the commandements of God without wavering or halting betweene two opinions They hold them not as luke-warme Laodiceans but stedfastly unmoveably they hold fast the faithfull word as their life Pro. 4. 13. As Naboth they will not lose a foot of their birthright 4. Vnspotted adorning and beautifing the truth in all things by conforming their lives to the Commandements of God These are the conditions In sure Coffers also doe the remnant keepe the Commandements 1. Of a firme memory Luke 2. 51. Mary 〈◊〉 and pondered the things in her heart Psal. 119. 16. I will not forget thy word And this sanctification of memory sanctifies the whole man 2. Of a faithfull and beleeving heart for faith mingled with the Word giveth rooting and so continuace This was Abrahams Coffer in which hee laid the promises and neither delay nor deadnesse of Sarahs wombe nor conflict of contrariety or impossibility could rob him of them 3. Of a sound and loving affection of the soule love is a safe and faithfull keeper things that we love wee will hold fast Oh love I thy law saith David such love is stronger than death no water can quench it 4. Of holy practice in the whole life bewrayed in three things 1 In professing a good profession as Christ before Pilate holding forth the word of life 2 In promoting and defending to our power all good things and persons in their conformity to the law a good man preserves the law aswell as observes it 3 In suffering for good things and sealing if we be called the truth with our blood Next let us inquire how we may shew our selves of this remnant and know our â—elves to bee keepers of the Commaundements The Markes are these 1 If we doe all from within for all obedience to the law must flow from a pure heart the end of the Commandement is love out of a pure heart Psal 119. 2. Keepers of his testimonies seeke him with their whole heart If we heare we heare with an honest heart Luk. 8. 15. If we pray wee poure not out words but our soules as Hanna If wee praise wee call all that is within us to praise him Psal. 103. 1 2. If wee preach wee are fervent in spirit as Apollos If we receive the Sacrament it is with examination of our hearts As the clocke mooves from the spring within it selfe so is the motion of a good man to the law from within not from without 2 If wee do all by our rule holding the truth for the truths sake The word is called a lanterne and the commandement a light and obedience to the commandement a comming to the light that our workes may be manifest first to our selves and then to others that they are according to God Ioh. 3. 21. This argues a secret disciple silently denying his owne and acknowledging Gods wisdome holinesse and soveraignty An artificer that would have his worke approoved must not coble it up any way but do all by rule and line and square so here in all things make truth thy guide 3 If wee easily depart not from the commaundement but sticke to it First in all things even the least as the greatest In commandements against thy profits the Saints endured the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10. and Abraham to fly out of his country In commandements dangerous as Daniel and his fellowes and the Martyrs In commandements most irkesome as Abraham in killing his sonne Secondly in all times not as the Galathians who ran well but desisted but with constancy as one that hath begun soundly and wisely Thirdly in all places at home and abroad in the house and walking by the way Dan 6. 7. in Gods house in thine owne house in other mens houses never laying aside the Commandement Fourthly among all persons and companies high aswell as low and before the meanest Christian as the greatest Hold the commandement among the wicked as among the godly so did Lot This is the third note 4 If we willingly endure to be examined and tryed A good man can endure the conviction and triall of Gods Ministers as Peter did Pauls Gal. 2. 14. David Nathans 2 Sam. 12. Eli Samuels 1 Sam. 3. But Saul Ahab Amaziah Felix will abide no triall A signe they have not kept the commandement Yea a good man will try himselfe and examine himselfe whether he be in the faith 2 Cor. 13. 5 and will come to the light to judge himselfe Nay more he will desire God himselfe the Judge to try him Psal. 26. 1 2. and is glad that it is the Lord that will and must examine and judge him 1 Cor. 4. 4. 5 He earnestly loves others that keepe the commandements of God His soule cleaveth to the Saints he doth them all the good he can he speakes to God for them as Elisha prayed for the mother and the child and Paul for the Ephesians he speakes to man for them in their defence as Hester for the Jews David for Ionathan Nicodemus for Christ. He speakes to themselves and to their hearts for their comfort strength instruction and encouragement He never scornes nor reviles them but honors them that feare the Lord. 6 He seeth in all he doth his faylings and humbleth himselfe dayly and abhorres himselfe in dust and ashes as Iob. chap. 42. 6. David that so resolutely kept the comman dements saw what a beast he was by his faylings Psal. 73. 22. Agur seeth himselfe more foolisher then any man Prov. 30. 2. Paul after many a yeare striving and combate for the law in the inner man complaines what a miserable man he is Rom. 7. 14. 24. how carnall he was and sold under sinne Now this hastens us to Christ and makes us watchfull against corruptions and still strive hard to the marke That wee may be provoked to shew our selves of this remnant by keeping the commandements of God and abiding in the duty which the word commandeth let us take these motives 1 Keepe the word and it will keep thee keep the name of Christ and thou shalt be kept in his name Pro. 2. 11. Ioh. 17. 6. 11. 2 All the commandements of God are pure the law is holy just and good of the same nature power and justice as God himselfe Psal 119. 128. I esteeme all thy statutes right and hate all false wayes Yea all of them tend to perfection of holinesse as our Father is perfect 3 In keeping them is great reward Psal. 19. 11. The righteous are in some manner recompenced on earth they enjoy a sweet peace with God and in their consciences assured hope and precious promises But their full and finall reward is in heaven Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandements that their right may be in the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the City If Salomon shall endeavour to keepe the Commandements God promiseth to establish him in a Kingdome 1 Chron. 28. 7. On the same condition will he establish us in
and live wholy by examples and not by rules Who sees not how the dragon triumphes and tramples on such time-servers who yet would scorne not to bee reputed sound Christians 3. The dragon prevaileth by Antichrist and enthralleth numbers by the efficacie of his delusions He that is a slave unto Antichrist is a slave to the dragon for Antichrist commeth in the efficacie of Satan because Satan worketh powerfully in him by him 2 Thess. 2. 9. who can without sorrow consider of the numbers that now runne a whoring after Popery and favour it and plead for it after that not the Gospell onely hath so clearely detected it but after it hath convinced it selfe to bee the most savage and blood-thirsty religion that ever was that would make but one Bonfire of three kingdomes and blow up in one moment religion and justice Church and Kingdome Prince and people nay after so many good lawes enacted against it wherein the whole Kingdome hath given sentence and pronounced it guilty of the highest treason that ever men or devils could devise Is it not the same religion it was then did they ever reverse any of their bloody positions did they ever any where prevaile and not chase out with a sea of sorrowes all that looke toward the truth and holy religion Well the sentence was foretold Re. 13. Antichrist must prevaile amōg them that perish A terrible Thunderbolt from heaven against all professed members of that Antichristian body especially against Apostate Papists among whom the uncleane spirit hath brought seven worse than himselfe to hasten their perdition 4. The dragon prevaileth by false and libertine teachers like the false Prophets that prophesied lies and the visions of their owne hearts to strengthen with sinful dawbing wicked hands and discourage godly hearts now when a people follow such and love to have such guides and guidance as Ier. 5. 29 30. the dragon hath prevailed to pull them to hell Michael prevaileth by faithfull teachers who bring wholesome and sound doctrine and causeth his people to delight in them and follow them contrarily the dragon prevailes by such teachers as frame themselves to speake so as to please all that seeke unto them in ther loose courses and according to all that they would have and so sell thē to Satan And what a just revenge of God is it that a people who will not suffer the Lords servants to prevaile with them to bee brought to the truth should bee fitted with such Teachers as with sweet words and fine devises shall prevaile with them to their destruction and looke how much any one hates a true teacher by so much hee loves a flatterer who shall doe him as much mischiefe as the other would have done him good Beware of this sly reach of the dragon prevailing against not a few 5. The dragon prevailes mightily in disobedience Ephes. 2. 2. In whom doth the Prince of the aire rule but in the children of disobedience and these bewray themselves every where I. In such as walke in the disobedience of nature sonnes of Belial who reject all yoakes and refuse all counsell by Gods word Gods Spirit Gods people to walke at large compassing their lusts according to the command of their owne rebellious wils a Sermon or a Play is all one onely they can sit out a play with more patience II. Such as are wilfull in their disobedience against Gods Word not onely of an unteachable disposition but untractable pricke their corruption but a little in sound application oh how it will shew it selfe in raging stormy and unruly distempers this festred heart that will abide no searching is conquered by Satan these that will not suffer Christ to rule them are called his enemies and called out to execution Luke 19. 27. III. These wilfull rebels commonly lye in ambush against the faithfull either to accuse them to make them hatefull to Magistrates or to slander and scorne them to make them hated of others as Ier. 18. 18. Come let us smite him with the tongue and vers 23. even some pretensed friends sought to banish him nay to doe more even against his life if they could have prevailed No man can seeke sinistrously to prevaile against a good man but the dragon hath first prevailed against him 6. The dragon prevailes by bad society and example when workers of iniquity meet oh how the devill rules their counsels tongues actions many hands make light worke and rid much worke if any man refuse or forbeare or scorne to joyne himselfe to Gods people if any reproach Gods name truth or servants hate the society of Saints their persons their profession or godly practices the dragō hath his will on thē and in them and where the dragon thus prevailes the Lord Jesus hath nothing to doe but to prepare himselfe to warre and wrathfull judgement against such sworne enemies of his Kingdome Neither was their place found any more in heaven We have heard in the former part of the verse that the enemies could not prevaile against the Church now wee shall see that themselves were prevailed against and so conquered and chased by Michael and his Angels as they could not ever make their party good against the woman any more but themselves were turned into a shamefull flight so as they could not stand before her This overthrow of this great Army is signified in this phrase that their place was found no more in heaven Where to finde the meaning wee will answer foure Questions Quest. 1. What is meant by heaven Ans. Some understand hereby this heavenly vision and make this the meaning that they vanished away or the heavenly vision called before a wonder in heaven which though it may be true in part for they did vanish for a time yet it is somewhat harsh to call an heavenly vision by the name of heaven and beside wee shall see they will appeare againe in this vision and renew their forces and fiercenesse against the woman Some by heaven understand the Throne of dignitie and authority which wee have shewed to bee a kinde of heaven or Throne of God and this is true also in part that the conquered party was cast from the Throne of God when those openly professed dragons were subdued and cast from the top of Imperiall State and Majestie without hope of recovery of their strength against the woman any more But by heaven I understand the Church of God as in many other places of this Chapter in which the dragon sate and exercised his tyrannie Quest. 2. What is it not to have his place found any more Answ. The phrase is taken out of Daniel 2. 35. where this Michael the stone that was cut out of the Mountaine is said to smite the image of iron clay brasse silver and gold that the place of it was found no more but they were destroyed and dispersed as chaffe so the same Michael here did so breake in pieces the power of the dragons that they had no
they are ready to give testimony to the truth of God with losse of their lives and do so indeed when they are called unto it Revel 2. 13. Antipas my faithfull witnesse was slaine The point is this The Saints overcome all hellish powers and adversaries of salvation by the word of God 1 Ioh. 2. 14. Ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked 1 As Michael overcame so must his army But he overcame by the word Mat. 4. in all the temptations though he might have oppressed and confounded the dragon with power yet he would for our example and to point us who want power to a most powerfull weapon and meanes overthrow him by the word 2 The promise of God is a sure confirmation Prov. 4. 6. 8. uphold the word and it will uphold thee exalt wisdome and she shall exalt thee for sake her not and she shall keepe thee 3 The word is of the nature of God invincible and whosoever abideth in this word of truth is stable and cannot be cast downe 4 The parts of the word have their speciall strength and shew us that the whole is a complete armour or rather a furnished armoury to fetch thence all weapons for our fence and safety For First the Law chaseth us to Christ who is our strength and is a rule of life and an hedge to bound us in the way of safetie Secondly the Gospell exhibiteth Christ a glorious conquerour and worketh faith in us which is our victory The promises make us more then conquerors in which we see the Lord fighting for us and engaging himselfe to us for victory He hath bound himselfe not to fayle us nor forsake us Thirdly the precepts and explications of both furnish us with truth against error with counsell against false suggestions with sound wisdome and direction against all secret stratagems Psal. 119. By thy word I became wiser then the counsellors or the ancients Fourthly the examples store us with experience and shews us where and how and why such and such were foyled how they rose againe how they held their advantages and atchieved victory They shew how by the skill use of the word they have wounded their enemies and fortified themselves 5 By induction of enemies we may see that none of them all is able to stand before this two-edged sword of the Spirit proceeding out of the mouth of Christ Revel 1. 16. First it is the smooth stone that prostrates Goliah the wicked one 1 Sam. 17. the Sonne of David made choise of no other weapon against the Divell Secondly sinne is foyled by it Psal. 119. 11. I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Thirdly wicked men are slaine by it Esa. 11. 4. Fourthly Antichrist that wicked one is slain with the breath of his mouth 2 Thes. 2. 8. Fiftly persecutions and afflictions thrust sore at us but the word upholds us Psal. 119. Had not thy word beene my comfort I had perished in my trouble And for inward affliction if the combate be with God himself the word at length speakes to him that is wearie Now if the Saints overcome by the word then see the wickednesse of Papists who betray their people by disarming them and turning them naked among their enemies and into satanicall temptations For they take away the word from them and hold it hereticall to have the Scriptures in a knowne tongue An high wickednesse against common sense as if they should say you have a multitude of fierce strong and subtile enemies before you and your danger is very great now if you would drive away the enemy and come away conqueror you must cast away your weapons and lay aside your armour which is as un fit for you as Sauls armour was for David but yet for a show you may take with you some conjuring spells or charmes some terrible crosses some holy relikes or so me holy water that is leave your sword and take a straw or rush in your hand cast away your shield and take a feather leave Gods weapons and take one out of the hand of the devill shoot in the divels owne bow and you shall do well enough Oh how hath the spirit of madnesse and giddinesse effectually prevayled both upon such wicked seducers and such seely soules so unreasonably seduced and left naked to the devill by them 2 Wee see hereby that the onely way to be safe is to get the word close nto thee nay into thee It is no fence to thee to have the word in the Church and Ministery only no nor to have it in thy booke and bible at home nor to have it in thy mouth speach unlesse thou hast it in thy heart working thee to soundnesse and integrity as David Psal. 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 2. 10. 11. When wisdome entreth into thy heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserve thee and understanding shall keepe thee and deliver thee from the evill way 3 Note the reason why Satan prevailes in the world and tramples upon wicked men drawing them to all height of wickednesse namely because they reject the word If wee cast our eyes upon the most flagitious sinners and the worst of evill men as blasphemers swearers drunkards scoffers atheists contemners of the Sabbath and the like marke if they be not such as never care for the booke of God in private and but for fashion for the word preached the word is rejected and the divell hath them where he would Who be they whom Antichrist prevailes against to make them his slaves and vassalls to receive his marke in their hands and foreheads to destruction but such as hate the word and Scriptures as a felon doth a gibbet and such as are ignorant sotts fit for their knowledge to make Jews or Turkes aswell as Papists The Fawkner knows he can better rule his hawk on Tassell when he hath hooded him so doe Papish Fawkners Priests and Jesuites and therefore keepe their people in the darke Who art thou now converted that seest not how while thou wast in thy naturall course and couldest sweare and lye and game and scorne and do whatsoever was nought as thy company was that then thou caredst not for the word nor the Scriptures and counsells of God A Play had more taste then a good Sermon and therefore the divell carryed all and ruled thee at his will And what adoo hadst thou before thou couldest settle thy selfe to the constant reading and hearing of the word from which could Satan with all his power and policy have kept thee thou hadst never medled with them for he knowes how easily a Champion trained in warres may overcome and binde a blinde man And till thou medledst with them thou never conqueredst one sinne or lust much lesse the body of them 4.
in the promise which makes them sweeter then ordinary even the love-tokens of a father and not the wages of an hireling 3 This may assure the Church and members that in the hardest times of straightnesse and persecution they shal be spiritually fed which is here chiefly aymed at For all the adversary power of Antichrist or dragons cannot hinder God from providing and preserving to the Church faithfull Pastors secretly and conscionably to feed the woman in the wildernesse in season and out of season And as none can send Pastors but he so none can hinder the Pastors whom he sendeth to dispense his allowance whom he furnisheth raiseth and protecteth till his worke bee done and the Churches need supplyed The starres are in his hand who then can hinder them But if they could intercept his messengers they cannot hinder himselfe who can and will by himselfe feed the woman if all means else should faile as Eze. 34. 14. I will feed them my selfe And if himselfe feed not all Ministeriall labour is but lost Quest. How doth the Lord himselfe feed the Church Answ. 1. By the word of his grace He leadeth his sheepe into the greene pastures of his wholsome word By writing his word in their hearts and carrying his law into their secret parts He onely who hath his chaire in heaven can teach the heart And who can hinder his strong arme and mighty power or the might and power of his word which is omnipotent as himselfe or who can stand in his way to hinder his accesse into a beleeving soule 2 As he did with his ancient people so still he feeds the Church with bread from heaven by the gracious gift of his Sonne whose flesh is meat indeed and whose blood is drinke indeed even that onely true Manna and bread from heaven He is the gift of God Ioh. 4. if thou knewest the gift of God This is that shepheard mentioned Ezek. 34. 23. I will set up a shepheard and he shal feed them even my servant David And if CHRIST will come in and feed in and with a beleeving soule who shall hinder him 3 He will feed her by his Spirit of grace who is greater in her thē the spirit that ruleth in the world His office is to open the heart to worke faith to bring in holy light and illumination and light of consolation to bring things into remembrance to uphold by his mighty power to perseverance and salvation against all the adversarie powers of it 1 Pet. 1. 5. 4 See hence what a bootlesse thing it is for enemies to strive and struggle against the word and truth of GOD. The woman must be fed even in the wildernesse First Where God hath any called or to call his word shal be taught either openly or secretly Secondly Christ compares the course of the Gospell to the course of the lightning which flyes swiftly and suddenly from one side of heaven to another and cannot be stopped for the Gospell passeth and is protected with divine power Thirdly how impossible was it for all the tyranny and policy of the devill and flesh to hinder the power of the Gospell in the most tyrannicall times of heathen Emperors How miraculously and fully was the Church fed in that wildernesse But in this wildernesse mentioned a wonder it was that so many ages of Antichrist the enemies having as many eyes as Argus and as vigilant to destroy and root out the memory and mention of sound Professors and wanting no will nor humane power yet could not prevaile but that the darkest and most violent ages of Popery yeild us witnesses of the truth in whom wee see that the Woman in the wildernesse must be fed In our fathers dayes it was a wonder that those hot and fiery dayes of Queene Mary wasted not all that sincerely stood with Christ against Antichrist and his breadden god And when they threw down all the meanes of knowledge and Instruction how admirable was it that so many poore soules did steale up so much knowledge and resolution as to be invincible in maintaining and suffering for the truth Who sees not that the woman in the wildernesse must be fed and provided for This makes the enemies at their wits ends they cannot worke wisely enough to destroy her but ascamomile the more it is pressed the more it spreadeth and riseth up This makes the Church impregnable No hold in earth so strong but may be wonne if not by sword yet by famine onely this fort cannot be famished All the inquisitions in the world cannot intercept her food Antichristian forces may besiege her but cannot take her c. This sets them in a rage they give her bread of affliction to eate and teares to drinke she thrives with it they give her ashes and mould up her bread with them and give her blood to drinke she is in better plight with that then Kings children with dainties Thus God confoundeth them and convinceth them that they even fight against God who makes the blood of Martyrs the seed of the Church He makes poison feed her for she must be fed A time times and halfe a time In these words is the fift generall in this verse namely the time how long the Woman was fed The Lord when for the sinnes of the Church he was urged to bring some severe rod and correction that he might expresse his remembrance of mercy in judgment and shew that in love and measure he meant to chasten used to foretell the very time of deliverance before the misery was inflicted Thus the expiration of that great oppression of Israell in Aegypt was foretold about 350. yeares before it began that they must be strangers 400. yeares Num. 14. 34. Israel must walke and wander in the wildernesse forty years according to the forty dayes of searching the land The Babylonish captivity was for continuance of seventy yeares long before signified and then to determine and expire The bondage of the Jews under Syrian tyrants was precisely foretold to last sixty and two weekes So in the New Testament the sorest oppression that ever befell the Church namely by Antichrist is in these words before hand described for continuance and determination For that the persecution of Antichrist and the time of it is here noted is the consent of Interpreters For the text denyes it selfe to be meant of the Turkes treading the holy City Jerusalem underfoot because the two Prophets must helpe her Now what can two Prophets do against Turkish tyranny It is not Prophecy can represse them but sword and power with which he comes armed openly against Christ and not by under-hand seduction and lyes which must be resisted and conquered by Prophecy But where and when the period for beginning and ending of this time is very obscure and perhaps as yet unknowne to man the Spirit of God being more willing to lead us in the search then in the
