Exposition of Revelation 13, Part 3
Revel. 13. 3.
And I ſaw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondered after the Beaſt.
IN theſe words is deſcribed the variation of the ſtate of the Beaſt in reſpect of one of his heads.
1. John ſaw it as it were wounded to death, and all men thought it unrecoverable; that is one State.
2. A State of recovery, His deadly wound was healed.
3. The effects of this healing
1. The worlds admiration after the Beaſt.
2. Their worſhip both of the Dragon & the Beaſt.
For a little opening of the words.
I ſaw one of his heads.] You heard before that the Beaſt had ſeven heads: Now as the Scribes asked Chriſt concerning the woman that had ſeven Husbands, whoſe wife ſhall ſhe be of the ſeven? So here is a Beaſt hath ſeven heads, and one is wounded, which of the ſeven muſt it be? To this the Apoſtle John tells us, Chap. 17. That five of them were gone; they had been, but were not now, and theſe are the ſeven governments of the Roman State: Theſe five had been Kings and Conſuls, Decemviers, Dictators, Tribunes. The ſixth yet was, and that was the Caeſars, the Roman Emperours they were the ſixth head, whether Chriſtian or Pagan, it differs not much the ſtate of the Government, for they were all governed by Roman Laws, under one head or other. Now therefore what is this that is here ſpoken of, One of his heads were as it were wounded to death? was it the Roman Emperour, whether Pagan or Chriſtian? you heard reaſons before why it could not be Pagan, nor indeed Chriſtian Rome.
1. That head was crowned, but this hath no Crown; All the ſeven heads were crowned, they governed and exerciſed their Adminiſtrations in the world, Rev. 12. …. But here theſe heads are not crowned, but the Crowns are upon the Horns.
2. Neither can it be they, becauſe of this wound upon this head, The Roman Chriſtian Emperours they never chalenged to themſelves Head-ſhip over the Church of Rome. Conſtantine doth utterly abandon it; He profeſſeth he ought to be judged by them, and not they by him. And Theodoſius doth ſubmit himſelfe to Ambroſe cenſure, and doth not exerciſe any Head-ſhip over the Church: It was not therefore the Emperours, for they were not heads of the Church.
3. It is ſaid, the wound here given, was healed, to the admiration of the world: Now certaine it is, the wound given by the Goths and Vandalls, it was never healed to this day: but the Eaſtern part was ſwallowed up by the Turk. And for the Emperors of the Weſt, Charles the great, and his Succeſſors, though they healed a branch of it, yet it was far off from healing the wound of the Roman Empire, thoſe wounds have decayed, and fall ſhort of that which was the admiration of the Nations: Nor was it the healing of this wound from the firſt time it was given, that was the admiration of the world. Therefore it muſt be ſome head that was ſo wounded, as all the world wondered at it, and were captive to it; You heard it was not the Roman Chriſtian Emperors, it muſt be him that claimes to be head over all the Churches, and who is that but Pontifex maximus? It was that which Theodoſias abhor'd, he thought it an unworthy ſtyle for a Chriſtian Emperour to be accounted the great high Prieſt of the Church; but what he laid down, they willingly took up, to be accounted the great Paſtor of the Church, and therefore he is the head of the Church: For if it be neither Pagan nor Chriſtian Emperours, it muſt be the government that ſucceeded them, they were the ſixth, and hee is the ſeventh: It is the ſeventh head that was thus wounded, and whoſe wound was afterward healed.
Qu. 2. Now a ſecond Queſtion will be, If he be the ſeventh head, the head of the Church of Rome; If he be this head, then when was he wounded?
Anſw: When the Goths and Vandalls, and Hunnes, and other barbarous Nations overwhelmed Italy, and the weſtern parts.
1. Alaricus about the yeare 415. took Rome; a…d I remember in a Treatiſe of Hierom (ſaith he) The government which then was left of the Church before, was wholly taken away, as if a man were beheaded, and yet it fell after into worſe calamity.
