Christs Victory Over the Dragon, Text (3 of 15)

Christs Victory Over the Dragon · Text (3 of 15)

p. 1123 The third note of tryall of one borne of this Mother is sucking. An infant so soone as ever it is 3 Sucking the breasts.borne seekes and suckes the breast: and so the new p. 113borne babe seekes, and suckes the sincere milke of the word. 1 Pet. 2. 2. And as an infant is never well but when it is sucking night and day; and nothing stils the cryes of it, or quiets it but the breast: so the child of God (suppose him but an infant in grace) hungerly desires Gods word. Gold, silver, honor, pleasure (which satisfie carnall men) quiet not him; only Gods word can quiet and satisfie the heart, And as the infant desires the pure breast-milke without any other blending or cookery: so Gods children affect chiefly the sincere milke of the word in the plaine evidence of Gods wisedome; and care not for blending with froth of wit or humane eloquence; but as it comes out of the breasts of the Mother, the two Testaments. And as the infant sucketh the breast to grow thereby: So by the sincere milke the children of God grow in spirituall strength and stature till they come to their talnesse, 1 Pet. 2. 2.

4 The fourth note is similitude and likenesse to the father of this birth. This mother brings forth 4 Image of his Father.children to God in the similitude and Image of god. Other Mothers bring children in their owne Image; as Adam begat Seth in his owne Image, Gen. 5. 3. But what is borne of the spirit, is spirit. Joh. 3. 6. Now examine how thou expressest the seed of new birth. Whom resemblest thou? If God be thy father, thou resemblest him in quality, though not in equality. Thou art like him in holinesse, in righteousnesse, and in the whole divine nature. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Our Saviour makes this a sure note of a sonne of God, or of the Devill. Joh. 8. The Jewes bragge they are sonnes of Abraham ver. 39. Christ saith, were they sonnes of Abraham they would doe the works of Abraham. Then they bragge, God is their father, ver. 41. Christ answereth, If God were your father you p. 114would love me, and resemble him: for I came from him, and he loves me. But I will tell you whose sons you are: ye are of your father the Devill, for his workes yee doe. So thou that professest in the Creed, that God is thy Father, and thou beleevest in him: if in stead of Divine vertues thou expressest impious and vicious behaviour: thou art of the Devill, whose workes thou doest. He delights in blaspheming, swearing, drunkennesse, filthinesse, he hates the word, the Sabbaths, the Ministers: he delights in feircenesse, slaunders, and the like: so dost thou. Thou professest Jesus Christ thy Lord and Saviour, but how dost thou grow in conformity with Christ? If thou expressest not his humility, patience, selfe-deniall, holinesse, and all Christian vertues in some measure, thou art none of his; The member will grow in conformity with the head: a good child will imitate a good father in goodnesse.

5 The fift note of new birth is growth. A child 5 Growth in strength, stature.once borne growes up to strength and stature. A child in nature that still suckes wholsome milke, stands not at a pitch, but growes every month and quarter sensibly: so, if thou beest borne of this Mother, thou growest. 1 In understanding and knowledge, 2 Pet. 3. 18. 2 In sound affection, and powerfull 1 In understanding.use of the meanes of salvation. As a child the more it growes the more it feeds: so a man new 2 In affection.borne hath daily more love to the word, more reformation by it, and outgrowes weakenesses, 3. In sound 3 In activity.practise of holy duties. As a child growes active to naturall and civill actions: so the child of God and the Church, growes strong to prayer, and the parts of Gods pure worship: strong to endure the labour of the power of godlinesse. 4 In strength for the 4 In strength to suffer.Christian combate. He growes able to beare afflictions, and stand under great burdens and crosses for p. 115Christ and the Gospell. He growes strong in resistance of temptations, that he is not now carried ordinarily away, neither by the world, nor by the God of the world from his place. To this marke S^t. John sends us for tryall of our new birth, 1 Joh. 5. 4. He that is borne of God, overcommeth the world: and ver. 18. He that is borne of God keepeth himselfe, and the wicked one toucheth him not: Keepeth himselfe, that is, groweth up in holy watchfulnesse, and resistance of temptations: to which care God addeth his blessing, that he abides untouched, that is, of raigning sinne; the wicked one strikes him not deadly, nor can wholly and finally foyle him. Examine this strength of CHRIST if it bee in thee; for so it is called. Ephes. 6. 10.

6 A sixt note is child-like affections. 1 To our Father. 2 To this Mother. The child-like affections 6 Child-like affections:to our Father are two.

1 Honor. Is Christ thy Father? how doest thou honor him? Mal. 1. 6. The Apostle Pauls care was that 1 To our Father.Christ should be magnified in his body by life or Honor.death, Phil. 1. 20. What obedience shewest thou to his commandements, and to his corrections▪ doest thou honor him by trusting in him, and depending upon him?

2 A second child-like affection to Jesus Christ, is love. The child loveth his father better then all Love.men else: and canst thou be a child, and not love him that begat: and not as a Creator, but a Father? If thou canst doe no more for thy parent, canst thou doe lesse then love him dearely? Examine thy love to Christ, and see if thou canst say as Peter, Lord thou knowest, I love thee. Happie is the soule that dares thus appeale to Christ as a witnesse of his unfained love. But how canst thou saie thou lovest him, when his commandements are heavie and irkesome? when p. 116thou wilt doe nothing for his sake? suffer nothing for his name? when thou wilt part with nothing for his words? when thou hatest his servants, his words and Ministers, and risest up in armes against him by horrible sinnes? David may have a rebellious sonne, an Absalom: Christ hath no such. All his children love him better then their owne lives.

Now secondly, the child-like affections to this mother are also two.2 To our Mother.

1 To honor, love, and obey this mother in all her directions, in all her corrections according to Love.the word. Good children will honor the Mother aswell as the Father, according to the Commandement.

Ob. The Papist catcheth at this as making much for him. The Commandements of the Mother Church must be obayed; and therefore in their Catechismes (besides the commandements of God) they injoyne a number of the Churches commandements, which must be obeyed in paine of damnation, aswell as Gods.

Sol. To this I answer. 1 That this Mother must be obeyed of her children, as other parents of their children, namely, In the Lord. Eph. 6. For this is the difference between the commandements of this Father and this Mother; His must be obeyed simply and absolutely as the Lords: but hers onelyonly in the Lord. If the precepts of this Father and Mother agree, then the Mothers commandements must be obeyed: but not if they be either contrary or diverse from his. He that brings another doctrine must be accursed. He or she that addes to his commandements must be accursed, and all the plagues added to them. And seeing Jesus Christ the Lord of his Church would deliver no doctrine nor commandements to the Church, but what he heard from his p. 117Father: no more must the Church but what she heares from Christ. 2 Why should Rome a particular Church rather enjoyne lawes on other Churches then other Churches on her; seeing that, parity admits not superiority?Par in parem non habet jus.

2 The second child-like affection to this Mother, is compassion. Children of the Church must be sensible, Compassion.and grieved in their Mothers sorrow, affliction and oppression. It is an unnatural child that takes not to heart his mothers miserie. Humanity will make us mourne in the miserie of strangers, yea of enemies; as David put on sackcloth for his enemies: much more will Christianity for the sorrowes of friends, especially friends of God. How have the Papists shewed that they have not a drop of the blood and spirit of Christians, in their late joyes, and triumphs, and braggs before the victory (as they use to doe) fatting and feeding themselves in the savage barbarousnesse of Antichristian Captaines against the Church in Bohemia and the Palatinate? But what other expectation from such as lay the principles of their Religion in blood and barbarous inhumanitie, beyond Scithians or Man-eaters? Yea and not a few sorry protestants there are, who harbour but a little sorrow for the sorrowes of the Church; bewraying the hardnesse and insensiblenesse of their hearts, by their poore and penurious releefe. Some out of base irreligion sowing scarce so many pence as they would have done pounds, had they had conscience and affection of Children. This Mother may wish she never stand in need of such children, so flinty and degenerate.

7 The seaventh note of one borne of this woman, 7 Brotherlyaffection.is brotherly-affection. Christian love to all that are begotten of God, as to brethren, 1 Joh. 3. 14. highly esteeming them, as the excellent in the earth. Psal. p. 11816. 3. A man borne of this woman respects not men according to their greatnesse or basenesse in the world; but according to this birth, be they rich or poore; and according to this present relation, and that future happinesse they are borne unto. A child of this woman cannot disaffect and reproach his brethren because they be brethren, and thinke the very brotherhood a sufficient scorne. He cannot scorn them for frequenting their Mothers house. Nay he cannot but affect them for the fellowship in the Gospell, and their consanguinity in this new estate. Now lay these notes on thy heart, try by them thy estate; and know, it is better to be out of the number of men, then out of this number.

[And cried in paine ready to be delivered]

The Church bringeth forth no children to God Doct. 2. The Church brings no children to God without travell. 4. Reas. Reas. 1.without much travell and paine: For as by an inevitable decree painefull sorrow is annexed to naturall birth: so it is in this spirituall birth. As our Saviour applieth that Ioh. 16. 21. A woman when she travelleth hath sorrow because her time is come.

I It cost Christ no small travell and sorrow to beget children to God. For he must become a man of sorrowes: and never was any sorrow like unto his. Nay, he must sustaine the sorrowes of hell, and be broken to pieces with sorrowes of body and soule, before one child could ever be begotten unto God, and therefore the Prophet Esai. 53. 11. saith, He shall see the travell of his soule: that is, the seed for which his soule travelled.

And in the preaching of the Gospel, & sowing this seed in the dayes of his flesh in his owne person, what great sorrowes sustained hee by the Scribes, Pharisees, Princes, and wordly-wise men? and was made a butte of contradiction; all men resisting his person, his doctrine, blaspheming his miracles and p. 119mighty workes, preferring murderers before him, and setting him with Belzebub the prince of the devils.