Christ neither needeth nor receiveth the testimony of any man Ioh. 5. 33. Answ. Christ is true God and his truth is the truth of God infallible more certaine and firme then al mens testimony And it were very unworthy that infinite should need finite or infallible should need fallible or that the author of truth should need authority from men In this sense Christ neither needeth nor receiveth the witnesse of any man as necessarie to himselfe or for his own part but that they might be saved partly for the weaknesse of men who cannot come to understand divine things without mens testimony or ministery and partly for their salvation which by men he promoteth He useth Iohns witnesse and calleth for the witnesse of the meanest beleever Now the reasons why every one of the remnant must give witnesse to Christ are these 1 Nothing that wee can do can more honor God and Iesus Christ then this Rom. 4. 21. Abraham was strong in faith and gave glory to God What or wherein can wee give greater glory to God then when our faith giveth him a witnesse of his great power truth and goodnesse even contrary to sense and reason as Abraham did 2 Nothing can more honour our selves then to be vouchsafed witnesses to God testifying his truth and the excellency of Gods holy religion both in word and conversation Were it not a great honour for a great Prince to call a meane subject to be a witnesse on his side for the opening of a truth that nearly in honour concernes him But this honor have all the Saints it being the office and function of the whole Church to be the ground and piller of truth the upholder and maintainer of that truth which upholdeth the honor of God himselfe What an honor was it that the Lord called in the whole Church of the Iewes to be witnesses on his side Esa. 43. 10. against all the heathens to testifie of his Omniscience in predictions of things to come which their gods could not do and of his Omnipotency in admirable workes done for them in the wildernesse in the sea in the land of his singular goodnesse and providence in innumerable mercies wherein they were advanced above all people of the earth Did the Lord need them to witnesse no but it was their honour to be vouchsafed such grace that whereas all the heathens witnessed to their idolls they of all people on the earth witnessed and celebrated the great and noble acts of God done among them 3 Nothing makes us liker to Christ our head that true and faithfull witnesse this was his speciall office to witnesse the truth as the redeemer of mankinde and the author of truth Ioh. 18. 37. For this cause was I borne and came into the world that I might testifie of the truth Even so every member of Christ is borne into the Church and commeth into the world of Beleevers to give witnesse unto the truth as being taught in the truth and as the redeemed of the Lord. 4 As nothing can make us liker to God so nothing is better pleasing unto God God the Father hath often and sundry wayes testified unto his Son First Sensibly and audibly in his baptisme and transfiguration also that he was the son of his love who had all his love cast upon him Secondly By the internall revelation of his Spirit in the hearts of beleevers as to Peter Mat. 16. 17 Flesh and blood hath not revealed this but my Father in heaven Thirdly and especially by the mission ministery of the Son himselfe Ioh. 3. 33. he that receiveth his testimony fealeth that God is true for he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God If wee desire to be like God or to please God we must herein imitate him as deare children Which serves for the reproofe of such as are afraid or ashamed of this testimony contrary to 2 Tim. 1. 8. Be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Many will not testifie to Christ among poore men some because great men resist it some are afraid of the strictnesse of it some of the crosses some of the scornes of it and most because this witnesse would witnesse against their own contrary courses and men of little faith are dejected in small matters But such Christ wil be ashamed of in the day of his appearing and shall witnesse against them that he never knew them Such also are condemned as do contest against the witnessing of Christ. The world is full of false witnesses such as were suborned against Christ as First all false teachers that father that on Christ which he never spake as Papists or others that deny any article of faith and Christian Religion so the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. If the dead rise not againe we are false witnesses So to teach the doctrine of mans merit of free-will to good image-worship or the like is to be a false witnesse against Christ himselfe Secondly all unbeleevers that receive not this testimony whether such as scorne to heare the witnesses of Christ if they dislike the person they will none of the witnesse loth to drinke good wine because they like not the dish or such as heare sometime but beleeve not the witnesse this infidelity makes God a liar so farre as a wicked man can 1 Ioh. 5. 11. Thirdly such as contest against his witnesses to elevate their testimony for as in the dayes of his flesh there wanted not such as witnessed against himselfe in person that he was a drunkard a devill a friend to Publicans and sinners an enemie to Caesar a blasphemer so for the same end to weaken the authority of his witnesses there never wanted such as would witnesse against Iob that he was an hypocrite that Paul was a pestilent fellow a moover of sedition a preacher of false doctrin unworthy to live And can the devill devise so foule accusations or so slaunderous which his agents will not boldly urge against the witnesses of Christ to whose innocency godlinesse God himselfe witnesseth This also serveth to comfort 1 Poore Christians despised in the world God honors the poorest Beleever to be a witnesse to his truth and a poore mans testimony is as good even in mens Courts as a rich but much more before Gods tribunall 2 Such as suffer for this testimony losses reproaches and the contempt of the world Even wee lovingly respect such as suffer for their love to us in upholding our truth and innocency and much more doth the Lord see the promise for incouragement Mat. 19. 29. It is also a word of instruction that we frame and fit our selves to this witnesse Quest. How may that be Answ. To a good testimony is required a good witnesse and to a good witnesse must concurre these five things 1 Knowledge and certaine perswasion of the truth to which we are to testifie When Christ was to raise up witnesses to the truth of the Gospell he would have them his owne
they shall more easily prevaile and deceive the more â—lilie and subtily they worke Open enemies are sooner prevented then secret and satan hath subdued more with his serpents wiles then his dragons force And when he cannot prevaile with his Lions pawe he puts on the foxes skinne and goes to worke with his wiles and subtilties Thirdly God will have his Church every way tryed and exercised to shake her out of securitie How was Israell tryed By Pharaohs policies to destroy them before his open force for 1 He laid heavy taskes on them to weaken them from generation 2 Cruelly oppressed them by taking away the straw and exacting the same tale of brick 3 Slaying and drowning the male children as fast as they were borne And after assayled them with all the power of his country How was David exercised and kept waking by Achitophels counsel which made him apply God by prayer to turne his counsell to folly How was Ioseph and Mary exercised by Herods subtiltie who pretended to worship Christ but intended to kill him First By this we may take notice of the dragons wiles and subtilties which are as many as his heads And because the knowledge of his plots and discovery of his devises is more then halfe the prevention of them wee will spend a little time in laying open some of his stratagems and secret traynes laid out of sight every way reaching to catch and circumvent us These are reduced to three heads as they concerne 1 Persons 2 Actions 3 Assaults First The dragons subtiltie concerning persons is in two things 1 In dissembling his own person 2. In taking advantage of ours First Although he be a dragon and devill and deadly enemie he commeth commonly as a friend and in the habit of a good counseller and though he be a prince of darkenesse he transformes himselfe into an Angell of light 2 Cor. 11. 14. that where he cannot force he may allure Satan well knowes how the Gibeonites closed and gate within the Israelites by dissembling their persons Joshu 9. 9 and so he gets in with us To Eve though he appeared in the shape of a serpent yet seemes to be more friendly to her then God could be God knowes ye shall be as Gods And he that came to Eve in the shape of a serpent appeares to Saul in the shape of a Prophet and Samuel himselfe could not speak better words nor truer in the event then this counterfeit 1 Sam. 28 He commeth to Christ in the person of a friend Master pitty thy selfe as if he had pitty on Christ who kindled and stirred all the dragons in the world against him to sting him to death And who can thinke but he is a friend of Christ who can preach him to be the Sonne of God Mar. 1. 24. And who can preach the Apostles to be the servants of the living God Acta 16. 17. The poore lambes of Christs fold are never in greater danger then when the foxe preacheth Of all other a preaching dragon is the most dangerous who will winde us in by scripture and by that which is the onely preservative against sinne draw us into sinne As To abet coveteousnesse earthlinesse and worldlinesse and to binde a mans hands from doing good he will put thee in mind of that Scripture He that provides not for his family is worse then an Iufidell To harden and imbolden men in sinne he hath a plaine text Where sin aboundeth grace abounds much more To an ordinary Sabboth breaker he hath a comfortable text The Sabboth was made for man not man for the Sabboth To him that is not at leasure to repent yet he can preach upon that text At what time soever a sinner repenteth c. To strengthen the libertine and loose gospeller that hates nothing more then to be tyed to the rules of godlinesse he hath as direct scripture as may be Eccles. 2. 7. 18. Be not just over-much What can be more plaine against these nice and precise fellowes Beware also of a friendly dragon The Crokadile shedds teares but it is to shedd blood To an angry man the dragon as a great friend askes him why he will suffer himselfe to be troden under foote and tells him if he suffer this or this he shall never live in peace as if he wished his peace and prosperitie who never ceases to blow the bellowes of wrath and anger To a profane and carnall man What need you trouble your selfe with religion you have a charge and looke to the maine chance What is it for you to suffer your servants to let their time and work to runne to sermons as Pharaoh to Israel Ye are too idle And many are brought in mind that if their servants be religious they cannot possibly thrive Heathenish Civilists scarce so heathenish Romish dragons insinuate into their proselytes they lament the estate of their soules and perswade like very good counsellours to leave these heretikes and come to the catholike religion they can faine Crokadiles teares calling heaven and earth to witnesse that they respect nothing in the world but to promote the truth and save mens seduced soules And it is nothing but the Catholike faith that makes them venture their lives and fortunes and a great number more empty and windy words and â—ll to ensnare simple and unsetled persons Nay and which is a deeper plot of the dragon he can pretend peace friendship amitie mariages oaths and what not and all under pretence of peace and clcake of friendship that hee may slay and devour as France in that horrible Massacre 1572. had wofull experience Nay if need be hee can pretend religion and support of the Catholike cause when he is digging and undermining and laying barrels of powder and iron barres for the destruction of whole States and kingdomes Here are religious Dragons A foolish and silly woman shall the Church be to give any credit hereafter to the flatteries and fayre pretences of so often perfidious Dragons who salute to wound and never kisse but to kill Secondly He takes advantage of our owne persons setting upon us when we are weakest As First In our solitarinesse He overcame Eve when she was alone Cain set upon Abel when he had him alone in the field helplesse Dinab being alone in the field was set upon and foyled And when set Pâ—tiphers wife upon Ioseph but when they were alone in the house A Christian man must never sit alone if he have no company of men be sure of the company of God and his Angels and then he is never alone Secondly In our sorenesse as Simeon and Levi set on the Sichemites when they were sore and could not resist as in the terror of conscience distresse of minde If God lay on his little finger now satan layes his heavy loines Thou art an hypocrite a dissembler hast sinned the sinne against the holy Ghost And many he prevaileth with to speake in his
the whole armour of God As good no armour as not put on Secondly If he cannot get us to lay aside our armor then his next drift is to turne them the wrong way If he cannot wrest it from us he will seeke to wrest it against us it was the glory of Davids victory that he tooke off Goliahs head with his owne sword and many times and waies doth Satan glory in such conquests over us while wee little discerne him For 1 That he ever conquers us by our owne corruptions every man can conceive which what is it else then to fetch his weapons out of our owne armory 2 But which we lesse discerne he beates us and overthrowes our graces not by corruptions onely but by our graces As if we be sorrowfull for sinne he will have us swallowed up of sorrow 1 Cor. 27. 11. If wee be zealous he will carry us so far as the Disciples who will call for fire from heaven the fire that should warme the house shall burne it If wee be humble he can make us proud because wee are humble in maintaining our Christian libertie he can easily bring us to licenciousnesse in hatred of our former prodigalitie he can easily draw to more hatefullc ouetousnesse and how easily shall wee thinke that to be a vertue which is contrary to a former vice 3 The Word of God a principall weapon he can easily turne in our owne hands against our selves First Sometimes by hiding some part of it which is as a breaking short our sword so as it cannot reach to offend our adversary or defend our selves To embolden men in sinne he alledgeth Ezek. 13. 18. As I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but hides and breakes short the next words but that he repent and turne and 1 Tim. 2. 4. who would have all men saved but breakes off the next words and come to the knowledge of his truth So to bring Christ to presumption he alledgeth Psal. 91. He shall give his Angels charge and they shall keepe thee c. but breakes off the words in all thy wayes Secondly Sometimes by inferring on words of Scripture diabolicall conclusions as Christ died for al therefore thou maiest live in sin He that provideth not for his family is worse then an infidell therfore thou maiest be covetous earthly unjust in word deed a remedy worse then the disease to avoid infidelity by a greater infidelity for never can he speake truth but to deceive and in nothing can he more plausibly hide his lies then in words of truth and most of all in words of scripture Thus Satan foyles us with our owne weapons A third stratagem of this seaven heads is they are very buisy to breake our rankes for thus an army is soone discomfited This policy Ioshuah used against the men of Ai. chap. 8. 20. he set part of the army before and part behind in ambush who when they arose so troubled the enemies rankes that being disranked and confounded they could not stir any way to escape and thus dealeth the dragon The rankes of Christian souldiers are their callings which are of two sorts generall calling of Christianity and the speciall calling in which station every man abideth If Satan can interrupt or hinder either of these he hath drawne us from our wall and fort and soone foyleth us 1 The duties of our generall calling are praying reading conferring meditating and the like in which we must stand continually as the Apostle pray continually in all things give thankes Set the Lord continually at thy right hand if Satan can winne us to discontinue these duties at any time he easily winneth his purpose against us Example in holy David 2 Sam. 11. 2 he was wont in the afternoones to be praising God praying meditating in the statutes compiling holy psalmes But now he must have a nap after that he spies a woman washing her hence was his adultery and to hide that sinne addeth the murder of his faithfull captaine Uriah 2 Our speciall callings are our rankes and if he can turne us out of them which are our way wherein wee have the promise of Gods protection he easily overthrowes us Idlenesse is the devils pillow and anvell an idle mind emptie of good is fit to be filled with evill whereas looke as a full vessell can receive no more so an heart filled with godly meditations or an hand full of good exercises leaveth no roome for satans temptations nor leasure for his designes or enterprises We must therefore abide diligently in our callings which are a schoole and exercise of many graces as humilitie obedience patience faithfulne experience of Gods blessing power and providence with daily exercise of the word and prayer to sanctifie them all which are notable bulwarkes against the incursions of the devill A fourth usuall stratagem of Satan is to dissemble a flight when he need not when he doth not Thus Judg. 20. 32. the Israelites after two foyles drew all the Beniamites out of the Citty by dissembling a flight and by such as were laid in ambush of whom the enemie was not aware cut them off every one So satan often dissembles a flight for his owne advantage For First He can and often doth depart from vexing and afflicting men at the command of the loosing witch nay instead of hurting he will offer his help But 1 to binde his servants more obse quiously unto him 2 To draw the faith of men from God unto him and reject dependancie on him and the lawfull meanes and so do homage to the devill and is not this flight a mighty conquest Secondly He will give a man leave to leave some sinne so he can get him surer into another extreme and then he thinkes this must needs be a motion of the spirit because he concludes it cleane contrary to that which he tooke to be a motion of the flesh or divell Thirdly After much struggling and resistance he departs and seemes to fly but his flight is his forest fight For 1 He departs but for a season 2 Never but to renew his forces and assaults to bring seaven spirits worse then before To bring us into the sleepe of securitie as conceiving both weakenesse in our adversary and strength in our selves to resist him A fift stratagem of the dragon he can greatly weaken the Christian and much availe himselfe by light skirmishes and proveth most dangerous when he seemes to intend least danger as First He will begin mannerly with one sinne and what great danger can be in that which is so necessary too as he cannot thrive without it As to lie or sweare for advantage or to take usury to live by to be a non-resident a gamster or a sociable man but he knowes 1 One sinne never goeth alone one sinne cannot keepe it selfe warme without another 2 One sinne suffered is like a hole in a ship which will sinke a
starres of heaven both in themselves in respect of divine and heavenly light and gifts of wisdome and knowledge especially of sanctitie and heavenly conversation as also in respect of the high regard and reverent respect which faithfull Pastors have amongst true beleevers for as they have the highest place in the Church of God so walking worthy their place they have the highest place in the hearts of beleevers Now these starres set by God in their orbs shining in so high place are said to be drawne downe and throwne to the earth 11. The second thing in the meaning is How the starres are said to be cast downe to the earth Ans. To fal froÌ„ heaven to earth here is not to be taken literally but it is in matter of religion to fall froÌ„ a heavenly profession and hope to carnall and earthly counsels and courses and then the Pastors are said to fall from heaven to earth when they fall backe in their 1. judgement 2. affection 3. practice and conversation 1 Then in judgement they fall and faile when the light that was in them is turned to darknesse when they turne away from divine and heavenly truth to errours lies mens fancies and traditions to doctrines of libertie to please carnall mindes and turne from substance to superstition 2. When in affection they change the love of the word into the love of the world they affect the winning of wealth and ease above the winning of soules in stead of minding divine studies to save themselves and others now they minde earthly things in stead of the love of Christ which they seemed to professe and expresse in feeding his I ambes now they are carried with selfe-love seeking and feeding themselves only here is a lamentable â—all of starres from heaven to earth 3. When in practice they exchange their godlines with gaine their piety and sanctimonie into earthlinesse covetousnesse and worldlinesse their conversation which seemed and should have beene in heaven into earthly fleshly and unfruitfull courses This is a woefull fall of the starres which have lost their station as pernicious to the Church and to theÌ„selves as if the starres in heaven should fall upon the earth III But how or by what meanes could the dragon cast downe such excellent men that shined by the light of holy doctrine and conversation as bright as the starres in the heavens Ans. By his taile by which word are there implied all those base artes wicked instruments meanes by which the dragon casts down the stars and these are three which the word most expresly implieth 1. By force and tyranny Dragons have more force in their tayles than in their jawes and therefore this is a figurative speech befitting the nature of a dragon when by the rage of persecution and bitter war and wrath by their fire and sword and cursed cruelty the dragon forces many of the Pastors who had shined and ought still to have done in their places to fal froÌ„ their shine froÌ„ their doctrine holy professioÌ„ holy conversatioÌ„ first to corrupt earthly doctrine then to corrupt and earthly life and behaviour such as other men of earthly mindes and professions have undertaken and expressed 2. By flattery and insinuations by which as by a dragons tayle the Pastors were beaten downe for as dogs do use to fawne and flatter their masters with their taile so the dragon not by open force onely but by secret fraud and insinuation assaileth the stars namely by many faire promises and sugred perswasions making offers of wealth and preferment favor and what else the world can bestow on her favorites by which meanes hee drew many ambitious pompous and câ—vetous teachers from their former study and care in propagating the truth and from their diligence and labour in advancing the salvation of men unto earthly studies and cares how to build their owne houses and feather their owne nests not caring that Gods house lay waste 3. By poyson and infection much poyson lieth in the taile of a serpent the dragon poysoned a great number more with heresie and poysoned opinions against the truth of Christian religion for which end he daily stirreth up heretikes and false apostles and false teachers who being furnished with all arts to deceive draw a number of the starres away from sound and heavenly truth into the apostasie of earthly and impious doctrines cleane contrary to the Scripture and to the person natures and offices of Jesus Christ. Thus the Prophet Isay 9. 15. saith The false prophet which teacheth lies is the taile calling him so in foure respects 1. For basenesse and contempt let them beare themselves aloft in conceit of their wit and learning and others admiration of them 2. For their base flattery and playing the parasites and sawning upon patrons and Princes as dogs on their masters with their tailes for a bone or a crust 3. For their inconstancy and mobility as a dogs taile wags and moves easily on this side and that so they in their doctrine and conversation are here there and buzzing every where for an advantage 4. Especially for their poysonfull and hurtfull disposition and effects for as venomous beasts hide their venome in their tailes by which on occasion they doe much hurt and mischiefe so false and corrupt teachers by eloquence sophistry and base shifts hide the poison of false and erronious doctrine by which they infect and taint the Church of God for which cause Isa 59. 5. false doctrine is compared to the egges of Aspes which if they bee eaten bring most present death and broken sendeth forth a Basiliske that is is most perniciòus both Autoribus to those that invent and devise them and also Auditoribus to those that receive and digest them it bringeth eternall destruction to both as certainly as if they should eate the egge of a Basiliske which is most deadly of all serpents slaying men onely with her sight and poysonfull vapours that sparkle out of her eyes In the times next after the Apostles at which the spirit of God here more expresly aymeth how the imperiall dragon bestirred himselfe and how many starres he drew down stories are not silent to relate 1. Infinite numbers by persecution as Euseb. lib. 8 cap. 3. when wicked Dioclesian commanded the Christians oratories to be demolished and laid even with the ground the Scriptures to be burnt the Bishops to bee cast in prison and compelled by torments to renounce Christianity and offer unto Idols many suffered death constantly Sed alij infiniti animis prae formidine perculsi facile post primum impetum prorsus tandem succubuerunt In the seventh persecution under Decius we read of Serapion and Nichomacus who through their tyranny renounced Christianity and Cyprian de lapsis lib. 2 cap. 8. mentioneth Enaâ—stus a Bishop in Aftrike and Nicostratus a Deacon who made shipwracke of faith and as starres fell for feare from heaven to earth 2. Many starres
the prince of devils 3. Let a private man hold out the light of grace with courage and constancy the dragon standeth before him and proclaimeth him factious contentious schismatical If he see his actions beseeming his profession he chargeth him with pride with hypocrisie as Iob the graces gifts of God which he cannot deny in his servants he can disgrace obscure with as dangerous a mistake as Hanun did the servants of David whose charity had bin their owne security Quest. It being thus how may wee hold out in any good beginnings and withstand the dragon Ans. Practise sixe rules 1. Learne a point of Christian wisedome and experieÌ„ce never to trust the flatteries of the dragoÌ„ seeing the Spirit of God hath detected his flatteries faire promises to be but pretences for our destruction The Romish dragons insinuate into their Proselites as winding serpeÌ„ts they lameÌ„t the state of their soules and perswade like very loving Counsellors to their religion and to leave the heresie of the Protestants they can faine Crocadiles teares can call heaven and earth to witnesse that they respect nothing in the world but to promote the truth and save simple mens seduced soules and it is nothing but the Catholike faith that maketh them venture their lives and fortunes and a number more windy and empty words in all which the dragons stand before the woman to devoure her children And which is a deeper plot of the dragon he can pretend peace fâ—ienship amity marriages oathes and what not and all that under cloake and pretence of peace hee may slay and devoure as France in that horrible Massacre 1572. had woefull experience Hee can pretend zeale religion and support of the Catholique cause when he is digging and undermining and laying powder barrels and iron barres for the destruction of three whole States Kingdomes A foolish woman must she be that will give any credit hereafter to the flatteries and faire pretences of such perfidious dragons who salute not but to wound and with Iudas kisse to kill Never begin any thing that is good but with full resolution to stand to the defence of it against the dragon and the better any duty is be so much the more prepared for Christian combate Be sure thou standest on a sure ground and warrant for that thou dost seeing the dragon that standeth before thee will sift thy action throughly both for thy calling and commission and for the matter that it bee justifieable and for the manner if it bee done well and for the end if it be good and direct Remember in every thing that thou standest in the eye of thine owne conscience to observe thee in the eye of the dragon to accuse thee and in the eye of God to judge thee Stand still before God in undertaking any good course not for direction onely but for assistance hee must begin and he must perfect doe thou begin and goe on in him and with him get his strength with thee for thee which is onely able to uphold thee so the two Olives Rev. 11. 4. stand before God the ruler of the whole earth As the dragon standeth in ambush to resist and kill the first motions in grace so stand thou on thy guard to resist his first motions against it give no place to the dragon let him seeme never so reasonable to begin with his conclusions will bee impudent and important thus thou shalt beate him with his owne weapon As hee hateth the first shew and sprout of grace so hate thou the first motion and rise of temptation where hee begins his assault begin thy resistance Stand couragiously and with comfort knowing that 1. If thou stand to him hee cannot stand to thee resist the dragon and hee will flee 2. As he standeth to destroy so thy captaine standeth before thee to save and cover thee 3. When hee stood before Christ thy head he was defeated and confounded his power so broken as thou standest before a conquered enemy and now hee may stand before thee who art a member of Christ to molest and trouble thee but never to deprive thee either of conquest or crowne 4. The Christian standeth now not afore the dragon as a single man but as incorporated and one with Christ and partaker of his glorious victory So shee brought forth a manchild In this Verse the Euangelist returneth to the woman and sheweth how the dragon was disappointed of his purpose both in respect of I. The woman who is described 1. By her birth in this verse 2. By her fight in the next II. Her Issue described by three Arguments 1. His sexe masculine generous a manchild 2. His Office to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron 3. His height of advancement hee was taken up to God and his Throne It must a while stay us to enquire who this man-childe was that was now brought forth seeing there are sundry and divers opinions and the true opening of this point will helpe us all along this vision into many proper and comfortable points which have not beene till of late so dived into by the common streame of interpreters Most have thought that by this man-child must be meant Christ and some take it of Christ personally in persoÌ„ born into the world some of Christ mystically brought into the world begotten and brought forth in beleevers hearts To which I grant that as there are few passages and phrases in this divine prophesie which doe not look back to some former history passage or prophesie as hath beene and might be further plentifully noted so doth this verse and vision looke backe to the birth of Christ personally into the world and lively representeth it in many particulars as 1. This woman bringeth forth a manchilde In fulnesse of time GOD sent his Sonne made of a woman 2. The dragon here watcheth to slay the childe so soone as ever he was borne so did Herod seeke to kill the babe so soone as he was borne 3. As Mary by divine admonition flyeth into the desart of Aegypt to save her selfe and the babes life so this woman flyeth into the wildernesse with Eagles wings the place prepared by God to save her selfe and her seed 4. As Mary stayed in Aegypt almost foure yeares till Herod was dead so this woman stayeth in the desart 1260. dayes which is almost foure yeares for 1460. dayes is just foure yeares the time of her danger 5. As Herod that dragon cast after the flight of Mary an horrible flood of persecution slaying all infants under two yeares old to destroy the man-childe so this woman had a flood of waters cast after her to destroy her flying into the wildernesse 6. As Christ Maries Sonne ascended to heaven and sate at the right hand of the Throne of God his Father so the sonne of this woman is taken up to God and to his Throne 7. As Christ Iesus the sonne of Mary most
