Christs Victory Over the Dragon, Text (7 of 15)

Christs Victory Over the Dragon · Text (7 of 15)

p. 3492. Because of the superiority and inferiority amongst them, expressed in the relative, his Angels; that is, such as departing from his subjection, whose once they were, are voluntarily turned away unto the subjection of another head and Commander.

p. 3503. As there is an head and leader amongst robbers and rebels, so of this wicked rout, whose chiefe is not Prince of order, but of disorder and rebellion against God; and an head, not in respect of dignity or excellency, but in malice or wickednesse going beyond all other in the highest sinnes against God and Iesus Christ.

II. In the Band or Army are,

1. Persons.

2. The number.

3. The union, all in the Text.

1. The persons, Angels.

2. The number, Indefinite.

3. Their union, in their conjunction.

I. Persons are his Angels, who are of two sorts, wicked spirits, and wicked men.

1. All those wicked spirits that fell with the dragon, who kept neither their first estate nor habitation, Iude 6.

2. Wicked men are included under the ranke of his Angels, for it is usuall in the Scripture to call, not onelyonly devils, but men also, who are ruled and led by them, by the name of Angels, and that wicked men make up this army, as well as devils, is more manifest than doth need proofe: And because their Captaines or Leaders are of the same kinde with common souldiers, they all often carry the same name of devils, but see this in sundry sorts of wicked men.

1. Wicked Tyrants and persecutors, that waste and spoyle the Church, Pharaohs, Assurs, Chaldeans, Romans, Turks, Antichrist, all are wicked Angels, for so Prov. 17. 11. the executors of Gods or mens justice, are called, Rev. 20. 7. the loosing of the Devil to deceive the people, is, the power given to the Turke to oppresse the world, for the sinnes of it against the Gospell, Re. 9. 14. the foure Angels loosed were the p. 351foure Turkish or Mahometan Nations, that dwelt about Euphrates, Turkes, Tartars, Sarazens, and Arabians, who with huge armies subdued the third part of the world. Rev. 2. 10. The devill shall cast some of you in prison; that is, the enemies of the truth, lead and put on by the devill; what they doe he doth, as what the army doth, the Generall is said to doe.

2. Wicked Teachers, flatterers, heretiques, deceitfull workers, lead and taught by Satan to transforme themselves into Angels of light, 2 Cor. 11. 13. yet called his Ministers, for as Christ hath his Ministers, whom he calleth Angels, as the Priests in the Law; Mat. 2. 7. Iohn Baptist called an Angel sent before Christ, and the Pastors of the Churches, Revel. 1. the seven Angels are the seven Churches; so Satan hath his Ministers and Angels, whom hee sendeth to deceive, as he was a lying spirit in the mouth of foure hundred false Prophets against Ahab, Zac. 13 2. false Prophets are called uncleane spirits, and Antichrist is called the Angel of the bottomlesse pit.

3. Wicked men, Atheists, Hypocrites, open swearers, adulterers, resisters of the spirit and word of grace, as slaves to the devill, and ruled at his will, using all their members as weapons of unrighteousnesse, against God and his grace, all are in pay under the dragon, and fight under his colours, are here included under the title of his Angels, and called by his name: 1 Iohn 3. Hee that doth evill is of the devill; that is, if he, as the devill, doth it with pertinacity, and perseverance, and continuance; Iudas was called by Christ a Devill, that is, an Angel of the dragon; and wicked opposers and resisters of grace are called by the devils name, to shew whose Angels they be; in this Chapt. verse 12. the devill is descended, that is, wicked men stirred up by him, acted p. 352by him, and so lively resembling him, as they having his nature, may very well carry his name. These are armies.

II. The number is numberlesse; the plurall number argueth them to be very many, an innumerable army, every where laid in ambush against the Church, of invisible and visible enemies; and were it not for Michael and his Angels, wee should soone know, to our cost, what a number there were; I suppose, of wicked spirits and men, there might bee a Legion to every godly man.

III. As they are strong in the number, so also in their union and league: Vnited force is strong, and the dragon and all his Angels make but one army, are all of one minde, one will, of one confederacy, without mutiny or division; we have shewed, that all of them are so banded and leagued against Christ, that they make but one dragon, and are called all by one name, as if they were all but one devill: Iohn 8. the devill is a manslayer, by the word in the singular number understanding all the devils, and all his agents, the sworne enemies of Jesus Christ.

In this description of the persons, the most unhappy and lamentable estate of all wicked men, whō Note.the Spirit of God, here and elswhere, rangeth and calleth them by the name of the dragons Angels, and that upon just grounds, especially two.

1. Qua mali, as they are wicked and linked in sinne.

2. Qua miseri, as they are undivided in punishment.

I. The former appeareth by the comparing of the disposition of wicked men with the disposition of wicked Angels, in foure things.

1. Wicked Angels are utterly destitute of saving knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ, therefore p. 353they are called lovers of all darknesse, of ignorance, of blindnesse of minde, and of wickednesse and workes of darknesse; and so doe wicked men, who not onelyonly are without light, but are haters of the light: It is true, that devils know and confesse Christ in the Gospell, Acts 19. Iesus I know; yea they beleeve and tremble; so a wicked man may repeate all the Articles of faith, and know and assent to the History of the Gospell, but in both it is a dead faith & knowledge, which maketh to their greater damnation; howsoever, both of them may know generally what is good and bad, what godly, what wicked, yet they never come to see their sinne as they ought; both may bee Daemones for their knowledge. yet both are Cacodaemones, because they abuse their knowledge, to the hurt and evill of themselves and others.

2. As their understandings are blinded, so the wils of wicked Angels are obfirmed in sinne, and they sinne with pertinacity and continuance; and even so is every wicked man so long as left to himselfe, hee can doe no other, nor will doe no other but sinne; there are no perswasions, threats, promises, or meanes can winne him from his sinne, no more than the devils and Angels of the dragon, who rise up and rebell against all meanes, as a swelling flood riseth higher and stronger against a stop; oh how doe their lusts, as wicked spirits, rage more when Christ comes neare to cast them out?

3. Wicked Angels are uncleane spirits, Luke 8. 29. & 9. 42. & 11. 24. because uncleane in themselves, and the authors of uncleannesse in others; so are wicked men as vessels full of uncleannesse, Rom. 1. 29. no sin but raignes in a wicked man, howsoever some unrighteousnes may not be practised by want of occasion, or restraining grace; also they are as infectious as Lepers.

p. 3544. Wicked Angels are hatefull, full of enmity, both against Christ the head, and all the Saints his members; the devill is a man-slayer from the beginning, he is called foreign, being a sworne enemy to God, to Christ, to all good and divine things, to all good and holy persons; and the same is the gracelesse course of wicked men of reprobate mindes, who are as full of poyson and venome against goodnesse, in general and particular, (as the proverbe saith) as an egge is full of meate.

II. The latter; in that as wicked as in the state of sinne, with wicked Angels, so also in the same state of punishment▪ if they abide impenitent, as they doe, this is plainly cleared, Mat. 25. 41. where wicked men are adjudged to the same fire, prepared for the devill & his Angels, both accursed, both now bound over to the Assises of the great day, both in chaines of darknesse, both going unto execution, both in their execution, finally, separated from Christ, both cast into hell to abide the torments of devils.

It behoveth all wise men to separate from this society betimes; were it not a dreadfull thing to bee Use. I.chained with traitors and murtherers in this life? but what is it then to be chained and joyned with devils and wicked angels, as all impenitent and wicked persons are in their state both of sinne and punishment?

Ob. I defie the devill, and spit at his mention, and scorne all his Angels.

Ans. But if thou beest unconverted thou art one of his Band and Army, a slave to this Generall, and marchest stoutly against Michael.

Object. This is an uncharitable thing, and you deale unchristian-like, to match Christians with devils.

Answ. Tell the Spirit of God so, who in this Text stileth all that fight for the dragon, his Angels; tell p. 355our Saviour Christ so, who told the Iews, Ye are of your father the devill, for his workes ye doe; wouldest thou do the works of devils and wicked Angels, and not be one of them? but examine thy selfe, bee sure thou beest not so, but out of reach of it.

Quest. How may I doe so?

Ans. By these and the like rules.

1. Wicked Angels hate Christ deadly in his person, offices, and doctrine.

In his person, he would destroy the Tribe and family whence he should rise, by Attalia, Antiochus; he would slay him new borne, by Herod; he would destroy him in the wildernesse, he would set up himselfe for Christ in Mahomet and Antichrist.

In his offices, by innumerable enemies, especially Antichrist, who casteth at all; he is the head, the King of the Church and of the world, the chiefe Prophet and Lawgiver.

In his doctrine, he would corrupt his word, and falsifie it, as to Eve, and Christ himselfe in the wildernesse; He is the father of lyes, Iohn 8. and the envious man, that soweth all Tares in the Lords field. Dost thou love or hate Christ? God forbid we should hate him, so said the Iewes in effect, Iohn 8. 37. but if his word hath no place in thee, thou wouldest kill him, as they would; if thou keepest his commandements, then say that thou lovest him, Iohn 14. 21. else the wicked Angels love him as fruitfully as thou.

2. Wicked Angels are deadly enemies to Christ in his members, they are stil accusing the Saints to God, they observe their wayes, studies, actions, watch all occasions, time, places to hurt them: When they can they wil afflict them, in their bodies and goods, as Iob 1. and compasse all meanes to hinder their salvation, were it possible, 1 Pet. 5. Art thou an enemy p. 356to Christ in his members; watchest thou to mischiefe them, art thou glad of any colour to wrong them by? Thou art an angell of the dragon.

3. They are called Belial, 2 Cor. 6. if thou beest a sonne of Belial, without yoake, castest off the yoake and discipline of Jesus Christ, as too strict, a hater and breaker of good lawes of God, and Jesus Christ; a stormer at such as are framed to the rules of Christianity; say what thou wilt, thou art a wicked angel, a runner and actor with the dragon, against Christ, whose rules thou rejectest and scornest.

4 They hinder godly men in holy purposes and practices, Zach. 3. Sathan stood at Ioshua's right hand. Dost thou hinder preaching, hearing and practice of piety in thy selfe, family, servants? dost thou disswade from any Christian exercise? Christ wil say to thee, as to Peter, Get thee behind me Satā.

5. They are Gods executioners, to punish and vexe evill men, as Iudge 9. Saul was vexed with an evill spirit, Iudas filled with devilish wickednes; they are full of effectuall seductions and temptations, to bring them to sinne, and doe them the service to convey their soules to hell; Homo homini Daemon Dost thou tempt to uncleannesse, drunkennesse, and draw to evill? art thou a plague to any one, to hold his soule in sinne; and helpe him to hell? here is the worke and marke of a wicked angel.