II The painefull travell of the Church is by the Ministeriall paines and sorrowes of her Pastors and Preachers, Gal. 4. 19. Little children, of whom I travell in birth againe, till Christ be formed in you. Elias in his calling was in so painefull travell as he was weary of his life: 1 King. 19. 4. Ier. 4. 19. The paines of the Prophet Esay made him cry, His belly, his leannes 29. 16. the Apostles of Christ what paines they endured appeares. 2 Cor. 11. 23. In labours abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison many times, in death often. How they were resisted in their Ministery, whipped like vagrants, reviled, stocked, turned out at townes ends like miscreants, see Acts 2. 15. & 4. 18 5. 28. 13. 46. And after, what violent torments they indured in their Martyrdomes, the Ecclesiasticall story sheweth. And at this day the labout and sufferings of godly and faithfull Ministers is like the labour and sorrowes of a woman in travell. For when we travell to bring forth some Children to God out of the common track of the world, how are we often oppressed, contradicted and opposed by timeservers, and libertines? How abased and rejected by the multitude? What heavy strokes and lashes endure wee from the tongues of the basest? What slaunders are raised, and impudently cast out against us by Papists and Atheists, and inhumane wretches, who fight against us with nothing but witlesse lies and falsehoods?

So as it is evidently true as Christ▪ foretold his Disciples, If they persecuted me, they will you also, Joh 15. 20. And as evident, that if Christ were on earth they would spare him no more then they doe us, He that refuseth you, refuseth me.

p. 120III. It is no small part of this travell of the 3.Church, that her poore babes are so pained, and suffer with her, while she so hardly brings them forth.

For what child is there that can begin to looke into the light of this spirituall world, to receive the word of God, to embrace the faith by which Christ may be formed in him: but presently he is pinched with scornes and taunts, and heavily laded with shamefull indignities: even for desiring the sincere milke of the word, for the maintaining of that life with which he is newly quickned.

Neither can it be otherwise, seeing whosoever wil live godly in Christ must suffer persecution. And whosoever will be a disciple of Jesus Christ must resolve to take up his crosse daily.

IV. The paine and travell of the Church is 4. Foure maine hindrances of new birth.more sharpe and sorrowfull by reason of those mighty lets and resistances of this new birth, not only without by Devils and all sorts of wicked men; but even within and nearer us then they, and these are especially foure.

1 Naturall ignorance: what a let was it in Nichodemus, he must goe into the wombe againe, Naturall ignorance.else cannot be borne againe. Joh. 4. 10

2 Feare of difficulties, losses, and that this birth would prove an enemie unto their credit, profit, or Fleshly feare.pleasure, and they see the prejudice and reproach Joh. 12. 41.John 12:41cast upon such as are new borne.

3 Too hasty and inconsiderate, and irresolute undertaking of this businesse, not casting the costs, and Irresolution.how many sad throwes and pangs they may sustaine; many therfore in liking of the good way have some pangs and remorse as if they would goe through the paine to the birth: But finding more difficulty then they expected, give it over againe: for so did many p. 121who came to Christ, and were Disciples a while, but left him on the plaine field. Joh. 6.

4 The presence and love of sinne. First, The presence Love of sin.of sinne: there is another monstrous and adulterous birth that hinders, begotten by the unlawfull copulation of Satan and the corrupt will: Satan being the Father, and our naturall corruption the Mother of this issue, and these struggle with us and get us by the heele, and make the case so difficult, as that the Saints cry with Paul, Rom. 7. Oh miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me &c. Secondly, love of some speciall sinne or sinnes, which makes all Gods ordinances inefficacious; Iudas his covetousnesse, Demas embracing the world: or a secure heart which lets all doctrine runne out. Heb. 2. 1. not cherishing or retayning it to an holy conception and birth.

Now what mervaile is it that there be no small labour to our Mother, when our selves are not onelyonly so helplesse to our owne birth, but such hinderers of it?

Object. Esay 66. 7. Sion shall bring forth before her sorrowes and payne come on her, and therefore brings her children without paine.

Sol. The Prophet▪ speakes not of the same thing, but of a sudden and unexpected deliverance and restitution of the Church, which before seemed utterly barren and forsaken. And hath respect to the miraculous propagation of the gospell by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus, which should be so sudden and unexpected, as if a woman should be delivered before her paines be upon her; for, how miraculous was it, that the Gospell by so few men, in so short time, and by so base persons in all outward respects should be published to the whole world: and that all people should be by their outward calling brought p. 122to the unitie of faith: So as this which is spoken in a special respect cōcerning an outward calling, & by an extraordinary power of God, infringeth not this doctrine cōcerning the inward calling and conversion in the ordinary course of it, which is not done without much resistance; As neither that of the Apostles was.

And this concernes the Ministers; and Ministery, and sheweth 4 things.

First, the honor and dignitie of the holy Ministery, Use. 1. The dignity of the Ministry.in that it is the onelyonly instrument appointed by God, for the bringing forth of Gods children. Never was a despiser of the Ministery yet borne of God, or a sonne of the true Church; no birth without this immortall seed.

Secondly, the end of the Ministery must be to bring children to God. To forme Christ in men, The end of the Ministry.Gal. 4. 19. and fashion them new creatures like unto Jesus Christ. The ayme of a true Minister is not how many livings he may get and hold, how much money he may lay up, how high he may climbe, how idle he may be and still keepe up his credit; But how many soules he may be under God a father unto; How he may imprint in mens hearts, the gracious image of Jesus Christ, that in the day of his reckoning he may with boldnesse and comfort say; Behold, here am I, and the children that thou hast given me, Esay 8. 18. And whosoever aymes not at this, or at any thing more, misseth his worke, and perverteth his calling, his reckoning shall tell him so: wee must therefore frame our doctrine, that it may be for the plainnesse & soundnesse as Christ by it may be formed; the play of wit, nor prophane strong lines, nor frothy straines of strange languages, will not doe it. The Prophets, nor Apostles, nor our Lord himselfe never preached so.

Thirdly, the duty of a faithfull Minister consisteth p. 123in two things. 1 To resolve on paines in his calling, as knowing he cannot bring men to Christ without paines and labour. An idle Pastor that gives up the paines of his calling, is like a yong mother that wold faine have children without paines and sorrow in bringing forth.

2 To love dearely persons wonne to the faith. For he that knowes the sorrow of winning and begetting any to Christ, cannot but love them as his owne children. And therefore hath Gods providence annexed much sorrow to the birth, that the child might bee so much more tendred and loved of the Mother, as she hath dearely bought it. And so in this spirituall birth it is true. And a spirituall Father may rebuke and sharply reproove his children begotten by his paines, for just faults, and this is fatherly love; but he that shall reproach the whole seed of Christ, and nip and blast goodnesse in them, and the more they prosper in grace, the more spitefully shall ordinaryly disgrace them; I doubt whether such a one be the Father of any of their soules. How doth a Mother, yea a tender nurse rejoyce in the health and prosperitie of the child, and grieve even unto death if the Child thrive not, nor prosper. And who wold abide a nurse whom nothing so much grieveth as the thriving and growth of the child?

Fourthly, The comfort of a faithfull Minister. Howsoever Comfort of faithfull Ministers.his sorrowes and paines be as sure and inevitable as the sorrowes of a woman in travell, yea and as sharp too. Yet

1 The are also short as theirs, a little while will put an end to their paines.

2 They are in the end sweet and turned into joy, as theirs Joh. 16 21. A woman as soone as she is delivered remembreth no more the paine because a man-child is borne. Their labour and paine passeth p. 124away and is quite and quickly forgotten, but the joy is lasting and eternall, and none can take it away.

Wee must consider that if we be rejected of men, so was the chiefe builder, and the Master builders the Apostles themselves.

If we speake words of truth and wisedome out of the booke of God, in the name of God, out of the place of God, some dare say we will lie as fast as a dog will runne. If our innocency were as bright as the sunne, some dog will barke against us. The servant is not above his Master. Our Master, as innocent as he was, some few said he was a good man, but many that he was a Devill, and was a very vile man. Well, this is the comfort of faith, it shall breake out of all clouds and darknesse, and shine in the faces of all adversaries one day. For, as it frets the enemie that he cannot withhold Gods gracious blessing from his faithfull servants here; So much more shall it breake their hearts, that they cannot resist the glorious light of it hereafter.

And secondly, to the people of God, to be willing to submit themselves to the sorrowes of the new Vse. II.birth. No infant can avoid the difficulties of birth, nor no child of God can shunne this.

Quest. What are these sorrowes?

1 Resolve therefore of sorrowes from within, to undertake the paines of true repentāce, sound sorrow for sinne, mortification, selfe-deniall; renounce the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season. As Moses, as that of Christ, If any will be a Disciple, let him deny himselfe. Is not here a paines and difficulty to renounce the wisedome of the flesh, a mans owne corrupt will, his affections and passions, which must be stockt up roote and branches, his owne naturall inclinations, which are nearer to him then his skin, p. 125his owne habits and bosome sinnes of long maintenance, to cut off hands, and put out eyes.

2 Resolve of sorrowes from without 2 Tim. 1. 8 be partakers of the affliction of the Gospell. Take up the crosse daily, and, after one, still expect another, Christ and his crosse are inseparable.

God might have severed affliction from the gospell; as he might if he had pleased severed paine and sorrow from the birth of a child; but would not. For,

First, his wisdome foresaw it stood more with Reasons why God would not sever Christ and his crosse.his glory, to erect himselfe a Church in the world in despight of Satan and all wicked instruments. In no naturall thing is Gods power more seene, then in the birth of an infant in grace, the hazard and opposition is but the manifestation of his power.

Secondly, The Lord would stop Satans mouth who would accuse the Saints, as Iob, as if we served God for nought; when we are ready for Christ to endure all hazards, and deadly dangers.