faire City Moses was bold upon his commission and so maist thou in a good cause and calling 4. Meditate often 1. of Gods promise and this will First assure thee of his gracious presence with thee at all times Secondly supply thee with strength while thou goest forth as David against that great Goliah in the name of the Lord. Thirdly recompence thy labour and suffering for faithfull is hee which hath promised It was a great incouragement to Othniel to adventure himselfe in smiting Kiriah-sepher when Caleb promised hee would give Acsah his daughter to him that would expulse the enemy thence Iudges 1. 12. V. Keepe a good conscience alway before God and all men for this ministreth boldnesse yea makes a man as bolde as a Lyon 1 Peter 3. 13. If wee doe well who shall feare us or wrong us this is our fence and safety 2 Corinthians 1. 12. This is our rejoycing c. Now in that the manchilde is armed with a rod of iron and advanced into the Throne of God for the defence of the woman Wee note concerning Magistracy 3. observations concerning their 1. Power 2. Place 3. End That God putteth into the Princes and Magistates hand a rod of iron viz. an unresistible power Their power is Gods whose the ordinance is Prov. 8. 15. by me Princes rule 2 Chron. 19. 6. The judgment is not mans but Gods 2. Power is in God to maintain his own ordinances which if he upheld not the world must fall Beware of mutinies rebellion and resistance of higher powers Pro. 24. 21. My sonne feare the Lord and the King and meddle not with the seditious Rom. 13. 1. Let every soule bee subject to the higher powers Considering 1. He that resisteth the power resisteth God as a Gyant Rom. 13. 2. for a man cannot strive against the order of God but also against the God of order as the Lord said of Samuel they have not cast thee but me away 1 Sam. 8. 7. 2. Consider the end of rebellion in Corah Dathan Abiram for the end commeth sodainly and who knoweth their ruine Prov. 24. 21. Ob. 1. But what if they be heathens Sol. They were heathens to whom the Apostle commandeth every soule to be subject Rom. 13. Ob. 2. But what shall Cleargy men be subject to lay men must sheepheards be ruled by sheepe Sol. Aaron was subject to Moses Nathan to David Zadock to Salomon the Romish Bishops to the Christian Emperours as Princes and Magistrates are sheepheards in civill things and Bishops in this respect are under them so in respect of spirituall things Magistrates and Princes are sheepe and Ministers sheepheards Ob. 3. What if they be base men Sol. Resist not respect their function not their person their government is the Lords let the Governour be what he will Ob. 4. But what if wee be Christians are we not then the Lords free men Sol. The Gospell is no enemy to the authority of Rulers neither doth spirituall freedome fight against corporall subjection but establish it 2. Christ himselfe was subject to Parents to Governours paid tribute though he was free resisted not when he was apprehended though he was able having strucke them downe by the power of his Word Ob. 5. But what if they be tyrants oppressors and offer violence Ans. Servants must obey even curst Masters In the Primitive Church Christians suffered under tyrants most grievous persecutions yet never rose up or by armes resisted them indeed subjects may by honest and peaceable meanes avoid their fury as David fled from the fury of Saul and if they be inferiour Magistrates appeale to the superior as Paul to Caesar or take the shelter and helpe of Gods lawes but not rebell nor tumult nor mutiny against lawfull authority And this is the generall truth of Gods word as for any speciall references betweene Princes and people in elective states it is unseasonable now to intreat of Ob. 6. But what if they command unjust and wicked things Sol. In this case saith the Homily of obedience the second part we must undoubtedly beleeve that wee must obey no superior but say as the Apostle Whether is it meet to obey God or you judge you In impious commands wee must obey no Ruler all our earthly Masters must bee obeyed in the Lord as knowing wee have a Master in heaven and yet here must bee no resistance or contemptuous standing out for not to obey impious and unjust commands is no resistance of power when they are ready with patience to endure the punishments unjustly inflicted as Paul and Silas Acts 4. 3. and our owne Martyrs Let now no Papistor Popish person say our doctrine is an enemy to Magistracy but let them carry their owne burthens whose Catechismes are the shops of rebellion and whose treatises are trumpets of treason let English fugitives as Absolon beare armour against their owne fathers let Parsons Sanders Allen and other Seminary Priests by word and writing by perswasion and printing blow the bellowes of rebellion â—ad disobedience to Princes in ordine ad spiritualia yet all the world may know our doctrine by our practice whom the Gospel hath long since taught that God hath put an iron rod that is an unresistible power in the hands of Princes and whatsoever Popish persons prattle our doctrine puts no knife into any Ravillac or Feltons hand to revenge himselfe either upon the Supreme or any sent from him for whatever the Actor was in himselfe hee was so farre theirs as he was of opinion that he might by his owne hand revenge either a publike or a private quarrell for this agreeth with Popish positions as that of Reynolds that Henry the third of France was justly slaine before excommunication for publike sorrowes waite no formes and with that Pope Sixtus the fifth his Laudators Oration of the same murder comparing the fact with that of Phinees and honouring it with solemne processions and it standeth with the practises of Romanists which daily declare by Popish practises that the Pope and Popish Religion is the Arch-rebell in the earth the one lifting up himselfe above all that is called God Kings and Emperors the other teaching to despise the persons depose their Crownes and dispose their kingdoms but they cannot name one Protestant that ever stained our doctrine by the practice of such traiterous positions This concernes their place all Rulers are by God taken up to Gods Throne God himselfe hath set up the visible thrones of earthly Princes and Rulers as a darke representatton of his owne most glorious Majesty upon his owne most glorious Throne 2 Chron. 9. 8. Blessed be God who hath set thee on his Throne in stead of the Lord thy God shee saith not on thy Throne but on his where plainly the Kings Throne is Gods Throne Where God is pleased to sit there is his Throne of estate but he pleaseth to sit with them Psalm 82. God sitterh amongst the gods As their Throne is Gods so
name or we will not heare Ier. 44. 16. to delight and rest in flattering and smooth Ministers that may not disturbe us Esay 30. 10. to dull us from hearing the rod not turning to the smiter to rest in the outward meanes of good and not on the Author and blesser All these fore-runneth desolation and sheweth the Church to bee neare the wildernesse II. The second point in the womans flight is her sustentation that they should feede her alluding to the feeding of the Church of the Iewes in the wildernesse this woman is fled into the vaste and desolate wildernesse where she is sure to bee safe because the Text saith God hath prepared her a place but now shee seemeth in as ill case as before what shall shee doe for food there is no tilling sowing reaping no fruits in the barren wildernesse how shal she doe for food the Text answereth They shall feed her The word They standeth in relation to some persons spoken of before for it is not said That she should be fed nor that he that is the Lord might feed her but that they should feed her Now who are those that must feed her The words then have reference to Chapter the 11. 2. so that the two witnesses shall feed her for the time of both fitly agreeth Quest. What is meant by those two witnesses Ans. The Papists grosly conceive them to bee Henoc and Elias who they say are reserved above in Paradise to returne againe in the dayes of Antichrist to oppose him whom Antichrist shall slay and trample their dead bodies in the streets of Hierusalem but they shall revive the third day at which miracle the Iews say they shall be converted to Christ and shall slay Antichrist in the Mount Olivet and cleave unto Christ who shall come againe five and forty dayes after A notorious fable without all colour of Scripture for of Henochs returne in flesh or spirit is not a syllable in the Scripture and of Elias his spirituall returne it was â—â—â—formed before Saint Iohn writ this Prophesie as our Saviour affirmeth Matth. 17. 11. in Iohn Baptist I forbeare to follow or persecute so manifest a falshood Some also understand them of such Pastors and witnesses of the truth as assisted the woman and resisted the corruptions of those times not too precisely but a few noted by that number and by that number because the law requireth two witnesses at least to confirme every truth But I doe understand the two witnesses to be the two Testaments of holy Scripture for 1. Both witnesse unto God in his holinesse truth power justice mercy and all other attributes and to Christ Iohn 5. 2. Both witnesse the will of God to man in all things to bee beleeved done 3. Both witnesse against the wicked not the Law onely not Moses onely but the Gospell the word that I speake saith Christ shall judge you at the last day 4. Both feed the woman in the wildernesse maintaining heavenly life and strength both supply her with a dayly showre of Mannah as was notably prefigured in that type to which allusion because the Spirit of God here looketh I rather chuse this interpretation of Augustine and others The words thus unfolded we may learne That God feedeth his children even in the wildernesse and provideth for his owne in times of greatest scarcity as here the woman in a place of famine barrennesse banishment and persecution is fed and provided for Never was the Israel of GOD without a showre of Mannah nor a Rocke of water in the dry and barren wildernesse 1 Kings 19. 6. Eliah flying for his life is fed by an Angell and what else would our Saviour teach by thoâ—â— two miracles of so many thousand in the wildernesse with so small meanes Matth. 14. 18. but that such as follow Christ and cleave unto his word shall not bee destitute of any thing needfull though in never so vast and terrible a wildernesse They are first in respect of God secondly of themselves In respect of God for three causes 1. Because of his gracious promise so often passed Psal. 34. 10. The Lyons shall want but they that feare the Lord they shall want nothing that is good Psal. 84. 11. no good thing shall be wanting to him that liveth uprightly Psal. 37. 19. they shall have enough in dayes of famine for godlinesse hath the promise even of this life as well as of that to come 2. Because of his mighty power who can doe what he hath promised 1. He can create food where none is as Mannah in the wildernesse and water out of a Rocke the most unlikely meanes in the world and out of an Asses tooth to Samson as dry as a flint 2 Hee can multiply a little and make it supply many and make it last long as 1 Kings 17. 14. the Meale in the barrell 2 Kings 4. 3. Oyle in the Câ—use we see the like in Christs miracles feeding many thousand with seven Loaves 3. He can by extraordinary meanes supply his servants if ordinary faile if men feed not Elias Angels shall if Angels doe not Ravens shall 4. He can without all meanes sustaine them if both ordinary and extraordinary faile them as Moses and Elias forty dayes without any food This mighty power added to his promise assureth his Church to be fed seeing nothing can hinder him from doing them good 3. Because of the fulnesse and abundance of grace in God and fulnesse of goodnesse to communicate it who can deny him to be the Ocean and full Sea even the inexhaustible fountaine of goodnesse and who can hinder his full streames from issuing forth and running abroade in all affluence or whether should it flow and issue if not to his Sanctuary who have the Buckets to draw out of this deepe Well but beleevers In regard of themselves and in this respect there are three more causes 1. The right of the Church for the beleever having Christ hath in him right to all things of this life good for them If Christ be yours then all is yours whether things present or to come 1 Cor. 3. 22. 2. Their relation to God they are nearer than Gentiles yet he feeds them they are nearer than Oxen yet God hath care of oxen they are nearer than sparrowes yet he feeds them for 1. They are his servants The Prodigall childs father is said to have bread enough for his servants much more have Gods servants in his house 2. They are childreÌ„ He that provideth for dogs and Swine will hee not provide for his children 3. They are the Spouse and wife of Christ will a loving husband suffer his deare wife to want food and necessaries if hee know her need and be able to supply it therefore so long as the Lord hath knowledge of the Chuches estate and love of her person shee shall not be destitute 3. Their power and prevailing of their faith procureth them food they trust in him and commend
Diotrephes who pratled against them with malicious words neither received the brethren but forbid them that would and thrust them out of the Church 3 Ioh. 10. 2. By stirring up false teachers flatterers and deceivers who insensibly rob the Church of her treasure which is true and holy doctrine The envious man by them soweth his Tares whilest men sleepe Matth. 13. Hence we read of sundrey doctrines of devils 1 Tim. 4. 12. namely the forbidding of meats and mariages so called because the devill who still laboureth to corrupt the Ministerie in and by these fights against Michael and his Angels 4. Where hee cannot hinder the powerfull preaching hee fighteth by making the truth of the Gospell preached ineffectuall sundry secret wayes as 1. By blinding some that they cannot see the truth shining upon them 2 Cor. 4. 4. holding them fast in incredulity and contumacy 2. Snatching the Word from others who heare it carelesly so the dragon prevaileth against many as ye heard Luke 8 12. 3. Thrusting from their practice such as heard with attention when men heare and put not on the new man it is a giving place to the devill Eph. 4. 27. 4. After the knowne and professed truth by pulling away many from the simplicity of the Gospell by revolt and apostacie 1 Tim. 5. 15. many goe backe after Satan 2 Cor. 11. 3. I feare lest as Satan deceived Eve by his craftinesse so also hee deceive you Thus in all changes of religion numbers have gone backe after Satan Now after the manner let us see the reasons of this fight Contraries must needs fight here be two contrary kingdomes the kingdome of light and of darknesse two contrary Princes the God of heaven and the god of the world the Author of truth the father of lyes two contrary bands no marvell if the whole band of the dragon would pull downe the whole Kingdome of God how can the kingdome of sinne but fight against the kingdome of grace There is a deadly hatred of the dragon against God and Jesus Christ. 1. All the spawne of the malignant dragon seeketh by all meanes to hinder and obscure the knowledge and glory of God and to set up honour and yeeld obedience to the dragon for God see wee not how Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God and demeaneth himselfe as if he were God but what moveth him the dragon acteth him with strong delusion and his comming is by the efficacy of Satan 2 Thess. 2. and the same efficacy of Satan casteth downe Idolaters at the feet of antichrist to receive lawes from him to binde conscience to worship at his word a breaden god made by a Baker in stead of the Maker of the world which is nothing but to adore the dragon no other wayes than the Jewes who are said to offer to devils when they offered to Idols Psal. 106. 1 Cor. 10. 2. In the dragon and all his angels is an unconquerable hatred of Christ and his members hee perpetually opposeth the humanity the divinity the offices of Jesus Christ that hee should not be truly knowne and beleeved in the world and this reason our Saviour giveth why the Scribes Pharisees and other wicked men were so busie against his person and doctrine Iohn 15. 24. They have hated both mee and my father for the hatred of Christ they never cease to persecute the Church his Spouse and the faithfull his members so our Saviour saith If the world have hated me it will hate you also Iohn 16. 3. and this they will doe to you because they have not knowne me nor my father The dragon and his Angels fight to add unto and inlarge so far as he can his kingdome and dominion he would have al the world his throne to domineere in he would thrust Jesus Christ out of all his right he would bring in all mens soules into his owne dānation and because he cannot get all he is restlesse and never giveth up his quarrell why else doth the Antichrist of Rome the chiefe Commander under the dragon maintaine and abet such bloody quarrels against the Reformed Churches but because hee would have small and great rich and poore free and bond to receive his marke in their hands and foreheads Rev. 13. 16. Haman must have all knees bow to him else hee is sicke of anger and prepareth for the death of every Mordecai that refuseth They therefore fight to uphold the dominion hee hath gotten in the world as great Princes goe to warre to maintain their rights and territories in every part of their countrey even so if the Gospel come into any countrey to turne them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God what tumults tragedies doth the dragon and all his angels excite and stirre up against it and what else doe all the present warres in this part of the world tend unto but to hold the Countries subject unto Antichrist under the power of the dragon still and to keepe out and chase out the sound and mention of Christ as the truth is in Jesus Christ. Beware of this note of a wicked man to fight against Christ. Ob. We professe Christ and are baptized into Michaels name have taken our presse-mony of him and therefore what is this to us Sol. Can. 1. 5. The sonnes of my mother contended with me and thus was I wounded in the house of my friends Is this Christs voyce would wee know these dissembled friends the markes are cleare 1. Those that wilfully resist any of Gods ordinances fight against God Acts 5. 39. If this be of God yee cannot destroy it but bee fighters against God therefore hee that fighteth against the standard of Michael that is the voyce of the Gospell is a ranke rebell to Christ as hee that shooteth against the Kings standard He that resisteth the power of the word which is Michaels Scepter will give it no place nor obedience in themselves and scorne it in others that mutiny against preaching and preachers of truth and practice of sincerity fighteth as directly against God as hee that would wrest the Kings Scepter out of his hand He that resisteth the holy observation of the Sabbath is an ordinary breaker of it by worke or play that scornes strict and circumspect walking is a fighter against God 2. Those that in thēselves or others uphold the dragons dominion these apparently fight against Christ not one of their lusts must fall downe before the word looke in what sinne the devill did raigne for that they strive and contend still and none so great enemies as those that strive against their sinnes they must sweare and lie and game they must outface conscience and scorne godlinesse so also they are loath the devill should lose any ground in others and therefore they strengthen sinners and incourage them in all their wayes of loosnesse gaming wasting out their time and drunken companionship resisting tumultuously a faithfull Ministery 3. Those that strive
up to hatefull things condemned by themselves to drunkennesse filthines usury base and shamefull courses that their name stinkes as a Candle sluttishly put out not after but before they are put out that all men may see them cast out of their place parts before hand and if the wicked servants talēt be taken from him what remaines but the other part of the sentence Cast him into utter darknesse Mat. 25. 30. 2. Another note of a man whose place shall not bee found is hee is one whose place is not found amongst Gods people in his House and ordinances Cain as vile as hee was being cast out from the presence of God complaines of a miserable case many outcasts now wilfully excommunicate themselves and please themselves in it their owne hatred of grace hath cast them out from Gods people and worship already Gods house hath already spewed them out as unworthy of the fellowship of Gods people and whither are they hastening hee that will not abide to have his place found amongst Gods people shall one day have his wish his place shall never bee found among them Thirdly a man blowne about as chaffe and dust already shall never have a stable estate hereafter as I. If any bee carried with every blast of false doctrine as unrooted unsetled in the faith never was there change of religion but Satan raised false teachers and seducers who did privily bring in damnable heresies such as Iannes and Iambres that resisted the truth and carryed away numbers from the truth themselves first carryed away by the deceit of Balaams wages beware of such Popish Pedlers that helpe to sell the people of God into the hands of the cursed Babylonians Ieremie describes such 1. They cast aside the Word of God and deliver their owne dreames chaffe instead of wheare they bend and straine their wits to looke out vaine and foolish things causes of banishment Lam. 2 14. 2. They are described by their intolerable Iesuiticall lying fathering that upon the Lord which the Lord never spake where doth the Lord in al◠the Scripture enveigh against the powerfull frequēt preaching of his holy word Shall we beleeve he speaks from God who cryes out of too much Preaching I must beleeve that his eyes are sore or bleared who cries out of light how can a Torch-light be welcome to a company of theeves or robbers how can the light of the word be welcome to Atheists Papists and Iesuiticall spirits who would robbe the Church of the word of salvation 3. They are described by hucksterly blending the wine of Gods word with the puddle-water of humane inventions watch them and disclaime them that would sow our field with the miscelen of Popery who like their Jesuiticall friends with one wipe will cast out all the reformed Churches from being the true Churches of God with whom wee have joyned as sisters ever since the restoring of the Gospell as in the harmony of Confessions appeareth with another overthrow the better halfe of the fourth Commandement as their friends cast out the whole second Commandement and as like the Jesuites as may bee cast dirt and foame upon the faithfull able and zealous Preachers because they see them stand in their light as the greatest opposites to their Popish projects Well for giving heed to such deceitfull Prophets the Lord threatneth Ierusalem to wipe her as a maid wipes a dish If we would not be cast out of our places Churches let us beware of such locusts whose property is to eate up every greene thing Rev. 9. 4. especially beware of the delusiō of Antichrist who is that beast that must goe into destruction and the King of these Locusts for how shall they that adhere to him stand or bee found in their place when his place shall not be found II. The like of one who is carryed away with the blasts of temptation from sinne to sinne having no stedfastnesse in a good course None can bee established by iniquity III. The like of them that are carryed away with Apostasie from good beginnings without constancy in their hearts or mouthes or good actions such withered leaves are blowne away with windes Psal. 1. And IIII. Of them that runne after the world setting their hope and heart on earthly things for how can such a ones place be found when earth and heaven flies away and their place found no more Revel 20 11. when all Ilands and Mountaines shall not bee found Rev. 16. 20 Vers. 9. And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devill and Satan which deceiveth the whole world hee was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him This Verseis a large confirmation or interpretation of the former and in it are foure parts I. A large description of the party overthrowne the grand enemie of the woman and that by two arguments 1. His names and titles which are foure 1. The great dragon 2. That old serpent 3. The devill 4. Satan 2. His effect he deceiveth the whole world II. The manner of his overthrow He was cast not downe but out III. The place designed whither he was cast into the earth IIII. His company and associates in this overthrow and his Angels with him First of the description Quest. Why is the Spirit of God so large in it Answ. 1. That we should not mistake the enemie overthrowne and conceive of any naturall or physicall dragon in proper sense 2. That wee should not doubt of the truth of the overthrow For the meaning of the names I. The great dragon is the arch-enemie of mankinde who had in all ages by his instruments oppressed and outragiously wasted the Church but especially as wee have seene in this Text by the great and prophane power of the old Romane and imperiall dragons in whom he had ruled at his will tyrannized over the woman spreading upholding all Idolatry blasphemy heresies and plotting dēvising and executing all injustice tyranny and barbarous immanity against her this dragon is now cast out of whom and his greatnesse wee have spoken at large verse 3. and will neither repeate nor add to that discourse II. The Title is The old Serpent where 1. His nature 2. His adjunct His nature he is a serpent First because hee hid and covered himselfe in the serpent in his first stratageme against our first Parents Secondly because of his serpentine disposition in two things 1. His poyson and malice both in the fountaine and streams for in his owne nature his poyson is alwayes ready as in a fountain and in his effects it runneth incessantly as in full streames first and principally against Christ the Head of the Church and then against all the members for the Heads sake His speciall hatred is against Christ for as the serpent carries a most deadly antipathic and fight against the Hart or Hinde so this serpent against Christ who is aijeleth hashahar the hart or hinde of the
