fight with infidelitie and armed with lies the justified must fight by faith in the bloud of the Lamb that he hath loved you and washed you from your sinnes in his own bloud to make you without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5. 26. and made you Kings and Priests to God his Father and prove it by the Word Rev. 1. 5. Col. 1. 22. That he hath throwne upon Christ the iniquities of us all i. e. guilt and punishment The other fight by infidelitie which doe not beleeve this but by hatred lies and sword persecute them that beleeve so for the Devill was a lyer from the beginning and a murtherer as his children are Ver. 8. But they prevailed not Here is comfort for all you faithfull Souldiers they shall not prevaile against you for the gates of bell shall not prevaile against the faith of your free justification by Christ Mat. 16. His place was no more found in heaven i. The Devill was cast out of heaven that accused the Saints before God day and night by the victory of Christ upon the Crosse saith Elton And the Heathen Emperour a Dragon was cast out of the heaven of the Church by Constantine saith Brightman and the Beast and the false Prophet must be cast out of the heaven of the Church by our Michael i. Christ and his Souldiers which all you are that are faithfull For by our Michael he is cast out of the hearts of the Elect as the Apostles saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven Luk. 10. 18. as Meyer For now is the Judgement of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out so now shall Antichrist be cast out of the Church of England not so much for the sword as by the Word preached For where the death of Christ is preached and by faith received that he bare all our sinnes in his body upon the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. That we being dead to sinne should live in righteousnesse by whose stripes yee were healed the Devill must needs be cast out saith Marlorat So that here is the cause why Satan dwells in the hearts of the wicked they beleeve not that the bloud of the Lamb hath purged their hearts from all sinne therefore Satan an uncleane spirit will dwell in that heart that is not washed by faith in the bloud of the Lambe But where the heart is washed by faith in that bloud Christ dwells there as Eph. 3. 17. For where Christ is received into the heart for Idolatry and superstition true Religion and piety comes in for carnall reason the Spirit of God comes in which illuminates the minde and changeth the will to God from uncleannesse to sanctitie as Marlorat Ver. 9. And the great Dragon the old Serpent c. The Devill is called the old Serpent saith Pignetius because he hath alwayes deadly poyson prepared to infect men Secondly He is the same that labours by all meanes to hinder you from Paradise as he caused our first parents to be cast out and therefore so much the rather to be taken heed of in his practise to bring thee to sinne for if he did thus to our first parents when they were pure from all spot of inherent sinnes what will he doe against thee that art inherently uncleane by sinne if thou hast not the bloud of the Lambe Which is called the Devill {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. Calumniator a Caviller or an Accuser so that you see that cavillers against the faithfull and accusers of the Brethren for the true faith in Christs bloud and righteousnesse change names with the Devill called Satanas i. adversarius an adversary i. because he is such an enemie as his children are and adversary to the professors of free Justification that by the bloud of Christ and his righteousnesse men should be saved and be made without spot before the Throne of God Rev. 14. 5. Satan cannot abide that doctrine Which deceiveth all the world Because he perswadeth men contrary to the Word of God as Bullenger and Musculus i. the Reprobate by his fallacies and lies as Paul saith to feare lest as Satan seduced Eve so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicitie that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11. 3. He was cast downe to the Earth even to be troden under foote of men as Psal. 91. 13. Thou shalt goe upon the Lion and the Aspe the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet as Luk. 10. 