so that there is such a thing as the great red Dragon in Heaven then beg of God a sight of him in Heaven for you cannot see him till a door be opened in Heaven to you as there was to John He may stand at your right hand and left hand and you see him not Till you be taken up by the Spirit into Heaven you cannot discern his seven heads ten horns and seven crowns that is to say those multiplicities of subtilties policies and glory wherewith he deceives poor Souls and till you know his tricks you cannot beware of them but he will set upon you on every side and you shall see it not he will blind your eyes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus
And as for the woman she hath a place prepared for her in the Wilderness from the face of the Serpent Revel. 12. 14. A great blessedness it is though it be in the wilderness that is in a bewilded state for there the child Jesus is kept from the Dragons mouth O ye remnant of the womans seed therefore the Dragon went to make war with you and therefore I will direct my speech to you It is you the Dragon aims at it is you the Dragon will have about with it is you that he will make war with stand to your arms therefore be not without your weapons always in your hands be always girt about with truth and having on the brest-plate of Righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace and above all take the shield of Faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil And take the helmet of Salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance lest you be conquered and your Jesus devoured before your face Above all take the shield of Faith The best weapon to fight against the Dragon is Faith Quest But you will ask me What is it and how shall we use it I shall according to my light shew you that because Faith is little spoken of now adays and so make an end Ans. First I shall shew you what Faith is It is the fixing of the heart on Christ Ps. 57. 7. It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Hebr. 1. 1. First of all Faith is the substance of things hoped for by us that is it is the ground or confidence of things hoped for it gives us ground and confidence of things that are hoped for by us Secondly It is the evidence of or it is that which evidenceth to our spirits things not seen that is things we do not see it is that which evidenceth to us things not seen or it is the conviction of things not seen by us it convinceth us of things not seen The next thing is how faith is to be used against the Dragon just as Iacob used it when he wrestled with the Angel But how was that See Gen. 32. 24 25 26 27 28 29. And Iacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day And when he saw that he prevailed not against him he touched the hollow of Iacobs thigh and the hollow of Iacobs thigh was out of joynt Here is Iacob and an Angel wrestling together till break of day here is the Angel not prevailing when the Angel saw he prevailed not against Iacob he put Iacobs thigh out of joynt as he wrestled with him which was to try Iacobs faith See here the hollow of Iacobs thigh out of joynt After the doing of which by the Angel he saith Let me go Iacob The Angel would have been gone had not Iacobs faith kept him from going Saith Iacob I will not let thee go without a blessing As if he should have said Bless me and then thou shalt go I must be blessed and I am resolved to be blessed notwithstanding the hollow of my thigh is out of joynt Here is Iacobs faith he would not let go but he would hang upon the Angel still Just as if two were wrestling together and the one should put out the hollow of the thigh of the other and that other though he could not wrestle should hang upon the other and hold him with his hands So it is here Iacob though he cannot wrestle yet he hangs upon and holds with his hands the Angel and is resolved he will hang there and if the Angel went he would go with him hanging upon him unless the Angel blessed him Behold what faith is here When the Angel saw he would not let him go unless he blessed him the Angel asked him his name and he said his name was Iacob And the Angel said Thou shalt no more be called Iacob but Israel which signifies a prevailer and conqueror There is the blessing So that let your hearts be fixed on Christ as one that is not only above you that is to say in the Heavens but also within you and do not mind the Dragon so much as faith in Christ We fight against the Dragon and sin many times and never think of Christ but let your eyes be set upon him and do not wrestle with the Dragon but with Christ against the Dragon and then you wrestle aright We wrestle with the Dragon and not with Christ against the Dragon we never think of him and that is the reason we do not prevail Wrestle with Christ against the Dragon and let your eyes be placed on him and though he touch the hollow of your thigh put it out of joynt as I may so say that is take away your strength so that you cannot wrestle with Christ as many times he doth take away our power to see whether we though we cannot wrestle yet will depend and hang upon him tell Christ if he attempts to go away from you that though you cannot wrestle with him yet you will depend and hang upon him that if he go away it shall be with you hanging upon him though he say to you Let me go yet do you reply again to him and say We will not let thee go except thou bless us Then he will enquire of your names and give you other names and call you Israelites that is Prevailers over the Dragon FINIS