2. It was after taken againe by Adulphus, who thought to change the name of it, and call it Gothia.
3. It was taken againe by Genſericus Vandalus.
4. Odoacer Rugionus reigned in it fourteen years.
5. After him, Theodoricus King of the Goths having ſlaine him, his Succeſſor Totilas deſtroyed it, and brought it to ſuch deſolation, that there was neither man, woman, nor child ſeen in it for forty dayes. Now this was ſuch a wound, that all the Biſhops in the world that were wont to give homage to him, they now began to neglect his Head-ſhip, that was but a ſervant at home: They deſpiſed him, to be the head of the Church, that was a ſervant to Barbarians; Inſomuch, that the Biſhop of Revenna, he challengeth univerſall Supremacy, he takes indignation at him, that he will be Lord Paramount: But ſo great was the wound, that indeed the Roman Biſhop was utterly diſcouraged, and this continued for 140. yeares together; and though he would have uſed many meanes for his cure, and have called in help from the Emperor of Greece, yet he was not willing to help him, for they had fallen out before about worſhipping of Images; he was conſtant for Images, the other was againſt them, and ſo he might ſinke or ſwim for them; ſo his wound ſeemed incurable.
Queſt: 3. When was this wound cured, and how?
Anſw: By degrees.
1. In the yeare 555. the Lord ſtirred up Juſtinian, who by his Generalls, Beliſarius and Morſes, drove and deſtroyed the Goths out of Italy.
2. By Juſtinians novell Conſtitutions, we decree according to the Canons of the holy Councels, the moſt holy Biſhop of old Rome to be the firſt (or to have the Primacy) of all Prieſts.
3. Phocas the Parricide about fifty yeares after, about the yeare 606. healed up the wound, granting to Boniface the third, that he ſhould be univerſall Biſhop, not only the firſt in order, but in honour alſo, and that all the whole world ſhould be his Dioceſſe: And this was the healing of his Head, which was ſo perfectly cured, that all the world wondered at the preſervation of the head of this Church, and began by degrees more and more to adore both the Church, and the Head of it.
Obj. There is an Objection made againſt this expoſition; That by this means the Biſhop of Rome ſhould be healed before he be a head of Beaſt, for this was his headſhip when he was allowed to be chief Lord over all the Churches, and all the reſt to be under him; and the Pope was not this head till the Act of Phocas.
Anſw. I anſwer, He had not the peaceable poſſeſſion of this Headſhip till this time, but yet it is evident in ſtory that he did claim this ſupremacy before, he ſought it ambitiouſly, and it was given him by the devotion of many Biſhops, and Churches, and Nations, it was uſually rendred to him long before that time. Socrates ſaith, that Ballo the Pope had broken forth into the Government over the Churches: And Bellarmine himſelfe confeſſeth (when he is put to it) that the Biſhop of Rome would never goe to any Conſultation in the Eaſt, but ſent his Legat; for ſaith he, it is not meet the head ſhould follow the members: A ſecond reaſon he gives, the Emperor (ſaith he) is at leaſt Vice-gerent of the Eaſt, he well may have the materiall Seat that was taken up by the Emperors, where ſhall the Biſhop of Rome ſit then? and this he gathers out of ſome of their writings: So that it is evident, that he did ambitiouſly deſire it, and the manner was (being elderly men) all his beloved and dear children they call him Father, and ſo he takes in good part all their honorable Titles, and he deſtributes to them ſuch parcells of reſpect, as may ſtand with his own Sumpremacy, and their ſubjection, and therefore they need not ſay, The wounded head was healed before he was a head of the Beaſt, for it was in conception long before. He did from Conſtantines time ſeek Supremacy: They confeſſe, little reſpect was had to him in Conſtantines time; But when order was ſet in Churches, he took all advantages for his exaltation, and did take all appeals from others, that what others did to him in reſpect of his gravity, & learning, and underſtanding, he takes as done to him as ſitting in Peters Chaire, and ſo did challenge headſhip in thoſe times, and they thought it was meet to give it; And after this, he was ratified, and confirmed, and eſtabliſhed in peace, then was his wound healed.
Come we then to gather a note or two from the word; The firſt note you may obſerve is this.
The ambition and arrogancy of Church Officers clayming headſhip over the Church of Chriſt,Doctr. 1. the Lord plagues it with a mortall wound, and cruſheth it even to the death.