19. He is cast downe to the earth i. to hurt earthly minded men onely for woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea because the Devill is come down amongst you that hath great wrath because his time is but short So you shall finde that these warres shall be wofull to the Inhabitants of the earth and Sea by the Devils meanes but it shall not hurt the true Church For Satan departing from them that are faithfull and overcoming him by the bloud of the Lambe he shall hurt onely earthly-minded men that preferre earthly things before heavenly and contemne the truth as Erasmus And they are cast into the earth in respect of any power to doe hurt to you the children of God but shall hurt earthly men by Sea and Land Ver. 10. Then I heard a loud voyce in heaven For the faithfull cannot but praise God for the confusion of Satan their deadly enemy saith Pignetius Hic ergo {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a song of triumph of the Church triumphing over the Devill that is overcome which shews the cause why many men doe not praise the Lord with a loud voyce they beleeve not the Devill is overcome therefore they are afraid of him In Heaven i. In the Church which dwels in the large heaven of remission of sinnes and in the kingdome of heaven which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost as Luther And hath her conversation in heaven Phil. 3. 2â— Now is salvation For where sinne reigned there perdition had a place but where the Gospel reignes i. the glad tydings that Christ hath purged your sinnes in his own person and is set downe at the right hand of God Heb. 1. 3. there is life and salvation And strength Not of men but of God for the right hand of the Lord hath the preheminence and therefore he will give his Church the victory And the Kingdome of our God wherein the Devill reigned saith Musculus by Idolatry And the power of his Christ for his power appeares especially in converting men to his righteousnesse For the accuser of the Brethren is cast down for this is the property of the Devill and his Instruments and if he can to lay open to damnation those that he suspects shall be heirs of heaven and ascend to that place from which hee fell which he doth most commonly by Scripture as to Christ wherefore I have laboured in these fourteen differences to disarm Satan against the
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
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
Meyer that we should know that the bloud of Jesus Christ shall not be profitable to us except we beleeve it and give testimony of it Many will boast that they are redeemed by the bloud of Christ when in the meane time they refuse the Gospel i. they refuse to beleeve the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth them from all sin before God And when men have lost this how many inventions doe men deceive themselves with to take away their sinnes Some hope to take them away by pilgrimages some by the Popes pardons or by Purgatory some by their holy walking almes-deeds or repentance a little before they die or good meaning but such are deceived because as Christ hath sanctified his Church cleansed it by the washing of water through the Word so the way to overcome sinne and the Devill is by the bloud of the Lamb and by that word of their testimony Hence wee gather this Doctrine Doct. That all that would overcome the Devill by the bloud of the Lambe must fight with the word of their testimony i. must not onely have the shield of faith in the bloud of the Lambe but the sword of the Spirit the word of God whereby we give testimony or testifie of the bloud of the Lamb i. wee must shew our true faith by the word of our testimony Ephes. 6. 6. Above all take the shield of faith wherewith yee shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked for he that can quench all his fiery darts shall surely overcome him This shield of faith that quencheth is the bloud of the Lambe Above all signifying that this is the most speciall thing of greatest weight to overcome the Devill by which is called the wicked and when the children of the wicked shoote fiery bullets the best way to quench them is by faith in the bloud of the Lambe Now you know if a man had such a shield as would stop and quench and fence all the fiery bullets of the enemies in warre what man would goe to warre without it so when you know that the bloud of the Lambe will quench all the fiery darts of the Devill who would goe to warre without it When the enemies shoote wild-fire into a Towne you Souldiers know milke will presently quench it though it be shot upon thatched houses though it be the fiercest fire for 't is a secret in nature for milke to quench wild-fire Now wee are all in respect of the fiery darts of the Devill like unto thatched houses ready to fire presently by reason of originall sinne dwelling in us That if the Devill shoote his fiery dart of lust wee are ready to flie on fire as David did by looking on Bathsheba we must quench it by the bloud of the Lambe If he shoote his fiery dart of covetousnesse we are ready to burne as Aâ—han if wee have not the bloud of the Lambe that quencheth covetousnesse If he shoote the fiery dart of anger and wrath and revenge wee are ready to burne as Joah powre on the bloud of the Lambe and it will quench it If he shoote the fiery dart of despaire as to Caine and Judas we