Thirdly, The Lord tries the truth of his childrens graces, while they abide with him in affliction. Now we must resolve to goe through the paines of new birth, to difference our selves from, 1 Carnall gospellers, that like not the gospel, because it teacheth selfe-deniall. 2 Wicked men, because the power of it crosseth their whole course. 3 Polititians, who renounce it, because it requires a change, and they can endure no change, though for the better.

3 Resolve of paines and labour in the meanes of Travell in the meanes of grace. 3. Reas.grace, in hearing, reading, praying, watching, fasting, and spirituall combate: for God brings forward his image in his owne meanes. Consider, for encouragement,

1 The discription of Saints Rev. 7. 19. those are 1.they that come out of great tribulation. Wicked are p. 126ever going into great affliction: as jolly as they are, and as free as they seeme to be, but the Saints are ever comming forth.

2 The worth of grace for which thou sufferest; 2.The least is worth all thy sufferings. Is knowledge worth nothing? Is the light of the sunne so worthlesse a thing? wouldest thou suffer any hard labour and peril for money, and a small summe of silver: and wilt thou be at no paines for faith, more pretious thē gold: for hope, nor for peace of conscience? are these worth no paines?

3 The happy estate into which thou comest by suffering. Thou art borne to blessednesse. Blessed are 3.they that mourn. All thy paine in suffering is not cō parable to the gaine of suffering. The momentany afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory in the life to come, looke not on the losse but on the gaine. Thou loosest friends, but hast God and Christ, and his Angels neare thee. Loosest libertie of body, but hast libertie and joy of Conscience. Hazardest outward peace, but hast peace with God, thy self, and all creatures, so farre as they cannot hurt thee. See our Saviours argument, Mark. 10. 29.

And there appeared another wonder in Heaven.]

Now we come to the description of the Churches adversarie and opposite enemie, under the name and tipe of a Dragon.

To which description is set a preface, as before the description of the woman. Of which having spoken in the 1. ver. we here omit it, onelyonly remember that by heaven is meant the Church of God militant; for, what hath the dragon to doe in heaven in proper acceptation.

The description of the Dragon is by two arguments.

p. 1271 His adjuncts, being five.

2 His effects, which are two.

His adjuncts in the text are:

1 Magnitude.

2 Cruelty.

3 Subtiltie.

4 Power.

5 Victory.

His effects are

1 Against the Starres, he drew downe with his taile the third part.

2 Against the Woman, stood before her to devoure her, &c.

First, Of the dragon himselfe.By the dragon what is meant.

Quest. What is meant by the Dragon?

Answ. 3 Things.

1 The Devill, for so it is expounded ver. 9. to be 1.that old Serpent called the devill and Satan.Satan, called a dragon for 4 reasons.

Now the devill is called metaphorically a serpent or dragon.

First, By allusion to that story Genes. 3. because under this forme and representation he deceived mankind.

Secondly, For his poison and malice whereof he is full, and by which he hath stung to death all the sons of men, as was shadowed by those serpents in the wildernesse, which slew all the Israelites that looked not up to the brasen Serpent.

Thirdly, For his exceeding strength and power to hurt & destroy, whereunto adde his feircenesse and bloody cruelty against the Saints, which makes the dragon dreadfull, which is of all monsters the most fell and savage.

Fourthly, For his slinesse, subtiltie and craft p. 128wherein he resembleth the serpent which is more subtill then all the beasts of the field, Genes. 3. 1. and this is mentioned ver. …. which deceived all the world. And this his nature is couched in his name, drac…, cōing of a word signifying to see peircingly, for he is subtile acute and quicke sighted to discerne a far off his pray and advantage against us.

2 By the dragon is also meant the instruments of 2.Satans fury. For he worketh against the Church, by Instruments of Satan called dragons. Why.wicked men, and externall enemies, who are comprized under the word Dragon. And they having the same nature and disposition of the devill, have also the same name. Jer. 51. 34. The King of Babell is said to swallow up the Church as a dragon. And Exek. 29. 3. Pharaoh King of Egypt for his tyranny against the Church is called the great dragon that lies in the midst of his rivers. Psal. 74. 13. thou dividedst the sea by thy power, thou brakest the heads of Dragons. (that is, the pursuing Egyptians) in the waters. And in the next verse he seemeth to call Pharaoh by the name of Leviathan; Which as it is the great destroyer of the sea, and swallowes up innumerable lesser fishes; so, he would swallow up all the Church before him; and was a terrour to all nations round about him.

Object. But here is mention but of one dragon; whereas of devils be many legions, and millions of fierce and wicked men and enemies of the Church.

Sol. The whole kingdome of the devill may be The whole kingdome of the devill but one dragon. 3. Reas.said to be but one dragon:

Because. 1 It is a kingdome not divided against it selfe, al of it is but one corporation or societie: for, although they be severall in themselves, yet they all joine in mischiefe and malice against Christ, and his Church, as if they were but one and not many.

p. 1292 All the members of that kingdome resemble the nature of their head, which is the dragon: and all have one common worke, and are all fitly comprehended under one name.

3 As all the company of the faithfull beare the name of Christ. 1 Cor 12. 12. So all the company of the wicked in whom Satan rules, is called by the name of the Dragon in this place And of the devill Revel. 2. 10 The devill shall cast some of you into prison: that is, the devils instruments, who all beare his name. And as well his instruments may be here put for himselfe; as himselfe for his instruments there.

3 Because this vision was properly of things and 3.persōs after Iohns being in Pathmos, it seemes yet to be fitlier brought lower to some more speciall instruments who have imbatled themselves against the Church since Christs ascention; And then wee cannot more properly apply it then to the persecuting Emperours of Rome while it was heathen, who were speciall ministers and instruments of the devils fury against the Church, And all of them being many Heathen persecuting Emperours of Rome dragons. 3. Reas.made but one dragon For,

First, They were all one in fiercenesse and feritie of the it nature against Christ and his Church; and put forth all their rage in maintenance of their idolatrie, and worship of the dragon, as 1 Cor. 10 20. led by the devill and ruled by his will.

Secondly, They were all one in place, one in judgment, one in succession, succeeding one another both in the throne and authoritie, and in the execution of it against Christ and this woman his spouse, with the crueltie rather of fell and fierie dragons, then of men that had retained but one sparke of humanitie or pittie within them.

Thirdly, All of them gave the dragon for their p. 130armes: which doth not obscurely give us to understand, what enemie the Spirit of God would more particularly ayme at, and designe unto us. And shew that:

The enemies of the Church though they disagree Doct.never so much among themselves, yet all joyne against the Church: for they all make up but one dragon.

As against David rose up Hadadezer King of Zobah, and to his succours the Aramites of Damesek. 2 Sam. 8. 3. 5. & chap. 10. 6. After them Aramites and Ammonites and many enemies joyned as one man against him: so, against Christ the Sonne of David conspired Pharisees, Saduces, Herodians, Essus. Yea Christ himselfe was a signe of contradiction to all people: and so is his Church.

Luk. 23. 12. Herod and Pilate had their private quarrels among themselves, yet both agree and are made friends against Christ.

Acts 17. 18. Epicures and Stoiks were as contrary in their sects and opinions as blacke and white. One most strict in their way, the other as loose and libertine. One placed their happinesse in vertue and morall honesty; the other in volupteousnesse & brutish pleasures.

But as contrary as they were betweene themselves, they all band and joyne themselves against Paul and his doctrine. And all wicked tyrants and princes, whatsoever private quarrels are among themselves, yet all agree & band themselves against Christ. Psal. 2.

At this day, all the catholike countries, Spaine, Fraunce, Italy, Germany, whatsoever particular quarrels are among themselves, yet all are in holy league as they call it, against the poore Reformed Churches.

p. 131So of all heretikes, if they be never so hostile among All wicked men united against Christ. 4. Reas.themselves, yet all joyne against orthodoxe doctrine; And all worldly & evil men full of emnitie one against another, yet all agree against the profession of godlinesse and practice of pietie.

1 Because of that irreconcilable enmitie put between Reas. 1.the whole seed of the woman, and the whole seed of the Serpent. Genes. 3. 15. and therefore be that spawne and seed of the serpent never so poysonfull one against another, nor will trust another, yet all will easily strike hands against the godly, as one man.

2 All darknesse is contrary to all light, and the 2.whole kingdome of darknesse must fight against the whole kingdome of light, because all light reproveth all darknesse alike. Christ is an equall enemie to Herod as Pilate, and therefore here private quarrels shall give place, that they may joyne and befriend one another in mocking and condemning Christ.

3 The policy of the dragon, who well knowes 3.that united forces are strongest, and therefore holds all the kingdome of darknesse together for the overthrow of the contrary power, for if Gods kingdome should prevaile, downe goes theirs. It is the voice of them all, If we let this man alone, the Romanes will come to take our nation. It is the prudence of the captaine to keepe his band from mutiny, and Satan knowing that a kingdome divided against it selfe, cannot stand, labours to hold it in peace against the common enemie.

4 The common corruption and consent of wicked 4.and unregenerate natures, all are of the same poysonfull nature, all led by the same spirit that ruleth in the world. All their wils given up to the devill, to rule and move at his pleasure All their counsels p. 132and intendments against Gods people, mischieuous like the poyson of dragons. Deut. 32. 33. detestable to God, and dangerous to m…n. All alike flexible to sinne: for, by the infection of sinne, one wicked man can soone draw another: and all are as ready to such motions as gunpowder to take a sparke of fire. All their delights are the same in the ruine and spoile of the Church, so far as they can. They all eat up Gods people as bread. Psal. 14. like dragons, who so hate mankind, as they devoure men, not for hunger, but for spight and hatred, taking great delight in eating his pray. So these delightfully oppresse the people of the high God.

First, See how they are deceived that make unitie Vse. 1. Unitie no note of the Church.a note of the Church; Here we see the kingdome of the devill at unitie making up but one dragon, all the devils in hell are one in their aimes and ends, in their wils and endeavours against the kingdome of Jesus Christ.