6. They are very wise, and of deepe reach to doe mischiefe, both by naturall, and acqusite wisedome; they have a thousand arts to hurt and deceive, they can transforme themselves into Angels of light. Art thou wise to doe evill, cunning to contrive sinne, wiser in thy generation than the children of light? thou canst pretēd peace, order, unity, and every good thing, when thou intendest the greatest mischiefe; here is an angell of the dragon.

p. 357Having spoken of the Actors, now to their action and fight.

Doct. The dragon and his Angels incessantly fight against Michael and his Angels.

Quest.How doe they fight?

Ans. Two wayes.

1. By open force.

2. By secret fraud.

I. By open force and strong hand.

1. By exciting an hardened and wilfull people or person, to professe against Christ & his members; as the Jewes, Scribes, Pharisees professed against Christ, and every one that professed him; thus doe the whole Nations of Jewes and Turkes at this day, and so the Papists at this day openly professe for Antichrist, against Michael and his Angels; such champions are every where among us, wicked persons, sonnes of their father, who contest against all the seed of GOD, and they would not be as they, for a world.

2. By open force and tyranny hunting out the profession of Christ; either by power Ecclesiasticall, by the blast of excommunication, see, Ioh. 9. 22. and sentence of condemnation, pronounced by the diabolicall Synagogue of Antichrist, against godly Ministers and persons, as against heretikes: Or Civill, by warre, fire, sword, exile, massacre, inquisition, imprisonment, or any other open tyranny, by which the sheepe of Christ are scattered or slaughtered. Lamentable experience we have in Bohemia, France, the Palatine, and all other Countries where cursed Papists, and captaines of Antichrist prevaile.

II. By fraud or secret Stratagems, under-mining the City of God, as the Powder Saints, and Salt-Potermen did the Parliament House.

p. 358Quest.

How doe they this?

Sol. Foure wayes especially.

I. In common wealths and kingdomes, they fight under-hand against all good order, piety, common honesty, and religious life, by setting up Magistrates that care not for religion, but would love that Parish best that wanted a Church; And by corrupting Magistrates, so farre as they can, animating them to bend their lawes and edge of authority, to the oppressing of the godly, and discouragement of religion and piety, and making judgement Seates shops of injustice, Asyles of iniquity, and Sanctuaries for offenders: It was a sore fight▪ against Israel, when the dragon prevailed with David to number the people, it left him fewer to number by 70000. Of all visible wicked Angels, the Iesuites, who are sworne agents to the Angell of the bottomlesse pit, doe carry the bell in provoking the Popish seduced Princes to all barbarous cruelties against the Church.

II. In Churches wicked Angels and men make battell upon Michael, by making wayes and bridges to idolatry, and the corrupting of the pure worship of God; especially two wayes.

1. Either forbidding the maine parts of Gods worship; so Pharaoh, that dragon forbad Israel to sacrifice; and it was but idlenesse; so Act. 4. 17, 18.

2. Or permitting occasions of Idolatry, and setting them up even above the parts of Gods worship, as appeareth in the contention of the Devill against Michael, about the body of Moses; and whence are the Idolatries about the bodies of Saints departed, but from the same adversary that then strove with Michael?

II. The dragon and his Angels fought underhand against Christ in his Ministery, and that two wayes.

p. 3591. By hindering godly Preachers in their course Thus the wicked spirits put forth their power in Iannes and Iambres, to resist Moses in his Ministerie and miracles; so doe now Popish spirits and prophane persons every where, who will bee sure the faithfull servants of God shall want no molestation. In the Apostles time there wanted not a Diotrephes, who pratled against them with malicious words, neither received the brethren, but forbid them that would, and thrust them out of the Church, 3 Ioh. 10.

2. By stirring up false teachers, flatterers, and deceivers, who insensibly rob the Church of her treasure, which is true and holy doctrine; The envious man by them soweth his Tares, whilest men sleepe, Matth. 13. Hence we read of sundrey doctrines of devils, 1 Tim. 4. 12. namely, the forbidding of meats and mariages; so called, because the devill, who still laboureth to corrupt the Ministerie, in, and by these fights against Michael and his Angels.

4. Where hee cannot hinder the powerfull preaching; hee fighteth by making the truth of the Gospell preached, ineffectuall, sundry secret wayes; as,

1. By blinding some that they cannot see the truth shining upon them, 2 Cor. 4. 4. holding them fast in incredulity and contumacy.

2. Snatching the Word from others, who heare it carelesly; so the dragon prevaileth against many, as ye heard, Luke 8 12.

3. Thrusting from their practice such as heard with attention, when men heare, and put not on the new man, it is a giving place to the devill, Eph. 4. 27.

4. After the knowne and professed truth, by pulling away many from the simplicity of the Gospell, by revolt and apostacie, 1 Tim. 5. 15. many goe backe after Satan, 2 Cor. 11. 3. I feare lest as Satan deceived p. 360Eve by his craftinesse, so also hee deceive you. Thus in all changes of religion numbers have gone backe after Satan.

Now after the manner let us see the reasons of this fight.

Contraries must needs fight, here be two contrary kingdomes, the kingdome of light and of darknesse; Reas. 1.two contrary Princes, the God of heaven, and the god of the world, the Author of truth, the father of lyes; two contrary bands, no marvell if the whole band of the dragon would pull downe the whole Kingdome of God; how can the kingdome of sinne but fight against the kingdome of grace?

There is a deadly hatred of the dragon against God and Jesus Christ.Reas. 2.

1. All the spawne of the malignant dragon seeketh by all meanes to hinder, and obscure the knowledge and glory of God, and to set up honour, and yeeld obedience to the dragon for God; see wee not how Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God, and demeaneth himselfe, as if he were God? but what moveth him? the dragon acteth him with strong delusion, and his comming is by the efficacy of Satan, 2 Thess. 2. and the same efficacy of Satan casteth downe Idolaters at the feet of antichrist, to receive lawes from him to binde conscience; to worship at his word a breaden god, made by a Baker, in stead of the Maker of the world, which is nothing but to adore the dragon no other wayes than the Jewes, who are said to offer to devils, when they offered to Idols, Psal. 106. 1 Cor. 10.

2. In the dragon and all his angels, is an unconquerable hatred of Christ and his members, hee perpetually opposeth the humanity, the divinity, the offices of Jesus Christ, that hee should not be truly knowne and beleeved in the world; and this reason our Saviour p. 361giveth, why the Scribes, Pharisees, and other wicked men were so busie against his person and doctrine; Iohn 15. 24. They have hated both mee and my father: & for the hatred of Christ they never cease to persecute the Church his Spouse, and the faithfull his members; so our Saviour saith, If the world have hated me, it will hate you also, Iohn 16. 3. and this they will doe to you, because they have not knowne me nor my father.

The dragon and his Angels fight, to add unto, and Reas. 3.inlarge, so far as he can, his kingdome and dominion; he would have al the world his throne to domineere in; he would thrust Jesus Christ out of all his right; he would bring in all mens soules into his owne dānation, and because he cannot get all, he is restlesse, and never giveth up his quarrell; why else doth the Antichrist of Rome, the chiefe Commander under the dragon, maintaine and abet such bloody quarrels against the Reformed Churches, but because hee would have small and great, rich and poore, free and bond to receive his marke in their hands and foreheads? Rev. 13. 16. Haman must have all knees bow to him, else hee is sicke of anger, and prepareth for the death of every Mordecai that refuseth.

They therefore fight to uphold the dominion hee Rule 4.hath gotten in the world, as great Princes goe to warre to maintain their rights and territories in every part of their countrey; even so, if the Gospel come into any countrey, to turne them from darknesse to light, from the power of Satan, to God, what tumults & tragedies doth the dragon and all his angels excite and stirre up against it? and what else doe all the present warres in this part of the world tend unto, but to hold the Countries subject unto Antichrist, under the power of the dragon still, and to keepe p. 362out, and chase out the sound and mention of Christ, as the truth is in Jesus Christ.

Beware of this note of a wicked man to fight against Use. I.Christ.

Ob. We professe Christ, and are baptized into Michaels name, have taken our presse-mony of him, and therefore what is this to us:

Sol. Can. 1. 5. The sonnes of my mother contended with me, and thus was I wounded in the house of my friends: Is this Christs voyce? would wee know these dissembled friends? the markes are cleare.

1. Those that wilfully resist any of Gods ordinances, fight against God, Acts 5. 39. If this be of God yee cannot destroy it, but bee fighters against God; therefore hee that fighteth against the standard of Michael, that is, the voyce of the Gospell, is a ranke rebell to Christ, as hee that shooteth against the Kings standard. He that resisteth the power of the word, which is Michaels Scepter, will give it no place nor obedience in themselves, and scorne it in others; that mutiny against preaching, and preachers of truth, and practice of sincerity, fighteth as directly against God, as hee that would wrest the Kings Scepter out of his hand. He that resisteth the holy observation of the Sabbath, is an ordinary breaker of it, by worke or play, that scornes strict and circumspect walking, is a fighter against God.

2. Those that, in thēselves or others, uphold the dragons dominion, these apparently fight against Christ, not one of their lusts must fall downe before the word; looke in what sinne the devill did raigne, for that they strive and contend still, and none so great enemies as those that strive against their sinnes, they must sweare, and lie, and game; they must outface conscience, and scorne godlinesse; so also they are loath the devill should lose any ground in others, p. 363and therefore they strengthen sinners, and incourage them in all their wayes, of loosnesse, gaming, wasting out their time, and drunken companionship, resisting tumultuously a faithfull Ministery.

3. Those that strive to inlarge the dragons dominions, and leavy a band against Michael, by corrupting and …educing as many as they can; they would have all as they bee, swearers, drunkards, prophane and loose; but they defie all the host of Michael, as Goliah all the Host of Israel; Scribes and Pharises will compasse sea and land to get a proselyte, and if the wicked can get in one that hath a little begun a shew of goodnesse, to make him drunke as they be, or abet their lewd courses, they triumph as much as the Philistims when they conquered Sampson.

Doe gracelesse men perpetually fight against Christ? what marvell to see men runne on to the extremity Use II.of sin? to heare and see cursed blaspemers, adulterers, murderers, drunkards, and …ailers? no marvell if some dare openly pleade against the conscionable observation of the Lords day; …f some openly disclaime religious exercises, openly cast downe godly Ministers: for,

1. Is it strange for the devill and his Angels to sin in hainous manner?

2. Is it marvell, that hee that marcheth after the devill, should goe on to things unreasonable?

3. Is there any other expectation from wicked Angels, whose hearts Satan-fils, as Iudas, and worketh effectually in them.