are ready to flame as they did quench it with the bloud of the Lambe for the Apostle sayes directly by the shield of faith yee may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked then if you doe not take it thanke your selves if you burne for here is a secret in divinitie that the bloud of the Lambe will quench all the fiery darts of the Devill therefore above all take the shield of faith signifying that this is the most speciall thing for a Souldier and of greatest necessitie to be sure he take the shield of faith in the bloud of the Lamb the helmet of salvation and the brestplate of Christs righteousnesse and the girdle of veritie be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace yet Satan may shoot such a fiery dart into thy heart as may set thee on fire therefore above all these take the shield of faith whereby yee may quench Satans fiery darts Things in Scripture that have the speciallest Item are of most speciall use as when he saith Doe good to all especially to the household of faith i. that are knowne to be the true Disciples of Christ that are the children of the marriage chamber so the Apostle says The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the word and doctrine 1 Tim. 5. 17. So above all pieces of spirituall armour especially take the shield of faith of the bloud of the Lamb to overcome the Devill by to quench his fiery darts And by the word of their Testimony i. by that word which testifies of the bloud of the Lamb we overcome him In Johns testimonie of Christ wee reade that he called Christ the Lamb of God that which taketh away the sinnes of the world i. he was come to take them away But now the Apostles and faithfull Ministers of Christ that are greater then John for they beare a greater testimonie for they testifie by the word that the bloud of the Lamb hath washed away our sinnes for so it is written in the word and wee testifie of it Rev. 1. 5. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. That he hath loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his own bloud and in whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of our sinnes Marke he testifieth we have not we shall have and he hath loved us not he will Now there be six Reasons why the Devill is overcome or a Christian overcomes the Devill by the bloud of the Lamb and the word of that testimony First Reason Because by our testimony of that bloud we give unto God the glory of his holinesse against the Devill and sight and feeling for when Satan says Thou art an uncleane sinner and unholy how shouldest thou come neare so pure and so holy a God seeing thou art so uncleane and filthy by sinne and sight and feeling will help Satan to condemne a mans own conscience Now first we must confesse it For if wee confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse 1 John 1. 9. By confessing the truth wee shame the Devill for we well know wee are defiled with sinne by Adam but by the word of our testimony of the bloud of the Lambe that hath purged us from all sinne and having our garments washed white in the bloud of the Lamb Rev. 7. 14. He hath made us holy and unblameable and without fault in his sight Col. 1. 22. and we are made the Temple of God that is holy which are yee that so wee may appeare beautifull in the fight of God And by this manner of appearing before God by the bloud of the holy Lamb we acknowledge God to be so perfectly holy that he cannot indure the sight of any uncleane
a childe of four yeers old can Answ Though faith be hard to the carnall sense not yet inspired yet it is easie to the mind inlightened for as Salomon saith Knowledge is easie to him that will understand Prov. 14. 6. i. if he be willing and love it so faith is easie to him that will believe not that it is in mans power but where the Spirit of God works a desire to ask seek and knock Wisdome will open the door for none that come unto me put I away saith Christ Quest Quest What is the reason then that so many never get faith for the assurance of salvation Answ Answ. 1. Because they ask amisse not in faith of the blood of the Lamb that hee hath washed them from their sins in his owne blood in Baptisme Rev. 1. 5. If they misse this mark they shoot wide of the assurance of salvation For if I wash thee not thou hast no part in me Joh. 13. 8. Secondly because they seek faith in themselves carnall reason fleshly devices by wit of mans phantasie and not in the blood of the Lamb the god of this world blindeth their minds that the glorious Gospel of the blood of the Lamb and his white raiment should not shine to them Thirdly because they oppose the doctrine of free justification by Christs blood and righteousnesse and wink at it and imbrace not the purity of that doctrine but count it an errour and receive not the love of the truth they are given over to believe an error and falsities which can give thee no assurance of salvation Fourthly because they turn to the greatest multitude which scoff at and persecute the truth God gives them over to walk in blindnesse as the Pharisees did Sleight 3 The third sleight that faith is needlesse there is more need of works many prate of faith but let me see good works a good hope is enough with good works Answ I answer that there is great need of faith for works severed from faith are abominable before God Heb. 11. 