All the wicked in the world, Jewes, Turkes, Papists, Atheists, Epicures, all disagreeing among themselves, yet all joyne in one against Jesus Christ. The world ever afforded a generall unitie against Christ.

How was unitie a note of the Church, when all cryed crucifie him, and were all with one voice against Christ So, when the whole world was an Arian.

Secondly, See what is the unitie and peace wee 2. What unitie and peace Ministers must preach for:must preach for, a unitie in veritie Eph 4. 3. endeavour to keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace. It must be the peace of God that must rule in our hearts. Col 3. 15. It is an idle thing to call for and commend an unlimited peace, a carnall peace, a peace without, yea against grace and truth: the dragon can maintaine an unitie against veritie.

p. 133And the Scripture every where disclaimeth carnall peace Mat. 10 34. The Angels signe first glory to God, and then peace with men; but it is not for Gods glory to runne and combine with evill men, follow peace, and holinesse. And the kingdome of God is, first righteousnesse then peace, Rom 14 17.

Nay, it is an holy, and honourable contention, to contend for the faith, for truth in doctrine, in manners, against superstition, and corruption, and wicked men and manners: although the dragon will call it faction, & turbulence, and daunt men w^th noyse of troublesome make-bates, as truly as Eliah was accucused to trouble all Israell, when he destroyed the Altars of Baal: Or the Angell might be blamed for troubling the water, for the curing of mens diseases.

Thirdly, As hatred of truth unites the hearts of all 3. Christians must unite themselves in the truth.wicked men against it: So let the love of faith and truth unite our hearts for it, that we might serve the Lord with one accord and with one minde, and one mouth we may glorifie God.

1 Hereby wee shall prevent the dragon, who, Reas.while he will not suffer his kingdome to be rent in the maine: sowes tares of dissention, and division in the Lords field; As an old polititian, he knows how much it makes for his party, if he can raise a mutiny in the contrary army.

2 As there is not a greater benefit on earth then communion of Saints, so there is no greater damage and detriment to Satan and his kingdome, then when it is carefully and fruitfully preserved: hence he bestirres himselfe and prevailes with many who would be counted peaceable men, to live in open malice by seaven yeares together, to the scorning of many of Gods graces, for which they shalbe countable.

p. 1343 What a shame that men of wicked opinions, and lewd practices can close and combine thēselves against God and his Sonne, against his truth and servants; and we that professe the doctrine of grace and love, and in judgement hold the same truth, yet in affection, and conversation, breake one from another, as if we had no such bands upon us, as wicked men, yea devils have? Do not birds of a fether fly together? Do not Atheists, swearers, adulterers, drunkards, theeves, and all wicked ones sharpen their swords, whet their tongues, and dragons stings to revile these? Do not devils stand together against the truth? and shall we speake as the dragon, do as the dragon, be not halfe so fast for the truth as they against it? can no Christian bands tye us, as fast as malice and hatred of Christ doth them?

A great red Dragon.]

Now we come to the five properties of this dragon. The first of which is his magnitude or greatnesse, which propertie is expressed for more terrour, seeing the greater the dragon is, the more dreadfull he is. Hee is great in foure respects.Dragon called great in 4. respects.

First, In respect of the head of this dragon; Satan, who is the greatest in all the world, for power, rule, dominion: in which sense he is called Mat. 12. 29. 1.The strong armed man, & Ephes. 6. 12. principalities & powers, and spirituall wickednesse in high places, yea and more, he is called The God of the world. Some of the Ancients have compared him to Behemoth, Job 41. 33. In the earth there is none like him, nor any power to compare with him, and, He is without feare of men.

Secondly, In respect of the members, the dragon is 2.great, both for

1 Multitude.

2 Qualitie.

p. 1351 For multitude; All the numberlesse number of wicked men, and devils; are the body of this dragon. The greatest army that ever was gathered in the world, are now mustred against the Woman, of all tongues, nations and ages.

2 For qualitie, They be great and potent instruments, for the dragon hath under his colours, the most, and most potent Monarchs of the world to fight for him: The most politicke Counsellers, and Achitophells to plot for him; the greatest armadoes, and Armories, of warlike instruments and all mortall weapons to wound and kill for him: The greatest Antichrist and Cham of Rome, that servant of servants, and all his armies of Priests, Jesuites, orders, Fryers, and sisters, to blesse and curse as another Balaam for him: He hath great mynes and mints of gold and treasure to commaund, to supply him with whatsoever may make him a great and most puissant adversary.

Thirdly, In respect of head and members, he is great in respect both of the joint desire, will and endeavour 3.they have to hurt and waste the Church, which is great and inexpressible.

And secondly, of their joint power and authority to execute those fiery and wicked wits, which is so great, so catholike, universall and unlimited, as no power in earth is comparable, and only the powr of God superiour.

Fourthly, The dragon is said here to be great, in 4.respect of the great seat and City, where this imperiall dragon raigned over all the Kings of the earth. Rome that great and mighty Citie, as it is called Rev. 18. 10. 1 Great in splendor and beauty, as set upon seaven hils, for which she is famous in all the world. 2 Great in power and authority. In Jesus time having command over all the Kings of the p. 136earth; the eye of the world, the Metrapolitan of all the earth. Queene of nations, and Mistresse of Monarchs.

The state of Gods people in this world, is beset with great & mighty enemies, as fierce and potent as dragons. Thus the Church complaines Psal. 44. …9. Thou hast smitten us downe into the place of dragons, and covered us with a shadow. Seing that the Church is to encounter with great dragons and enemies, The Church is beset with fierce enemies and dragons.not flesh and blood onelyonly, which are mighty without and within us: but with principalities and powers, and these not only the members of the kingdome of darkenesse, but the head and Prince of all the wicked, even that wicked one, and then all the band led by him, among whom there is nothing in sight or expectation, but death and danger.

1 The Church is described to be as a lilly among Reas. 1.thornes. These thornes are sharpe and thicke about it, to hinder the rooting, and the prosperitie, and pricke the Lilly in the name and profession. And how weake a thing is a lilly to defend it selfe from the prickly thornes? And Christ sends out his servants as sheepe in the midst of wolves, weake and silly creatures in comparison of them.

2 The world which alwaies lyeth in wickednesse, is no changeling, it is a very Egypt to the Israel 2.of God: not onelyonly oppressing them with cruell burdens and taskes: but a breeder of fell and hideous dragons, and most poisonful monsters, tyrants, hypocrites, heretickes; partly by secret traynes to infect and poyson holy doctrine and conversation, and partly by manifest assaults to sting and wound thē in their names, & profession, yea, & by tyranny & persecutiō to threaten with present death every moment. And as the Church was once, so it is ever, in p. 137the world, as in a wildernes, the wicked inhabitants of which are as so many wild beasts and dragons, among whom is no hope of truce or composition.

3 The Lord will have his Church thus beset with great dangers; That3.

First, She may be throughly tryed and winnowed. Rev. 2. 10.

Secondly, Have experience of her owne weaknes, to be humbled.

Thirdly, Depend upon the strength of God in her combate, to quicken prayer.

Fourthly, To take notice of the worke and victory of grace, with the issue of faith and patience, which can conquer so great enemies.

Fiftly, To make heaven sweete after so many feares, sorrowes, and sufferings, when the enemies whom their eyes have seene, they shall never see more.

4 The Lord sees often just cause in the Church and 4.members to afflict them with such fell dragons and scorpions: for seldome is the Church cast into the place of dragons, but meritoriously & justly, seldome doe common calamities, by tyrants, come on the Church, but the ambition, covetousnesse, and contention in teachers, or else the earthlinesse, securitie, or lustes, and loosenesse of professours went before.

Object. How stands this with Christs legacie? My peace I leave with you &c. And with his promise, My peace none shall take from you.

Sol. Christ never takes away nec suam, nec a suis: that is, neither his peace nor from his, for, his peace differs farre from all worldly and externall; and wel standeth with worldly affliction; all that will live godly must suffer persecution. And in the world (saith Christ) ye shall have affliction, but in me ye shall have p. 138peace: even at the same time. For not all the tyrants, nor torments of the world can shake out the sweet peace of God, and a good conscience, as in a cloud of Martyrs it might manifestly appeare.

And therefore first, the greater the enemie is, the greater care and watchfulnesse is required on our part: 1 Pet. 5. 8. Your adversarie goeth about like a roaring Lion: therefore besober and watch. Ephes. 6. we fight against principalities and powers, therefore stand in the armour of God.

And though Christians thinke it too strict to be tyed to a constant watch, over their life, yet to give up, or be negligent in this watch, is but to agree with this enemie for thy owne destruction. The adversarie is great in power, in wrath, in watchfulnesse against thee, and thou hast no more assured meanes of safety then to set a watch about thy selfe, in all times, in all places, in all companies, in all occasions, over all thy parts, gifts, affections, speaches, actions, that thou maiest be able to defend them all with peace of conscience against all accusers, and defeate also so great and wrathfull a dragon.

Secondly, Against so strong an adversarie, wisdome will seeke to procure the greatest helps and succors Vse. 11.that he can.

Quest. What aides may I procure?Aids to be procured against the dragon.

Answ. First, All our help stands in the name of the Lord. Fly to God for protection: for God therefore doth suffer his Church to be beset on all hands with such multitudes of combined enemies and dragous, 1.as that she hath no way left but to looke upward for Gods eye to watch her, and Gods hand to save her. As Iehosaphat 2 Chro. 20. 12. There is no strength in us to stand against this great multitude, neither do we know what to do, but our eyes are towards thee. Get God thy friend to take part against these great dragons.

p. 139Quest. How.

Answ. 1 By faith, Iames 2. 23. Abraham beleeved God, and was called the friend of God.

2 By obedience Joh. 15. 14. Yee are my friends if you do what I command you. This covers a man with Gods protection, whereas sin layes Israel naked, as in the Calfe, and the wiles of Balaam. A man that hath so many enemies, had not need by sinne to make God his enemie too.