carry us through fire and water through Pikes and perils through thicke and thin after it Thirdly sticke to the conscionable practice of the Word and then be sure thou canst not bee deceived hold to the rule of that for it cannot deceive thee the powerfull practice of it turneth a man from the power of Satan unto God V. Pray for the spirit of grace to performe his Office for thy establishing in grace Quest. What is his Office Answ. 1. He is that Anoynting which teacheth all things needfull 2. Hee is the Spirit of wisedome and counsell to resolve all doubts it is his voyce that saith behinde thee This is the way walke in it 3. He is the Spirit of courage and fortitude to dissolve the fears of flesh to arme us against tyrants enemies changes tryals and persecutions for the truth 4. He is the Comforter to sustaine us with assured comfort in our heavinesse and to cheare us in our wearinesse 5. Hee is the Perfecter of his owne worke for he leaveth no work imperfect which he beginneth for salvation Col. 1. 28. I strive to be perfect according to his mighty power that worketh in me VI. Add this to the former sticke to the Ministery but see that the Spirit be effectuall in that Ministery for 1. The Spirit worketh all those comforts by means of the Word 2. As the evill spirit is effectuall in such as perish by false doctrines and false perswasions so the Spirit of God is effectuall in the Saints especially in the preaching and perswasions of the word of truth 3. It is just that whosoever suffereth not the Spirit to be effectuall there shall finde the spirit of error effectuall in strong delusions If Ahab will not heare Gods Spirit in Micah hee shall fall by a spirit of errour in the mouthes of his false prophets Now to bee established by an effectuall Ministerie wee must observe two rules 1. Receive not every thing hand over head but search the Scriptures and trie the things that are delivered Iohn 5. 39. and the Bereans were commended for examining the doctrine of the Apostles themselves by the touchstone of the Prophets Acts 17. 11. But Papists would not have the Scripture in common mens hands because they distrust their doctrine 2. Having tryed all things resolve to hold all that is good and continue in the things learned from the Word which is an assured fence against deceivers 2 Tim. 3. â—4 We are further admonished to take notice of the markes and signes of a person that is seduced by the Serpent to the end we may avoid them One is in the dayes of light not to perceive the glorious light of the Gospell 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospell be now hid it is hid to them that perish in whom the god of this world hath blinded their mindes that the light of the Gospell should not shine unto them Hee is a blinde man that seeth not the Sunne shining nor such objects as the Sunne discovereth so hee is blinded by Satan who cannot or will not see his estate to bee damnable and miserable but is alive and happy without repentance and conversion that by the same light cannot see that a sinne in himselfe which hee seeth so to bee in another that by the light cannot be convinced but that some sins are good and commodious as profitable lies and oathes some breach of the Sabbath some usury some idle company and perhaps esteeme it vertue or wisedome that by so cleare a light cannot be perswaded but that there is more ease and pleasure in following lusts and sinnes than in observing Gods law here is one led away and deceived of the serpent 2. Another mark of such a one is not to beleeve the truth but to esteeme the Word as a fable unworthy of our credit Eve was not seduced till her faith in the word was shaken Thou that beleevest not the promises as not expecting salvation by them that turnest away the thoughts from thinking earnestly of the threatnings and punishments due to thy sinnes that walkest in thine owne way and refusest the counsell of the word why seest thou not thy selfe seduced and led away by Sathan in great part already 3. A third marke of such a one is a departing from the doctrine of faith received from the religion and divine worship planted by the Prophets and Apostles and prescribed in the word of God a giving way and willing eares to Priests Jesuites and croaking locusts Eve should not have lent her eare to the serpent against the truth of God Hee easily seduceth those that are willing to bee seduced 4. The fourth marke is to withstand the power of grace and religion accounting the practise of holinesse a needlesse precisenesse esteeming the care of pleasing God to be hypocrisie zeale to be rashnesse and distemper Who seeth not but the dragon hath led these away at his will For what other way doth the Dragon himselfe walke in but in a perpetuall hatred of grace 5. The fift marke is noted wickednesse of life and living in lusts for the more wicked a man is the more subject hee is to be delivered up by God to be seduced and who be they that are given up to the efficacie of Antichrist but such as have pleasure in unrighteousnesse that is such as take felicity in sinne and rather then they will forsake it trample under foot all the hopes of the Gospell 2. Thess. 2. 12. Who be they that are or may be noted at this day carryed away into the delusion of popery and are a prey to Jesuites Priests and deceivers but such as must have liberty and indulgence to live in some sin or other first they resolve upon a beastly life and then fall to such a deluding doctrine as may skinne over the gall of their consciences Of many such Apostates wee may say it were pitty they should professe any other religion then popery for no other would befit the wickednesse of their lives so well 6 The last marke is when sinne is revenged with sinne with hardnesse of heart with brawne of conscience deadnesse of spirit dedolency impenitencie This man is fearefully left by God and seised on by the dragon when neither Law nor Gospell neither piping nor mourning prevailes with him Instance whereof we see in many Apostates and temporizers who having made some shewes of goodnesse in themselves and good affections to others falling to the world and selfe-seeking have slacked in their love to the truth and that sinne revenged with hatred and persecuting of goodnesse and that sinne further revenged with hardnesse of heart and a dead conscience not suffering them to looke either behinde them or before them till they have outrunne themselves in so fearfull violence against the grace of God as commonly godlinesse meets not with such enemies any where as those that once made shew of it And as the dragon most desirously assaulteth these so Gods revenge sheweth it selfe most
his holds I. In his owne person preaching most divine and effectuall doctrine with such authority and power as never man spake so For Michael carryeth a two edged sword in his mouth so sharpe as that it pearceth and cutteth Leviathan in peeces And this doctrine was confirmed partly with a most holy and innocent life so as when the dragon came he found nothing in him Iohn 14. 30 no power no right no matter to fasten any temptation upon being pure from all sinne both in nature and act partly with most powerfull miracles evidences of his divine person because they were performed by his owne power and such as the dragon could neither resist falsifie or imitate II. In the persons of his servants whether Prophets Apostles or Pastors When the Disciples were sent out into Judea to preach they returned to Christ rejoycing because the devils were subdued and Christ said he saw Satan fall downe like lightning Luke 10. 18. How suddenly the sound of the Gospell was carried into all nations by the Apostles and the world conquered unto Christ appeareth in the Epistles of Paul Then went downe Paganisme Idolatry Atheisme and the walls of hellish Iericho were soone throwne downe by the sound of these rammes-hornes And at this day how doe the faithfull Pastors hold forth the shining light of truth to destroy and cast out heretikes and the numberlesse droves of false teachers and seducers out of the Church for as the devils were not able to withstand one word of Christs mouth in his flesh and infirmity so the same word is no lesse powerfull in the mouths of his Ministers with whom himselfe is present to the end of the world 4. He comes with a powerfull Spirit a Spirit of fortitude and unresistable strength by which as hee upholds the whole frame of the world in the estate of nature so also the whole frame of the Church and the whole state of grace in the world renewed and called out of the world This Spirit is not powerfull onely in the Head to foyle the dragon but in every member also who cast him out and tread him under their feet Rom. 16. 20. 5. He comes with a powerfull arme of justice to revenge and confound all enmities spirituall and corporall this our Ioshua hath set his feet on the neckes of five Kings at once and daily casteth out the dragon by the miserable destruction of tyrants and enemies Neroes Domitians Dioclesians Trajans Valences c. and at last shall make all his enemies his footstoole Now seeing onely the power of Jesus Christ can cast out the dragon let us make much of the presence of Christ and rejoyce in it Magicians have devised many wayes of casting out devils as Amulets Words Characters but all diabolicall Papists have devised holy-bread holy-water salt herbes lights Crosses the word Jesus or some part of the Gospell to charme or exâ—rcise devils of the same diabolicall invention and intention with the former but Christ is present with no such sorceries neither doe they cast downe the dragon but hold him up Satan is not cast out by Beelzebub except by compact and collusion but the Lord hath appointed the holy Ministerie and in it hath promised his presence and in that hee commeth to cast out Satan the way to keep Satan downe is to embrace and rejoyce in an holy and powerfull Ministery This is the hammer of heresies the sword against his temptations the touchstone of errour the whetstone of grace the rule of prayer and a whole armory against all the enterprises of the dragon He that findes the power of the Ministery casting downe the dragons power in his owne soule will sticke to it as to the arme of God nothing shall be of power to plucke him from it being the power of God and the wisedome of God Every man saith hee will cleave to Christ and the power of Christ for he onely can foile the dragon but renouncing the Ministery thou renouncest Christ who hath said Hee that receiveth you receiveth mee and hee that refuseth you refuseth mee Luke 10. 16. Againe note hence the reason why the powerfull preaching of Gods Word is so generally resisted in the world namely because all wicked men whatever they professe are friends with the dragon and chuse to be under his power as for the power of Christ they renounce it and say plainly We will not have this man to rule over us nor endure his yoakes as for example 1. Why doth Satan so oppose the true preaching of the Word but because hee feeles the power of Christ in it haÌ„mering downe his kingdome of darknesse hee stormes not at frothy and foolish preaching onely faithfull Preachers beare the burden of his rage Christ and his Apostles and all faithfull Pastors he opposeth he slandereth because Christ is powerfull in them against his Kingdome and not in others 2. What is the cause that Antichrist cannot indure the Scriptures but disgraceth them with vile terms or that he doth preferre fables and devises of men before them shut them up and imprison them in Cloysters and unknown tongues punish the reading of them in the Mother-tongue with death c but because being an enemie to the power of Christ hee findes it the weapon which hath wounded him and must slay him and the rod that Christuseth to smite him downe no winde can so blast herbes as this breath of Christ blasteth him The Arke cannot stand up but Dagon goeth downe Christ and Antichrist cannot stand together 3. Why doe the Idolatrous countries of Spaine Italy France and the rest sticke so fast to the support of Antichrist and keepe life in him and cast him not out as other Countries have done but because Christ is not come among them they resist his power and the rod of his power they suffer not the breath of Christs mouth the preaching of the Word among them and where doe Papists increase at home but in rude and untaught countries where Christ is not come in the power of his Word 4. Why doe our Papists both Recusants and Church Papists most resist and disgrace painfull and diligent Preachers these cannot be indured preach damnation are authors of faction enemies to authoritie c. but the very reason is because these comming in the power of Christ are the greatest enemies of Antichrist their good father and friend for if there bee idle or corrupt Preachers they like well because they know these are speciall friends to their friend for if the Spirit of Christ breath not in him who stands in the roome of a Minister Antichrist may and doth stand in full state and strength for all him 5. Why doe many formall Protestants that say they wil be saved by Christ so directly and manifestly resist the power of Christ to salvation and doe the dragon so good service as none more as First by spurning against wholesome doctrine and turning the backe contemptuously and professedly on the house of GOD This
place nor feare their forces in thy Lords quarrell nor basely stoope to honour ungodly persons for private ends nor shew a willing minde to repent of any thing well done This daunts the Dragon and wicked men and brings much honour to our honourable profession And his angels were cast out with him The fourth generall in this verse is what company was cast out with the Dragon namely his angels By the angels of the Dragon wee understand 1. All those wicked persons by whom the devill putteth forth his power against the Church as wicked angels wicked tyrants wicked teachers and all wicked men and agents 2. All wicked meanes and instruments by which hee had executed his malice against the woman as the power of his Cesars the policy and counsell of his prudent Senators the sophistry of his hereticall teachers the sorcery of his idolatrous priests and oracles All these and the like meanes by which the Dragon set up and held up his rule in earth were cast into the earth whence they were taken And by casting out of them wee meane not a totall ejection from all molestation of the Church but such a breaking of their power as they could never prevaile against the salvation of any member of the Church neither against the happy proceedings of the Christian religion in the infancy of the Church at which age our text aimeth Where the Dragon is cast out all his angels are cast out with him 1. Ioh. 4. 4. Little children yee are of God and have overcome them whom every spirit that confesseth not Christ every enemy of Christ. 1. If the head be cast out how can the members thinke to stay If the Generall of the field be cast to the earth how can the confused and stragling army hope to prevaile When David overcame Goliah hee foiled the whole host of the Philistines so as Israel fell upon them and slew them so this sonne of David overthrowing the hellish Goliah chased all his angels and forces with him 2. The same justice layeth hold on principals and accessaries In the Dragons angels were first the same enmity against the woman that was in the Dragon Gen. 3. 15 I will put enmity betweene thy seed and her seed as betweene thy selfe and her Secondly the same desert and merit for the angels fought against the woman as well as the Dragon vers 7. The messengers of Sathan cease not to buffet the Saints as Paul Thirdly the same sentence and execution against the angels as against their head the Dragon Matt 25. 41. prepared for the devill and his angels both issuing from the justice of God who spares not the Angels that sinned 2. Pet. 2. 4. 3. The perfection of Michaels power cannot but encounter and conquer as well the angels and agents of the Dragon as the Dragon himselfe The power of his God-head is a full store-house to minister unto him all fitnesse and furniture to encounter all the agents and angels of the Dragon The truth whereof wee shall easily discerne if we cast our eyes upon the chiefe organs and instruments of the dragon called his angels whom our Michael hath cast out and made his footstoole The first are heretickes and false teachers and these angels of the dragon transforme themselves as if they were Angels of light but Michael the true Doctor of his Church casteth them out and raiseth up Pastors according to his owne heart in their stead so that the elect shall not bee seduced by them This is a fruit of his powerfull ascension Ephes. 4. 10. 11. The second sort of the dragons angels are tyrants and wretced persecutors of the truth and these stoutly and incessantly fight against Michael But Christ the true King of his Church resisteth and confoundeth them by the rod of his power and instead of them raiseth us Kings and Princes to bee nursing fathers and mothers to the Church Thirdly wicked men and hypocrites are angels of the dragon and under the name and colours of Christ fight against Christ but cannot prevaile for Michael is the true Sampson who with the jaw bone of his owne mouth smites them downe heapes upon heapes Fourthly the great angell of all under the dragon is that great Antichrist who now sits at Rome and hath many yeares furiously fought against the whole Kingdome of Christ but our Michael is well appointed against him for hee blasteth him with the breath of his mouth and will consume him with the brightnesse of his comming and the time hasteneth wherein hee shall be cast out of the Church as dung of the earth 4. The perfection of Michaels victory argueth all the angels of the dragon to bee cast out as well as himselfe For first otherwise the little stone had not broken to pieces all the kingdomes opposite to it selfe as the prophesie is Dan. 2. 45. But it hath broken the whole kingdome of the dragon by setting up and upholding a kingdome of grace the least lowest and weakest of whose subjects are too strong for the whole gates of hell to prevaile against Secondly Michael had not perfected our salvation had he not perfected his owne victory in the totall abolition of his enemies and in leaving no hurtfull thing in all the mountaine of his holinesse But do we not see many angels of the dragon unconquered many false teachers tyrants persecutors haters of the truth papists and the great Antichrist that scarce afford the Church any good day nor never cease her vâ—xation how then are all the angels cast out with him I answer 1. They are all cast out already in respect of our head whom they cannot reach now sitting at his Fathers right hand and as to him actually so to us the members virtually and potentially who must needs partake of his victory and tryumph over them all but wee must for the time rest in his most gracious ordination who so communicateth his victory unto us as wee must receive it first by faith and then by fruition first in hope and then by sense first in part and then in perfection 2. They are all cast out already in respect of the sentence which is past on them all but he waites a fit time of execution when the just and full time of the ripenesse of sinne and judgement is come when hee will be sure to recompence the flownesse of his comming with weight of revenge and if any of the dragons angels escape freer in this world than other a greater vexation belongs unto them hereafter 3. The Lord hath cast out all enemies so as may stand both with the freedome of his justice as also with the time of his patience and connivence both to cleare his righteousnesse in revenging and to make them inexcusable the former in that he was so slow to wrath the latter in that they foreslowed their amendment 4. Michael hath cast out all the dragons angels in respect of the Church not from vexing but from hurting
wicked enemies of it For 1. By these overthrows the most desperate enemies are daunted for a time and by the terrour of judgements discouraged from their mischievous enterprises against the Church Did not Gods plagues on the Egyptians stop their unreasonable violence against Israel yea however the kings heart was hardened to destruction yet the people were overcome so as to do them all the good they could leaving themselves bare and naked to adorne and enrich them with their Jewels And how hath the heavy hand of God felt by our enemies made them lesse bold to attempt the like mischiefes yea rather inclined them to be at a kinde of peace with us 2. By the dreadfull overthrows of wicked men the Lord sets up his Church and makes even the enemies themselves submit and stoop to her Psalm 18. 44. When Davids sword prevailes in the Lords battels strangers shall bee in subjection though dissemblingly The proud Aramites were forced to submit themselves wiih halters about their necks to the King of Israell 1. King 20. 31. 2. Chron. 32. 22. When that memorable judgement was executed against the King of Assur and his proud army many are said to bring offerings to Jerusalem and presents to Hezekiah who was magnified thenceforth of all nations So by the fearfull hand of God against proud Herod the Lord made his word to prosper and beleevers to multiply Act. 12 23. 24. 3. By the judgements of God powred out upon wicked men they themselves are convinced in their consciences and forced to acknowledge themselves in a wrong course and that the state of the godly whom they persecute is farre more happy then their owne If Balaam in his prosperity wished himselfe in the number of Gods people what did hee when the sword came against him in the slaughter of the Midianites Numb 31. 8. And when the Egyptians were hurled among the waves did they not wish themselves in the state of the meanest Israelites And shall not all wicked enemies who now brave it out against the Saints do so also when the waters of Gods wrath arise and beginne to returne forcibly upon them III Motives to this duty are these 1. The end proposed by the Lord of all his actions is the setting up of his glory but especially when in overthrowing the dragon hee sheweth forth all his glorious attributes of power justice hatred of sinne revenge of sinne as also of mercy care and love of his Church the over-mastering of her enemies for the terrour of all proud adversaries and the encouraging and confirming the faith of the Saints 2. As this is the Lords end so wee cannot disappoint him of this end without our own great prejudice For as thankfull praises for old mercies invite new so ingratitude being a bundle of many sins hinders the course and current of Gods blessings unto us If we would continue perpetuate mercies to ourselvs we must not deprive the Lord of his due praises 3. The Lord hath manifested his pleasure and that hée is well pleased to have the mindefulnesse of his mercies towards his people to dwell with his Church to beget in them more love of himselfe and a greater desire of promoting his kingdome Hence himselfe pleased to be the institutor of feasts speciall services for perpetuall memory of mercies deliverāces as the Paslover to perpetuate the memory of the Angels passing over the Israelites houses in slaying the first born of Egypt saving thē frō the revenging Angell And in their entring into the land of Canaan hee appointed the feast of Tabernacles in remembrance of all that providence and preservation of them and theirs from all enemies while they dwelt not in walled townes but in Tabernacles forty yeares in the wildernesse 4. The very Heathens themselves after their victories would institute publique solemnities to their gods in way of thankfulnesse and dedicate dayes and temples to them for remembrance and shall Christians come behinde them and as the manner is after victories eate and drinke and bragge and sweare in the meane time forget their songs to the Lord 5. We cannot better or liker to our life of heaven exercise our selves on earth when all the Saints shall solemnly and tryumphantly sing and sound out the glory of God for their finall deliverance from the Dragon and all his Angels by Jesus Christ when the Angels Saints Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all the blessed company of heaven shall joyne in the song of Moses and the Lambe Now the Saints on earth must resemble and begin this life of heaven and seeing all other services and spirituall duties shall cease and onely this shall remaine in heaven our care must bee that it cease not upon earth This doctrine casts out of the society of the Church such as grieve and repine at her prosperity and happy victories for he cannot be a member of the Church who rejoyceth not in her joy nor a sonne of this mother who is not glad in her prosperity Is it a note of a righteous man to rejoyce when hee seeth the vengeance Psalm 58. 10. what is hee then that pineth when hee seeth Gods revenge powred on the heads of his adversaries 1. Such as grieve when Antichrists kingdome is shaken when they heare any newes of defeating his forces and cannot containe or conceale themselves but by magnifying the Catholike Captaines and contemptuous discourses against the Protestants forces bewray what they are and on what part they stand good subjects must they needs bee while they bewray such sure affections to the enemies of GOD our religion our Countrey our King and our Kings Children and good souldiers to Christ and trusty who are sorry when their Generall gets a victory I cannot tell whether to impute their boldnesse more to want of grace in disclaiming the truth or want of wit in such discovery of themselves 2. Such as rage and storme against the power of the Word which discovers the nakednesse of Popery So shamelesse and foolish are some ignorant sots and so earnestly set for their Popish Dagon that if they heare any thing against the doating doctrines of Popery they are ready to tumult as the Ephesians for their Diana It is nothing with them to revile the Ministers and give them all the lie and charge them with ignorance or falsification But what need clearer evidence to cast them for treachery against Christ his truth and holy religion established by the lawes in regard of which if folly it selfe did not leade them they would forbeare 3. Such as cannor endure our solemnities and daies of publike joy for our deliverances against the bloody Papists but as Vipers swell with poyson and griefe that their mother hath any cause of joy and that the Church and Kingdome was lifted up by God from such destruction as never came into the heads of any wretches but Papists or devils The barbarous heathens could not expresse their joy sufficiently in their triumphs gratulatory rites