6. And if a good hope were enough why did the Apostles pray Lord increase our faith Luk. 17. 5. and Mark 9. 24. For as all things are possible to him that believeth so all things are impossible to him that believeth not Heb. 11. 6. Sleight 4 The 4th sleight Thy faith is not sound but counterfeit thou an hypocrite thy faith is mixed with imperfections sins wavering Answ I answer I prove my faith by the causes for he hath given us a mind to know him which is true and we are in him that is true in that his Son Jesus Christ the same is very God and eternall life 1 Joh. 5. 20. And this is the true Jesus that came by water and blood not by water of baptisme only but by water and blood and it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse i. to my spirit that I am a child of God Rom. 8. 16. and that Spirit is truth 1 Joh. 5. 6. therefore having my heart sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb from an evill conscience and my body washed with pure water i. in baptisme I may keep my profession without wavering Heb. 10. 23. This faith worketh by love and a desire to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. Vse 1 Is it so that the faithfull overcome the Devill by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony You see Christian souldiers that love not your lives unto the death and therefore you that give up your bodies and souls living and acceptable sacrifices unto God which is your reasonable service of God and lay down your lives for the brethren and for the Gospel are to be honoured as martyrs You see that by true faith in the blood of the Lamb you shall overcome the Devill because you give testimony to the holinesse of God Let this move all you that are souldiers of Jesus Christ to give glory to the holinesse of God in keeping your bodies chast and pure and Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in for the Temple of God is holy which are yee 1 Cor. 3. 17. If you say you give glory to the holinesse of God give him glory in keeping your selves holy Temples of God But if any man destroy the Temple of God him shall God destroy Hee that destroyes it by whoredom for thereby thou becomest one flesh with an whore Latrina Diaboli for as the Temple of God was destroyed when it was made a Jakes so is the Temple of God destroyed when it is made the devils Jakes for he that is made one flesh with an whore which is the Devils Jakes is thereby made the Devils Jakes but all whoremongers are made one flesh with his whore that is the devils jakes Ergo they are made the devils jakes and so the Temple of God is destroyed and therefore their destiny is to be destroyed that do not repent for Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Heb. 13. 4. he will destroy such as destroy the Temple of God therefore you may perceive such to prove cowards for fearfulness goes before destruction and an high mind before a fall There is a conceit among souldiers that Wine will make men valiant but it is false for whoredome wine and new wine take away the heart i. whoredom drunkenness make men arrant cowards Hos. 4. 11. For whoredome drunkenness make an evill conscience and an evill conscience make men fearfull and flee where no fear is Prov. 28. 1. For an evill conscience and the curse of God runs after him and will overtake him Vse 2 Is it so that by the word of your testimony of the blood of the Lamb you overcome the Devill by giving glory to the wisdome of God then let this faith guide you to follow his wisdome and deny your own as the Psalmist said Thou shalt guide me by thy counsell and afterward receive me to glory Psal. 73. 24. And therefore as David did so do you ask counsell of the Lord for every battell at the Oracle of Gods Word i. whether God doth allow it or no as Jehosaphat said 1 King 22. 5. Ask counsell I pray thee of the Lord of day for there can be no war or battell lawfull but that wee may finde some warrant out of the Word of God that doth warrant it to be lawfull so shall you be sure both to overcome your spirituall enemy the Devill by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony and also your temporall enemies by faith in that blood and by the word of your testimony for should not a people inquire at their God signifying yes they should to the Law and to the testimony if they speak or fight not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa. 8. 20. So shall you say Thou hast made me wiser then mine enemies by thy commandments for they are ever with me Psal. 119. 98 my delight and counsels Vse 3 Is it so that