Secondly, Gods Angels are good aydes: who 2.have charge over thee so long as thou keepest the way, by whose presence Thou shalt walke upon the dragon, and tread under foot the young Lion and dragon, Psal. 91. that is, overcome the strongest and greatest enemies.

Thirdly, Among other parts of Christian armour, the sword of the spirit, the sheild of faith, the breastplate 3.of righteousnesse, and a good conscience; and there is great strength in the prayer of faith. Ephes. 2 Chro. 20. 152 Chr 20:156. 18. And of the faithfull, Acts 12. 5. 7. as for Peter in prison: yea, prayer is able to muster an army of heavenly souldiers for our defence.

If all wicked members, limbes of the dragon, be Ve ll I.great enemies, we must be wise to avoid their societies, and combinations; whatsoever peace and favour they pretend, flye inward fellowship with them, as from dragons, whose propertie is to poyson a farre off before we see them. Trust not their flatteries and pretences, Genes. 49, 5, 6. Simeon and Levi brethren in evill; and instruments of cruelty. Into their secret let not my soule come. It had beene happy if in many passages of latter times, the Church had beene more shye and wary of the faire and treacherous pretences of Antichristian dragons, who use to pull on faire gloves on foule and carnall fists, and pawes; And who will trust him that cannot put p. 140off the nature of a dragon, although he may speake as the Lambe?

The greater the dragon, the greater must our Vse. 4.courage and resolution be. For, such potent and dreadfullen enemies are shadowed out in this title great dragon, not to terrifie or dismay us (as all Israel runne away at the sight of Goliah) but to animate and excite us to manly and stout resistance.

Quest, What ground of courage have wee against 5 Grounds of courage against so great a dragon. Iste Leo ob feritatem, Christus ob fortitudinem. Christus Leo ad vincendum, diabolus ad nolendum. August.so great a dragon?

Answ. First, Wee have a great adversary, but wee have a good cause, in which we need not feare to dy, or maintaine unto death.

Secondly, As we have a great enemie, so we have a great and invincible captaine; heere is the Lion of Judah against the roaring Lion. Hebrews write that the Jewes painted a Lion in a great banner for their standert. Let us run under this standart of this Lion, and be safe. Little David under this standart trampled on the great Goliah.

Thirdly, Wee have great enemies, but as Numb. 19. 8. God is gone from them, they are bread for us. great, but naked to Gods revenge, their sheild is gon. Great, but cowardly weake, and flying, to him that resists, Jam. 47. Great, but conquered, and boūd. Mat. 12. The stronger man hath disarmed him. He is the great Prince of the world, but ours is the Prince of peace, and mighty Lord of glory.

Fourthly, We have great enemies, but more and greater succours, then we have enemies, both with us and in us. They are spirituall wickednesses that are against us, but wee have the spirit of God and of grace with us. Wicked men seeme great and dreadfull dragons, and as great and unresistable as an hideous dragon by a weake woman. But let them combine in most forcible manner: all that strength is but p. 141as the strength of reeds, in comparison of that with the Church; see Ezeck. 29. 9. 6.

Besides, they are many against us, but more with us then against us. 2 King 6. 16 and in us, greater is he that is in us then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4. 4. we have greater power in us then any without and against us. Phil 4. 13. I can do all things by the power of Christ strengthning me, and while we have all the might of his glorious power to strengthen us, we are safe. Colos. 1. 11.

Fiftly, Our enemie is great, but thence we are assured of greater glory and victory, as David the harder taske he had against Goliah the greater was his victory. The more difficult the war the more honour is in the conquest. [A red dragon.]

It pleaseth God in the Scriptures under divers colours to describe divers things: As Revel 6. 3. 4. is a vision of three horses of severall colours, which expres the several estates of this womā here in cōflict.

The first a white horse, which colour noteth, in the Revelation, puritie, and innocency of doctrine, and manners, and figureth the virgin primative Church, upholding the puritie of doctrine and discipline of the faith, and worship appointed by the holy Apostles, before this white came to be speckled and spotted with blacke errours, and staines, in doctrine, discipline and worship.

The second, a red horse, ver 4 deciphering the same Church now red with martyrdome, and persecution and effusion of blood by tyrants.

The third horse is a blacke horse, noting the estate of the Church, now blacke and in sad and afflicted condition by heretickes which had horribly mingled the truth of pure white and lightsome doctrine, with blacke darkenesse of heresies and errours; For it were not hard to shew how in the first two hundred p. 142yeares after Christ, the Church was blacked by the heresies of Ebi…n, Cerinthus, Valontine, Marcion, and Basilides. In the second two hundred, by Photinus, Samosatonus, Sabellius, Arius, and Eunomius, &c.

In the third two hundred, by Pelagius, Nestorius, and Eutiches, &c.

But this red colour of the dragon, lively pourtreyeth the feritie, cruelty, and bloody disposition of the dragon against the Woman the Church. The greeke word here used foreign is emphaticall, noting him to be a fiery dragon, fiery red, set on fire, and all enflamed with an hellish flame of wrath and crueltie against the Church of God.

Whence learne: The nature and disposition of the Doctr. The fiery disposition of enemies of the Church.enemies of the Church (further then they are overruled) they are red and fiery dragons, whom nothing can content but blood and cruelty.

First, See it in the head of the dragon: Satan quaerit 1 The head.non quem mordeat vel frangat, sed quem devoret. Chrysost. He is red, blood-thirstie, sanguinolent; as a thirstie man delights in blood and crueltie: affectedly red.

Secondly, He is actually red, imbrued with all the 2.blood of the Saints, of Abel, and of the Prophets, Apostles, the Sonne of God himselfe: and all his holy Martyrs since his ascension. He is guilty and dyed with blood.

Thirdly, He is anciently a red dragon, a manslayer 3.from the beginning. Joh. 8. 44. Who hath slaine all man-kind not in body only, but in soule and body by our first fall.

Fourthly, he is originally red: yea the authour of all 4.crueltie and blood-shed that ever was in the world, and all the homicide done by man upon man, tis the proper worke of the devill, in whose service homicides p. 143are So Christ to the Jewes, Joh. 8. his workes yee doe, seeking to kill Christ.

Secondly, See it in the members, Pharaoh a red dragon, 2 In the members.lying in his rivers, commands the midwives to kill all the Males, and makes a cruell bloody act, that every parent should drowne his owne child. Haman a red dragon sends posts into all provinces to kill, but not content with that, to root out and destroy al Jewes, young and old, children and women in one day, least any place should be left for pitty or humanitie. Manassah a red dragon, shed innocent blood till he had replenished Jerusalem from corner to corner. 2 King. 21. 16.

Saul before his conversion, breathes out nothing but slaughters and threatning, as a dragon that slayes onelyonly with his breath.

The like in Antiochus, and Antichrist (typified in him) practised wholly to destroy the mighty and holy people, Dan. 8. 24. And the same we see in Herod who slew all the male children under two yeares old.

Thirdly, See it especially in the Imperiall dragon, 3 In the Imperiall dragon.the bloodinesse and tyranny of those Romane Emperours was matchlesse, who poured out the blood of innocent Christians by thousands, and tenne thousands in their streetes and territories, like water.

For the first 300. yeares after Christ, were nine or tenne bloody dragons, that dyed themselves red in the blood of Christians, which they sucked out greedily, more like hell-hounds, then men, that had a drop of pitty or humanity left.

Nero began and flew upon them as a monster, as if they had beene incendiaries of the city, which him self caused to be set on fire only to lay it upon them; like our incendaries, and Romish powder plotters

p. 144After him, Domitian, who cast John the Evangelist into a furnance of scalding oyle, but when he saw he came forth unhurt, he banished him into the Ile Pathmos, where he writ this Revelation. Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 17.

After him, Traian, under pretence, that there must be but one religion in one Region, persued Christistians with fire and sword, and new devised torments to chase the name of Christian out of the world. He slew Simeon Iustus, and Ignatius, the Pastors, one at Jerusalem, the other at Antioch.

After him came Antonius Verus, who slew, with Policarp Pastor of Smirna, innumerable Christians.

What shal I speake of Hadrian, that in one Mount crucified 10000. Christians crowned with thornes, and darts thrust into their sides, in derision of the passion of our Lord Jesus.

Or of the last of these dragons, in one month of whose raigne were slaine 17. thousand Martyrs, and innumerable more condemned to mines and slavery worse then death.

In a word, the dragons were so red, as, the very story seemes to be written in blood; which tell us that no man could step his foote in Rome and not tread on a Martyr.

Fourthly, See it in the causes. First, God in his Three causes hereof.counsell hath just reason, for as he foundeth his Church in the blood of Christ, so he finisheth and 1.perfecteth his worke in blood He advanceth his glory and maketh his power shine in working by contraries, and confoundeth the adversaries, when they see their wrath turned to Gods praise: and the blood of Martyrs, the seed and watering of the Church. Pharaoh shall see he cannot worke wisely enough; here is a more glorious world fetched out of a greater Chaos. Iulian shall say vicisti Galilaee.

p. 145Secondly, So deepe and inveterate is the poyson 2and malice of a dragon, that no lighter or smaller revenge will serve him then death. The same poyson lighted upon Christ, he was judged unworthy either to live or dye in Jerusalem. So the enemies of David, when will he die? and of Paul, he is unworthy to live. The rancorous poyson of an enemie of God and grace is such, as a smaller revenge will not content them. No whipping or mocking of Christ, but crucifie him.

Thirdly, The fury and feircenesse of the enemy is 3.still augmented by reason it findes fuell to feed it. First, the light and grace in the godly which the more it encreaseth and shineth, the more their malice and hatred burneth and boyleth against it. For;

Why did Cain as a dragon slay Abel, but because his workes were good? 1 Joh. 3. 12. Why do the godly make themselves a prey, but because they refraine from evill? Esay 59. 15.