Scriptures out of their Countries to receive in humane traditions thrusting down the pure worship of God to set up horrible Idolatry blasphemy and sacrilegious worship of stockes stones and the breaden god persecuting to death the faithfull and godly Preachers taking into their bosomes shavelings Baals Priests fabulous Fryars Jesuiticall King-killers and Antichristian god-makers What a griefe is it to cast our eyes abroad into the world and consider what a small part of it is come in as subiects to this King In the Easterne part of the world we may see Gog and Magog Turkes Jewes and Sarazens to hold out this Kingdome of Christ and set up Mahomet against him the god of that part of the world In the Westerne part we may see Antichrist Apollyon his Holinesse the Arch-enemy of the Churches of the Gentiles holding out by power and policy by force and fraud this Kingdome of our God in the most of this Westerne world and none may buy or sell no nor breath or live but such as receive the marke of the beast in their hands and foreheads So as wee must beleeve Jesus Christ to bee the great King For if we should trust our senses he seemeth in comparison of the world to be as Ishbosheth a King without a Kingdome II. To come nearer to our owne Countrey If we turne our eyes home wee may finde matter of mourning that this Kingdome of the Lord hath gotten no more ground in this Kingdome or rather hath lost much ground of late yeares sure it is God never gave more excellent gifts nor more furnished lights to his Church in any age since the Apostles then in this last age since the discovery of that Antichristian darknesse nor in this age unto any nation more than unto this nation and where he giveth much doth he not require much But oh the misery that is come upon his Church that 1. Whereas wee should have beene generally setled on our Rocke and foundations without wavering we are now calling our grounds in question and must dispute against deniers of our principles 2. Whereas Antichrist and Popery was a dead stinking carkeise detestable to every man of any nose or iudgement now the dead bones seeme to reunite themselves and flesh and skinne to come on them and begin to revive and take heart and contest yea iustle againe with the truth which once gave it the deadly wound as if it had brought seven spirits worse than before to take possession againe 3. Whereas painefull Preachers have beene worthily honoured and Gods graces admired in them in former times when the Word of God had free passage and was glorified what a griefe is it to see them now disdained and in stead of them to behold those Locusts the Priests and Jesuites fighting under their King Abbaddon and consuming the greene grasse and prevailing against so many high and low in these dayes of light to see these set by 4. Whereas the doctrine of the Sabbath was described plainely out of the Word of God and practised unlesse in very rude places in holy and commendable manner now the holy observation of it is rather accounted a kinde of heresie and all the dayes of the weeke afford not so much profanesse as that day wherein all the subiects of the Lords Kingdome ought onely to attend upon himselfe 5. How did the Lord Jesus mourne when hee saw the Jews without able Teachers as sheep without shepheards Mat. 9. 36. And what a mournfull sight were it to see a goodly field ready for the harvest but never a man in the Countrey to gather it in but there it must rot So what a lamentable thing is it to see so many Churches and Parishes without able Ministers and some countries utterly barren of meanes to gather them into the Kingdome whose Ministers in stead of feeding them either sterve them or poyson thē in stead of directing and comforting the poore Church smite her wound her shame her by taking away her vaile from her What a case was the poore Church in when the Pharises made a Canon that if any did sincerely professe Jesus Christ hee should bee excommunicated Iohn 9. 22. and afterward whē Diotrephes cast men out of the Church for receiving the brethren 3. Iohn 10. 6. How did David mourne and his eyes gush out rivers of teares because men kept not the Word The same cause have wee to see men generally cast off the regiment of Jesus Christ and led by the devill and their owne lusts The desperate prophanesse against the meanes is most damnable The Trumpet of the Gospell cals them to subiection but they say This man shall not rule over us 7. Wee have cause of mourning to see the Gospell going away and the Kingdome a taking away from us that is The Word of the Kingdome and the meanes of grace Who doth not see the Word of the Kingdome gone in the power of it For where may a man see the power of it but in a very small remnant so farre from the power of converting that it cannot prevaile against open sins nor trifling vanities And who seeth not the kingdome going away in the presence of it as wel as in the power Will Christ stay where hee is so unwelcome May wee not heare the same voyce as the Jewes did Mat. 21. 43. because they refused the Corner stone therefore the Kingdome should be taken from them and given to a Nation that would bring forth the fruits of it Or is it not a refusing of the Corner stone to trample upon the Preachers and Professors of holy religion and preferre before them Priests and Papists and to fall in love againe with Antichristian Idolatry and Masses and Breaden gods which reverse our Corner stone and cannot stand with the presence of the Arke So long as we have the Bridegroome with us wee may reioyce however other things goe with us but if he goe then our sorrowes come in as an unresistable flood III. To come to our owne places It will set griefe to every good heart to see how little ground the kingdome of the Lord hath gotten a long time If we shall see that after thirty or forty yeares constant preaching Magistrates professing religion are carelesse of religion as Gallio let religion runne as it will so that their aimes may succeed and projects prosper and not seldome turne the edge of authority against religion and religious persons If wee see that Magistracie will not bee wonne to joyne with the Ministery to set an edge and add a point to holy doctrine to make our weapons the more mighty and piercing against sinne and sinners Well knowes Satan the Kingdomes of the world would bee the Lords if these his two Ordinances should shake hands if David and Nathan or God stand together Iosias and Huldas and therefore labour to divulse them and prevailes so farre as wee seldome enjoy their happy conjunction What a griefe is it that when wee call for the
wicked men goe on in sinne as if they were able to make their party good against him 2. They are his enemies who will not suffer him to raigne over them Luke 19. 27. but cast off his yoake and tread his Scepter under foot Enemies to his Word are enemies to himselfe as First such as forbid to preach the Word as the enemies of Ieremy chap. 11. 19. and the Rulers to the Apostles Did not wee charge you to preach no more in this name Acts 4. 17. and 5. 28. Secondly such as consult evill against the Preachers of the Gospell under colcurs and pretences like those who said they were Abrahams seed yet went about to kill Christ why because his Word had no place in them Iohn 8. 37. Violencing of Christ in himselfe or his members is a signe of an enemy of Christ. Thirdly such as snuffe and murmure at holy and wholesome doctrine and conceive wrath where they should apply the truth for their owne reformation Iohn 6. 41. They murmured because hee said I am the bread that came down frō heavē Why he preacheth himselfe and hath his owne ends and what hath hee to doe with us what calling hath hee to bee so busie But what is it not the truth that is spoken canst thou hate the truth and not bee an enemy of Christ Oh what a fearefull thing is it to stand thus in enmity against Christ his Word or servants the power of Christ one day with one word shall smite them to the earth as all his apprehenders Ioh. 18. 6. and thou that wilt not bee subject to the rod of his mouth shalt be crushed with his rod of iron Ps. 2. 9. 3. That great Antichrist and all his deluded armies regular and secular are the greatest enemies to the whole Kingdome of Christ whose whole doctrine and religion is but a disthroning of the Sonne of God from his power and regency And now they fight with all their power and politike plots Abroad their forces are every where prepared with death destruction in all their way at home their friends fight with lies slanders and such other weapons as beseeme their lying and slanderous religion were their religiō truth and from truth it would not need such weapons to support it But can they prevaile against the power of Christ no the breath of his lips shall slay both the Captaine and the troupes led by him whose names are not written in the Booke of life Re. 17. 14. They shall fight with the Lambe but the Lambe shall overcome and Will not God avenge his Elect who cry night and day and whose blood they have shed like water and there with watered all the earth as a flowing Sea 4. Enemies of Christ are such indifferent men as having power place and calling out of policy and selfe-seeking are content and silent to see Popery prevaile and doe not stand out in these times to helpe the Lord and his people against his enemies I meane especially those Ministers that doe not their uttermost to detect the frauds and impostures of Antichrist nor to confirme their people in the truth against the same For as he were no other then a Traitour to his King that shall see and suffer any other to thrust himself upon the Kingdome and claim all royall authority make Edicts to draw all the subjects to his faction so is hee to Jesus Christ who can patiently digest that the man of sinne should thrust himselfe upon the Church as the Head of it and take on him to pard on sinne to make lawes to binde conscience and make new Articles of faith and proclaime himself King of the Church by fraud force cōpell men to take his mark in their hands foreheads Surely as the power of Christ shall shortly overtake this sonne of perdition who exalts himselfe above all that is called God and takes on him in the Temple as if hee were God so shall it meet with all those that take part with him as they doe that discover him not nor discover themselves against him 5. They are enemies to Christ who are enemies and rebels against the power which hee hath committed to Civill Princes The Arch-rebell of the world against Christ and Christian Princes is Popery neither can those Papist which hold the Principles of Jesuited Priests at this day but bee rebels to Christ and to our Christian King For 1. They must hold our King a slave and Vassall to the Pope and under his power to bee King or not for the spiritual power may depose Princes and place other in their stead when necessity requires saith Bellarmine l. 5. c. 7. and Suarez Defens fid l. 3. c. 23. 2. They must hold that the Pope may command other Kings to punish him if hee please to call him Heretike or Schismatike and if they doe not hee may constraine them by excommunication Bell. ibid. 3. They must hold that subjects may depose their Princes if Hereticall or Tyrannicall and although Christians did not depose Nero Dioclesian Iulian c. it is because they wāted force for by right they might if they had power enough Bell. ibid. Neither did they use cunning when they wanted power as now our Catholikes and honest Powder-traytors because it was fit for the foundations of the Church to bee laid in patience and suffering Neither was it expedient in those times to doe all that law and right admitted Mariana de Rege l. 1. c. 6. But in all memory of men such as have undertaken the killing of Tyrants have beene in high estimation saith hee and commends the person and fact of Clement on Henry 3. 4. They must hold that although S. Paul saith Let every soule bee subject to the higher powers yet S. Paul never added That every one should bee subject to powers excommunicate or deposed by the Pope neither can the one hee inferred from the other being meere contraries for à deposed King is no longer an higher power Suarez Defens l. 6. c. 4. sect 5. And this is the reason that Bellarmine against Barclay c. 3. introduceth the Pope answering the people which would continue in the obedience of the deposed King thus I doe not free thee from the naturall or Divine commandement when I absolve thee from the tie of obedience for I doe not permit thee thou shouldest not obey thy King which were against the Divine law but I make him that was thy King to bee so no longer as a servant set at liberty is bound no longer to that Master 5. They must hold that Clerkes are no subjects and that the King hath no power over them either in spirituall or temporall things So saith the Cardinall It cannot bee proved that the Kings of this age are lawfull Superiors and Iudges of Clerkes if by the same meane it be not proved that Children are above their fathers sheepe above their Pastor temporall things above spirituall and Not onely in spirituall things
as the fish doth naturally river-water we have so much the more need to bee called backe from so dangerous a sinne and indeed we want no bridles if wee be not too head strong for 1. God hath provided by his expresse law aswell for the good name of his servants as for their goods or lives Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour wherein the Lord upon paine of death bindeth every soule to truth and justice in all his speeches the uprightnesse whereof must demonstrate the uprightnesse and sincerity of the heart as a chaste daughter of a chaste mother And this Law of God wraps him in the curse as well that steales and wounds his good name as the theefe that steales his goods or the murderer that assaults his life And as farre as the good name is farre in estimation above gold and silver Prov. 22. 1. so much more hatefull and mischievous is the false accuser above a theefe or burglary 2. Nothing can bee more contrary to God nothing comes so neare the devill Hee is a creature most degenerate from God both in respect of his nature judgement and practise First God in his nature is truth essentiall and truth originall the Author of all truth and truth it selfe in all his decrees in all his workes in all his words which all agree with the truth of his essence But this man suits with Satan the father of lies who stood not in the truth Iohn 8. 44. God in his nature loveth truth the devill speaketh truth sometimes but never lovesit God is called a Justifier Satan here an accuser If wee see this image or superscription of false accusing on any say it is Satans coyne a man moulded in his mint and give unto Satan what is Satans Secondly nothing can bee more dissonant to the judgement of God than rash judgement and false accusation of good men God approves the wayes of his servants highly esteemeth of their graces accepteth and remunerateth weake indeavours Now what can bee more contrary than to accuse the wayes of God to bee hatefull purity and a straine beyond discretion and the graces of God for singularity hypocrisie dissembling know thou hast not now belied men but the Spirit of God Thirdly the Lord in his course pleadeth for his Saints acquiteth them answereth all accusations for them and pronounceth a righteous sentence upon them the fals accuser impudently impleadeth all this God calleth Nathaniel a true Israelite no saith the accuser hee is an Ismaelite a dissembler God pronounceth Paul an elect Vessell no saith the accuser hee is a murderer a theefe vengeance will not suffer him to live Act. 28. 4. God pronounceth of his owne Sonne This is my beloved Sonne no saith the accuser he is a deceiver an impostor a blasphemer in saying he is the Sonne of God Now what can be liker Satan who would have all men in his owne condemnation than these vile persons who would have all thought as vile as themselves Hence our Text maketh Satan and all accusers but one accuser 3. Whom doest thou accuse or revile Thou accusest the brethren First the brethren of Christ and in them Christ himselfe Matth. 25. In that ye have done it to one of these my brethren ye have done it to mee Wouldest thou in the day of the Lord be brought in a false witnesse against Christ And yet there is a nearer relation these brethren are members of Christ. Wouldest thou for a thousand worlds have that sin of the Jewes lying upon thy soule that thou hadst thrust a speare into the body of Christ but what was that sinne to this they knew not who he was nor what they did beside his body was dead first but thou thrustest the sharpe speare of false accusation and by it tearest and rentest the living body of Christ which is his Church and this wilfully and of set purpose 2 Thou sinnest against the sonnes not of God onely but of the Church whom thou professest thy Mother The Spirit of God amplifies the wickednesse of false accusation by this circumstance Psal. 50. 20. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slaunderest thy mothers sonne shewing the unnaturalnesse of these wicked men to their owne flesh and the bowels of their owne Mother Were there a dram of nature or grace in them they could not violate such neare bands Godly Sem will cover his fathers nakednesse though unnaturall Cham discover it Charity would cover a multitude of offences Prov. 10. 4. But wanting both they are rightly ranked with theeves and adulterers vers 18. 4 A false accuser is a most irreligious person and commonly such are the greatest enemies to true religion Observe and you shall finde them either Atheists or Papists or Libertines or worldlings given over to some foule sinne or other For according to the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh If the heart swell with malice envie and bitternesse how can the mouth but run over with cursed speaking A bitter fountaine can send no sweet water The shop is supplied with such wares as are in the storehouse Besides true religion which purifieth the heart would order the tongue I am 1. 26. If any seeme to be religious and ordereth not his tongue that mans religion is in vaine 5 Consider the fearefull evils awayting this sin so contrary to God First It casts a man out of the sanctuary of God Psal. 15. 3. unlesse the Church of God could consist of a generation of devills but it is the spouse of Christ the communion of Saints 2 It casts him into the judgement of God and damnation of hell for God hath appointed a day to give judgement of all cruell speakings which wicked sinners have spoken against him Iude 15. Then shall their measure be filled to the brim they shall have accusation enough God doth even here admonish of that day and sit in judgement on some even in this life What got Haman by false accusation but hanging on his owne gallowes What got Ahab and Iezabel by false accusing Naboth but a possession of wrath In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth must they licke Ahabs and Iezabel was eaten with dogs in the valley of Jezreel 1 King 22. A dart shot against a wall or an arrow shot upward rebound and fall upon the shooter Daniels accusers were devoured by the Lions to whom Daniel was cast What got Amaziah by accusing Amos chap. 7. 17. Thy wife shal be an whore c. Let men take heed of touching Prophets and slaundering godly Ministers Eusebius in his Church-history sheweth how Narcissus was falsly accused by three false witnesses one wished if it were not true he might be burnt the other that a foule disease might eate him the third that he might else be blind And accordingly they perished the first by a sparke of fire from heaven the second by a loathsome disease from top to toe the third seeing this repented but yet lost both his eyes
with weeping for his sin against the good Bishop of Jerusalem III Now wee come to the meanes by which godly men may fence and arme themselves against this keene weapon of false accusation 1 Accuse and judge thy selfe daily yea night and day before God Thou preventest the accuser by accusing thy selfe 1 Cor. 11. 13. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged Be carefull above all to stop the mouth of three accusers First make sure that God accuse thee not Let nothing stand betweene him and thee whereof thou hast not already judged and accused thy selfe Hereunto beleeve in Jesus Christ against all false accusation get Christ to justifie thee be once in Christ and he shall answer all crimination and if he iustifie who shall condemne Rom. 8. 33. Secondly see the word of God accuse thee not stop Moses his mouth Ioh. 5. 45. There is one that accuseth you even Moses not his person but his doctrine Hereunto repent of thy sinne confesse and forsake it that is the way to mercy Evangelicall obedience stops Moses mouth Thirdly avoyd and stop the accusation of thine owne conscience that thou mayest have a witnesse within thee First of thy sound peace and reconciliation with God Secondly sense of grace and sanctification Thirdly carefulnesse in Gods service Fourthly innocency and uprightnesse in the most sincere endeavour of heart and life 2 Walke circumspectly avoyding occasions and appearances of evill False accusers can make of gnats in good men elephants and of mole-hils mountaines as big as the globe of the earth If thou esteeme any error small or sinne little so will not they Oh that all Christians would or did so walke as that all accusations might proove shadowes and pretenses Oh that all the keene weapons of wicked men were thus blunted with innocency and that all prooved but the doing of their dutie 3 Let the righteous smite thee for this may keep thee out of wicked hands Take counsell endure rebukes from the godly heare with willingness loving admonition For else it is just the wicked fall upon thee Some have beene publickely instructed by the word and privately perswaded by godly friends to avoyd occasions of scandall to avoyd the company of loose and riotous persons and to watch narrowly over themselves for their professions sake but they unconscionably rejecting the counsell of Gods word and servants and rather quarrelling with the counsellers then following the counsell have beene given up to themselves and led away till they have become a by-word to all the prophane in the country who flout and triumph over them and their profession as if the Philistims had got in another Sampson Had it not beene better to have borne the wounds of friends then these gashes of the enemies 4 Defend and plead Gods cause against false accusation and he will plead thine When truth is gainsaid or his name or servants evill spoken of if wee would bestirre our selves for him he also would be ready to defend our names and innocency A wretched Councel it is in which al crie crucifie Christ and not a man to speake a word for him Many such wicked Councels there are in which bold and impudent accusers do stand against God and his worship and servants and throw downe and tread on not only the innocency of good men but the worship and service of God and not a man to speake a word for God or good men or causes But never was there such a councell set against God but God set against them and brought that dishonour on themselves which they sustered to be cast upon him his name Wee need not go far for examples 5 Do to anothers name as thou wouldest have thine done by He shall dwell in heaven who neither raiseth nor receiveth slaunders Generally when we heare accusation and reports of out brethren we receive them beleeve them laugh at them adde to them But what measure thou measurest to others shal be measured to thee againe thou shalt be payed in thine owne coyne looke what entertainement another mans name findes in thy house the same shall thy name finde in another mans house Wee must therefore open our mouthes for the dumbe for the absent for the innocent The difference betweene the slaunderer and receiver is this the former hath Satan sitting in his heart and tongue the latter in his heart and eare 6 Another meanes is resolution never to depart from thine uprightnesse but to keepe thine innocency as Iob though with infamy and false accusation So did Ioseph So the Apostles resolved to passe on their way by honour and dishonour through evill report and good report Never leave off to doe good nor give over any dutie to avoid false accusation Hazzard rather thy name and credit then thy faith and piety 7 Another is appellation so walke ever before God as thou mayest appeale from all unjust accusation and sentences to his most just righteous sentence that thou mayst boldly expect and call for both his testimony and assistance clearing For the first David appeales to the Lord Lord thou knowest whither I have done this thou knowest they lay to my charge things that I know not Iohn Husse appealed to Jesus Christ from the wicked sentence of the Councell of Constance Iobs witnesse was in heaven For the other is that in Psal. 119. 123. Answer for thy servant in that which is good and let not the proud oppresse me as if he had said Lord I am slaundered where I am not where I cannot answer for my selfe do thou answer for me besides I crave only thy protection in an honest and good cause thou that art goodnesse it selfe maintaine it and me in it And for clearing thine innocency wayte God will one day discover it Consider the story how God cleared Athanasius from the villanous accusations of the Arrians First they suborned a lewd woman to exclayme upon him in open assembly that he would have ravished her the night before against her will Which slaunder he shifted off by sending Timotheus Presbiter of Alexandria in his roome who asked her before the synod whether she would sweare that he had ravished her shee answered she would sweare and vow he did it thinking he had beene Athanasius whom she never saw So the Councell perceiving the matter quitted his innocency Secondly they accused him to have slaine one Arsenius whom themselves kept secret and that he carried one of his hands about him by which hee wrought miracles and enchantments But Arsenius touched by God stole away from them and came to Athanasius who brought him before the Judges with both hands and confounded his accusers 8 The last meanes is apologie and necessarie defence of our words and facts against false accusers which Christ used alwaies for himselfe and his disciples And as necessarie it is for his Ministers and Members For First we may not lose our innocency if by good meanes we may maintaine it Secondly
we may and must cut off the vizards of envious obtrectors and slaunderers if not for our persons yet for the truth Thirdly impudent accusers abuse the patience and modesty of good men and by their silence make thēselves more audacious to slaunder Fourthly a good man may be as bold in defence of innocency and goodnesse as they are impudent in disgracing them Samuel did not boast or preach himselfe when rejected by the people he asked Whose Oxe or Asse have I taken Our Saviour Christ many times askes Which of you can accuse me of sinne If Papists or Atheists make it the discourses of their table and sawce of their meats to belye and slander Preachers of the Gospell a Preacher may as I doe this day challenge all Papists scoffers enemies of the truth which I preach c. if the Roman law were in force which Eusebius and Nicephorus speake of that hee that had falsly accused his brother and not able to prove it should have both his legs broken what a number of criples should we have I wish them better that God would breake their hearts with godly sorrow and breake their malice rather then their limbes that embracing the truth they may acknowledge the bringers of it The accuser is cast downe The second part of these words is The dejection of the dragon He was cast downe not utterly expulsed or destroyed for he will ever stand up as an accuser before Gods tribunall and mens but he falleth in his accusation and is cast in his cause Quest. Wherein standeth this dejection of the dragon Answ. In two things 1 In regard of Gods tribunall he is foyled because Christ is risen for the justification of Beleevers and is ascended into heaven to cleare all accusations and now reigneth triumpheth over all enemies whom he hath made his footstoole 2 In regard of mans tribunall at this time which our text aymeth at the heathenish power which had long oppressed the Church being subdued and Christian religion stablished by Christian Princes those horrible accusations by which the poore Christians were daily brought to death by hundreds and thousands were stayed and in great part cut off and the Christians were cleared and acquitted from those hatefull and impudent accusations layd against them And now the innocency both of their persons and profession appeareth 1 The holinesse innocency peaceablenesse and godlinesse of their persons began more and more to breake out the booke of their Adversaries false suggestions was as an honourable crowne upon their heads now God gives them favour and honour in the sight of their Adversaries 2 That which is more now the profession and religion of God and his Sonne Jesus Christ as odious as it was formerly made by hellish blasphemies begins to be received advanced spred abroad and lifteth up the head above all heathenish and idolatrous religions in a word grace and glory comes unto it in stead of former infamous imputations cast upon it This is the casting downe of the Accuser Note hence that there is a time when the accusers of Gods people shal be cast downe and put to silence Though Ioseph a long time lie in the place of the Kings prisoners his mistris is impudent in accusing his master credulous in beleeving cruell in putting his feet in the stockes and laying irons on him and himselfe hopelesse of favour or deliverance yet the Lords time came when he came out of prison with honour and much more grace then all his disgrace came unto Mordecai and his people may be accused condemned a day of execution appointed no hope nor helpe appeares but ere that day commeth the Lord brings forth his innocency Haman his accuser must honour him and proclayme him the second man in the kingdome and quickly after hansell his owne gallowes There was a time when the den and furnace were thought too good for Daniel and his fellows so grievous are the aceusations and so haynous their facts but soone after they are raysed to honour and high advancemet and their accusers cast into their roume There was a sad and heavie time in which the poore Christians bare the burden of tenne bloody tyrants and monsters their names blacked their goods spoyled their blood shed as water but afterward a Constantine came who acquitted them honoured them cherished and protected them 1 This must needs be in respect of God in whom if we consider foure things wee shall see it cannot be otherwise First his knowledge and cleare discerning of the innocency of his servants Now their righteousnesse and innocency is denied and derided enemies would bury it in the grave of everlasting oblivion and take deepe counsells to roll great stones of infamy and reproach upon it that it cannot rise in the after-ages of the world But all things are naked to him with whom we have to deale who preserves the bones of innocency and will rayse it out of the ashes and bring it into a cleare and glorious light See Luke 12. 2. Secondly his justice The righteous judge of all the world cannot alwayes hold his peace at wrong nor alwaies suffer justice to be turned into wormewood nor truth to be alwayes covered with sackecloth and ignominy He must shew himselfe a patron of truth and a revenger of wrong Be it farre from him the doing of this thing that the righteous should be even as the wicked that be farre from him shall not the judge of all the world doe right Gen. 18. 25. Thirdly his promise in Psal. 37. 6. Commit thy way to the Lord and he will bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgment as at noone-day implying that righteousnesse may be hid with darknesse and covered with the blacke night of impudent slaunders but yet after darknesse it shall see light the longest and darkest night that ever was saw a morning and the sunne rose and chased away darknesse and mists and revealed all that was hid in darknesse And so God promiseth it shall be to all his disgraced Saints Doth he promise and doth he not meane to performe is he not able is he not willing to accomplish is not he truth are not his promises so both from truth and for truth and those that are of the truth Fourthly his affection to innocency The righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse What a man loveth he will maintaine much more the Lord though he tarry long yet at last will step forth and plead for truth and will not suffer it alwayes to bee smothered with smoake and mists of lyes and falshood 2 It shall so be in respect of Jesus Christ to whom the Saints must be conformed and by whom they are confirmed and upheld First as the Saints are conformed to Christ in his crosse so in his crowne as in his combate so in his victory And therefore as the Head was accused accursed crucified buried and a great stone rolled upon him and a sure watch about him and all