4. Thinke wee their Generall will be so modest and moderate, as to sticke at any height of impiety? and they being bound, must they not obey? being captives, must they not bee ruled at his will? must not every subject bee for his owne Prince and kingdome?

p. 364Are all these enemies so infinite in power, number, wrath, plots, against our peace and salvation? Vse III.Learne,

1. Not to stand idle; are our enemies in continuall fight and action, and must wee be bound to peace? if wee now bestirre our selves against them, must we be counted unpeaceable and turbulent? indeed, if our enemies would hold their hands, so might wee: But what a plotte of the dragon is this, that while he and his Angels are at fight, and in action, we, under a title of peace (worse than warre) must not stirre for our Lords right, or our owne safety? but we have learned that politicall axiom, Hostem, si agere sinas, confirmas; Eliubs rebuke, I know the pride of thy heart must not stop Davids going out against Goliah.

2. Having so many enemies against us, wee need not fight against our selves, or our owne side.

Quest. How doe we that?

Ans. 1. By sinne against conscience, when our consciences, our brazen wall, shall bee taken away from us, by them, and take their part in accusation and wounding us.

2. By security and impenitency in sinne, the peace of the strong man.

3. By excusing and defending sinne, in stead of condemning them, or our selves for them.

4. By stepping out of our way, and calling, by which we strip our selves of our owne strength, and helpe of the good Angels.

Vers. 8. But they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Having spoken of the battell and armies, which have joyned issue one against another, now in this p. 365verse we shall see the successe, and to which side the victory falleth.

The verse expresseth two things.

1. That the dragon and his forces cannot prevaile.

2. That hee is mightily prevailed against, so that his place is found no more in heaven.

For the first: Whereas the dragon, by himselfe, and his tyrannicall agents, the heathen Emperors, intended to keep under the Lord of glory, & chase out of the world the memory and mention of Christianity, and hold the world under idolatry, blasphemy, and heathenish worshipping of idols and devils, in stead of God and his blessed Sonne; yet could they not prevaile: For as the Sonne of God was mightily raised from the dead▪ and had now taken his place at the right hand of his Father, so must he for ever hold his place; those usurped titles of Deity must now cease, and those excessively exalted powers of heathen Emperours, advanced against him, must now be broken to pieces, and deposed; now Christ must be proclaimed in the preaching of the Gospell, King of his Church, and God, blessed for ever; now Michael and his Angels, Christian Emperours, faithfull Pastors, holy Martyrs and Professors are in the field, have wonne the field, with an unresistible power, against which the dragon and all his Angels could not prevaile.

The note is this; the dragon and his Angels (though Doct.never so likely) can never prevaile against Michael No prevailing against the Church.and his Angels, Pharaoh was in great likelihood to have prevailed against Israel, having them at such a straite; and if wise working or power would have done it he wanted neither; but he neither did, nor could prevaile: Haman was in a faire way to have prevailed against all the Iews, whē he had the letters p. 366of death, sealed with the broad seale, and Posts sent forth; but in the issue the dragon prevailed not. The Jewes seemed to have prevailed against Michael himself, when they had cōdemned, killed, and buried him, laid a great stone on him, set a watch about him, and sealed the grave; they thought they had made all sure, that they should never have heard more of him; but they prevailed not: he rose againe gloriously, notwithstanding all their policie and power.

Looke any way▪ a cloud of strong reasons doth compasse us, to perswade this truth.

If we looke upwards unto God, wee see in him Reas. 1.five things, against all, or any of which the dragon Five things in God hinder the dragon from prevailing.cannot prevaile; as,

1. His power; who is stronger than all, and none can take any out of his hands, Iohn 10. 28. Principalities and powers may be potent, but hee is Omnipotent, and mighty to save.

2. His promise; that he will not suffer his elect to be tempted above that they are able to beare; that 1 Cor. 10. 13.1 Cor 10:13hee will adde to every temptation a gracious issue; and that hee will shortly tread the dragon even underfeet, Rom. …6 20.

3 His wisedome; for hee hath an eye to foresee all dangers, an eare to heare all counsels, an heart to understand all devices, and reach beyond all enemies, to turne all their counsels into folly.

4. Affection and love; so as no curse can prevaile against his people Deut. 23. 5. the Lord would not hearken unto Balaam, because the Lord loved thee; This love will bring us into the good land, through all enemies.

5. Protection; He is a wall of fire round about Jerusalem; A strong tower is the name of the Lord, that cannot be scaled, a Buckler that cannot be pierced, a shield that cannot be broken, a rocke that cannot p. 367be entred, a mighty fortresse, that can never be surprised.

Now were the dragon onelyonly to encounter us, weake creatures, he could not but prevaile; but hee must first prevaile against the power, promise, wisedome, affection, and protection of God himselfe, before hee can prevaile against us; and therefore all is safe.

Againe, if wee looke at our Leader and Generall, we have in him five things which make us unconquerable; Reas. 2.for,Five things in Christ hinder him from it. Dan. 2 45.Dan 2:45

1. He is that little stone that breakes to pieces the iron, clay, gold and silver, all Monarches and powers raised against him; the victorious Leader of this Army, never could, nor can be overcome.

2. Wee have in him, not onelyonly the vertue of his death and resurrection, but also the benefit of his intercession, supplying us with uncōquerable strength, by which we fight and conquer.

3. Wee have by him mighty weapons of proofe and power, against which no dragons could yet prevaile as the powerfull sword of the Spirit, that invincible (I had almost said, omnipotent) shield of faith by which we can doe, suffer, and overcome all things, that defensive helmet of hope, a sure and stable anchor of the soule; these are weapons of Gods making, and cannot faile.

4. We have in him the donation of the Spirit, who is stronger in us than hee that is in the world, 1 Ioh. 4. 5. this Spirit teacheth our fingers to fight, he gives us the anoynting, 1 Iohn 2. 20. that we may be Kings and Conquerors as he is, and communicates unto us Christs owne victory.

5. We have by him a commission sealed unto the Angels, to keepe, to fence, and guard us, to beare us in their hands, Psalme 91. 11. And this comforted p. 368Elisha's servant, that there were more with him than against him, 2 Kings 6. 3.

Further, if wee looke at the enemies, they cannot Reas. 3.prevaile; for,Enemies are creatures, cursed, captive.

1. They are creatures, and what can the creature doe against the Creator? what can the clay doe against the Potter?

2. They are cursed creatures, cursed in their persons, I will curse them that curse thee; Mat. 25. 41, Goe ye cursed: cursed in all their enterprises and Gen. 12. 3.Gen 12:3purposes against Gods people, against whom the Lord himselfe hath professed himselfe an enemy; He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye, Zech. 2. 8. cursed in all the meanes they use against the Church, their fraud, violence, envying, lying, false accusing, and the like.

3. They are captive creatures; bound, spoyled, led in triumph, pinyoned as Lyons in Grates, or dragons in chaines; they cannot lift hand or foot against us farther than our Captaine affords them leave; and what hope have they to prevaile, that shall never have leave to reach above our heele?

Further, if wee looke at our selves, as weake and Reason 4.unworthy as wee are, yet are they weaker then to Foure things in the Saints that prevent the dragon.prevaile against us; for,

1. They shall not prevaile against our cause, the battell is the Lords; the question betweene the dragon and us, is Gods glory and our salvation, if hee should prevaile against us, God should lose his honour; this was Moses his argument, Numb. 14. 15. If thou shouldest not stand to this people, the enemies would say, The Lord is not able to give them the good land.

2. They shall not prevaile against our faith, though wee have much flesh, yet there is a little faith, and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against so little as a graine of Mustard-seed.

p. 3693. Though wee bee but unprofitable, yet wee are the Lords servants, and therefore he will uphold us to victory: David thought this a good argument, Psal. 86. 2. O save thy servant that trusteth in thee.

4. We are members of Christ our head, and must partake in his victory, we must be where he, is to see his glory: when he can patiently suffer his members to be rent off his body, when hee can endure to bee dismembred and deformed, then may the sound members be pulled away by temptation or persecution, then may the dragon hope to prevaile, but not before.

Here some objections must be answered; for, doth not the dragon prevaile against their graces, their persons, their profession? or how may we conceive of this doctrine?

Object. 1. For their graces; was not Adam in innocency pulled away by temptation, and Peter by persecution?

Answ. For Adam; the dragon prevailed against the grace of creation, but hee shall not against the true grace of regeneration; the difference betweene which,

1. Adam was to persevere by his owne strength, we, by the strength of GOD, are preserved to salvation.

2. Adam received grace to persevere if he would, but not to will what he could, but wee hauehave, through Accepit posse si vellet, non velle quod posset. Aug. de corrept. cap. 11.Jesus Christ, both power and will to persevere.

3. Adam wanted the confirmation which wee have, both in the promise, which makes the Covenant of grace surer than that of worke, Ier. 32. 40. as also in the intercession of Christ, which continually underproppeth us, & supplies us with new strength, which makes faith in God farre more sure and firme than that of Adam, against which the dragon prevailed.

p. 370For Peter; it is true, the dragon prevailed against the grace that was in him, first, in part, secondly, for a time, but not wholly and finally. For in Peter, the leaves faded, but the root lived, saith Theophilact; and Augustine, Confession of the mouth failed, but not beliefe in the heart, otherwise Christs prayers, that his faith should not faile, had beene frustrate: the flame of his faith was suppressed, but not all sparks extinct, for then Christ should have deceived him, saying, The gates of hell cannot prevaile against it.

Object. 2. The dragon often prevailes against their persons; Cain prevailes against Abel, and slayes him; thousands of Israelites fall before Benjamin in a good cause; often are Gods people driven to the wall.

Answ. God suffereth the dragon and his Angels sometime to smite and oppresse good men.

1. To correct their sinne, and throughly to humble them.

2. To bring the dragons to their top and height of pride (while his people are under) and to fill up their measure the sooner. But here,

1. Though they may overcome their persons, yet not their piety, faith and holinesse, which they specially aime at, and therefore hate their persons.

2. While they kill their bodies, they perfectly cure them from all sinne and molestation; the Lord doth it not to lose them, but lest they should be lost, he takes them from the evill to come.

3. He confounds the dragons the more, in that hee increaseth the Church by that, whereby they would ruine it, watring his Church with the blood of the Martyrs, and making them more than Conquerors, when they seeme most conquered and overcome.

p. 371Object. 3. But the dragon prevailes against whole Churches, & Protestant countries, & chaseth the woman often into the wildernes; see we not what powers & forces are raised against the womā, how Antichrist thrusts into the Countries, expels the Gospell and Professors, and sets up the Idoll of the Masse, and the mysterie of iniquity seemes stronger, and prevailes every where against the mysterie of godlinesse?