I gather it out of theſe words, I ſaw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; It was one of the heads of the Catholick Church; As the body was a Monſter, ſo was the head; to ſet a head over ſuch a vaſt body it was a Monſter in Gods ſight: The Lord wil not ſuffer him to go on in this ambitious deſigne, but will meet him as he did Balaam, when he cruſhed his foot againſt the wall, and if he had gone on, he had ſleine him, Numb. 22. 32, 33. So doth the Lord here meet the Biſhop of Rome; if he will be the head of the viſible Church, and animate ſuch a Body, what will the Lord doe? He will wound him to death, and ſlay him, and cruſh his ſpirituall arrogancy, that under pretence of Vicarſhip to Chriſt, will yet be the Lord of the Church.
The Reaſon of the point is,
From the diſhonour put upon Chriſt,Reaſon 1. to take the headſhip from him to whom it belongeth. This honour to be the head of the Church is the proper right of the Lord Jeſus: It is his, Firſt by gui…t from the Father, Epheſ. 1. 22. To be head ever all things to the Church: and Col. 1. …8. He is the head of the body the Church. Secondly, it is his by Purchaſe: He gave himſelfe to death, even the death of the Croſſe; and God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, Phil. 2. 8, 9. He dyed and roſe again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living, Rom. 14. 9. So that now when the Lord hath this headſhip of the Church granted him, and alſo hath purchaſed it by his own death; now for another to claym headſhip, it muſt needs imply, either that the head is a non-reſident, or elſe thruſt out of his headſhip, he doth adminiſter. And though the Lord be not preſent in body, yet in his ſpirituall preſence, he is as truely preſent, and more effectually then any that can be deviſed. And therefore in regard of injury done to Chriſt, which the Lord will not bear, he will therefore cruſh, and wound ſuch heads.
2dly,Reaſon 2. From the ſacrilegious injury put upon the Church: It is an uſurpation of all power from the Church, that if a Catholick Church be met, they will give power and Lawes to other Churches, and look what the ſecond Beaſt doth, he adminiſters all the power of the firſt Beaſt; Look what power is given to the Catholick Church, that doth the Biſhop of Rome incorporate to himſelf, and he cauſeth an Image of that Church to be made in Provinciall Nations; which when they have taken hold, like a Bears claws, they will not eaſily be rooted out: Now this is ſuch injurous uſurpation, that from that day to this, they have never been free; That where the Pope hath had to doe, the Churches are ſpoiled of the authority that is given to them by Chriſt; And therefore you muſt not wonder if the Lord wound the head of ſuch as goe on in their wickedneſſe, Pſal. 68. 20, 21. The jealouſie of the Lord riſeth againſt ſuch uſurpations: For a viſible Catholick Church to be ſet over the world, who may make Lawes to rule conſcience, and make Officers for the ordering of all Churches; It is ſuch a Monſter, and the Government of it is ſo odious in the ſight of God, that he wounds it to death.
For the uſe of the point,Ʋſe 1. It may ſerve to provoke us all to pray heartily, and faithfully, for the repreſſing of all ſuch heads as either the Biſhop of Rome is, or any Images of him whatſoever they be. You read of a little horn in Daniel, whoſe root was ſtubbed up; wherever you read of any horns that will uſurpe power over the Church, look at it (as it is) abominable to Chriſt, it provokes the ſpirit of Chriſt, Soveraign Authority is his: If the Lord be ſet upon the hill of Sion, he will wound the Biſhop of Rome, or any that ſhall take his Image; He will give them a deadly blow, eſpecially when they are more arrogant, then his Indignation ariſeth againſt them, to execute judgement on ſuch. The headſhip of the Church is a ſingular priviledge to the Lord Jeſus, and incompitable to any: They muſt either take Chriſts office out of his hands, or think him negligent, or non-reſident, and that he doth not ſufficiently diſcharge his headſhip, and therefore they will uſurpe an office in his name, but that is abominable to Chriſt.
Obj. But you will ſay, So wee ſhall pluck the Crowne off from the heads of Chriſtian Princes, for they challenge that ſtile to be head of the Church.