spareth Gods enemies when God hath delivered them into your hands as Ahab did Benhadad to be slaine thy life shall goe for his life thy people for his people By sparing Benhadad he was cruell to the Israelites for he was the cause of the death of all those Israelites that Benhadad slew afterward whom if he had slaine he had shewed mercy to Israel So concerning the Rebels of Ireland that have cut the throats of your brethren in Ireland and are come over to doe the like here seeing the sword is put into your hands by the Parliament send an Herauld or Trumpetter before every battell unto your enemie or send men through all the Armie or Shire saying What wickednesse is this that is committed of the Rebels Jesuites and Papists of Ireland Now therefore deliver us those wicked men which are in your Armie or Citie that wee may put them to death for their villanie and put away evill from England Judg. 20. 12. 13. If they refuse to deliver them they shall maintaine murtherers and you shall overcome them by the bloud of the Lambe Proclaime free quarter for all true Protestants which are forced to fight against you shew your selves unto them saying Sirs wee are brethren why doe wee wrong one another Act. 7. 26 Send messengers unto them saying What have wee to doe to fight with thee thou King of Judah wee come not against thee this day but against the house of our enemie and God hath commanded us to make haste leave off to come against God which is with us lest he destroy you see 2 Chron. 35. 21. And when God gives them into your hands say unto Zebah and Salmana What manner of men were they whom yee slew at Tabor in Ireland or England As thou art a Protestant so were they every one was like the children of a King say They were my brethren even my mother Churches children As the Lord liveth if yee had saved their lives I would not slay you Judg. 7. 18 19. signifying if you had shewed mercy you should have found mercy but you have been mercilesse enemies to my brethren therefore I will slay you as your sword hath made women childlesse so shall your mother be childlesse among other women with Samuel I will hew you in pieces before the Lord 1 Sam. 15. 33. for though you come pleasantly and say truly the bitternesse of death is passed by a pacification yet you shall not escape the sword for he that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed Gen. 9. 6. Therefore shew mercy unto your brethren by slaying of those that have and will slay more of your brethren for if any lead into captivitie he shall go into captivitie if any kill with the sword be must be killed by a sword true is the patience and faith of the Saints Rev. 13. 10. that is to kill them with the sword that have killed their brethren with the sword as Gideon did Vse 6 Is it so that by the testimony of the bloud of the Lamb you give glory to the justice of God by testifying Gods justice is satisfied by the bloud of the Lamb justice and mercy are met together in the bloud of Christ his justice hath full satisfaction and his mercy is shewed to us in throwing upon him the iniquities of us all and Righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other i. Christs righteousnesse is ours and therefore wee have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Now can you give God the glory of his justice and then practise no justice to your brethren but plunder and rob and spoyle and steale be it farre from you can you be children of the just God of heaven and earth and practise such unjustice to your brethren for how can you say there is satisfaction made to Gods justice for thy trespasses by the bloud of the Lamb but that must move thee to give satisfaction for the trespasses you have done to your brethren And secondly doth his justice require that that should be remitted for which satisfaction is made by the bloud of the Lamb so doth justice require that they should be plundered which have made satisfaction by their weekly pay should not a faithfull Souldier be content with his wages Yes saith the Souldier if he could get it Ans. Will you wrong yor brethren and plunder and spoyle them because some deceive you of your wages enquire who have received it and that true satisfaction may be made be not unjust to others because others are unjust to you for the unjust shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven 1 Cor. 6. 