Ans. The dragon may prevaile against some particular Churches, and utterly waste and breake them off, as the Jewes, Rom. 11. and so any nationall Church may be broken off. But,

1. Their sinne hath prevailed against themselves, contempt of the Gospell and securitie were the dragons that wasted them, else all the dragons in hell could not.

2. They may be cut off from Christ in respect of the visible face, and of the externall covenant, and of the outward state and profession in common, but not in respect of invisible bands and grace in any particular member.

3. They may prevaile for a time to molest many members of the Church, but never finally to waste and destroy the whole Church.

4. They may prevaile in temporals, by which GOD will not have the peace and victory of the Church measured, but can never prevaile against the salvation and sound grace of any member.

5. Let us not be daunted at the forces and winnings of Antichrist, nor stand amazed at his strength; I say confidently, could wee be daunted at our owne sinnes, (which are his strength) of all enemies wee need least feare him; for,

1. Hee is sentenced to destruction, Gods curse hath blasted him.

p. 3722. Our Michael hath merited and atchieved victory over him, and hath begun it in us by detecting him; and though he give us not victory all at once, yet he will not give him over till he have utterly abolished him.

3 Antichrist is strong and mighty; but,

1. It is but for the time of his reprieve, w^ch time of God when it commeth, Gideon, and an handfull of men shall prevaile against an host of Mideanites, lying like grasse on the ground, Iudg. 7. 12.

2, All his power shall turne against him.

3 The Church is still stronger than he, for they are strongest with whom the Lord is, who wants no Armies or Hosts of Creatures to save or smite by.

4. Antichrist gets no victory which he shall hold; God may by him bring the Church low, to teach them dutie, and then raise them againe; as, Israel can learne that in Babylon; which they cannot in Sion, but Babel must be destroyed, and the King of Babel stript naked to Gods wrath for ever; so of this Westerne and spirituall Babylon, and the head thereof, they shall all goe into perdition,

Now this is a ground of consolation to all truehearted Vse 1.Christians, both in respect of the Church in generall, and in respect of their owne speciall condition.

For the Church in generall, no attemps of the dragon and his Angels can overthrow the Church of God; Zech. 12. 3. Shee is an heavy stone to lift at, if all the people of the earth bee gathered against her, Psal. 129. 1, 2.Ps 129:1Ps 129:2they shall onelyonly teare themselves in pieces; and how can it be otherwise? for,

1. They have the power and favour of the King for them, and what subject dare stand out against p. 373them? And blessed is that people whose GOD is the Lord, Psal. 144. 15. for though none be so assaulted, none are so protected, none so victorious.

2. So long as the Lords counsell must stand, the Church cannot fall, Prov. 19. 21. many devises are in lewd mens hearts, but the counsell of the Lord must stand, who thinkes thoughts of peace and safety to his people.

3. So long as the Lord breakes the counsell of the heathen and enemies, and ruleth in the midst of his enemies, we need not much feare the plots, the power, the pride, the hopes of wicked mē, who wait upō lying vanities; they may consult against the life of the innocent, but til the time be come, wherein God cals forth his servants, to glorifie him in suffering, they cannot touch a haire of their heads; they may vow, not to eate nor drinke till they have slaine Paul, Acts 23. 22. but they could not touch him; as they did with the Head, so may they with the body: they tooke counsell to cast him downe an hill but hee made void their counsell, and found a way to passe through the midst of them all, for his time was not come, Luke 4. 30.

4. In the greatest confusions of the earth, when the very foundations seeme to be cast downe, and the wicked seeme to carry all, and say, we have prevailed; yet now while they have the Church under, they cannot hold it under, but now faith prevailes, and gloriously riseth unto victory; could they hold under our Head, or hinder his powerfull resurrection? no more can they the happy resurrection of the Church out of the grave of death and darknesse, but after two dayes hee will revive it, and in the third day he will raise it, Hos. 6. 2. The dry and dead bones scattered shall live, and bee covered with sinewes, and flesh, and skinne, which lay drie and dispersed p. 374in the open field of their captivity, Ezek. 37 6. and therefore as our Head triumphed gloriously over the grave and death, so doth his Church even in the greatest afflictions; Mica. 7. 8. Rejoyce not against me, O mine enemie; though I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall bee a light unto mee: The Church denies not but she may be cast downe, but not cast off; she denies not but she may sit in the darke, but not without all light; shee denies not but that God himselfe may afflict her, and shee feele his wrath, because she hath sinned; but onelyonly for a time, till hee come to put a difference betweene her and the enemies, and then the scoale shall be changed, the enemies shall come into her place, and shall be covered with shame, and trodden as the mire in the street, that is, utterly confounded and despised.

How hath the Lord commented this our Text and observation in all the Countries round about us!

What, hath the Spanish Inquisition, which hath consumed many thousands of the Saints, destroyed the Church? No, it hath but watred it with blood, and the devillish cruelty of it hath made them an hatefull nation in all the parts of the world.

Did their French Massacre destroy all, as they thought, when thirty thousand Protestants were murdered, against all lawes, oathes and promises? no, here were the boughs lopped, but the root remained, and within few monthes so sprouted, that a mighty army in defence of the Protestants drew that mighty King to such dishonourable conditions of peace, as he never enjoyed?

To come to our selves: In the yeare 88. when the great Armado came, which the proud enemy called the inuincible Navie, to destroy the mother and children, and to bring to utter desolation both the Church and kingdome, and take possession of all, p. 375could they conquer, yea, though their treachery was not lesse than their power, and their advantage no lesse upon an unprovided people, deluded at that time by their pretensed propositions of peace? No, but as they came out one way against God, so God chased them an hundred wayes, and made their confusion the stupor and admiration of all the world.

In the yeare 1605. when our Romish Babylonians prepared that infernall furnace, to destroy the name and mention of our religion, and to turne all into a popish Chaos and confusion; as neare as they were, what effected they? did not Gods power, and Gods curse upon them, and their wicked counsels overtake them in their hellish enterprises against his owne religion? who ever saw Hamans device more sensibly falling upon his owne head?

When the Aegyptians saw Gods power against them in their enterprises against Israel, they could confesse the Lord fought for Israel against the Aegyptians, Exod. 14. 25. and a great multitude of sundry sorts of people went out of Aegypt with them, chapt. 12. 3…. and many strangers seeing Gods power and grace with his people, returned with them out of Babylon.

Why doe not our Romanists so but runne out further, and by greater multitudes? It is to be feared, that God hath appointed such to destruction, as Pharaohs servants said to him, Exod. o 7. Wilt thou first know that all Egypt is destroyed, &c. yea, it cannot be in the dayes of such light, and detection of Antichrist, especially in these countries so furnished with meanes of knowledge, that any can anew bee carried quite away with the efficacie of seduction, but such as whose names are not written in the booke of life, Rev. 3. 8.

Now more specially for particular members, the p. 376same comfort is specially to be applyed to them; for neither shall the dragon ever prevaile utterly against any sound Christian, be he never so likely, neither by temptation, nor persecution.

I. Not by temptation; for,

1. It is impossible the Elect should bee totally seduced.

2. Their head could not be overcome by temptation, and is as able to uphold them as himselfe

3. There is an houre for the power of darknesse, and after that comes light: The Disciples may bee a long time tossed with waves, and the ship full of water, ready to sinke; but Christ awakes seasonably, and rebukes the storme, and makes a calme.

4. God leads no childe of his into temptation, but he leads him out also.

II. Neither shall any persecution prevaile against them; for,

1. No persecution can separate us from the love of God; sinne can, no suffering, Rom. 8. 35. nor,

2. Hinder the joy to be revealed, 2 Cor 4. 17. nay, it cannot but further it; for if wee suffer with him, wee shall also raigne with him: nor,

3 Frustrate the promise, that whosoever holds out to the end, (let his sufferings be what they will) shall be saved: nor,

4. Barre out the presence and comfortable favour of God, who in such times of extremity useth most familiarly to reveale himselfe, both in the inward comforts of the Spirit above other times, and in extraordinary outward favours, answerable to their present estate Oh how had the dragons prevailed, if they could have bolted and barred out the comforts of God from the Martyrs in their prisons and flames of fire! The tyrant Nebuchadnezzar could not hinder the fourth, like the Sonne of God, from walking in the furnace.

p. 3775. It cannot raze out the marke of God, set on his servants before the persecution come, whom if hee save not from the danger, hee will save them in the danger.

Lastly, it cannot deceive their expectation of a happy issue and deliverance, yea, even in those who are persecuted to the death; their death is to them a full and finall deliverance from all sinne, misery, and enemies; yea, their death is but as a gate of life, and a speedy entrance into the full possession of their heavenly Fathers whole estate, sooner than the course of nature would have afforded them. Our Lord and Head might not have the cup of death passe from him, and yet was heard, for he was passed happily through it into his glory: and his body is as the burning bush, but not consumed. Let Chaffe feare the fire, but not gold.

This of the first Vse.

II. Note here the happy estate of the true Beleever, Use 11.being stable and invincible both in grace and glory: There is never a Beleever, but hath, or shall have obtained a noble victorie over Satan, sinne, death, hell, the world, even in this life: his faith now treads the dragon under his feet, and carrieth in it a power superiour to the power of all the gates of hell: Now our care must be to finde this victory begun in us already, and follow the chase.

But how may we finde that we have prevailed over the dragon, and begun this victory?Quest.

I answere; by these notes.Answ.

First, if we have proclaimed, and doe maintaine the warre against the Kingdome of Satan and sinne, by an undanted profession of Jesus Christ, and by upholding and renewing the warre dayly against all unrighteousnesse, within or without us: but he is farre from victory, that hath strucke a league with his owne sinnes.

p. 3782. Marke: If wee have gained some ground, and beaten out the strong man out of some part of his holds; and whereas hee keepeth foure holds especially in us, in our mindes by ignorance, in our wils by rebellion, in our consciences by corruption, in our life by loosnesse and disorder, we may know him in part ejected, if wee daily renew our mindes with sound knowledge, if our wils be altered, & made of unwilling, willing, and pliant to Gods will, if our consciences be pure, tender, and excusing us in the sight of God; and if our whole course bee changed from the course of nature, to the life of God, and of grace. Now we may conclude a great victory is atchieved against the dragon.