Anſw. I doe not know any Chriſtian Prince that chalengeth that ſtile. That which was ſometimes given to Saul, may be given to Princes, 1 Sam. 15. 17. When thou waſt little in thine eyes, waſt thou not made the head of the Tribes of Iſrael? That is true, and ſo the King is head of all the Peeres, and head of all the Shires, and the Churches are in ſome or other of them, that is,
1. They have power over the Church in all civill matters.
2. And I will ſay thus much, that they have power to redreſſe and reforme inordinate abuſes in the Church, provoking Church officers to doe it; If they doe not, other Churches are to treat with them; and if their corruptions be prejudicial either to the doctrine of the Goſpell, or if they degenerate to any Tyranny, they are to look to redreſſe ſuch things, but this gives them not headſhip over the Church; over their perſons it doth, but not over the Church, that is,
1. They have no power either to call Church-officers, or to depoſe them.
2. They have no power to diſpence Church-cenſures.
3. They have no power to ſuſpend Church liberties.
4. They have no power to appoint Church-ordinances; nor power to adminiſter any matter further then any other member of the Church: and this did the Church of England acknowledge, and no more then this was due: Therefore we allow ſome power and authority to Princes, and Magiſtrates, in the ſence ſpoken of; If they claime any further, it will ſo kindle the jealouſie of the Lord, that the Lord wil certainly wound it to the cracking of the Crowns of all that take it upon them: which may be a notable warning to all Church-men (I mean Church officers) to beware of cleeking into their hands the power which God hath not given them; the Lord will wound their heads, he will not endure it, 'tis a priviledge that he hath purchaſed with his owne bloud. I think there is no need here to preſſe it; but this let me ſay, it is a juſt motive to pray the more ardently, and faithfully for the cruſhing of ſuch heads, wherever the Lord findes any arrogant head, that any Church-officer will undertake to give Lawes to the Churches in their dioceſſe, that they will put Officers upon them, that they will ſuſpend them at their pleaſure, and put in, and put out, whether the Church will or no; This kinde of inſolency in ſuch a ſtate, let it look for a wound, for a wound it ſhall have. And therefore, we are the more encouraged to pray for, and to look for deliverance from theſe Heads; for John tells us, 1 John 5. 14. that if we aske any thing according to his will, he heareth us; And this is according to the will of God, that all ambitious heads be wounded: What he hath done he will doe, There is no new thing under the Sun; he ſpares, and changes, and wounds in every change: Perſons are changed, but Gods adminiſtrations are one and the ſame: If Gods indignation have been ardently kindled againſt the Biſhop of Rome, he will certainly viſite ſuch powers as take upon them to put doctrine upon the Church; to take away Church liberties; and ſometimes to ſcater one Church from another, the Lord will certainly viſit it, we may pray for it, and comfortably expect it.
The next note is this;
That though God doe wound and cruſh,Doctr. 2. and repreſſe the arrogance of Church officers, affecting headſhip over all Churches for a time, yet he doth ſometimes again heal their wounds, and binde up their breaches, and give free paſſage to their ambitious deſignes.
This is evident here, I ſaw one of his heads, as it were wounded to death (and you have heard when, and how) and yet, which is wonderfull, His deadly wound was healed, and that to the admiration of all the world; And all the world wondred after the Beaſt, to ſee a wound ſo really and perfectly healed: when this Church was wounded, afterwards the Pope was perfectly recovered, but the wound of Caeſars head was left bleeding, both in the Eaſt and Weſt. This head muſt therefore be the ſpirituall head of Rome: God though he repreſſe ſome inſolency, yet he doth many times give free paſſage to their deſignes at length. He did ſo with Balaam, he met with him in the way, and had not the Aſſe hindred, certainly he had ſlain him, Numb. 22. 