redeeme us Gal. 3. 13. Fourthly death seised on us in the day we sinned but this blood of the Lambe is the death of death who is swallowed into victory Hos. 13. 14. Fiftly the wrath of God pursueth sinne infinitely but here is a propitiatory sprinkled with blood and as the propitiatory did cover the Arke in which the law was layd so Christ our propitiatory hides the law from the eyes of Gods justice and stilleth the accusing clamour of it against us freeing us both from the rigor and malediction of it The sixt enemie is sting of conscience and restlesnesse but this blood raseth the handwriting there also both pacifying it in sealing remission of sinnes through his blood Col. 1. 14. as also purging it from dead workes 9. 14. The seventh is enmitie of the creatures which all take their Lords part against us but this blood reconcileth all things Col. 1. 20. saveth from revenging Angells Heb. 11. 28. changeth Lions into Lambes sealeth the covenant not onely betweene the Creator and us but the creature also The last enemie is hell and hellish sorrowes but this blood hath shut hell and opened heaven Our high Priest hath carried his owne blood into the holy place and there pleadeth for us better things then the blood of Abel Heb. 12. 24. It hath merited and now prepareth us entrance and mansions in the Holy of Holies Next this blood answers all objections so as by this blood the members must overcome all enemies as the head did 1 The world gives many a blow and thrust against godly men But be of good coÌ„fort this Lambe hath overcome the world 2 In sense of the grievousnesse of sinne this blood is more efficacious then the blood of bulls and goats to pacifie wrath Heb. 9. 13. 3 Oh but my heart is infinitely hard and rebellious Answ. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sinne by pardoning and purging it 4 Oh but I lie open to the adversarie and am prone to sin and fall away Answ. The destroyer had no power over those houses that were marked with the blood of the Lambe and this blood hath more safety and protection 5 But my owne conscience followeth me with liue and cry Answ. This blood in earth cancelled all bonds and now in Heaven speaketh better things then Abels Secondly the Saints overcome but in overcomming must be humble being in themselves weake and unequall to such a battell and must conquer by the blood of him that loved us Rom. 8. 35. Here wee are taught to disclayme all merits and strength of our owne By nothing but by faith in this blood can we prevaile 1 Ioh. 5. 5. Who is he that overcometh but he that beleeveth Thirdly Christians so overcome as all the glory must be the Lambes Wee must give the honour of victory to the Lambe and say Thâ—â— art worthy for thou wast killed Revel 3. 9. No man nor Angell must share in the glory of this victory they never fought this battell for us they never shed blood for us Woe unto them that ascribe any part of this victory to any but the Lambe who payd so deare a blood for it Let Papists consider it who ascribe the victory to merits satisfactions pardons c. It is said in Revel 14. 11. The smoake of their torment shall ascend continually who worship the beast or receive his marke Fourthly highly value this blood Nothing in the world can conquer the least enemie or sinne but this blood which onely is of infinite price If all the seed of Adam had shed their blood for sinne yet had no enemie beene conquered no sinne satisfied This blood is opposed to all corruptible things as silver and gold 1 Pet. 1. 18. This is the treasure of the Church to which all things else are drosse and dung Phil. 3. 8. Never did they know the price and power of this blood that will eeke it with the merits or passions of Saints Martyres Traytors Highly do all they sinne against this blood that despise the grace of the covenant in the blessed meanes of it or the word of grace which is the booke sprinkled with this blood Heb. 9 19. or the people of God the remnant of grace bought and sprinkled with this blood As also fearefully do they tread this blood under foot who lye in their unbeliefe and obstinate impenitency and they that by swearing by blood and wounds by the death and passion of Christ cause this blood to cry for vengeance against their soules more loud then the blood of Abel And time comes when this blood of Christ so dispised and trampled shall lie heavie on such mens consciences Fiftly did our Lord by resisting unto blood for us obtaine victory we must also get victory by resisting unto blood Heb. 12. 4. striving against sinne and looking unto the author and finisher of our faith He without sinne resisted sinne unto blood and shall not we who are pressed with sinne in way of thankfulnesse resist unto blood seeing our resistance and suffering tends dayly to the weakening and consuming of sin in us And by the word of their testimony Now we come to the secondarie and instrumentall causes of the victory of the Saints the former of which is the word of their testimony This word is the faith and doctrine of the Gospell concerning salvation by Jesus Christ. Where are two questions 1 Why is it called the word of their testimony seeing it is called the word of the testimony of Jesus vers 17. and chap. 1. 2. the Testimony of Iesus Christ. Answ. It is both in divers respects 1 If we respect the author it is the testimony of Jesus whose all truth is or if we respect the matter or subject of which it treats Christ is the matter to whom all the Gospell testifieth But 2. if wee respect the subject in which it is also the testimony of the Saints not because it is the word of man but because it is witnessed unto by men for God doth so far honour his Saints as to admit them witnesses to his truth 2 How doe the Saints testifie to the Word or Gospell Answ. Foure wayes 1 By preaching publishing and declaring Christ to be the Messiah and Saviour of the world and this either by word or writing For the former the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie or gift of teaching so preachers are called witnesses Act. 1. 8. In the latter sense Iohn calleth himselfe a witnesse testifying these things because he was the pen-man of this prophesie concerning Jesus Christ to the Churches 2 By profession and confession of Christ declaring and witnessing with the mouth what he beleeveth in his heart concerning Christ and salvation by him 1 Tim. 6. 12. and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses 3 By holy life and conversation expressing the vertues of Christ and the power of Christian religion this is an actuall witnesse 4 By passion and suffering Martyrdome when
Note the reason why Satan and Antichrist are such enemies to the Word and Scriptures of God namely because it is the hammer of his kingdome and the meanes of the Saints victory against them They know well that nothing can conquer errour but the truth and nothing can chase away darknesse but light And their owne experience by Gods blessing upon the meanes at this day tells them how sound doctrine hath and doth winne ground and victory over their Antichrist whose armed Princes cannot long support him against it Truth is strongest and shall prevaile Marvell not that our Country-Papists hate to death sound and faithfull Preachers while they can indure wel enough frothy and loose doctrine they have reason they feele these by the sound application of the Word shaking their tottering kingdome so doe not the other Marvell not if they maligne and scorne zealous Professors but formall Protestants that hover as meteors in their religion they brooke well enough for those hold out the word of life and light which is the ensigne of victory over them so doe not the other 5. Seeing the Word is so powerfull a meanes of victory let it bee the word of our Testimony and let us learne to give testimony to it First in word and profession speake boldly for the truth and that in the day and where thou maist bee heard not as Nicodemus in the night Secondly in holy life and conversation see it bee a counterpaine of holy doctrine Thirdly in passion and suffering for it whatsoever awaites so holy a doctrine Consider hereunto 1. Christ himselfe was a faithfull witnesse of the truth shall not the servant stand where the Lord stands 2. The end of every Christians comming into the world must bee the same with the end of Christ comming into it but that was to beare witnesse unto the truth Ioh. 18. 37. 3. Consider the dignity of truth it is Gods own therefore the Apostle was not ashamed of it And the truth of God is the Pillar and stud of the world 1 Tim. 3. 15. Not to uphold this Pillar is to let the world fall to confusion 4. The impudency of men against the truth Esa. 3. 9. they are not ashamed to invent and abet lies and open injustice against the Word and bringers of it and are wee ashamed to testifie to the truth 5. Christ will confesse such hereafter as confesse him here Mat. 10. 32. but will bee ashamed of them that are now ashamed of him when the unbeleevers and fearefull shall bee cast into the lake Rev. 21. 8. 6. It is the honourable office of the Spirit of God Iohn 15. 26. He shall testifie of mee and yee shall witnesse also And they loved not their lives to the death This is the second instrumentall or adjuvant cause of the conquest of the Saints namely their constancy and valorous Martyrdome Where to open the meaning we have many questions to resolve Quest. 1. Whether may not a Christian lawfully love his life Answ. The love of a mans life must be considered 1. Simply 2. Comparatively In the former respect it is simply lawfull for a man to love his life for First it is a naturall instinct which God hath put in all creatures for their own preservation and it is an unnaturall sin for a man to sinne against his owne life Secondly the law of God which bindes us not to kill our selves or others bindes us also to preserve our lives and the lives of others And the same law that bindes us to preserve the life of our enemies beast bindes us much more to preserve our owne lives Thirdly in the Gospell the Apostle saith No man ever hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it Eph. 5. 29. and even the body is a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Ghost But in comparison it is not lawfull as to love a mans life more than God or the truth of God or above Christ and the faith and religion of Christ to love the naturall life and meanes of it above the spirituall and heavenly this is sinfull for First we must buy the truth but not sell it at any rate all the lives of men and Angels are not to bee valued with God and his truth Secondly the wise merchant sels all for the Pearle that is for Christ and his Gospell and goeth away rejoycing Thirdly in this comparison not to hate father and mother and wife and Children yea and his owne life is to renounce Christ Luke 14. 26. but this hatred is not single but comparative and respective In which comparison our Saviour saith Hee that saveth his life loseth it and hee that loseth it saveth it as he that spareth his seed loseth it and hee that soweth it saveth it And thus are the words here to be meant that the Saints preferred the faith truth of Christ before their owne lives and loved death more than their lives when by it they could more glorifie Christ For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they fleighted contemned yea despised their lives and rather exposed them to hazzard and losse then to bee removed from their holy profession Thus are they said not to love their lives that love Christ and his truth more Quest. 2. Can none overcome but Martyrs and those that die for Christ Ans. Many that give not their lives for Christ overcome and conquer for God calls not all to that honour and service of Martyrdome but even in such as give not their lives to the death for Christ must be three things First preparation and disposition they must bee ready to give their lives for Christ if hee please to call them to it as those that prize Christ and his grace above their lives and in way of thanfulnesse to him that gave his life for them do sacrifice theirs to him Secondly affection of which our Text speakes They loved not their lives to the death The love of their lives must bee subordinate under Christ. This will follow the former where Christ is prized hee will beeloved and victory which alwayes implies not the action of Martyrdome implyeth ever the affection rather to die than deny the Lord Jesus Thirdly expectation to bee Martyrs in action as wel as in affection if the Lord please so to imploy us Rom. 8. 35. All day long are wee counted as sheepe for the slaughter Where these three are the Lord who esteemes of men not by events but affection and the ready minde accounts of them as Martyrs as Aquila and Priscilla are said to lay downe their neckes for Christ Rom. 16. 4. their readinesse is reckoned for the deed Quest. 3 It seemes then a man may not flye in persecution May he Answ. Yes some flight in persecution is lawfull For First Christ himselfe alloweth his Disciples to flee Mat. 10. 23. If they persecute you in one City flee into another Secondly we have good examples of
Antichristians who are the beast rising out of the earth And they are called inhabitants of the sea for their tumult and incōstancy casting up as the sea nothing but mire and dirt and carryed as waves of the sea by every winde Jude 13. But if any thinke the Evangelist aymeth more distinctly at some particulars I am not ignorant that some by earth understand the common multitude of wicked persons enemies unto Christ and by sea the ecclesiasticall men who have corrupted the earth with bitter brinish and salt doctrine of errors and humane traditions and thus still oppose them But I conceive a further drift of the Spirit of God well suiting to our whole exposition and period of time which this part of the Chapter aymeth at That rather by earth are meant all such nations and Kingdomes of earth subjected to the spirituall whordomes of the dragon so called for their earthly profession affection and practise and by sea the then Roman Empire it selfe so called 1 For the floods of impietie that issued from it as the floods and rivers do all from the sea it was the head of wickednesses 2 For the unbridled rage of it and the unresistable power which was then the great Ocean swelling over all bankes So as the sense seemes to be Wo to the earth and all wicked nations that are enemies to the Church of God but especially wo to the sea the great Empire whose sinnes the dragon hath brought to a great height so as the great mutation of that great estate is now neare and the subversion of the Imperiall and Cesariall power is at hand For now at this time so effectually did the dragon worke in the delusions of Antichrist as that he whose comming was in all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse was shortly to swallow up the Imperiall power and so to take him out of the way which stood betweene him and his greatnesse as was formerly prophesied 2 Thes. 2. and not long after accomplished When the Church is happy in the midst of persecutions wicked and earthly men are unhappy and miserable So is it here rejoyce ye heavens but wo to the earth and sea Eccles. 8. 12. 13. Though a sinner do evill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shal be well with them that feare God which feare before him but it shall not be well with the wicked Esa. 3. 10. Say yee it shal be well to the just but wo to the wicked it shall not be so to him it shal be evill to him the reward of his hands shal be given him Psal. 37. 37. Marke the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace but the transgressors shal be destroyed together One reason hereof is in the text Satan being cast out of the men of the Church gets into the swine of the world and carries them into the lake first of sin then of destruction In their best estate they are Satans possession 2 It must be so by the perpetuall rule of divine justice who neither shuffles good and evill men together as men do nor mistakes persons and actions Among men there is a righteous man to whom it commeth according to the worke of the wicked and the contrary Eccles. 8. 14. But the Lord judgeth with righteous judgement Neither doth he forget any of their workes A wise man that delivers the City by his wisdome may be forgotten among men Eccles. 9. 15. as Ioseph was but the Lord forgets not the goodnesse of his servants nor his enemies sinnes but sets up all on their heads for the day of reckoning and recompense Revel 22. 12. Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to render to every man according to his workes The just Judge of all the world must do right 3 According to a mans seed time so commonly is his harvest Gal. 6. 7. As a man sowes so must he reape he that sowes to the flesh must reape corruption but he that sowes to the spirit shall reape life everlasting Doest thou sow chaffe and darnell and weeds and lookest thou for a crop of wheat Sow righteousnesse and thou shalt have a sure reward Prov. 11. 18. but if thou sowest iniquitie looke to reape affliction 4 The truth of God in accomplishing his word must leave the godly most happy while the wicked are wrapped in hellish woes and horrors The same weight of truth which carries downe wicked men into their place hoiseth up the godly as in the other scoale For as all the precious promises of the word belong to the one whereof earth nor hell can defeat them so al the woes and execrations of Scripture belong to the other and shal be true upon him so long as God is true in himselfe There is not a wicked man but he hath all the threatnings of God all the curses of the law and all the terrors of his owne conscience standing and shall stand for ever in force against him if hee stand out impenitently against GOD. Now this is a direction to Ministers for the course and carriage of their doctrine to sing both mercy and judgment and to come both with a rod and the spirit of meekensse Wee must speake peace to godly men but feed the impenitent with judgement This text and all texts and the whole tenor of the Scriptures go before us in this course Unhappy men are they that speake all peace and preach nothing but promises as if all men were godly and the congregations not mixt or if they distinguish of men it is to encourage hearten and harden wicked men for their owne gaine and dishearten and disgrace such as feare the Lord. 2 It is a direction to all men to carry our affections differently according to the differences of men expressing our love and kindnesse to men fearing God and our dislike of evill and wicked men 1 So doth the Lord and his Spirit in this text and whosoever are guided by the Spirit of grace will shew themselves in the helping up and encouragement of godlinesse and furthering the joy of the faithfull and in the discouraging and daunting so far as lyeth in him the wickednesse of men 2 A note of a good man is that a vile person shall be contemned in his eyes and he will love them that feare the Lord. 3 True judgment helps him to discerne between an Israelite and Ismaelite and true affection will cleave to the one and disclaime the other Gods Spirit teacheth none to esteeme carefull Christians vile persons nor to cleave to enemies and resisters of the grace of God who are indeed vile persons and so are they that sort with them or plead for them and as sin makes men vile to God so it makes them seeme to good men 3 It is an incouragement to godly men in the way of holinesse for they are in the way of happiness nothing can make them fall short of
an happie condition they shall not be rolled in the destruction of evill men but shall be hid in the secret chamber of Gods providence when the storme of wrath shall come like haylestones yea like tallents of ledd upon the heads of sinners then shall there be a difference betweene him that feareth God and him that feareth him not then shall it be seene that it is not in vaine to serue the Lord. 4 It is a terror for evill men seeing it is as impossible for a sinner to avoyd wo as God to be untrue in proclayming it Sorrow followes the sinner as a shadow the body Most common it is for the wicked to applaud themselves in a wofull condition for whatever their estate seemes it is most unhappy They spend their dayes in pleasure and forecast that none shall have more pleasure then they But it is like Belshazzars when the writing on the wall appeared ouer against him They lay about them for wealth and a secure estate here below and rather then want it will curse and resist the people of God as Balaam little thinking that the Angell stands with a drawne sword to meet them in every corner to slay them No all the earth cannot make him happy who fights against heaven and whom heaven hath accursed earth cannot blesse He hath sowne tares and tares he must reape 5 Here is a spurre and incitement unto repentance and a trumpet to awaken secure soules that while it is called to day they may heare the voice lest all these woes seise upon them and oppresse them unawares It stands every sinner in hand to rise out of the bed of security and get a melting and bruised heart considering the day that commeth which shall burne as an oven and all that are proud and all that do wickedly shal be as stubble Mal. 4. 1. But seeing men are loth to apply this part to themselves we must helpe it home a little more particularly 1 What a fearefull wo is denounced in Scripture against all Popish and Antichristian Idolaters Rev. 14. 9. If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his marke in their hands and foreheads the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God and be tormented with fire and brimstone for ever Whosoever shall do thus and persevere after admonition and will not come out of Babylon must perish in her destruction They prepare fire and faggot for the Saints whom they call heretickes but worshipping the beast and his image Christ prepares fire and brimstone for them and the smoake of their torment shall ascend for evermore Now there is no way to avoyd this woefull damnation by wilfull persisting in that Apostasie but instead of the character of Antichrist by taking in our foreheads the seale of CHRIST by which he separates us from the world by faith and holinesse and from Antichrist by zealous profession of the truth which he persecutes and marketh us up for his owne sheep the property of which is to heare his voice and follow him Ioh. 10. 2 What a dreadfull wo belongs to our voluptuous gallants that are at ease in Sion who put the evill day farre away and remember not Iosephs affliction Amos 6. 1. Silkes and Velvets cannot cover the secure sinner from this woe Greatnesse of birth place power treasure cannot elude these threats which are more stable than the foundation of the earth but according to the cursed seeds thou sowest shall thy harvest bee Gods people sow in teares to reape in joy and thou must have a share in the sorrow for sinne and in the afflictions of Gods people or never looke to share in their joy 3. Were the Prophet Esay living where hee proclaimed one woe upon drunkards hee would powre out ten thousand upon this drunken age which is drowned with drinke Esay 5. 11. 22. Woe bee to them that rise up early to follow drunkennesse and to them that continue till night Woe bee to them that are mighty to drinke and strong to powre in strong drinke How will the drunkard escape this woe and all the threates in the Booke of God which shut him out of heaven where is no roome for drunkards There is but one way and one there is to leave thy cup of drunkennesse and come drinke another cup a cup of mercy a cup of teares for thy sinne a cup of the blood of Jesus Christ a cup of the water of life that heaven may be opened to thee a sorrowfull and sober penitent which thy sinne had shut and barred against thee 4. What a fearefull woe doth our Saviour denounce upon all contemners of the Gospell and despisers of the blessed light of it Mat. 11 24. It shall bee easier for Sodom and Gomorra in the day of the Lord then for such And whence else was the heavy woe here upon the earth and Sea but for sinnes against the Gospell not receiving the truth in the love of it 2 Thes. 2. See we any woe or heavy hand of God upon the Kingdome in this effect who seeth not the cause the contempt of the Gospell doth any extraordinary crosse and judgement lie on this City on your trades on your estates why are yee blinde to this day and will not see the cause you poare like blinde men on secondary meanes fewnesse of buyers troubles abroad scant of money scarcity of times and the like but you see not the next cause at home your contempt and sleighting of the Gospell your Sabbath-breaking your want of reformation according to the rules of Gods Word your causlesse hatred of the bringers of the truth c. change your course and God will change his entertaine his best blessings and then expect inferior else know as sinne is linked fast so are Gods judgements these shal be but the beginnings of woe and one woe shall follow upon another till repentance come between For the devill is come downe c. The reason of the former woe denounced followeth and is twofold 1. The comming downe of the devill 2. His wrathfull disposition where of the reason is given because he knowes his time is short For the Exposition Quest. What is this comming downe of the Devill was not Satan before among the inhabitants of the earth till now that this victory is gotten by Christ were not wicked men under this curse and woe before this by Satans wrath and ruling Ans. Yes the devill was the Prince of the world before this and was commander among the Inhabitants of the earth and sea but he is now said to come downe in three respects 1. In a more generall and universall mischiefe intended by the dragon which was to spread it selfe over the face of the earth which was by a generall Apostasie of the world from Christ to Antichrist foretold in 2 Thess. 2. 2. In a farre more dangerous and mischievous manner of working by which he shall prevaile farre more efficaciously than ever before For whereas