3. Marke: If we have spoyled him of his weapons, or blunted them, or turned them against himselfe: Then we spoile him of his weapons, when we crucifie the lusts of the flesh, and mortifie our earthly members; then we blunt them, when wee strike upon them rules of Gods Word, and oppose them with the lusts of the Spirit, Gal. 5. 17. then wee turne his weapons against himselfe, when our members are given up weapons of righteousnesse, serving a renewed minde, our thoughts are brought into the subjection of Christ, and in our lives we practise cleane contrary to his motions and temptations.

4. Marke: If we uphold and advance the Scepter of Christ in our hearts, that his Word rule us in all things, as the lawes of the kingdome, to whom wee professe our selves now subjects; yea, and if our selves be become, by his anoynting, kings to rule and sway over our thoughts, wils, and affections, overmastering our selves, and those strong lusts which will be plotting rebellion, & raising mutinies against grace: If we can call in and cherish the new aids and succours of grace daily, by the constant and conscionable p. 379use of Gods holy ordinances, the Word, prayer, and meditation, by which wee are strengthened: Now have wee attained a greater victory, than if we could command kingdomes, and such as gives us a comfortable assurance, that we can never bee quite overcome: shaken and molested we may bee, but the dragon shall never recover his power and strength in us, to hinder our salvation; for hee that hath begun this good worke in us, will finish it unto the day of Christ.

Further, if the dragon and his Angels prevaile not Vse III.against any of Michaels Band or Army, wee see hence the miserable estate of every one, over whom the dragon doth prevaile; who are hereby knowne and concluded not to belong unto Jesus Christ, but to be excluded from his colours and company.

Object. Oh God forbid any should bee rejected from Christ; we all professe our selves his souldiers, and subjects, and hope to be saved by him.

Ans. If the dragon prevaile against any of us, and have us under his power, it is otherwise; we cannot belong to two contrarie Captains; we are his, under whose colours we fight, and to whom we have given our selves to obey. Now therfore examine this point; whether, or how farre the dragon hath▪ prevailed in any of us.

Rules of examination are these.

First, where Michael cannot prevaile, in such persons Rule 1.the dragon doth prevaile: Now there Michael cannot prevaile, where,

1. His Word

2. His Spirit

3. His arme and hand is resisted ordinarily.

I. That his Word prevailes not in many of us, is too manifest.

Did Gods word rule many of our Rulers, they p. 380would goe through stitch, and shew courage and conscience in Gods causes, in beating downe the sinnes of the times, & frame their government according to Gods Word, and till they doe so, Christ rules not by them, and if Christ prevaile not, the dragon doth, except a lying spirit step out and say, there is a third.

2. How little Michaels Scepter prevailes among many inferiour men, is evident by the prevailing of ignorance, in such dayes and meanes of knowledge. How the god of the world blindeth a number of infidels, is lamentable to consider, who, after many yeares hearing, have still the vaile over their hearts, and lie, and live in grosse Aegyptian darknesse; as ignorant as children, as farre to seeke in substantiall grounds of Catechisme, as they were at their first hearing; that we cannot say, Christs word prevailes in them, unlesse wee may say, that the light prevailes at midnight.

Oh what a pity it is! How many civill honest men, whose soules out of servent love wee mourne for, are reached by this doctrine! Not to speake of numbers, who would be thought some-bodies in religion, yet many turne away from it, many turne against it, yea, hate and abhorre it.

3. Adde hereto an other infallible conviction of many a one, in whom the word prevailes not, because it works neither reformation nor change, both which it workes where it prevailes; In many hearers it reformes not within, the thoughts are idle, unclean, unsavory, the affections are unruly, violent, passionate disguised, &c. It reforms them not without; their words are vain as ever, as unbridled, & unchristian, as swearing, as lying as ever; their actions as unprofitable, as uncharitable and hurtfull; for, who can looke for figs of thistles? their whole life is unchanged; what lust raigned that raigneth not still? In p. 381none of these Michael prevaileth, but the dragon hath them fast enough.

II. That the Spirit of Christ is likewise resisted, and cannot prevaile, is manifest, both in his motions, and graces.

How many good motions doth the Spirit suggest, in the night, in the day, as upon other occasions, so especially in the Ministery of the Word? thou goest away, and hopest to be better by this or that admonition; but either thy slothfulnesse lets it die of it selfe, or thou lettest in some lust to kill and quench it, and so thou art much worse than before; for wheras before he was kept out, now thou hast driven him out: and thus many men weare out their age in purposes, and vaine hopes of amendment, and are cut off before ever they seriously attempt it: So mightily hath the dragon prevailed.

Add to these another Band, who finding the word knocking at the dore of their hearts, and the Spirit calling aloud from their lusts and beloved sinnes, begin to quarrell and resist the Spirit, and fight valiantly against all such motions, and all the messengers by whom he moveth: there is no perswasion of the Spirit can prevaile; lusts must bee served, profits, sports, and carnal delights must be intended and followed; and who sees not the dragon effectually prevailing in such men? For where the motions of Gods Spirit are repelled, how just is it that GOD give over such persons to the efficacy of Satanicall delusion:

Now for the graces of Gods Spirit, by which Michael prevaileth; in how many that come to Church are they resisted, scorned, and blaspemed? Is any thing made a more common by-word at this day, than the light of grace, and the power and practice of sound grace? and what childe cannot see, p. 382that the dragon, who rules in darknesse, doth there prevaile, where nothing is so much chased as the light, and the glory of the Saints is turned to their shame and reproach? who, but dogs and dragons, would barke and spet poyson against grace?

III. They also resist Michael, that suffer not his arme to prevaile; How many incorrigible sinners be there, whom neither Gods word nor workes can bow or bend? Let God backe his word with visible judgments & strokes round about them, & upon them, yet they harden their hearts still, and still turne to their old course, going on from evill to worse: Let God curse their trades, they will breake the Sabbath still; let God drowne their Boates, their goods, they will row on the Sabbath still; let God smite by milder rods, they heare not the rod, nor who appointeth it; let God breake the staffe of bread, they will still make stones bread; let God bring heavie strokes, they will not understand, though the foundations of the world be moved, Psal. 82. 5. how doth Michael prevaile, when such sensible strokes make men more senslesse? and why should hee smite them any more, who fall away more and more? Esa. 1. 5.

The second Marke or Rule of tryall is this, Where Rule 2.the dragon holdeth a man under his slavery, there he prevaileth; but this he doth sundry wayes.

1. When hee fetters any man as a slave to his owne lusts, and the commands of the flesh, chaines him to a blinde and rebellious heart, to passionate and froward affections, and throwes him into the streame of corrupt nature: This prevaling of lusts is the dragons victory, when sinnes and lusts grow in number, strength, continuance.

2. The dragon prevailes by the world, when hee brings men in bondage, either to the profits or pleasures, p. 383or to the fashions of the world: What a number follow the world with full streame, and their whole strength, who cannot so truely be said to have the world, as that the world hath them? this eager love to the world signeth a man to have cast out the love of God from his heart, see, Iam, 4. 4. &, 1 Iohn 2. 15. and that the Prince of the aire prevaileth in the course of the world, is apparent, Ephes. 2. 2. According to the course of the world, according to the Prince of the power of the aire, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: where is he almost that conformes not to the corruptions of times, places, and callings? If times bee for Protestants, so be they; if times were for Papists, so would they; if times throw downe the Gospell and Preachers of it, so can they; & in their whole course frame in religion to their senses, not to their faith, and live wholy by examples, and not by rules. Who sees not how the dragon triumphes and tramples on such time-servers, who yet would scorne not to bee reputed sound Christians.

3. The dragon prevaileth by Antichrist, and enthralleth numbers by the efficacie of his delusions: He that is a slave unto Antichrist, is a slave to the dragon; for Antichrist commeth in the efficacie of Satan, because Satan worketh powerfully in him & by him, 2 Thess. 2. 9. who can without sorrow consider of the numbers that now runne a whoring after Popery, and favour it, and plead for it, after that not the Gospell onelyonly hath so clearely detected it, but after it hath convinced it selfe to bee the most savage and blood-thirsty religion that ever was, that would make but one Bonfire of three kingdomes, and blow up in one moment religion and justice, Church and Kingdome, Prince and people; nay, after so many good lawes enacted against it, wherein the whole p. 384Kingdome hath given sentence, and pronounced it guilty of the highest treason that ever men or devils could devise. Is it not the same religion it was then? did they ever reverse any of their bloody positions? did they ever any where prevaile, and not chase out (with a sea of sorrowes) all that looke toward the truth and holy religion? Well, the sentence was foretold, Re. 13. Antichrist must prevaile amōg them that perish; A terrible Thunderbolt from heaven against all professed members of that Antichristian body, especially against Apostate Papists, among whom the uncleane spirit hath brought seven worse than himselfe, to hasten their perdition.

4. The dragon prevaileth by false and libertine teachers, like the false Prophets that prophesied lies, and the visions of their owne hearts, to strengthen, with sinful dawbing, wicked hands, and discourage godly hearts; now when a people follow such, and love to have such guides and guidance, as, Ier. 5. 29, 30. the dragon hath prevailed, to pull them to hell. Michael prevaileth by faithfull teachers, who bring wholesome and sound doctrine, and causeth his people to delight in them, and follow them; contrarily, the dragon prevailes by such teachers as frame themselves to speake so, as to please all, that seeke unto them in ther loose courses, and according to all that they would have, and so sell thē to Satan: And what a just revenge of God is it, that a people who will not suffer the Lords servants to prevaile with them, to bee brought to the truth, should bee fitted with such Teachers, as with sweet words, and fine devises shall prevaile with them to their destruction? and looke how much any one hates a true teacher, by so much hee loves a flatterer, who shall doe him as much mischiefe, as the other would have done him good. Beware of this sly reach of the p. 385dragon, prevailing against not a few.

5. The dragon prevailes mightily in disobedience; Ephes. 2. 2. In whom doth the Prince of the aire rule, but in the children of disobedience? and these bewray themselves every where.

I. In such as walke in the disobedience of nature, sonnes of Belial; who reject all yoakes, and refuse all counsell by Gods word, Gods Spirit, Gods people, to walke at large, compassing their lusts according to the command of their owne rebellious wils; a Sermon or a Play is all one, onelyonly they can sit out a play with more patience.

II. Such as are wilfull in their disobedience against Gods Word, not onelyonly of an unteachable disposition, but untractable; pricke their corruption but a little in sound application, oh how it will shew it selfe in raging, stormy, and unruly distempers! this festred heart that will abide no searching, is conquered by Satan: these that will not suffer Christ to rule them are called his enemies, and called out to execution, Luke 19. 27.