Dragons can plead many causes. Amos is accused by Hamaziah, that he hath conspired against the King. Daniell, by the envious princes, that he rebells against the Kings proclamation. Ieremy, if he exhort to go out into Babel according to Gods word and decree: that he is a confederate with the Caldeans. Paul, that he is a troubler of the City, and preacheth strange doctrine: and pittie it is that hee lives.

But the true cause is, if the white horse go forth, the red horse will follow him at the heeles, Psal. 38. 20. Mine adversaries hate me without cause. Nay, because I doe the thing that is good, that is cause enough to hate to death Psal. 59. 3. They are gathered against me, not for mine offence, nor for my sinne.

This doctrine may serve as a glasse, to let many see p. 146Vse. 1.their owne faces, and to what head they belong. There is a generation of men who are feirce, revengfull, and cruell hearted against the godly, who may here see what spirit they are guided by. The spirit of God is gracious, meeke, mercifull, gentle, but they are not led by him. His they are whose spirit they resemble in mischiefe and malice. Joh. 8. 44. Yee are of your father the devill, for his workes ye do. A naturall child resembleth his father, so do they theirs, who was a murderer from the beginning. As it was once, so will it ever be, Gal. 4. 29. He that was borne after the flesh, persecuted him that was borne after the spirit, and delighted in scorning the generation of God, and seed of the promise: these shew themselves a bastardly brood of Ismael: who have no part in the promise, no foote in the promised land.

To let us see whence that religion is that practiseth Vse. II.and teacheth all manner of fiercenesse and cruelty against the Saints; It is of the devill of the dragon, and is no religion of God. Abraham makes this aptitude, and forwardnesse to homicide a note of a false religion, and proper to Idolaters. Genes. 20. 11. The feare of God is not in this place, and they will slay me.

Hence it followes that the Romane religion cannot be of God, for,

1 Her head is that Abaddon, and Apollyon. The great destroyer of bodies and soules. Rev. 9. 11.

2 Her members resemble the head; for never were any more cruell and fiery dragons, and homicides, then the Antichristian zealotes, and popish Inquisitors, which for so many ages have destroyed the bodies of the innocent Saints with fire and sword: and innumerable soules with divelish and hereticall doctrines.

3 Her principles and positions are bloody and mischievous: p. 147and such as the Heathens and sanguinary Savages would be ashamed of.

4 Her proper colour is red, scarlet dyed, and drunken with the blood of the Saints, which noteth her an essentiall member of the dragon, fierie dragons are they, furious, and sulphurious: kindling blazing fires not onelyonly against the bodies of men women and children, but laying their fire workes under ground, against the bodies of many kingdomes at once.

This is that generation of which Christ spake. They shall thinke they do God good service in killing you. And the more fierce any man is against good men the more of this leaven he doth discover in himselfe.

Pray to be delivered from these direfull dragons. Vse. III.Psal. 59. Deliver me from the bloody man; and of all plagues which we have deserved let us pray we be never stung with these fiery dragons againe, whose rage and fury knowes no measure nor mercy. We have by our contempt and slighting the ghospell of grace deserved most sharpe punishments. And if our provocations be so greate as wrath must come, Let us humbly desire to receive it from the hands of a father, that hath love and compassion, and remembers in justice mercy, and not from the hands of scorpions, and enemies that hate us to death; whom nothing but blood can satiate. Let us take words to us and say as Israell afraid of the Ammonites Judg. 10 15. We have sinned, do with us as thou wilt, onelyonly deliver us from the Ammonites. And as David. 2 Sam. 24. We are in a wonderfull straight, let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great, and not into the hands of men, whose mercies are cruell. Walke wisely in the meane time, and cut them off advantages.

p. 148To comfort the Church beset with red dragons, Vse. IV.fiery and fierce men, implacable in their causelesse 3 Grounds of comfort.wrath: and as much hope of reconciliation as with hell it selfe, unlesse God worke a happy change, and make them of Aspes and Cockatrices, Lambes and sucking Children,

1 Wee are to conflict with many red dragons: But we have a captaine in red garments comming from Bozra, who walketh in great strength, mighty to save. Isay 63. 2. First, His garments are red with his owne blood drawne by the dragon. Secondly, By the blood of his enemies, whom he treads in the winepresse of his wrath.

2 The enemies garments now dyed red in the blood of the Saints, shall at last be made red with their owne blood. As in Hered, Nero, Dioclesian, Iulian, Iudas, Arius. Take the counsell of Pilates wife, Ha…e no hand against the just and godly man. There is a time when the great Angell that hath power over fire: that is, all the judgements of God, and revenges of his enemies, and much more over all fiery dragons, shall cast them into the winepresse of the wrath of God, and their blood shall come unto the horse bridles 1600. furlongs. Revel. 19. 20. Let us leave all revenge to God, who wil avenge the blood of Saints in due time.

3 The time is not long but wee shall be freed from all these dragons and enemies. Cant. 4. 8. Thou shalt come with me my spouse from the d…ns of Lions, and mountaines of Leopards. Exod. 14. 13. Those your enemies whom your eyes have seene this day, ye shall never see more.

Seaven heads]

The third propertie of the dragon followes; which is his subtiltie and craft, set out by his seaven heads.

p. 149The head is the seat of prudence and policie: And the number of seaven heads, notes the manifold subtilties, and crafty devises of this Hydra: namely, The devill and his instruments: and under these seaven heads are comprehended all hurtfull arts, and all kinds of wicked imaginations and devises against the Church of God.

Others by seaven heads understand the seaven hills of Rome, where the dragon lived: Or the seaven heads, and kindes of governements in the Romane Monarchy. Which considered may lead us to that speciall dragon here aimed at, whose throne was upon seaveu heads or hills; and had seaven heads or severall kindes of governement, which throne was yeelded by the dragon to the Antichristian beast. chap 13. 2.

Which noteth unto us, that Satan and his instruments Doctr. The dragon is as subtile as cruell.are as subtile, as cruell, against the woman the Church. For the dragon hath seaven heads, a number of policies and fetches to bring forward his mischieves.

Of Satan himselfe, the head of this dragon: He is the old serpent more subtile then all the beastes of the field. Genes. 3. 1. A notable instance whereof we have in his first stratageme by which he overthrew all mankind. In which hell set all his seaven heads to worke. So as we may say by woefull experience, we are not ignorant of his enterprises. For

First, He chuseth a serpent the fittest and most 1.insinuating instrument.

Secondly, Sets on the woman, the weaker vessell, absent 2.from her husband.

Thirdly, Sets on the man by the woman, the most 3.fit and loving counsellour.

Fourthly, Begins subtily, for God having forbidden 4.but one tree, he asked if God have forbiden p. 149them every tree, and so wronged them.

Fiftly, In all his speaches and answers along, he speakes craftily, and Jesuitically, venting as many lies and Amphibologies as sentences: and yet so, as if they had proved false, he had a double meaning to himselfe. As,

1 Ye shall not dye, he might say, I meant ye shall not dye presently, but become subject to mortalitie.

2 Your eyes shal be opened. And so they were to their shame and confusion.

3 Knowing good and evill. And so they did, but not as Gods, but by a miserable and experimentall knowledge in the want of good, and presence of evill.

4 Yee shall be as Gods. Elohim signifieth Angels or spirits, and so they were in the same state of condemnation with them.

So for wicked men, the limbes of this dragon, they are wise and subtle to doe evill. Jer. 4. 12. Luk. 16 8. The children of the world are wiser in their generation then the children of light.

And for particulers. How did Balaam trouble Israel with his wiles? For, whereas the King of Moab could not by power prevaile against them, nor by any sorcery or cursing hurt them: He by the care of Moabitish women, brought Gods wrath, and curse upon them, for corporal fornication first, and then for spirituall. Numb. 21. 1.

Achitophel his counsell was as the oracle of God, and spake rather like a God then a man; but all was against the Church.

Quest. Why doth the Lord give such good gifts Why God giveth good gifts to evill men that abuse them.to such evil men, and agents, that bend it against himselfe and his people?

Answ. God inverteth not the order of nature, for p. 1503. Reas.evill mens abuse, but over-rules it for justice or mercy, as his wisedome sees fit. As in the externall faculties of the body, so of the minde, he suffers the powers of nature to be put forth corruptly, as in fornication or adultery. He hinders not the naturall action, but orders it for his owne glory: so here.

2 He magnifies his own grace, who is good and bountifull to all, offering not onelyonly common gifts, as the sunne, raine, and naturall endowments, with wealth and honour to good and bad: but even the gift of his sonne in the Ministry of the gospell, to those who abuse it, and turne all his grace into wantonnesse.

3 He makes the wicked instruments hereby inexcusable, seeing To whom much is given, of them much shall be required. Luk. 12. 48.

Quest. But why are wicked men subtile against Why do wicked men contrive and bend their wils against the Church.the Church?

Answ. First, Because they are of the serpentine seed, and spawne of the dragon. Acts 13. Paul to Elimas. Oh full of all subtilties, and mischiefe, the child of the devill. Wicked men not onelyonly serve prentiships 3 Reas.to the old serpent: but as our Saviour is bold to tell the Jewes, they were of their father the devill.

Secondly, They know they shall more easily prevaile 2.and deceive, the more …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 3.tryed and exercised to shake her out of securitie. How was Israell tryed.

p. 152By Pharaohs policies to destroy them, before his 1.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 Vse. I.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 1.is in two things.

1 In dissembling his own person. 2. In taking advantage Dragons subtilty in dissembling his person.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 p. 153into 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 onelyonly 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.

p. 154To 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 …ll to ensnare simple and unsetled persons.

p. 155Nay, 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,Satan assayleth us.

First. In our solitarinesse; He overcame Eve when she was alone. Cain set upon Abel, when he 1. In our solitarinesse.had him alone in the field helplesse. Dinab being alone in the field, was set upon and foyled. And when set P…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 2. In our sorenesse.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 language. Now to discover satans wile herein, is a part of the cure.