hee could not succeed by open tyrannie now by secret traines and perswasions of heretikes under a plausible forme of Christianity and piety hee shall carry the world headlong after Antichrist and wrap it up in his impostures and Apostasie that whose bodies he could not destroy by sword and tyrannie their mindes hee might poyson with errours and heresie 3. Hee descendeth with a farre more furious hatred and wrath over those who are left under his power for as a man comming angry from abroad will shew his wrath at home so the dragon seeing the Church escaped from his furious hand by Michaels helpe doth looke more narrowly to make them faster who are left in his power lest they should breake away from him as the other had done and therefore hee now commeth on them with continuall and efficacious temptations and bindes them with strong chaines and bolts of unrighteousnesse Now the devill taketh his peniworths in the earth and sea by increasing his wrath hee increaseth their woe and not only rideth the Nations but galloppeth them to hell This arising of Antichrist bringing with him a mist of blacke darknesse and Idolatry is the devills comming downe into the earth And his powerfull prevailing by strong and forcible delusions among them that perish is his fierce wrath which hee exerciseth in the earth and sea but justly upon them that had refused Christs rule over them Where Christ and his Gospel cannot prevaile the devil cōmeth armed with power and efficacy of delusion and hee prevaileth Jesus Christ came into the world and was preached in the earth and sea but could not bee received he came to his owne and his owne received him not yea they persecuted him drove him away slew the heire and crucified the Lord of glory he came by the preaching of the Apostles among the nations and set them into the true Olive when his own were broken off but they after a little lightning fell off first from their first love then from all love of the truth Now the wicked spirit makes a re-entrey into his hold whence he was cast he comes downe into the earth more forcibly with seven spirits worse than before and prevailes with them to their destructiō I come in my Fathers name that is by his authority in powerful doctrine miracles to set up his name glory in promoting your salvation ye receive me not if another come in his owne name that is seeking his own glory not Gods and intending his owne ends and good and not the good and salvation of men him will yee receive 2 Thess. 2. 11. God shall send strong delusions the effect is to beleeve lies the end that they may be damned and the reason because they loved not the truth nor beleeved it nor entertained it but rejected the happy meanes of their owne salvation The Lord sends Michaiah his Prophet to warne Ahab of his danger neare him Ahab will not heare him for his owne safety but commits him to ward feeds him with bread and water of affliction now comes the devill and is a lying spirit in the mouthes of 400. false Prophets them presently he heareth speaking to hasten his destruction 1. Mans heart will be resting and setling upon something it is like a Mill that is ever grinding if it rest not on truth it will on lies The soule of a man is such an hold or tenure that cannot want an owner or occupyer If it bee not resigned to the God of heaven it is reserved for the god of the world If Gods Spirit depart from Saul presently the evill spirit comes upon him and vexeth him A servant must every man be to one of these masters 2. The just desert of wicked men puls on them this fearfull vengeance to be delivered up to the devill The world loveth lies better than the truth and lyers above the bringers of truth how just is it that such as reject the truth and preferre lyes before it should be given up to the father of lies as children most like him What more righteous revenge can the Lord inflict on him that will not come to Jesus Christ to bee saved then that the dragon should come downe upon him with great wrath and carry him headlong into his owne damnation how just is it for those who refuse the government of a mercifull Prince to bee given up to the spoile and oppression of most cruell tyrants Is any so blinde as hee that will not see and are any so justly blinded as those that will not open their eyes to the light Who can implead the Lords justice in delivering up him to the Prince of darknesse that hateth the light or who can say it unequall in him if hee give over such as chuse death unto him that hath the power of death that is the devill 3. Refuse to come to Jesus Christ and what remedie is left to rescue us from the power of the devill If Christ and his truth bee rejected what can resist the devill when hee assaulteth with lies and false perswasions If the way to bee rescued from the power of Satan bee the knowledge of the truth so as by it to come to amendment as 2 Tim. 2. 24. then to refuse Gods grace offered in the Gospell is to assent and covenant with Satan and refuse freedome offered from his vassallage lies have no enemie no discoverer no conquerer but truth There is no freedome from the impostures of the father of lyes till truth rescue us and set us free and if truth set us free wee are free indeed Truth is the onely effectuall instrument and meanes of our salvation it is the arme of God to save us to refuse and resist this arme is to hate life and abide under damnation In a word the resistance of Christ is an inviting of Satan home to us and a kind welcomming of him with full contentment where Satan seeth such a man there is a fit subject for him to worke upon Take notice then of this fearefull sinne of refusing the voyce of Christ in the Gospell being a sinne of such provocation as it is as most injurious to God to the grace of God to the Sonne of God and to the truth of God a sinne of such a deepe dye and so deadly to the soule of the sinner who preferreth to drinke ranke poyson before the sweet waters of the Wel of life and a sinne so fearfully revenged by God with many other most hainous sinnes the just punishments of it Now because men commonly startle at the high sinnes against the law and conceive Gods wrath due to them and in the meane time seldome take knowledge of sinnes against the Gospell and the Lords severity against thē let us cast our eyes upon the Lords most severe revenge against this sinne above other as sinnes against the remedy and therefore not more severe than righteous for if God revenged upon the heathens their sinnes against the light
of nature in delivering them up to vile affections and unnaturall sinnes to receive such recompence of their errour as was meet Rom. 1. 24. 27. how much more must hee thinke it a meet recompence of such a sinne against the light of grace to give them up t◠effectuall delusion to be carryed by Satan hoodwinkt and headlong unto destruction But let us see some instances 1. How he spared not his owne people the Jews his owne first borne among whom when the Sonne of God came as to his owne they received him not when false Prophets and false Christs rose up among them those they followed both before his comming and after as both divine and humane stories make mention Iohn 10. 8. All that came before me were theeves and robbers Acts 5. 36 37. Iudas and Theudas drew away many to destruction And after false Christs and Prophets were to rise with such efficacy of delusion as to deceive if it were possible the very Elect Matth. 24. Iosephus speakes of sundry especially one Aegyptian which carryed away thirty thousand Jewes by one vaine delusion to destruction And not long after this same sinne made their nation spew them out that they are now an hissing an execration to all the nations of the earth They renounced Christ to rule over them and ever since the dragon hath had them in possession 2. Consider how the wrath of God came upon the former ages of the world according to the warning of the Gospell and how the earth and sea who would not receive Christ received Antichrist in his roome and the inhabitants of them not loving the truth were therefore led away with horrible lies See Gods retaliation First God sent them Apostles Euangelists and true Pastors who sought only the glory of God and the salvation of men but they despised and distasted them But how did the Lord plague the earth in the same kinde giving up the inhabitants to receive hypocrites Impostors Fryers and fat Monkes who onely sought themselves and to make a spoile of men eating up their estates as Locusts for number and unprofitablenesse these were willingly borne as the Church of Corinth despising the Apostle Paul gave eare to false Apostles who robbed and spoyled them Secondly Christ the Lord came with an easie and sweete yoake his doctrine and his Apostles was a freedome from the bondage and burden of Ceremonies and traditions of the Fathers 1 Pet 1. 18. and the new commandement was only to beleeve in the Sonne of God and love one another This sweet yoake was cast off but with what an exchange now the devill yoakes them with traditions superstitious ceremonies and plagues the earth with tyrannicall and Antichristian Lawes Canons Decretals devised by men his little finger is heavier then Christs loynes yet Popish Countries receive them and like them well Thirdly Christ instituted and ordained a most holy Sacrament the Communion of his blessed body and blood but the inhabitants of the earth and sea despised that simple and most chaste and Primitive institution But was not the world ever since justly plagued with that gawdy and impudent harlot of the Popish Masse the very spirit and quintessence of Antichrist Fourthly how could the world bee more severely plagued then by receiving that greasie Priesthood that hatefull sacrifice of Antichrist but could it be plagued more iustly for abolishing the Priesthood and sacrifice of Christ Fiftly Christ in the Gospell calleth men to the participation of grace life pardon heaven and salvation freely offered in the Gospel men would not heare this voyce How iustly therefore hath the world bin blinded and gulled these many hundred yeares in buying at great rates lies sleights impostures iuglings meere tricks of wit and cunning pardons dispensations merits masses and heaven it selfe Sixtly Christ ordeined in his Church holy Pastors giving them liberty to live in holy wedlocke according to Gods Ordinance This order of Christ pleased not the earth and sea but how sensibly revenged for no sooner did they refuse and reject holy Pastors but they admitted most filthy bawds and unchaste Pope-holy Priests and Nunnes into Ecclesiasticall Orders I might say into the Popes chaire A man had need of a vizard to speake of their holinesse and stop all his senses to heare it Seventhly when the world scorned and persecuted the Saints living how did the Lord give them up to worship and invocate in most idolatrous manner the Saints dead and departed And when they despised and trod under foot the living images of God the godly and holy Professors of Christ great was the Lords revenge in giving them up to worship dead images of wood stone metalls c. 3 God who is ever the same and like himselfe hath heretofore warned us in this land that we have not received Christ nor embraced his truth in that love and affection that became us 1 By the prevailing of Priests and Jesuites heretofore in the land who swarmed as the frogs of Aegypt and have seduced many thousands but never any that loved the truth 2 By the propensity and readinesse of many to receive any religion or doctrine according as the times should require And this hath ever beene the sinne of English people to swim with the streame of times And this print of Gods finger is at this day set upon many plainly convincing that they never received the truth in the love of it 3 By the generall fighting against the light and hatred of the very sent of sincerity in both preachers and people which the Apostle makes a sure note of perdition Phil. 1. 28. Let Iohn Baptist come he is excepted against and hath a divell Let Paul come too much learning hath made him mad Let Christ come he is a friend of Publicans a demoniacke c. But let Antichrist come Popery come a flatterer and deluder come the multitude applaud them receive them Delusion shal be effectual to the damnation of such as he must carrie into his owne perdition 4 The same arrowes of Gods wrath against this sinne are shot in amongst our selves many of whom plainly bewray their naturall hatred of the light and love of lies Let a man come in the name of Christ convince intreat perswade beseech men to be reconciled let him with the losse of his owne peace seeke theirs the more faithfully and sincerely he deales the more despightfully he is rejected the more paines and love such a man sheweth the lesse is he loved or recompensed by many presently they plot to sterve him out or if he stay he must live on aire or grasse for them Let a flatterer come in his owne name and call the churle liberall and sing an Omnia benè and for their owne applause profit or credit run along in all their courses no marvell if these men be put in their bosomes and how can it be but he that hates true dealing should love false Is this love of the light when God
lett is earthlinesse and covetousnesse the love of swine The losse of swine and feare of losse sends Christ packing from the Gadarens We have too many Gadarens who cannot distinguish betweene Christ and a pig unlesse it be to preferre a pig before him Oh if Christ come among us and settle neare us wee shall lose this profit and that poore Christ brings a charge with him and when men are resolved not to part with a nutshell for Christ say what they will and heare as many Sermons as they do they had rather have a legion of divells stay among them then Christ. Love of swine makes the Gadaren put off all love to his owne soule yea and all charity frō their neighbours they are contented better with a legion of divells among them with their swine then with Christ without them The fourth let is love of lusts and our darling sinnes And these are dearer to men then their swine these foule and swinish lusts in which they wallow as swine make men fall quite out with Christ and his truth For Christ and his word never speakes good to an evill man He is one that knows all and will tell thee all that ever thou hast done Ioh. 4. He will be rough against thy darling sinnes He will whip out buyers and sellers from the Temple and let no sinne take Sanctuary Thou art a great swearer he will say thou must not sweare at all and then thou must sew up thy mouth and not speake at all Thou art an adulterer and he will cry out against him that lookes on a woman to lust after her Thou art mighty to drinke he will disgrace thee and barrethee out of heaven He is so precise as he will urge thee to set a watch before every word that no filthy or foolish talking nor jesting proceed thence He will be urging to continuall hearing of the word and observation of the whole Sabboth which to many is a misery of miseries and bands and yokes fit for none but slaves These men so farre in love with their sinnes cannot but hate Christ and cast him out of their coasts darknesse cannot but hate light and Christ hath foretold it Ioh. 7. 7 the world hateth me because I testifie of it that her workes are evill And his Ministers finde it in theirs how they would resist himselfe in person because his word makes all things manifest Eph. 5. 13. It discovers the drunkard adulterer atheist swearer gamester Sabbath-breaker and if a man be any of these or all these how can he but wish Christ and his word a thousand miles off him Now of the meanes to helpe us to receive Christ and his truth 1 To set our hearts upon the truth as our treasure But it but sell it not Count all drosse in comparison of Christ. Chuse the good part with Mary This affection keepes the word but the wicked wanting it lose it at last though they seeme to hold it a long time The good Merchant rejoyceth to finde the pearle therefore he will sell all to purchase it 2 To grieve when we finde not such sweetnesse in the word as wee would and as sometimes we have done Suspect now Christ stands aloofe for some disrespect of him he dislikes something in his entertainment Nay we must grieve not only when our selves preferre other things before it but when others do so Psal. 119. 136. Rivers of waters runne downe mine eyes because they keep not thy word How then did he mourne for his owne faylings 3 Wayte at the gates of wisdome frequent her threshold heare her voyce let that voyce perswade thee be ruled by her counsells hate all vaine inventions discovered by it whether errors in doctrine or corruptions of life Embrace her servants for he that receiveth you receiveth me love them for their glad tidings Evill men may heare much but seldome refraine from any evill way They pretend great love to Christ but hate to the death his servants 4 Let it worke upon our hearts till wee finde a resolute purpose to hold Christ and his truth through crosses losses and troubles for the defence of it till we attaine the resolution of ancient Beleevers who willingly suffered the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10 34. and till our lives be not deare unto us nor loved to the death in comparison of Christ and his Gospell as the blinde man confessed him though he were sure to be excommunicate Ioh. 9. 5 Follow the meanes by which the truth may come to dwell plentifully in us and amongst us The former by frequent hearing meditation reading and prayer especially aske wisdome and yee shall finde it Christ is the gift of God the way to obtaine him is prayer If thou hadst knowne the gift of God thou wouldest have asked c. The latter is by bringing it in reckoning with others often speaking of it conferring especially whetting it on our families and friends as Abraham did 6 In holy conversation and practise of life shew the life and counterpaine of the truth So much of the truth we know truly as we practise He hath received Christ who expresseth the vertues of Christ. Let it therefore be our care to leave a patterne and sweet sent of grace and truth every where behind us as our Lord himselfe did Who hath great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time The words conteine the second reason of that dreadfull woe denounced upon the earth and sea taken from the wrathfull disposition of the divell who in the former words is said to have descended and amplified by the reason of it because he hath but a short time Quest. What is meant by this great wrath of the dragon Answ. The sly stealing of Antichrist upon the world by a Catholicke Apostacy is here called the great wrath with which the Divell commeth into the earth For whereas he could not succeed by open tyranny of the Imperiall dragons but that Christian religion was more propagated and many dayly pulled out of his power by the preaching of the Gospell and that Christianity prevailed against Idolatry and Ethnicisme now as a furious person whose plots have not hitherto succeeded he comes with a new mischiefe more spitefull then the former he rayseth a mist of blacke darknesse to obscure the sunne of grace and secretly worketh in the mysterie of Antichrist God permitting him to come with strong delusions on the blinde side of the world Now he that could not by open force destroy the Church or cast out Christ doth under the name of Christ and pretence of the honour of Christ and his religion fight more furiously and prevayle more forcibly then ever he formerly could by open persecution and tyranny The words therefore foretell and threaten the mighty enterprises and secret stratagems of the dragon by Antichrist who was in after-times to prevaile in all the Christian world This is the great wrath here spoken of and teacheth that The greatest wrath that ever Satan
idolatry did not wrap the Kingdome into this fierce wrath 4 Sinne earthlinesse love of the world of profits and selfe love as in Demas who forsooke the truth and embraced the present world This sinne made Iudas being an Apostle at the side of Christ and steward of his family to be delivered up to the full wrath of the divell What else carrieth away our Fugitivos and Seminaries to become Priests and traytors to Religion their Prince and country but hope of preferments and profits which here they fayle of II. The onely positive meanes to be hid from this wrath is to walke carefully and humbly before God Eccles. 7. 26. there is a woman whose heart is as nets and snares her hands are bands he that is good in Gods sight shal be delivered from her but the sinner shal be taken by her Even so onely piety delivers from this Babylonish harlot which hunteth the precious lives of men Prov. 6. 26. For the more wicked a man is the more is he hated of God and the more hated of God the more subject he is to be deceived by Antichrist And therefore the sinner is in great danger Now the way to avoyd this danger is to be good in Gods sight which goodnesse consists in 1 Approoving our hearts and wayes unto God the chiefe good 2 Framing our actions by the word the unfayling patterne and rule of goodnesse 3 Walking and persisting in the way of good men For it is not goodnesse of nature witt education civility learning nor any humane skill which can keepe a man from the hookes and snares of this harlot but onely goodnesse of grace and the feare of the Lord. 2 This serves to admonish all who are in full communion with the Pope and are formall limbes of Antichrist and of the Romish Church timely to looke to themselves and consider these foure propositions 1 That those who adore the Beast and receive his Image must drinke up the lees of this wrath Revel 14. 8. 9. But so doth every limbe of Antichrist adoring him in yeelding him divine honour and seeking pardon of sinne from him as if he were God and receiving his image by subjecting his conscience to his laws as to the laws of God and depending on his mouth as on the mouth of God And therefore they all lye under this great wrath 2 That he that hath not the Sonne shall not see life But no obstinate and wilfull Papist that holdeth not himselfe only to Christs righteousnesse for justification but will stand before God in his owne righteousnesse merits and satisfactions hath the Sonne And therfore no such shall ever see life The Assumption the Apostle teacheth Gal. 5. 4. They are abolished from Christ and fallen from grace whosoever wil be justified by the Law 3 That he which beleeveth not in the Sonne of God the wrath of God abideth on him Ioh. 3. 36. But no such Papist doth beleeve in the Son of God For saving faith is condemned as presumption and accesse to the throne of grace with boldnesse and assurance of the favour of God are scoffed at and in stead of saving faith they nourish a generall assent to the truth of the word of God which I affirme to be common to the reprobates and devils Therfore they are under wrath 4 That he which liveth and dyeth an idolater cannot avoyd the wrath of God But so must he do that liveth and dyeth an obstinate member of that Church being bound to give divine honour to Saints relickes images consecrated things and especially to the breadden god And therefore what a desperate thing is it to live and dye in that religion Antichrist only prevayleth in them that perish none of the Elect can be seduced by this great seducer neither can any that follow the beast avoyd to drink the dregs of the Wine of GODS wrath Revel 14. 7. 8. 3 Pity the case of those that are carryed away into Antichristian delusion and Apostacie For of all sinners they are in most fearefull case 1 For their persons they are a number of men whose head is the sonne of perdition who are in state of perdition who are given up to the most mischievous wrath of the dragon such as whose names are not written in the booke of life 2 For their course they are men that sin against the light against the remedie against the whole Gospell especially against the precious blood and merit of Jesus Christ. Oh what a sin is it to sin against this blood and bring the guiltinesse of it upon a mans owne head as they do by undervaluing it and trampling it under foot equalling with it the blood of Becket and traytors preferring before it the milke of his mother as Carolus Scribanius a late Jesuite in a Poeme not onely holds the best compound for a sicke soule to mixe Maries milke and Christs blood but that of the two her milke and the merit and vertue of it is more precious and excellent then CHRISTS Blood 3 Their estate is most fearefull because there is no losse to the losle of the truth no fall to the fall from grace no wrath that the Dragon can watch against a person comparable to this For he is sure that whosoever persist in this condition they must drinke of the winepresse of the wrath of God We pity men if we see theÌ„ in any bodily torments but no bodily torments can equall the wrath of being given up to the strong delusions of Antichrist And wee must put on bowells of mercy and pity toward our brethren in misery which if it rise right will begin at their soules and especially will compassionate the spirituall miserable This is to be like God who had pitty on us when wee were in darknesse in our blood our navell not cut c. Ezek. 16. 4 Wee learne hereby not to take offence if wee see many turned away to this horrible Apostacy but take notice of the just judgment of GOD in delivering up men to this great wrath of the Dragon For particulaâ—â—ersons what wonder to see carelesse and contemptuous hearers of the Gospell set over to Satan to execute all his wrath and mischiefe over them God in justice hath allotted them their wish and choise The truth woed them but could not win them and therefore falsehood and lies have justly seduced them Christ in the Gospell made love unto them intreated promised allured by all loving meanes but they slighted him refused his offers of peace and life and therefore are justly a spoile and prey of Antichrist The truth offered to set theÌ„ free bring them into the liberty priviledges of the sons of God but they refused truths freedome and therfore are justly chained and fettered in the bands of deadly errors and delusions How justly must he drinke up a full viall of wrath who will not be perswaded to tast a sweet cup of mercy and salvation how justly is that felon executed who scornes the Kings
the earth For First this was Christs commandement Goe teach all nations Mat. 28. Secondly the Apostles obeyed this commandement and fulfilled it Col. 1. 6 13. The Gospell is come unto you as it is unto all the world Thirdly the incredible swiftnesse and power of the Gospell shewes the divinity of it in that before the destruction of Jerusalem or within thirty yeares it was spred into all the inhabited world as many Fathers hold And therefore if any barbarous nation or new-found land bewray utter ignorance of Christ either they were not inhabited or they have had some sound of the Gospell but have suffered it quite to die and bee lost 3. The detection of Antichrist is so plaine and manifest in this fifteenth age past as children can point at him 2 Thess. 2. 3. 4. Horrible persecutions wasting the Church not onely by heathen Emperours but ever since by fiercenesse of Antichrist the Apollyon of Rome foretold in Mat. 24. 6. 5. Generall defection from the faith foretold in 2 Thess. 2. 3. through the spreading of the leaven of Popery which drove the woman into the wildernesse 6. Universall corruption of manners and obstinacy against the truth see Luke 17. 26. and 2 Tim. 3. 1. By all which signes Satan knowes that the last day which is the time of his torment is not farre off For the third Quest. What use makes Satan of this knowledge Answ. Knowing that hee shall shortly bee cast and confined into hell hee recompenseth the shortnesse of his time with cruelty of wrath This knowledge of his damnation doth but whet up his malice against mankinde and seeing that the sentence passed against him hasteneth upon him hee is so much the more busie to pull as many as possibly he can into his owne ruine and damnation a manifest signe of furious and desperate wickednesse Certaine things are hence to bee collected and observed I. There is a determinate time of Satans rage and of the Churches conflict against him The warre lasts not alwayes And why 1. There is an houre for the power of darknesle and but an houre that is a certaine and determinate time in which by Gods permission he may put forth his malice in the world but beyond it hee cannot passe Luke 22 53. 2. As it was with the Head so also with the members There was a time when Christ was assaulted and tempted in the wildernesse and a time when the Devill left him not willingly but because hee could stay no longer the date of his Commission being expired So there is a time when his members and disciples in the ship of the Church shall be tossed and almost covered with waves and a time when there shall bee a great calme Mat. 8. 26. 3. The wickeds rod must not alwayes lie in the lot of the righteous Psal. 125 3. Our mercifull God seeth our weaknesse and need of breathings and refreshings and so mingleth his cup according to our health and strength and as wee are able to beare Whereas were Satan and his Impes left to themselves they would never cease smiting and afflicting 4. Our experience sealeth the truth of the promises who after a storme meet with a calme after a weary hill a sweet dale and after darknesse see light And it assureth of the maine promise of all that after a good fight fought there is a crowne of righteousnesse to bee given by the righteous Judge Which incourageth us with constancy and patience to stand out a little while in this fight Re. 3. 10. there is but an houre of temptation and cannot wee watch one houre are wee sure of victory if wee stand to it but one houre more and shall wee faint Heb. 10. 37. Yet a very little while and hee that will come shall come therefore cast not away your confidence but care a while and be ever safe Behold the field is even almost wonne the battell even at an end and wee are in the last houre of conflict a few stragling enemies are to be rooted out and therefore let us renew our courage and strength as those that are not at leasure either to feare or feele the blowes seeing victory is in our hands already Also it may comfort us in all the assaults and troubles of this life in ward and out ward seeing God hath determined them all and hee that hath appointed the beginning hath appointed the end also The try all is but a storme or cloud and it will vanish And if Satans rage bee limited to a time to a short time so is the wickednesse of his instruments and this time they shall not passe And if now bee the season in which the Lord useth them justly as rods to afflict his children yet ere long these rods must be cast into the fire 2. Note here that the sharper the aslault of the dragon is so much the shorter it is the fiercer the wrath the lesse time it lasteth For why 1. The harder a man worketh the sooner will his worke be done the more busie and violent Satan is the sooner will his measure be full the sooner shall the Elect bee tryed and purged and chased to heaven and the sooner will hee bring destruction on the wicked whom he gallops to hel and hastens to swift damnation 2. Violent things cannot bee lasting or perpetuall and extremes are nearean end It is true that wicked spirits and men are in their affection endlesse and perpetuall in their violence against God and all good things and persons and therefore according to this affection their plagues are endlesse but actually violent they cannot alwayes be First because themselves cannot long subsist but must give place to death and hell Secondly if themselves would never end yet would God put an end to their violences as Matth. 24. unlesse God had put an end and measure to those miserable dayes of Jerusalems destruction no Jew had beene left but for a few Elect God shortened them Which greatly comforteth Gods people in the midst of the great confusions and tumults now stirring in the world 1. Doe wee see iniquity abound and sinne more shamelesse than in former times Is the Sunne in the heavens a witnesse against the earth of such contempt of the Gospell and despight of the grace of GOD the bringers and messengers of it and professors of the grace of God as former times of the Gospell cannot parallel Doe wee see envy cove tousnesse idlenesse and scorne of godlinesse in Ministers see we the raigne of drunkennesse adultery pride blasphemy obstinacy and desperate impenitency in people such as is wonder the earth openeth not her mouth as hell to swallow up her inhabitants so highly sinning against such a light Now hence wee must conclude that the devill is come downe in this age with more than ordinary wrath and in more tyrannous manner than in former dayes And in this outrage of sinne see the outrage of Satans wrath and