III. These wilfull rebels commonly lye in ambush against the faithfull, either to accuse them, to make them hatefull to Magistrates, or to slander and scorne them, to make them hated of others; as Ier. 18. 18. Come, let us smite him with the tongue; and vers. 23. even some pretensed friends sought to banish him, nay, to doe more, even against his life, if they could have prevailed: No man can seeke sinistrously to prevaile against a good man, but the dragon hath first prevailed against him.

6. The dragon prevailes by bad society and example; when workers of iniquity meet, oh how the devill rules their counsels, tongues, actions! many hands make light worke, and rid much worke; if any man refuse, or forbeare, or scorne to joyne himselfe to p. 386Gods people; if any reproach Gods name, truth, or servants, hate the society of Saints, their persons, their profession, or godly practices, the dragō hath his will on thē, and in them, and where the dragon thus prevailes, the Lord Jesus hath nothing to doe, but to prepare himselfe to warre, and wrathfull judgement, against such sworne enemies of his Kingdome.

Neither was their place found any more in heaven.

We have heard in the former part of the verse, that the enemies could not prevaile against the Church, now wee shall see that themselves were prevailed against, and so conquered and chased by Michael and his Angels, as they could not ever make their party good against the woman any more, but themselves were turned into a shamefull flight, so as they could not stand before her. This overthrow of this great Army, is signified in this phrase, that their place was found no more in heaven.

Where, to finde the meaning, wee will answer foure Questions.

Quest. 1. What is meant by heaven?

Ans. Some understand hereby this heavenly vision, and make this the meaning, that they vanished away; or the heavenly vision, called before, a wonder in heaven; which; though it may be true in part (for they did vanish for a time) yet it is somewhat harsh to call an heavenly vision by the name of heaven; and beside, wee shall see they will appeare againe in this vision, and renew their forces and fiercenesse against the woman.

Some by heaven understand the Throne of dignitie and authority, which wee have shewed to bee a kinde of heaven, or Throne of God; and this is true also in part, that the conquered party was cast p. 387from the Throne of God, when those openly professed dragons were subdued, and cast from the top of Imperiall State and Majestie, without hope of recovery of their strength against the woman any more.

But by heaven I understand the Church of God, as in many other places of this Chapter, in which the dragon sate and exercised his tyrannie.

Quest. 2. What is it, not to have his place found any more?

Answ. The phrase is taken out of Daniel, 2. 35. where this Michael, the stone that was cut out of the Mountaine, is said to smite the image of iron, clay, brasse, silver and gold, that the place of it was found no more, but they were destroyed and dispersed as chaffe; so the same Michael here did so breake in pieces the power of the dragons, that they had no more place in the Church to domineere and tyrannize against the Saints, as they had done, but they are now conquered and expulsed out of heaven.

Quest. 3. What conquest was this, or when was it obtained?

Ans. The conquest of Michael against the dragon, was,

1. Generall.

2. Speciall.

The former was, when before this time the dragon was most powerfully conquered.

1. By the death of Christ, spoyling all principalities and powers.

2. By his powerfull resurrection, thereby conquering and triumphing over sinne, death, hell, Satan, the world, the grave, &c.

3. By the powerfull preaching of the Apostles, in the conversion of the world to Christ.

4. By the profession, confession, and Martyrdome of the Apostles themselves, whereby the most potent tyrants were convicted and subdued.

p. 388This generall overthrow is not here properly meant, but a speciall victory, and overthrow of some speciall dragons that rose up afterward to waste the Church, because this is a prophesie after S. Iohns time, the proper interpretation and accomplishment whereof is plentifully cleared in Ecclesiasticall History: For,

1. What place had the dragon in the Church, when those fierce Tyrants and tygers, those imperiall dragons, Nero, Domitian, Dioclesian, Trajan, and the other who shed a sea of Christian blood to abolish the very name of Christ, were miserably destroyed and extinct by foule and fearefull deaths and destructions, and some of them, as Iulian the Apostate, being wounded to death, blasphemed, & with extreme fury cryed, with his bowels and blood in his own hands, Vicisti Galileae?

2. What place had the dragon in the Church, when noble Constantine had slaine those foure savage Tyrants and Monsters, Maximinus, Maxentius; Licinius, and Maximinian, and became the great Protector of Christian faith; and to signifie that now the dragon was overcome, not without Gods speciall Providence, he set up upon the gates of his Palace his owne picture, with a dragon lying slaine under his feet, and a Dart thrust through him, as Eusebius Euseb. in vit. Const. orat. 3.reports, which is a plaine demonstration of the accomplishment of this Prophesie?

3. What place had the dragon in the Church, when by the free preaching of the Gospell by orthodox Pastors and Bishops, the Idols and heathen gods were cast downe, their worship abolished, their Temples destroyed, Paganisme was turned into Christianisme, and Christs Kingdome grew so fast, as that it was received through the world, in the places and countries where the dragons had formerly cast it out?

p. 3894. What place had the dragon in heaven, when those innumerable droaves of Heretikes, such as Valentinus, Basilides, Manes, Marcion, Photinus, and especially Arrius, who had infected the whole world, and other most deadly enemies to Christs person, natures, and offices, were first wounded, and smitten, and condemned with the sword of the Spirit, (the hammer of heresies) and after with the hand of God upō them in miserable and wretched deaths, as Histories are plentifull in observation?

Thus have wee seene the truth of this Prophesie, when, and how the dragon and his Angels were cast out of heaven, and their place was found no more.

Quest. 4. How can it be said, that the dragons place was no more found in heaven, seeing he returnes againe and renewes his warre against the woman, vers. 13. and 17?

Answ 1. Our Saviour in Iohn 12. 31. saith, The Prince of the world is cast out, and so the death of Christ hath cast him out of possession; so as, although hee may come to claime, yet never to possesse.

2. He may come to assault the Church & molest the woman, but never to dispossesse her of her heavenly happinesse; all the dammage he brings her is but nibling at her heele, he cannot reach her head; Ioh. 14. 30 The Prince of the world came against Christ, but found nothing in him, that is, had no power, no advantage against him; and so it is in proportion with the members.

3. Hee may shew himselfe in temptations, and in raising horrible and hidious persecutions, as at this day, but without all power or hope of prevailing: He comes not to stand to it if hee bee resisted, nor to overcome in the issue, but to be overcome, and at last so fully overcome, as his place shall never bee found p. 390in heaven, nor in the Church, but shall be bound fast in chaines of blacke and hellish darknesse for ever.

Doctr. Note hence, that all the enemies of the Church shall bee finally destroyed, so as their place shall bee no more found; Iob. 20. 7. The wicked shall perish for ever like his dung, and the eye that hath seene him, shall say, where is hee? Psal. 37. 10. 36. Yet a little while and the wicked shall not bee, yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not bee; and, He flourished as a greene Bay-tree, but hee passed away, and loe hee was gone; I sought him, but he could not be found.

For why?

1. Gods curse takes hold on them; and is too Reas. 1.strong for them; Genes. 12. 3. I will curse them that curse thee. This curse cuts off,

First, their persons, Psal. 37. 38. They that are cursed of God, shall bee cut off.

Secondly, their plots, counsels, hopes, aymes, and wishes, as in the same place, The end of the wicked shall be cut off and frustrate.

Thirdly, their present jollity, even in this life; often the curse meets them in every corner, as the Angell with his sword did Balaam; so in Pharaoh, Haman, Iudas, Iulian; and almost all tyrants and heretikes came to lamentable destruction.

Fourthly, alwayes their hoped happinesse in the life to come; for as GOD hurles the wicked man out of his place in earth, so hee sends him into his own place (as is said of Iudas) that he may dwell for ever in the place of his iniquitie, Iob 8. 4.

2. Gods justice pursueth and hunteth the wicked man to destruction; let him seeke never so many muses and burrows of craft and policie to hide himselfe in, the Lords revenge followes him step by step, till it p. 391overtake him, 2 Thess. 1. 6. It is a righteous thing with God, to render tribulation to them that trouble you; Achan troubleth all Israel, and the Lord troubleth Achan, Ioshua 7. 25. the enemie makes the Saints drinke the cup of affliction, but they taste but the top, which is medicinable, but the Lords justice reserves for him the dregs and bottome of his cup of wrath for poison; they chase the Saints unjustly out of the earth with a sea of sorrow, but the Lord justly casts them out of earth and heaven, into a bottomelesse sea of everlasting wrath.

3. They must bee covered with shame that warre with Sion, Psal. 129. 5.

First, because she being Gods owne Spouse and delight, hee accounteth her cause to be his, her sufferings his, her enemies his, and cannot but out of love and jealousie avenge her quarrels, and execute vengeance on her adversaries, Deut. 32. 43.

Secondly, because her sonnes are the blessed seed: If Mordecai be the seed of the Jewes, Haman shall fall before him, and make no end of falling, Ester 6. 13.

4. The fervent and faithfull prayers of the Church are as an heavy Hatchet to knock the enemies on the head: never could any prosper still that had the prayers of the Church against them; Hezekiah prayes against Senacherib and Rabshekah, and God sends a blast on them, and shakes all their power in pieces, 2 Kings 16. 6. The like in Haman, Iudas, Iulian. If this thundring Legion come against them, they cannot Legio fulminās. Tert.stand against the showre and storme of shot, like Haile that gals them on all sides, more than all the Horsemen and Chariots, than all the Muskets and Pikes mustered against them. This was confessed by Marcus Aurelius, Emperor, to the Senate & people of Rome; the Christians by praier obtained for him a p. 392sweet showre of water, when he wanted five dayes, and a showre of Haile, and Thunder, and Lightning against the adversaries.

The Use hereof concernes both the godly, and their enemies.

1. The godly have hence a ground of patience and contentment, and learne not to envie or fret at the exaltation of wicked adversaries; consider the end, and thou shalt see no cause; see, Nahum 1. 2. and Psal. 37. 7, 10.

2. Here is comfort for the people of God, a time comes when the place of Gods enemies shall not bee found; Now they are in place, and hope to prevaile, but they cannot; for,

1. Satan, the head of the dragon, the God of peace shall tread under our feet, Rom. 16. 20.

2. For those spirituall powers which he brings against us, sin, death, hell, and damnation, they shall bee no more, their place shall not bee found, Rev. 20. 14.

3. For the world, all that is borne of God overcommeth the world, 1 Ioh. 5. 4. and it passeth away, and the fashion of it shall bee no more.

4. For wicked men and temporall enemies, as Moses said to the Israelites at the Sea, Those enemies whom your eyes hath seene to day, ye shall never see more, Exod. 14. 13. so may we say of these.