9. Lose not your souls for a little pay And thirdly doth Justice require that that should be injoyed that is purchased by the bloud of the Lambe as remission of sinnes and an inheritance in heaven let the power of this grace move all Souldiers to suffer the fatherless and the widow injoy that which is purchased for them and not to destroy your brethren and their inheritance The sheep and the oxen made an ill sound in Samuels eares though they were brought for a good intent to do sacrifice but they made a worse sound in Gods eares which made Saul lose his kingdome for disobedience What an ill sound doe all the sheep and oxen make in the eares of God from all armies that are taken with an ill intent to doe mischiefe to the poore and needy the tears of the oppressed cry in the eares of the Lord of hosts Wo unto him that increaseth that which is not his and wo unto him that covereth an evill covetousnesse Hab. 2. 6. 9. Woe unto you that spoyle and thou â—â—st not spoyled for when thou shalt cease to spoyle thou shalt be spoyled Iâ— you magnifie the justice of the great God of heaven and earth practise justice to your brethren or he will practise justice toward you Remember the counsell of the Lord often in Deut. 23. 9. When thou goest out with the Host against thine enemies keep thee then from all wickednesse for thou art in danger to be slaine every houre and a good conscience by the bloud of the Lamb is a continuall feast it is murus aheneus nil conscire sibi null apallescere culpa i. 't is a brazen wall to have a good conscience the Devill cannot shoot through that and the destroyers that are sent by fire out of the mouths of guns shall passe over the houses where such an Israelite is within namely a good conscience sprinkled with the bloud of the Lambe Cause the Law and the Gospel to be preached powerfully in your armies There be some Anabaptists that would not have the law preached I met with an Anabaptist lately that heard me preach the Law and the Gospel and he told me to my face after the Sermon that he had been oftentimes scared by the Law he would have heard none of the Law but onely the Gospel and to speak so much of Baptisme was an offence to him Herein are two Doctrines of Devils 1. To forbid the Law to be preached 2. To forbid children to be married to Christ Now the Spirit speaketh evidently that in the later times which are now some shall depart from the faith i. of their Baptisme and counteth the bloud of the Covenant as an unholy thing wherewith he was sanctified in Baptisme and doth despight to the Spirit of Grace i. in despight of the Spirit that saith he that is washed i. in Baptisme in Christs bloud is cleane every whit needeth not save to wash his feet i. his conscience and conversation in the bloud of the Lamb but will have their hands and their head washed againe contrary to Christs counsell Joh. 13. For my part I beleeve one God one faith and one Baptisme Eph. 4. 5. The first is of God the second must needs be of the Devill that deny little children to come to Christ which can come no other way to him but by Baptisme either of themselves or of their parents for Baptisme is the Arke for the parents and their houshold 1 Pet. 3. 21. and then withdraw themselves from the children of God to perdition Heb. 10. 39. Now the Law hath most need to be thundred out in the most killing manner that can be in the Armies to make them flee and stand a far off from injustice and all sinne for although the Law is not given to the righteous man who are freed from the condemnation accusation malediction coaction of the Law as they are in Christ but it is given to the lawlesse and disobedient to the ungodly and to sinners to the unholy and to the prophane and to the murtherers of fathers and mothers to manslayers to whoremongers to buggerers to menstealers to lyers to the perjured and to whatsoever is contrary to wholesome doctrine 1 Tim. 1. 9 10. And therefore it must be preached to them you must hold out to them first the glasse of the Law to see their faces how foule they are they may goe wash their hearts in the bloud of the Lamb and then shew them the glasse of the Gospel Thus did Christ Mat. 5. Thus did Peter when he converted three thousand he shewed them by the law what betrayers and murtherers they were of the Lord of glory and then be preached baptisme unto them for salvation and shewed the promises were made to them and to their children and as many as the Lord shall call i. to beleeve that Baptisme belongs to them and all the true Churches of Christ have ever so understood it FINIS Mat. 20. 20. Revel. 3. 3. 1 Thes. 4. Gal. 3. 13. Matth. 3. Vers 11. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Rev. 3. 18. Psal. 32. 1. 1 Joh. 5. 4. Vers 20. Gen. 39. 9. John 8. 36. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Cor. 3. 17. Hab. 1. 13. Job 1. 1 Cor. 6. 16. Psal. 91. 11. If the King be in the battell you must sight flying to save his person as David but if the Philâ—stims besiege Kâ—â—â—â— you shal overcome by the bloud of the Lambe Isaiah 53. 6. 1 Tim. 4. 1.