Thirdly, He assailes us in our sleepe; For then we p. 156In our sleepe.are weake and exposed to all danger. The envious man sowes tares while men sleepe. In sleepe Iaell easily slew great Siserah with a nayle & a hammer. And the dragon knowes how easie a conquest he obtaineth in our sleepe of securitie. David in his ease and rest, was soone cast downe; wherefore we must watch and pray.

Fourthly, In our nakednesse, as,

1. When wee are out of our way and calling. Israel 4. In our nakednesse.by sin had made themselves naked to the darts of the dragon, and of God himselfe.

2 When wee are impotent and inordinate in our naturall desires, cares and corrupt affections. Salomon 3 Instances.saith, A man that cannot refraine his appetite, is as a Cittie without wals, Prov. 23. 28. naked and exposed to all dangers; and as a captaine, where the wales are lowest or weakest, there laies his battery: So the great dragon markes our inclination, and thrusts us downe the hil, where we are ready to runne headlong of our owne accord. And as he findes dispositions set, he baites his hook, and fits them with temptations, and objects fit for their ambition, or voluptuousnesse, or covetousnesse: and so findes strength enough in our selves to overthrow us. Esau by his broth. Lot by his Wine. Iudas by money. a roote of evil fel upon many temptations and snares. Hence are those many exhortations, to take heed that our hearts be not oppressed with surfeiting, drnnkennesse, or cares of this life.

3 When wee are in idle or evill company we are naked and then the dragon hath us at advantage.

When was Peter set upon? Not so long as he was in the company of Christ, and his disciples, whose presence might have bin meanes to uphold him; But when he runnes among the high Priests servants, and sits downe by a warme fire: Now he is fit to be p. 157wrought upon, he will now be brought easily to deny and forsweare his Lord.

Fiftly, In the day of our death which is most unfit 5. In our death.for resistance, seeing now the body is sick, pained, and hath many other things to thinke upon, many feares, many terrors, many things to settle, &c. To teach us to pray before hand for the day, to die daily, to pull out the sting of death, bereave our sins of life before hand.II

Secondly, Concerning actions, we shal observe the dragons subtilties:

1 In respect of good actions.

2 Of evill actions.

1 In good actions or duties he sets all his seaven 1.heads on worke.

1 To hinder.

2 To blemish.

3 To disgrace them.

4 To frustrate them.

First, Because there is nothing but it stands in the dragons way. He is restlesse in hindering all that Satans subtilty in hindring good actions.is good: and the better it is, the more buisy to prevent it. As,

1 The greatest worke that ever was wrought was that of mans redemption. How craftily did he seeke to hinder this in Peter? Master pitty thy selfe.

2 The greatest duties that the Lord hath injoyned us, are those which we are to performe in his publique ordinances, as, preaching, hearing, praying, and all parts of publique worship. Hence he raiseth persecutions against the Church, to hinder these and disperse the Saints, Acts 11. 19. And he can hinder the free passage of the gospell, and stop the Apostles themselves in the course of their ministry, p. 1581 Thes. 2. 18. But I speake not here of his force, but see how finely his heads can contrive it. He can pretend unitie, and peace, and order, decency and obedience, and every thing that is good to stop the course of the Gospell, and hinder it. So he did in Q. Maries daies.

He can hinder hearing of the word, and reading the scriptures, by undeniable reasons.

Why, doe not you thinke that men may be saved without all this preaching, and running to sermons? And is it not unreasonable to urge every common man, to know the deepe points which belong to Divines, to Church men, and booke learned men. but for private and unlettered men a little knowledge is best, and the heart may be good where the skill is but small.

Besides you have a calling to follow, a charge of children perhaps live of your labour: how can you spare time for such occasions? And who sees not that the world was better, when there was lesse preaching? men were more devote, lesse contentious. And one Sermon well learned is better then all this preaching: and many learned men wish there were more praying and lesse preaching: for so much preaching brings but preaching into contempt. Never were these seven heads more beaten, then in beating downe preaching, the onelyonly hammer against the kingdome of the devill: and never were they more busie working in this subject in mans memory then at this day: never were his subtilties and wit more applauded, and more approoved then now.

3 He strives subtilly against all grace, because it makes us like unto God; As in Peter, Satan winnowes Satans subtilty in shaking and holding out graces.to shake all grace out of our hearts: and to hold it out.

p. 159Especially those of faith, repentance, and holinesse.

First, Our faith is a sweet morsell to Satan…, because Of faith.we cannot resist him unlesse we be stedfast in faith. His incessant worke is, either to hinder us from attaining, or retaining it, for if he can hold off or wrest from us this sheild, he hath devoured us already: and this he can contrive nimbly.

What seeft thou in thy selfe worthy of the fauour of God? a man of so many & so great sins, for thee to assure thy self of thy salvation, is boldnesse and great presumption.

Discernest thou not how many doubts afflict thee, how many crosses are upon thee? for thee to say thou hast faith, is but to feed a fancy; as if sinnes, doubts, and crosses, could not stand with faith in our Father.

Secondly, Repentance; for, this cuts him short of all. He cannot perswade that it is not necessary to 2. Of Repentance.salvation, where the word is taught; but he will firmely perswade not to repent yet, but deferre it till a more convenient time, for now thou art in thy youth, and pleasures of the world, or in the profits of the world for thee and thine: and these thou must now enjoy, and conveniently enough repent afterward. Old age and sicknesse is fitter for sad thoughts, and religious exercises are tedious and unpleasant. And God hath merciemercy in store, when ever thou returnest unto him, he will put away all thy sins, if they be never so many. And Christ hath store of blood, and merit, and thy sinnes cannot be so many or heynous as to exceed his merits. And therefore seeing thou mayest enjoy both the pleasures of this life, and of the other, refuse neither.

Thirdly, Holinesse and exercise of all good works 3. Of Sanctification:and vertues; He can tell how to undermine all good p. 160duties most subtilly.

1 Mountaines of feares, losses, crosses, and Of sanctification.difficulties.

2 What need such care, and watch, and working, doth not faith alone justifie? You will live like a Papist, as if you were to be justified by your workes.

3 He can make one vertue or duty shake out another, for, he cā in hearing gods word, cast in a serious & good meditation (which were profitable at another time) to hinder hearing, to distract the minde, and make a man heare without profit. Or set him on reading, or praying (things good in themselves, and at another time) but now hurtfull and unseasonable.

4 He can cunningly make one of Gods decrees crosse another, whereas they are all dependant and strengthen one another. What needs all this strictnesse and study of holinesse, and all this businesse in mortification, sorrow, forgoing delights, change of life? If God have predestinated thee to salvation, thou shalt be saved without all this adoe: And if thou beest not ordayned to life, doe what thou wilt or canst thou shalt never be saved; as if God who decreed the ends, had not also decreed the meanes. But his seaven heads to a carnall man can by Gods election, overthrow sanctification, whereas the Apostle saith plainly, He hath chosen us that we should be holy and unblamable.

Fourthly, He can by one ordinance of God make 4.void another as Acts 13. 50. Devout women raise persecution against Paul contrary to Prov. 289. He that turneth his eares from hearing the law, his very prayer is abominable. These ordinances must not be divorced.

11 If he cannot hinder good duties he will do p. 161what he can to blemish them, and this especially two wayes.

First, By thrusting them forward by evill meanes, Thrusting on good things by ill meanes.and causing men to doe good things in an evill manner, and then all the grace of them is lost. He cares not if Saul sacrifice, so he reserve the fat beasts against the commaundement. Peter hath a care to preserve himselfe, but it must be by lying, and denying his Master. He hath a care not to offend the Jewes, Gal. 2. But if he do therefore dissemble and deale deceitfully with the truth: here is a good matter marred in the handling.

Iudas hath a care to be rich, but it must be with selling and betraying his Master. And now men must provide for their families, but with prophaning of the Lords day, lying, swearing, forswearing: they must seeke to recover their goods and health, bfit it must be by running to the devill, and by witches, as, Asa to the god of Ekron. Ministers must be hospitable, and keepe good houses, and live to the credit of the Ministry, but it must be by heaping up of coines without measure, ambition, and base arts of flattery, and opposing the truth of grace, which is the ladder many raise up to themselves to rise by. Servants would be liberall and charitable, but it must be by deceiving their Master.

Secondly, By propounding to good actions bad and unwarrantable ends: and now though the thing be Propounding to good actions bad ends.done, yet all the recompence is lost. Popish persons doe a great many good workes, materially good, give almes, and fast, and found hospitals, and Churches &c. But while they doe all this to merit, all is lost.

Protestants, do duties in themselves good, give almes, part freely from their money to pious and charitable uses, come to Church, heare diligently, p. 162speake feelingly, professe forwardly, uphold the Ministery carefully, if the end of this be to be seene or approoved of men, as our Saviour saith of the Pharisees almes, verily they have their reward.

Absolom is very civill, curteous, and pleasing in his carriage, but it is to undetermine his Father, and steale mens hearts from David.

The dragon cares not how good thou either art nor how much good thou doest, if it be not for goodnesse sake.

III What good he can neither hinder nor thus What good the dragon cannot hinder he will disgrace.blemish, he will openly disgrace and revile: for he rageth against goodnesse, so that he never ceaseth to cast false and scandalous reproches and imputations against it.

Whether the goodnesse be personall or, sociall.

1 For personall goodnesse he can blacke and staine it, he can charge Christ himselfe that he casts out Whether personall.deuils by Belzebub. And Job, that he serves not God for nought, he is very devoute, but a very hypocrite; and Annah, that while she prayes within her selfe, she is drunke: Ioseph thinkes Maries conception of Christ to be adulterous.

He can and doth at this day make hatefull the very show of religion, under termes of puritie, precisenesse and hypocrisie.

He can scorne men for coming to Church, and carrying Bibles, as Pharaoh, yee are too idle, when Israel spake of worshipping their god.