5. For Antichristian and Popish tyrants and enemies, yet a little while and they shall be found no more; in the cup shee hath filled unto us, shall be filled double; No man shall buy her wares any more, Rev. 18. 11. all her glory and wealth, (called fat and excellent things) are departing, and none shall finde them any more, vers. 14. with violence shal the great City Babylō be cast as a Milstone into the Sea, & be found no more, ver. 21, 22, 23. she p. 393hath brewed blood, & blood must bee her drinke. Our owne Babylonians began, not long since, to prate of the price of Fagots, to shew what they meditate, and that they are of the right blood of their bloody Parents; But I assure them, fire and Brimstone shall bee cheape enough, when that showre appointed fals upon that filthy Babylon, to revenge their fiery rage against the Lords servants.

Thus shal the Elect see all their foes their footstool; let us make our faith our present victory, this shall bring fruition, which is a full and finall triumph.

3. It teacheth the godly, seeing the place of wicked men shall not be found, to make sure of a stable and firme estate; and that is,

1. By repentance and reconciling our selves to God; see, Iob 11. 14. and, 22. 21.

2. By stedfastnesse in faith, and other graces; all our stability is founded in Gods covenant, as on a sure rocke; stable faith upholds the whole estate; truth of faith and grace is an impregnable hold and fortresse, but a wavering minde, in faith and religion, is restlessely tossed and carried every where by temptation or persecution from the truth.

3. By joyning in Gods worship with Gods people; Iob 22. 27. He that is a pure worshipper, that lifts his face to God, and makes his prayer and renders his vowes unto him, the light shall shine upon his wayes; when others are cast downe, he shall say, I am lifted up.

4. By uprightnesse and integritie, walking conscionably before God and man; only uprightnesse and a good conscience can bring in a sure estate; when an evill conscience rageth as the sea, a good and pure conscience hath peace, and confidence, yea assurance in life and death.

p. 394The next Use belongs to the enemies of the Use II.Church; and,

First, to terrifie them, in that they cannot chuse but worke their owne woe and wracke. The woefull condition of persecutors & enemies is, that howsoever they lift up themselves against God and his truth, they must come downe; was it not a wofull fall of Haman, when hee sought his life of Hester, whose life hee had sought?

Now this must needs be;

1. Because they fight with the Lambe, and the Lambe overcomes them, Rev. 17. 14. nay, the Lambe will never leave them till they confesse themselves overcome: Pharaoh with all his power chased Israel as a company of fearefull Hares before him, but was not he forced to yeeld the bucklers? were not his Sorcerers forced to say, This is the finger of God, Ex. 8. 19? did not himselfe beg prayers of Moses & Aaron? did not his Princes say, Let us flie frō before Israel, for God and the Lambe fights for them? Did not great Nebuchadnezzar confesse himselfe overcome, when hee cast the servants of God into the fire, but could not command the fire to burne them? when he loosed those whom he had bound, and was forced to extoll whom hee had ignominiously vilified, yea, to absolve, justifie and advance those whom hee had condemned? Iulian must say, Vicisti Galilaee.

2. Their rage and fury against the Church makes them runne headily upon their owne ruine; for it suffers them not take any good counsell, but in pursuite of their chase march furiously as Iehu, and plunge themselves into such a depth as they cannot wade out againe. Could Pharaoh get back againe, when himselfe, his Princes, power and Chariots were in the bottome of the Sea? now hee found hee was too p. 395deepe, and hee that found a way in, could finde no way out; had hee consulted with himselfe, hee might well have thought, that God made that not a way for him, but for Israel, whose businesse lay beyond Sea. Could Haman get backe againe, when hee had laid that wicked plot, without breaking his owne necke? Could Iudas, having betrayed innocent blood, get backe againe without shedding his owne?

3. Their instance and furious pursuit of their purposes carry them so farre, that commonly nothing can be the deliverance of the Church, but their owne destruction, as in the former examples of Pharaoh and Haman. The like we might observe in that fierce intended invasion of 88. and the same in the Hellish Powder-plot, wherein the godly came out of trouble, and the wicked came in his stead. Thus saith Salomon, The wicked shall bee a ransome for the just, and the transgressors for the righteous, Prov. 21. 18. Such is the irreconciliable rage of wicked men, as having the godly at advantage, no ransome will be taken, and they have no ransome if it would be taken; but the Lord provides a ransome for him, the enemy himself shal pay his ransom, himselfe shall suffer for him, he shall sinke and perish, that the other escape: Herod seekes the Babes life, his owne life shall ransome it, and that the Babe may escape, he shal die that sought the Babes life.

4. The pride of wicked enemies must needs give them a fearefull fall: For, if for the humiliation and scourge of the Church, God suffers him to prevaile a while, the more he prospers in his way, the more he provokes God, and prides himselfe against him, till hee be at the height, fit to bee taken downe. Rabshakeh, because the gods of the Nations could not deliver the people out of his hands, growes to high blasphemie against the God of heaven, Psal. 73. 6, 9. Pride p. 396compasseth them as a chaine, and then they talke presumptuously, and set their mouth against heaven; so doe Papists at this day.

5. As his seed time is, so is his harvest like to bee. As a man sowes, so shall he reape; he is ever sowing iniquitie, and cannot but reape affliction. Prov. 22. 8. his owne wickednesse takes him by the heele; as hee brewes sorrow, so must he drinke; hee drinkes deepe of the cup of sinne, and must drinke deepe of the cup of vengeance: according to his conception, so is the birth like to bee; he hath conceived mischiefe, and must bring forth wrath; his sorrowes are comming on him, as on a woman in travell, as certain, as sharpe, but hopelesse and desperate.

Object. The enemies have a wealthy and flourishing estate.

Answ. 1. All they have is from the wrath of God, and shall in wrath be snatched away from them, so that their place which knew them, shall know them no more.

2. Riches shall not availe in the day of wrath, nor can deliver from death, Prov. 11. 4. However our adversaries would blinde their Proselytes, they shal know, that wealth can never buy heaven, nor release from hell, nor Purgatory the next chamber to it, as idle Monkes have dreamed.

Ob. But they are strong and potent, and prevaile.

Answ. 1. They may prevaile for a time, but shall not escape.

2. It is enough, they deceive themselves with a conceit of stability and sure footing, but let not us be deceived for company, but looke into the Scriptures we shall see, that nothing is more vaine than a wicked mans prosperitie, Psal. 37. 2. they are soone cut downe, and wither as grasse; there is a little flourish, but no stability,; if the flower bee not cut downe, it p. 397withers of it selfe; and verse 20. They shall be consumed as the fat of Lambes, offred in daily sacrifice, which no sooner came to the fire of the Altar, but it melted and vanished into smoake; so are these; and how thē are they stable? shal we compare their vain and unstable stability with any thing more vaine? Psa. 1. 4. see him compared to chaffe:

1. Nothing is more vile than chaffe, it is good for nothing, so is nothing more vile than a wicked enemie of God and his Church.

2. Nothing more vaine, so nothing more light than a wicked man, hee is lighter than vanity, and can hold no waight, Psal. 62. 10. let him be waighed as Baltasar, he will be found too light, and the heavier he is with sinne, the lighter hee is to God.

3. Nothing is sooner blowne away than chaffe, nor nothing more easie to bee blowne away out of his place than a wicked man; they may shew like Mountaines but are but heapes of chaffe; they may seeme like rocks for firmnesse and stability, but wanting solidity before God, have no stablishment; David did but looke off them, and they were gone, and their place not found.

Object. But they continue long in their fiercenesse against the Church, and we cannot hope of any issue or end of their malice.

Ans. For the time of Gods patience they are still, but whē that is expired, they are hurled away out of their places as chaffe lyes still unmoved in a calme season, till a strong winde arise, and then it is seene no more; so wicked men, who are chaffe, may be still till the wrath of God, as a storme or whirlewinde, arise and carry them quite away; see, Hos. 13. 3.

Againe, though the Lord seeme silent, while hee doth not teare them in peeces like a Lyon, yet hee Hos. 5. 12. 14.Hos 5:12Hos 5:14doth alwayes, as a moth, consume them: when his p. 398wrath blazeth not out in flames at once, to burne up these thornes, yet it feeds on them, as fire on fewell, and moulders them away insensibly.

Object. They have many faire pretenses for their practises; they intend the advancement of religion, the setting up of the ancient Catholike faith, the suppressing of heretikes, the blowing up these apostates and heretikes, with whom no faith is to bee kept.

Ans. Iezabel may for a time cover her cruelty, with pretext of piety and religion, 1 King. 21. but God will ere long shew, that piety shall be no cloke to villany and murder.

Secondly, let this provoke the enemies to some moderation toward the people of God; if not for love of grace in them, yet for love of themselves: hee that would not goe under continuall expectation of sudden ruine, let him cease his enmity against the people of God; nothing in the world can save a wicked man from being cast away in his malice: cast not downe thy countenance on them, as Cain, who was therefore cast out of his fathers house; raise not false reports against them, nor receive any: invent not words against them, as did Davids enemies: Haman was hanged on his owne gallowes, for such inventions and suggestions against Israel; Afflict them not by word or deed, by fraud or force, for this is a token of perdition. 2 Thess. 1.

For the notes of a man whose place shall not bee found, but hastening his ruine;Notes of one whose place shall not bee found.

First, one in the Text; hee that is a plotter against Christ the Head, or against his Members, runnes upon the point of this heavy curse; Iudas plots against Christ, and presently his place was not found, hee went to his owne place, Act. 1. 25. the Jewes plotted against Christ, and the Romans came and p. 399tooke away their place and Nation; The Nation or Esa. 60. 12.Isa 60:12kingdom that wil not serve thee, shal perish; so he that cōtrives against the members of Christ, hasteneth his own ruine: God gives such over to run riot, that every one may see the end of their way. Saul when he hunts David, and had set an envious eye upon him, and watched him mischief, that all Davids piety, and wisedome, and innocency cannot prevaile, but hee bolts on; GOD gives him up to runne to witches, which himselfe had condemned, that all might see God gone from him: Even so, when men contrive against Gods servants, against their owne consciences, and their owne protestations, as Saul did to David, & make grace and innocency their Butt to shoot at, and as much hope to make a league with hell, as with them, God gives them up to hatefull things, condemned by themselves, to drunkennesse, filthines, usury, base and shamefull courses, that their name stinkes as a Candle sluttishly put out, not after, but before they are put out, that all men may see them cast out of their place & parts before hand: and if the wicked servants talēt be taken from him, what remaines but the other part of the sentence, Cast him into utter darknesse, Mat. 25. 30.