his salvation The whole booke of Judges sheweth that when Israel was at rest and had the world at will they forgot the Lord and turned to idols but when they were under oppression of enemies into whose hands the Lord delivered them for their sinnes then they returned and sought after God diligently Hos. 13. 6. as in their pastures so were they filled and their heart was exalted therefore they have forgotten me whereas the same Church having her way stopped with briars and hedged in with thornie afflictions resolves to returne to her first husband for it was then better with her then now chap. 2. 7. From the testimonies come to the induction of most famous Churches overthrowne by prosperity The first Churches of the old Testament did thrive better in Aegypt under that tyranny then in the milke and hony of Canaan which by pride wantonnesse and fulnesse of bread brought her into Babylons captivity The primitive Churches of the new Testament our text shews how they were blacked tanned with the sunshine of peace plenty ease wealth and temporall prosperity that as the Moone never suffers ecclipse but in the full because in the full she is farthest distant from the Sunne from whom she receives her brightnesse so the Church in her fulnesse is farthest from her Sunne of whom she receives her light and then suffereth most ecclipse What need wee goe farre for this proofe The Church of England comming out of the fire and hot furnace of 2. Maries dayes at the restoring of the Gospell in the beginning of 2. Elizabeth of happy memory by whom the booke of the Law was restored and true worship established oh how precious and sweet was that Manna how zealous how forward how painefull were godly men to gather it and get knowledge with what joy of heart courage and encouragement did the Saints receive the truth how resolute and vehement were they against Popery what a number of miles did they measure to a Sermon how tooke they the kingdome of heaven with violence But now in the continuance of our peace plenty and prosperity how do men loath this Manna onely cloyed with preaching of Gods word The former age that prized it is gone and carried their affections with them Our peace hath bred up a surfetted and gracelesse generation that hate the directions of truth and scorne the profession of holinesse as an hatefull heresie Instead of frequenting Sermons and godly exercises of praying reading conference and holy communion now the tavernes tobacco-shops ale-houses play-houses whore-houses are stuffed Knots of drunkards gamesters swearers and vile persons haunt together and feare no lawes of God nor man For bibles and godly bookes wee have the divells yea cards and dice store of pipes and smoake In stead of holy exercises and conferences wee have blasphemous swearing and scorning of goodnesse riot and ribaldry surfetting and drunkennesse chambering and wantonnesse audacious boldnesse in evill and shaming at nothing but the very show of goodnesse Thus as plenty begets surfet so our peace hath made the land heart-sicke and the disease is not more generall then desperate likely to shame all the Physitians all the Ministers of the land who know not how to turne their hands to recover and helpe her 1 Worldly prosperity is a good mother but through our folly brings many bad daughters so ease slayes the foole Prov 1. 32. That Gods blessing should be our bane is in us not in it For our naturall folly is that having found hony wee eate too much even to hurt our selves and this folly raigneth in wicked men and too much of it is bound up even in the hearts of Gods children by which they are prone enough to pervert Gods good gifts God feeds men to the full and the wicked run to commit adultery and assemble themselves by companies into harlots houses Ier. 5. 7. Thus do wicked men abuse these sweet refreshings as the drunkard doth drinke to wash away his sense and reason or as a mad man a sword which might serve for his safety Yea even Gods children are too like our children who having got fruit hardly give it over without a surfet Quest. What are these lewd daughters bred up by prosperity Answ. 1. Forgetfulnesse of God Worldly prosperity and peace make both Churches and persons forgetfull of God Hos. 13. 6. They were filled and their hearts were exalted and they forgat me Ier. 22. 21. I spake unto thee in thy prosperity but thou saydst thou wouldst not heare this hath beene thy manner from thy youth The Prodigall never remembred his father while he was in prosperity and riot This danger the Lord well discerning in his owne people straightly warneth them that when they come into the land and enjoy houses vineyards olives and have eaten and are full then to beware they forget not the Lord their God Deut. 6. 11. 2 Pride against God and forgetfulnesse of themselves Let prosperity once winne the heart it fortifies it against God Hence hath pride and ambition beene the bane of the purest Churches and so incident to good men in their peace as the disciples themselves shall affect hierarchy and Kingdome and their own preferment at the right and left hand of Christ in his supposed temporall kingdome Now another mischiefe hangs hereupon that the tops of these mountaines of pride are unfit for the herbes and flowers of grace to root or grow upon neither doe the raines of Gods grace stand upon these hills but slide down into the vallies 3 Effeminatenesse softnesse love of the world delicacy feare and slight of the crosse of Christ. For it is exceeding hard to have prosperity and not to love it it is hard in the increase of riches not to set our hearts on them most easily is the heart wonne from the God of heaven to the god of the world The reason is because we are naturally from earth and carry a lumpe of earth in our hearts and quickly fill up all our roumes and senses with it our eyes hands eares mouths and all our naturall motion is that way Againe minding of earthly things must needs make men enemies to the crosse of CHRIST as those in Phil. 3. 19. 4 Contention and strife for the holding and enjoying of the present fulnesse and security and a speciall resistance of those thac sticke closest to the simplicity of Christ and his Gospell or any way touch upon that string Ambitious Amazia will not suffer Amos to preach And Diotrephes loving his preheminence riseth up against St. Iohn and the most faithfull Pastors By all which wee see that as weeds grow abundantly in ranke soyles and without great care kill the herbes even so many mischievous plants and weeds rise up in the fat grounds of prosperity which seldome peepe out of the leane and barren grounds of persecution and tyranny 2 As Satan is more frequent and dangerous in these temptations of prosperity so our selves
not bee in houses Temples Cities but in prisons Mountaines Dennes Desarts and Caves of the earth But shee is alwayes safe for First if shee cannot be safe in the City shee shall bee safe in the wildernesse God provideth a safe place for her Secondly the purpose of God for the safety of the Church cannot bee altered or abrogated by all the enterprises of the enemies for his counsell must stand and therefore let Pharaoh slay all the infants beside Moses must bee preserved alive by his owne daughter in his owne bosome to be a Deliverer the onely thing hee would prevent Let Herod slay all the infants under two yeares old hee shall misse of him whom he seekes Thirdly Gods high account of his Church makes her alwayes safe as the signet on his hand as the Apple of his eye the Church is as the Lords wheat saith Augustine and shall be kept in the Lords Granary If Aegypt bee not a safe place for Moses he appoints him Midian to flie into If Iudea bee not safe for the childe he shall bee safe by a flight into Aegypt a wildernesse in comparison till the appointed time Athanasius who dyed in the yeare 390. speaking of those that were hid from the persecutions of those times said The childe was preserved whom Herod sought to destroy Fourthly Gods wisdome makes it healthfull for the Church sometime to bee hid that shee may alwayes bee safe for else the whole world would fall upon her all at once and utterly destroy her Which serves to remove the brag of the Papists concerning their Church and their brand and scandalous imputation against ours For their Church they prove it the true Church because they have had a perpetuall externall splendor and a continuall glorious visibility and a true noted and famous succession of Pastors and Professors since Christs Ascension till this day To which I answer two things 1. It is false that the Romish Church hath held a true succession either in doctrine or persons for two Reasons First because there is no part of Popery wherein it dissenteth from the Reformed Churches which is neare the age of Christ and his Apostles but came in by patches and pieces many hundred yeares after and some points very lately till the whole Antichristian Chaos and confused body was made up I might instance in their Latine Service Transubstantiation Communion in one kinde worshipping of Images prohibition of Ministers marriage and the patching together of the severall shredds of the Masse with a number of other new devises coÌ„fessed by themselves to stand onely by the Churches constitution and not by authority of the Scripture Secondly as that argues their doctrine not successive from the Apostles so they have no true personall succession from them For there was not a Papist in the world for the space of sixe hundred yeares after Christ nor any Father Councell or learned man in all those ages who held the same points of Popery as now these doe This hath Bishop Iewell unanswerably discovered in 27. points and Master Perkins in thirty nine in his learned Probleme against Iodoâ—us Coccius 2. Another thing I answer to their bragg is that if it were true as they say of such perpetuall glory and visibility then could they not more strongly conclude themselves a false Church seeing the true Church of Christ must flie into the wildernesse many hundred yeares from the fury of Antichrist unlesse they can make it appeare that a perpetuall glorious externall splendor a perpetuall visible head and the most domineering Monarchy in all the world comporteth with the abject desolate and retyred estate of the wildernesse a place full of annoyance wants obscurity and solitarinesse For their brand and challenge of our Church that wee cannot derive the pedigree of our religion beyond Luther nor shew where it was nor the names and persons of any that professed it To this I answer 1. with Tertullian Quod antiquissimum verissimum That which is indeed ancientest is of all other the truest and wee hold our religion from the ancient Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles therefore it is the true religion and hath a true succession in doctrine and consequently of persons suppose wee could not name them because it is the religion and faith of the woman in the wildernesse which sometimes Antichristian tyranny suffred her not openly to professe she flyeth into the wildernesse according to Gods Word to hold and preserve it to all succeeding ages Object But if you have so true a succession why doe not you name them Answ. This miserable shift of the Jesuites apparently argues the desperatenesse of their cause and is like a Crayfish which hath more picking than meat a very tricke and triviall inconsequence to call us from the cause whereof they are weary unto persons as if wee had no sounder arguments for the truth of GOD and verity of our religion then from mens testimony and succession We know that if we receive the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater and professe as the Samaritans to the woman We beleeve not our religion for any mans word or any womans or because any hee-Pope or shee-Pope saith it is so or contrary but because wee have heard Christ himselfe speaking in the Scriptures Wee take our religion as wee take gold not onely or chiefly by the sound but by the touchstone and ballance and we have learned in our Creed to beleeve the Catholike Church though wee see it not And because contraries make one another more perspicuous I would aske them whether wee may not beleeve that the Towre of Babel was built unlesse wee could name all the persons that brought Brick or Lime to it all the Masons all the labourers and workmen that were upon it or whether wee may not beleeve that a tree is growne unlesse wee know the person the name the particular time and houres of the planting sprowting and growing of it Doubtlesse if wee did not know when and by what degrees or by what persons and workmen their Romish Babel is built and reared yet wee see and must beleeve that it is built And suppose wee did not know which in most essentiall differences wee doe the persons nor the very period of the time when every branch of the tree of Antichristian heresie did begin to sprout and bud out yet our eyes see and we must beleevè that the tree is deepe rooted large spred and growne tall and thicke And were it not most absurd that matter of divine truth must not be beleeved unlesse wee can name all men that ever spake or beleeved it But to hold them to short and manifest reason I conclude in this forme Whatsoever Church hath a true succession of doctrine from Christ and his Apostles hath also a true and perpetuall succession of persons whether that succession bee visible and nominable or no But wee have true succession of doctrine from Christ
domestickes to be with him to be eye-witnesses and eare-witnesses of all he did or spake so as they were to deliver nothing but of their certaine knowledge the things they had heard and seene and handled 1 Ioh. 1. 1. So as ignorant persons that care not for the knowledge of the mysteries of the Gospel are as fit to witnesse to Christ as a blinde man to judge of colours 2 For this knowledge and perswasion because it must be from a divine teacher as the thing witnessed is we must not content our selves with the report of men or an humane apprehension of the matters of religion but be sure wee have the spirit of God inwardly to teach us for the naturall man cannot discerne the things of God Ioh. 15. 26. When the Comforter shall come he shall testifie of me and ye shall witnesse also but not before they have received the Spirit 3 Faithfulnesse sincerity to testify the truth only the whole truth A man of integrity is a fit witnesse in this great cause of Christ. Many professe oâ—e thing practise another have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power of it These are unfaithfull and disgraceful witnesses that say unsay a discredit to the cause a shame to themselves Their word and witnesse goes for nothing mens tribunalls cast out such witnesses with disgrace much more the Lords 4 Plainnesse and opennesse that men may know what they witnesse that their testimony may be an evidence not to fumble or flatter or blanch the truth Ministers must explane the Testament of Christ and speake plainly that Christ by it gives nothing but to his friends and kindred to his mother brethren sisters even such as heare the word and keepe it that he bequeathed the inheritance to the sanctified not the profane that pearles are not cast to swine that howsoever wicked ones will scrape acquaintance with Christ at this day and at the day of judgment for that they were just sober charitable civill harmelesse yea beyond many of us in their civill entertainments of Christ yet shall they not be found in the genealogie are not of the house of faith nor of the blood of Christ. 5 Courage and boldnesse to stand to their witnesse Pilate gave a good testimony of Christ his innocency but wanting courage he went against his owne testimony Now this courage is necessarie First to stand out against numbers of false witnesses One Elias must stand against foure hundred false Prophets the Apostles against the whole Councell Act. 5. 32. Secondly to contemne the wrath of the adverse part armed with furie and madnesse against them Act. 5. 33. they brust for anger and consulted Thirdly to abate the madnesse of adversaries as did the courage of the disciples having the better end of the staffe Act. 16. 39. the magistrates came and besought them and brought them out and desired them to depart out of the City Motives thus to give witnesse to Jesus Christ. 1 All creatures even the unreasonable witnesse to the glory of God Act. 14. 17. he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he gave raine and fruitfull seasons If we should hold our peace the very stones would cry 2 It is so honourable a service as the Angells themselves desire to stoope and bow unto it 1 Pet. 1. 12. Even they affectionatly long and desire to behold and witnesse the spirituall riches of the Church by Jesus Christ. The faces of the Cherubins were alwaies upon the Arke they could never looke enough nor with admiration enough upon the affaires of the Church How ready and faithfull have they been on these errands and messages c. 3 To faithfull witnesses God witnesseth that he is their God as the Patriarkes Heb. 11. 16. he is not ashamed to be called their God 4 Professors and slaves of Antichrist are bold to witnesse their false faith with resolution of minde danger of body losse of goods lands liberty and life and shall Christs servants be ashamed in his testimony 5. The Saints have not counted their lives deare to them nor loved them to the death for Christs sake as wee have seene on Verse 11. Hee is a very Jade that will not follow a free Leader 6. The season and time invites it If men will not now witnesse to Christ in the dayes of truth and protection what will they doe in the fiery tryall for what dayes doe so many conceale their resolution why doe so many desire rather to bee counted wise than religious And I stood on the Sea-shore or land These words belong not to this Chapter but to the next vision neither read in the first person He stood that is the dragon as some read on the sand that is on a sandie and mouldring foundation or on a multitude of wicked men as the sand but in the first person I stood that is I stood in vision on the sand to see the beast rising out of the sea so as the words are a transition to the vision of the beast in the next Chapter So I have by the grace of God finished this taske and text which hath notably suted with the occurrences of these latter times and seasonably met with the present occasions and state of the Churches at home and abroad I will not goe forward in this mysticall booke for in this chapter I have led you into the heart and kernell of the whole booke and given not a darke light to the whole Besides you loue variety and my selfe ayme at some other plainer doctrine Bella minas fluvios mulier cum semine sancto Sustinet victrix astra Ducemque petit FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Table of the chiefe things contained in the foregoing EXPOSITION A Accusations of the godly in things true and false pag. 553 The godly lye open to all maner of false accusation and why 561 False accusation the nearest and expressest image of the diuell 571 Disswasions â—rom it 577 How to fence our selues against it 582 Accusers of the godly shall one day haue their mouths stopped 588 Actions that are good studiously hindred by Satan 157 Blemished two waies 161 Affect men differently as they differ in good or euill 673 Afflictions of the Church may be long and grieuous 325 how long and short too 326 Agreement of disagreeing enemies against the Church 130 Angellsâ—ignifie â—ignifie any seruants souldiers of Christ 342 Resemble them 347 What the good Angells doe for the children of God 345 Antichrist arising is the great wrath of the dragon demonstrated 693 By what stayres he arose 739 Time of his reigne â—â—cording to Papists confuted 786 His warres come of the dragons wrath Reas. 828 Antichristianisme an vniuersall heresie 699 Worse then temporall enemies three waies 700 Effects of it far worse 703 Apologie for our innocency needfull 586 Armoâ— of God taken froÌ„ us or turned against us 171 Assaults and stratageâ—s of Satan against the Saints 168 B Be busy more and more for grace goodnes
joyne to it For efficacy of doctrine is no proofe of truth because there is an efficacy of errour by which the dragon prevailes against all the earth But is the doctrine effectuall to turne men from the power of Satan to God then it is true not else Nor yet be much dismaied that among our selves after the knowledge and profession of the truth so many should turne away to Popery and are seduced by Priests and Jesuites for how can a carnall doctrine but prevaile among carnall men what looke they after in their religion but men on earth at Princes lawes times persons and earthly respects not one of them after God or his word or rules of direction from it but hate the Scripture as a theef the gallows their Religion then must needs be good But none are altogether given up to Antichristianisme but they they are first given up to Satan to bee seduced Oh that Papists would heare and lay to heart that they are pitifully seduced by the chiefe seducer under Satan which is a plaine signe of perdition for among whom doth Antichrist raigne but onely them that perish Rev. 14. 6 How can they expect to raign in the heavenly Jerusalem with Christ who stick in mysticall Babylon unto Antichrist how shall hee triumph in heaven with Christ that fights on earth for Antichrist But well may we with a sea of teares take knowledge of the generall sinne of our land in the hatred and abuse of the light and bringers of it for which the Lord may justly deliver us up to delusion and efficacy of errour and if we goe on resolved to give no better entertainment to the light the Papists themselves are not more effectually deluded in maine points than it may please God many among us may bee Finally marvell not that so many great wise and learned men in the world oppose resist the truth plot cōtrive against Gods Ordinances servants for how can earth but stand in opposition to heaven they are but pieces of earth and of the world delivered up to Satan to deceive earthly affections lusts motions desires carry them away earthly policie dignity favour ease wealth is all they aime at their way and their end earth is their portion and they the dragons for the dragon seduceth all the earth and only that Doth any resist and oppose heavenly doctrine he is earthly-minded he savours the earth some base lust or sinne is the dragons chaine to hold him under delusion to destruction Thirdly wee learne hereby to beware of seduction and carefully prevent it Quest. What meanes may we use thereunto Answ 1. Get out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace become a beleever by faith get into the hand of Christ and none shall pluck thee thence Iohn 10. Give all diligence to make thine election sure by adding grace to grace and bringing forth fruits of faith the dragons delusions are onely effectuall in them that perish 2. Get out of the world answer the voyce of Christ calling thee out of the world for what is the whole earth but a company of seduced and deluded people If thou art still in the world hee that seduceth all the world cannot but carry thee away from God Demas embraced the present world and forsooke the truth The young man went heavily from Christ for hee had great possessions nay they had him rather The dragon thought to have seduced Christ himselfe by the profer of the world All this will I give thee Oh therefore get thee with all speed out of the world in affection in conversation love it not live not after it 3. Avoid persons and places of seduction Persons are 1. False teachers and false Prophets that come in sheepes clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves Mat. 7. 15. not Priests and Jesuites onely who study the art of deceiving but sweet-tōgued Prophets who by libertine doctrine or loosenesse of life leade the way to wickednesse They are accursed in the Law who make the blinde goe out of the way and all the people must say Amen Deut. 27. 18. 2. Perswaders to Popery and false worship whereof there are not a few at this day and such as perswade to any schisme or separation from the truth Let servants be choice what Masters they serve and bee sure their Masters serve the same Master in heaven with them but above all beware of a Snake in the bosome our weaknesse needeth a faithful Counsellor so neare us For places 1. Beware of ignoran tand rude places which are destitute of instruction and able instructers where the eye is blinde that man is misled any whither and such a people are led away as a prey to the dragon a wicked Ministery makes a naked people Where doe the Frogs and Locusts Priests and Jesuites sculke and croake bin ignorant and untaught places where men are taught no difference betweene the mists of Popery and the shining light of the Gospell where the watchmen are blinde the embassadours dumbe and teachers untaught need teachers themselves in the principles of Religion 2. Avoid infected places where abominations are set up and maintained no poyson kils more certainly or speedily Whether they be Popish Countries to which the Spirit of God would have us bid farewell Revel 18. 4. Goe out of her my people lest yee partake of her sinnes and plagues Or Popish houses where deceivers are harboured idols and lies set up and worshipped a little Breaden god adored true religion reviled and the mysterie of iniquity embraced Avoid these This is the third meanes to avoid seduction 4. Sticke close to the word of God which onely can hold us upright Mat. 22. 29 Ye erre no knowing the Scriptures Here in cleaving to the word First indeavour to grow up in sound judgement for the discerning af doctrines and signes which carry great pretenses of truth and by which the dragon usually seduceth many 1 Iohn 4. 1. Beleeve not every spirit but trie the spirits whether they bee of God for many false spirits are gone out into the world Alas how doe the body of our people lye open to seduction and are ready to entertaine any doctrine any religion for want of this abilitie They embrace a religion because it is established by authority commauded by the law professed by the Prince embraced by the multitude freest fr ōtrouble But aske them a reason of their faith call them to account in Catechisme you would thinke them speechlesse you can force no answer savouring of judgement or reason is there then no need of this exhortation Secondly grow up in sound love to the Word for else thou canst not but bee given up to beleeve lyes 2 Thess. 2. 10. it is not learning knowledge wisedome that can arme or fence us from delusion but love of the truth as in the instances of Adam Iudas Hymeneus and Philetus c. but love of the truth will quench in us love of the world and selfe-love and