He can scorne men for reading Scriptures, prayers and singing of psalmes in their houses: for are not these manifest markes of hypocrites and dissemblers? for to be zealous against sinne and corruption is, not to know what spirit he is of, or what he p. 163would have: nay, he hath his teachers to disgrace forwardnesse in religion, and warne men to beware of such hot courses, which onelyonly a few haire-brained men take up.

Thus wee know heare and see this sect every where spoken against, which is the sect of Christ himselfe and the holy Apostles, who for all their holinesse could not avoid the rebukes of holy religion, Much lesse can we.

2 For sociall goodnesse, which is the practise of Or sociall.goodnesse in societie, Here above all the dragon shewes himselfe the accuser of the brethren: for as in the primative Church, he oppressed the truth with malicious reports and slaunders: that the poore Christians in their private assemblies were incestious, conspirators, sacrificers of infants; and putting out candles went promiseuously to all kinds of barbarous lusts: So also in latter dayes, the Priests and Friers in their railing Sermons. Anno 1558 perswaded the people that the Lutherans of Paris assembled together to make banquets in the night; and putting out the candles, went together after a beastly manner. And the Sorbonists accused them, that they maintained that there was no God; no immortalitie of the soule; no resurrection of the dead; and denyed the divinitie and humanitie of Christ; and all articles of true religion. Fox pag. 927.

And at this day, as nothing is more fruitfull then the communion of saints, and holy societie, by brotherly fellowship, so nothing is more reviled, disgrased, censured.

3 The dragon can easily meete with godly Christians if they joyne in any good duty, though in their owne houses privately among themselves, in prayer, conference, repetition of sermons, and cry downe those as unlawfull combinations. p. 164but let never so many combine, in drunkennesse, dycing, carding, swearing, from one weekes end to another, there is nothing made of such neighbourly meetings.

Nay let hundreds and thousands meet on the Lords day, at footbals, cudgels, fightings, there is no evill in such meetings; the dragon that drawes them together, makes no complaint; and why should wee marvaile that hee, whose industry is to hinder every thing that is good, should so far prevaile in that which is contrary, and mightly buildeth up his owne kingdome?

IV Hee hath notable devises to frustrate such good actions and duties as he cannot hinder or interrupt: Satans subtilty in frustrating good actions.so as after sowing of much seed, there is no reaping or joy in the harvest.

First, in generall he cares not greatly how many good things thou doest, how charitable, how devote thou art, how diligent and laborious even in that which is good; so he can keepe thee without the care of sound conversion, and from serious repentance, for he knowes that all that is done before conversion is hatefull to God. That of thistles no figges can be gathered: that out of a reprobate soyle can nothing be yeelded, but noysome weeds, and poysonfull plants, what goodly shew soever they make; That before repentance the sacrifice of a man is sinne, and his very prayer is abominable: what cares he how much and often thou pray, so thy prayer be frustrate: But whiles thou regardest wickednesse in thy heart, hee knowes God will not heare thy prayer.

Neither cares he what good thou doest, so thou be proud of it, and say, Lord I thanke thee I am not as this Publican. If he can get thee to thrust thy glory betweene thy actions and Gods glory he hath p. 165frustrated all thy expectation.

More specially, if he cannot hinder thee from hearing the word, nor for shame barke against the action, he cares not so he may frustrate it, which he can The word frustrate 3. waies.do by many slights.

1 If he can make thee receive it without faith; he knowes the word is unprofitable if not mingled with faith, nay hurtfull, for he that knowes his Masters will and doth it not, shall be beaten with more stripes.

2 Without love; for if thou receivest the truth without love of it, God wil at length give thee up to strong delusions, 2 Thes. 2.

3 Without change of heart and life; what cares he if thou heare every houre a sermon, so all be put into a riven vessell: If thou hearest 20. yeares together never so diligently, if thou holdest thy sinne, and abidest a hatefull wretch, spitting poyson against the word and preaching of it.

Secondly, He cares not how civilly and soberly thou livest, without open grosse breaches of the law, thou art no drunkard, murderer, blasphemer, theese, sodomite, all this pleaseth him well if so he can make thee hereby reject the gospell, for all this while Thy righteousnesse doth not exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Nay, if he can make thee stumble at Christ, he knowes no fall into hell is like that: it had been better thou hast never heard of him.

Thirdly, He cares not greatly what a religious life thou makest show of, what strong conceit of faith Satan frustrates seemly professionthou hast, how joyfully thou receivest the glad tidings of the gospell: how resolutely thou professest 3. waies.the gospell; if he can frustrate all this profession.

Either first, by keeping thee from being beaten p. 166downe by the law, for then all the foundation is deceitfull. Or secondly, by neglecting the meanes of faith, for then he knowes thou nourishest but a fancy 2for faith. Or thirdly, by making shipwrack of faith by corrupt conscience, while he holds thee fast 3.in some sinne or sinnes, as lying, cousening, swearing, usury, gaming, or deceitfull courses, or loosenesse of life: for now bragge of faith, and say thou wilt never forsake the gospell: I say thou shalt never hold it out, for thou canst not favour it and thy sinne too, which it favours not; In heart thou deniest it, and easily wilt with thy mouth.

Fourthly, He cares not how zealous and forward thou art for the time, and how many things thou sufferest for the gospell, so it be in vaine: some Magistrates are good and forward at first for a fit: some Ministers are best at first, as Saul, Iudas &c. but after comes the bad wine, and the lees and dregs are in the bottome: and many remitting of their first loves, fall to loosenesse, contempt and spight of the way. Satan hath now frustrated all: true grace proceeds and holds out, now he knowes these were never good.

I… Now for evill actions the dragon sets all his 2. The dragon as subtill to thrust on evill as to trust out good.seaven heads a worke to thrust them forward, and that especially two wayes.

First, Because he cannot make them be good, he can make them to seeme good till they be acted. He can hansomely apparrell them, and make them appeare 1 By making evill seeme good.next to vertues.

The eating of the forbidden fruit will make our parents as gods: extreme covetousnesse is but nearnesse or good husbandry, wrath and cruell revenge is but manhood and spirit, unfruitfull wasting of our time is but good-fellowship and neighbour-hood.

p. 167Neutrality in religion, when a man is neither fish nor flesh, hot nor cold, is to be moderate, discreet, and a wise man. To neglect the study, & preaching of Gods word, and to carry men from the simple truth to royes, and froth of humane spirit and wit, is profoundnesse and depth of learning. Revel. 2. 24. for how else came schoole-learning to banish the scriptures, for many hundred yeares, but under pretext of a deeper learning? To be earnest and an hot pursuer of these hot & precise fellowes, is to be a good zealous protestant.

And to thinke they doe God good service, in killing and burning his Saints, in stabbing kings, massacring Innocents and blowing up Parliaments, is to be a resolute Catholike.

Thus skilfull is this seaven headed beast to wrap up all his poysoned pills in some sugered pretence, and perswasion or other: he can make them seeme neare allied to vertue and grace.

Secondly, If he cannot make them seeme good, yet he can so gild, and hide them, as they shall seem lesse 2 Or lesse evill.evill.

When a man in rude and wicked company hath made himselfe beastly drunke and swinishly unreasonable: it is no great matter, he would be loath not to be counted a good and kind neighbour and not disgrace himself so much as not to pledge his friends health.

When he hath in anger and rage cursed, sweared, rayled, and quarrelled with his neighbours, it is a fault indeed: but no man is a Saint, and it is in some mens nature to be more cholerick then others; and thus comforts and confirmes himselfe; uncleannesse, fornication, adultery, great sinnes against the fountaine of mankind are slighted: it is but a common error of youth, and age will mend it. Ordinary oathes, p. 168by faith, troth, Masse, Mary, and by God himself, are but small sinnes; the custome takes away the sense, but not the guilt.

Secret sins which other men see not, he can make a mans selfe not to see them: and those which dig into the bowels he makes appeare but as the scratch of a pin.

Many sinnes are practised by the most and greatest, nay even good men and professors will card, and dice, and prodigally waste their time, and now they are priviledged sinnes and vanish into nothing.

The third head wherein we shall see the subtill working of these seavē heads against the woman is III. Satan a most subtil engineir against the Saints.in respect of his assaults, which are most subtill: for never was there such an engineir so expert to winne and hold: as shall appeare in some instances.

His first stratagem or assault is to intercept victual from the Christian souldier: which if he can doe, he I. 1 Stratagem is to intercept victuall from the Christian souldier.need nevet strike a stroke; well he knoweth that where vision (which is the Churches victuall) fayleth, the people must perish. In the siege of Samariah. 1. King 6. the famine made them eate one another. And in the siege of Jerusalem, the pittifull women sod their owne children for meate, and eate the fruit of their wombe a spanne long. Lament. 4. 10. And in that by Titus and Vespasian, more were slaine by famine then by the sword: and so this enemie bestirres himself to prevent victuall from us, which he can and doth many wayes, while one would thinke he intended no such thing, as,

1 By hindering the preachers and purveiors of 1 By hindring preachers.the Lords campe under pretence, as was aforesaid, of unity & the like: Or stirring up his preachers to preach against preaching, as too much, too often, or too plaine, and too vulgar, and is not Ioabs hand, p. 169the dragons hand in all this? did ever the spirit of God utter one syllable in all the bible against preaching? did not the Apostles rejoyce that Christ was preached any manner of way, even by evill men? And is that spirit Apostolicall that repines at much preaching of Christ, by good men? is not Christ lifted up in the preaching of the word? and is he a preacher from Christ that envies his exaltation?

2 By hindering men from comming to the Ministery, 2 By hindring men from comming to heare.he can thrust in a number of distractions, which negligence hath made urgent, and then perswade very pleasibly (as he did good Martha) that they shall doe very ill to sit downe at the feete of Christ at such times; they must leave that to such bad huswives as Mary, whom if Christ …ad not justified that she had chosen the better part, she had beene checkt at all hands.