2. Another note of a man whose place shall not bee found, is hee is one whose place is not found amongst Gods people in his House and ordinances. Cain, as vile as hee was, being cast out from the presence of God, complaines of a miserable case; many outcasts now wilfully excommunicate themselves, and please themselves in it: their owne hatred of grace hath cast them out from Gods people and worship already; Gods house hath already spewed them out, as unworthy of the fellowship of Gods people; and whither are they hastening? hee that will not abide to have his place found amongst Gods people, p. 400shall one day have his wish, his place shall never bee found among them.

Thirdly, a man blowne about as chaffe and dust already, shall never have a stable estate hereafter; as;

I. If any bee carried with every blast of false doctrine, as unrooted & unsetled in the faith; never was there change of religion, but Satan raised false teachers and seducers, who did privily bring in damnable heresies, such as Iannes and Iambres, that resisted the truth, and carryed away numbers from the truth, themselves first carryed away by the deceit of Balaams wages; beware of such Popish Pedlers, that helpe to sell the people of God into the hands of the cursed Babylonians; Ieremie describes such,

1. They cast aside the Word of God, and deliver their owne dreames, chaffe instead of wheare; they bend and straine their wits to looke out vaine and foolish things, causes of banishment, Lam. 2, 14.

2. They are described by their intolerable & Iesuiticall lying, fathering that upon the Lord w^ch the Lord never spake: where doth the Lord in al… the Scripture enveigh against the powerfull & frequēt preaching of his holy word? Shall we beleeve he speaks from God, who cryes out of too much Preaching? I must beleeve, that his eyes are sore or bleared, who cries out of light; how can a Torch-light be welcome to a company of theeves or robbers? how can the light of the word be welcome to Atheists, Papists, and Iesuiticall spirits, who would robbe the Church of the word of salvation?

3. They are described by hucksterly blending the wine of Gods word, with the puddle-water of humane inventions; watch them, and disclaime them that would sow our field with the miscelen of Popery, who, like their Jesuiticall friends, with one wipe will cast out all the reformed Churches from being p. 401the true Churches of God, with whom wee have joyned as sisters, ever since the restoring of the Gospell, as in the harmony of Confessions appeareth, with another, overthrow the better halfe of the fourth Commandement, as their friends cast out the whole second Commandement, and (as like the Jesuites as may bee) cast dirt and foame upon the faithfull, able, and zealous Preachers, because they see them stand in their light, as the greatest opposites to their Popish projects.

Well, for giving heed to such deceitfull Prophets, the Lord threatneth Ierusalem to wipe her as a maid wipes a dish. If we would not be cast out of our places & Churches, let us beware of such locusts, whose property is, to eate up every greene thing, Rev. 9. 4. especially beware of the delusiō of Antichrist, who is that beast that must goe into destruction, and the King of these Locusts; for how shall they that adhere to him, stand, or bee found in their place, when his place shall not be found?

II. The like of one who is carryed away with the blasts of temptation, from sinne to sinne, having no stedfastnesse in a good course: None can bee established by iniquity.

III. The like of them that are carryed away with Apostasie, from good beginnings, without constancy in their hearts, or mouthes, or good actions; such withered leaves are blowne away with windes, Psal. 1. And,

IIII. Of them that runne after the world, setting their hope and heart on earthly things; for how can such a ones place be found, when earth and heaven flies away, and their place found no more, Revel. 20 11. when all Ilands and Mountaines shall not bee found, Rev. 16. 20?

p. 402Vers. 9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devill and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; hee was cast out into the earth, and his Angels were cast out with him.

This Verseis a large confirmation or interpretation of the former, and in it are foure parts.

I. A large description of the party overthrowne, the grand enemie of the woman, and that by two arguments.

1. His names and titles, which are foure;

1. The great dragon.

2. That old serpent.

3. The devill.

4. Satan.

2. His effect, he deceiveth the whole world.

II. The manner of his overthrow, He was cast, not downe, but out.

III. The place designed whither he was cast, into the earth.

IIII. His company and associates in this overthrow, and his Angels with him.

First of the description.

Quest. Why is the Spirit of God so large in it?

Answ. 1. That we should not mistake the enemie overthrowne, and conceive of any naturall or physicall dragon in proper sense.

2. That wee should not doubt of the truth of the overthrow.

For the meaning of the names.

I. The great dragon is the arch-enemie of mankinde; 1. Name.who had in all ages, by his instruments, oppressed and outragiously wasted the Church, but especially (as wee have seene in this Text) by the great and prophane power of the old Romane and imperiall dragons, in whom he had ruled at his will, p. 403tyrannized over the woman, spreading & upholding all Idolatry, blasphemy, heresies: and plotting, dēvising, and executing all injustice, tyranny, and barbarous immanity against her; this dragon is now cast out; of whom, and his greatnesse wee have spoken at large, verse 3. and will neither repeate nor add to that discourse.

II. The Title is, The old Serpent: where,

1. His nature,2. Name. The devill a serpent, why.

2. His adjunct.

His nature, he is a serpent.

First, because hee hid and covered himselfe in the serpent, in his first stratageme against our first Parents.

Secondly, because of his serpentine disposition, in two things:

1. His poyson and malice, both in the fountaine and streams; for in his owne nature his poyson is alwayes ready, as in a fountain; and in his effects it runneth incessantly, as in full streames; first and principally, against Christ the Head of the Church, and then against all the members for the Heads sake.

His speciall hatred is against Christ: for as the serpent carries a most deadly antipathic and fight against the Hart or Hinde, so this serpent against Christ, who is aijeleth hashahar, the hart or hinde of the morning, Psal. 22. 1. and Cant. 2. 9. My beloved is like a roe or young hart; Christ is lovely, as the Hart, swift to save his Church, as the Hart, Can. 2. 17. beset with dogs as the Hart; Psa. 22. 16. Dogs have compassed mee, that is, Jewes and other hellish Beagles: And finally, here hee is at warre with the serpent, as the Heart.

But this serpent spets out poyson, to kill and poyson to death every man and woman, as well as Christ, as indeed hee hath slaine every childe of Adam.

p. 4042. His other quality is, serpentine insinuation and winding, by his slie flattery and subtilty, by which, as he did drive our first Parents & us out of the earthly Paradise, so he never ceaseth to hinder us also of the heavenly Paradise; this he doth especially by deceitfulnesse of sinne, Heb. 3. 13. winding himselfe into our hearts by degrees, till hee bring us first to act sinne, then to affect it, then to bring acts to habits, to to a law unresistible, and to a nature.

3. Againe, the devill is called a serpent, for his serpentine and cursed condition; The serpent is accursed of God above all beasts of the field, Gen. 3. 14. so is the devill and his Angels above all creatures: The curse reacheth the serpent, both in his habitation and sustentation; he dwels in thornes and bushes, there hee lurkes and hides himselfe; so the devill in the thickets of sinnes, lusts, and hatefull deeds, flying the light: the serpent feeds on earth and cursed dust, so doe the devils on earthly-minded and carnall men, who lie under the curse of GOD, carelesse of the blessing.

The adjunct of this serpent followes, an old serpent.

1. Because himselfe hath beene of the same antiquity with the beginning of the world, who, of old, even then cast us from our happinesse.

2. Because his malice is not new-conceived, but inveterate, as ancient as the world, and therefore no hope of truce or reconciliation.

3. He excels, not onelyonly in naturall subtilty, but by his experience, ever since man was on earth, is growne wonderfull deepe and cunning, like an old beaten souldier, trained in manifold crafts, and mischievous stratagems, so his craft is redoubled by his age and experience.

III. The third title or name, is, The devill, for p. 4053. Name.crimination, accusation, and calumniation: Hee is that egregious calumniator, whose incessant delight and practice is, in accusing and calumniating.

1. God to man, of envy, injustice, or the like unkinde affections, as, Gen. 3. 3. God knowes your eyes will bee opened.

2. Man to God, in good, that it is done in hypocrisie, as, Doth Iob serve God for nought? in evill, that man is guilty of that sinne which himselfe drew on. But of this Title, more in the next verse.

IIII. The fourth title is, Satan, for his hostility 4. Name.and enmity.

He is an adversary, and opposite,

1. To God.

2. To good men.

3. To good actiōs

I. To God.

1. In his decrees and good purposes of restoring the Elect unto eternall life, by Jesus Christ, by all meanes striving to frustrate them, though all in vaine, for the counsell of the Lord shall stand.

2. In all the meanes appointed for the execution of those decrees, as, the word and truth of God, which hee laboureth to turne into a lie, Gen. 3. 5. Yee shall not surely dye; by which hee brought in sinne upon us: he hates that as the sentence of his damnation; so hee hindreth the preaching and publishing of it, as in Paul and the Apostles, 1 Thess. 2. 18. He sends his Ministers impudently to disgrace the holy preaching of the word, and to cast downe, if they could, all exercises of religion, publike and private. For the graces of faith, love, holinesse, wrought by the word, in which are the beginnings of salvation, he hates and resists them, and disgraceth them, as most contrary to himselfe, being an uncleane spirit: I have heard many of his Agents openly revile the grace of GOD, and disgrace holinesse in hatefull p. 406termes, but none of them but apparently foule and uncleane beasts in one kinde or other, and how can contraries but fight?

II. To all good men he is an adversary, because of Gods Image and way; they have Gods Image and superscription upon them, and so of a contrary kingdome: And hee, who, while wee were in our owne way, or the way of the world, never resisted us (for then wee were going downe into Aegypt) now if wee be in Gods way, and set out toward Canaan, never ceaseth his resistance.

III. He is also an adversary to all good things and actions; he watcheth to slay all good motions in the wombe, that they shall no sooner bee conceived, than abortive: he is an adversarie to each good action, either to hinder it (if hee can) by hindring us from attempting good or atchieving it, by hindring us from feeling the sweetnesse of godlinesse, so as having no pleasure in it, it may goe on heavily; by making us fickle, unconstant, soone weary, and then all is lost: or if he cannot hinder, to corrupt, and deprave it, that though he cannot make it evill, hee may make it seeme so to bee.

By all this description the Spirit of God would Use. I.have us become wise, to take knowledge of our enemy, and make our owne profitable use of this discovery, especially that we should never compact with such an adversary. In his temptations to sinne, hee comes in the habit of a friend and loving Counsellor, but is indeed a dragon, and therefore fierce, and a winged dragon, swift to shed blood: Oh that wee could thinke, while he is intising us to sinne, that we have to doe with a serpent, who hath a naturall enmity against us, and this antipathy, set by God, admits no reconcilement: and not a serpent onelyonly, but an accuser of us to God, for that which himselfe intised p. 407us unto! In his disswasives from good, pretending our peace, ease, credit, or whatsoever commodity; happy it were, could we say, Come behinde mee Satan; this is nothing but the voice of an adversary resisting mee, to hinder both the worke and wages.