32. Becauſe thy way was perverſe before me, ſaith God: Balaak had ſent him word, that if he would come and curſe the people that were come out of Aegypt, that he would give him this, and that; he ſaw he had an eye to theſe outward things; The Lord ſeeing his way perverſe, he would have killed him; but yet at length in v. 35. The Angell of the Lord ſaid unto Balaam, if it be thy minde to go, I will give thee leave, go with the men, but onelyonly the word that I ſhall ſpeak unto thee, that thou ſhalt ſpeak; And when he comes, he doth bleſſe the people to the Indignation of the King of Moab; but afterwards when Balaam ſaw that he ſhould looſe all that he came for; come, ſaith he to the King, take ſome courſe to invite the Gallants of Iſrael to a feaſt (and it was an Idolatrous feaſt to the honour of Baal Peor) and ſo the anger of the Lord was kindled againſt Iſrael, and there were foure and twenty thouſand dyed of the Plague, and at length Balaam was ſlaine alſo: But yet you ſee, he gives way to his coveteous deſignes, to ſatisfie himſelfe to the full, though he afterward viſited his Sinne upon him. So did the Lord here with the Biſhop of Rome; he wounded him as it were to death, and afterwards he heals him, and raiſeth him up again, and ſent Juſtinian to deſtroy the Goths out of Italy; and he being a wiſe man, gives him his Titles, and makes him Biſhop of Biſhops, inſpector over all the reſt, and perfectly cures him; That whereas before he had loſt his Titles, and one or other wrote againſt him; the Emperor being loath to make their own Arch-Biſhop (that lived in their City with them) chief, for diſturbing their civill Government; They had rather conferre all that honour upon him that had been ſo admired & worſhiped for ſo many years, eſpecially having had 32 M…naſteries, & had been more Orthodoxall then all other Churches: Theſe were great inducements to give all honour to the Pope, though they ſaw him deſperately wounded; but when they ſee him recovered, they wonder at him, and every one ſubmits to him, eſpecially the Weſtern parts; though they in the Eaſt alſo would conſult with him, and be led and guided by him, and all their decrees in counſell were referred to him; if he did diſlike them, they were antequated; if he did approve them, they were received as Authenticall Lawes of the Church.
You may aske, why the Lord would heal ſuch an abominable and ugly Beaſt, this viſible Catholick Church, and this Beaſt that was one of the heads of this Church; for he had a beaſtly ſhape; take him alone without the other Beaſt, and take them together, here is a great Beaſt; afterwards he is called in Chap. 17. the great whore, and ſhe ſits upon this Beaſt, and he hath all his ſupportance from her; he reſtores the Church, and the head of the Beaſt to that ſtate they were in before; The reaſon why God doth this is double.
Firſt,Reaſon 1. in regard of his juſt diſpleaſure againſt the backſliding apoſtacies of the Church in ſuch times: When the Lord ſees the ſpirits of men are bent to apoſtacy and backſliding, ſo as that they reject the ſimplicity of the Goſpell of Chriſt, and if they might have it they will not; now it is a righteous thing with God to plague them with the arrogance & tyranny of Antichriſt: If I come in my Fathers name, you will not receive me; if another come in his own name, him you will receive; Now it is a juſt judgement of God, if Chriſt come and offer himſelf in the ſimplicity of his Ordinances, and they think this is too mean, and doth not reach the ſtate of an Imperiall City, but they muſt have ſuch and ſuch orders in all Churches, and Churches muſt be diſtinguiſhed by ſuch Patrons, and it is fit that one be Lord Paramount over them all, and none is ſo fit as the Biſhop of Rome; If people dote upon ſuch (ſome goodly ſhape, but drawn by the inventions of men) well you ſhall have ſuch Biſhops: This head that ſometimes hath been thus wounded, that ſome have had cauſe of ſolemn praiſe for his wounding, and God hath by this means given the Churches liberty to take ſome better way of worſhip, but they would not, well you ſhall have enough of him. It is one of Solomons Proverbs, (Chap. 14. 14.) the Backslider in heart ſhall be filled with his own wayes; If you dote after inventions of men, you ſhall be filled with vain Superſtition to the contentment of your own hearts. God out of his tender faithfulneſſe to his Church he will redeem ſome, and doth give them faire opportunities to undertake their own liberties out of the uſurpations of men; but if they will rather ſit under the ſhadow of Aegypt, then feed upon Manna, then goe you back again ſaith God, none of you ſhall eat of that which I have prepared, that is one Reaſon; Such backſliders that delight in ſuch communion in ſuch heads over their Churches, it is juſt with God to fill them with their own inventions.
The ſecond Reaſon is taken from the juſt judgement of God upon ſuch kinde of heads,Reaſon 2. that doe affect ſuch ambition; the Lord will ſhew them this favour, he will croſſe them as he did Balaam; but if their hearts be bent to go on in their miſchevous courſe, he gives them leave to fulfill their own luſts to their own perdition; And thus he did Balaam, he gave him leave not onelyonly to bleſſe the people, but to draw them aſide from God; for he could not have taken a more ready courſe to have caſt them out of Gods favour, then to draw them to offer Sacrafice to Baal, for that was one of the worſt dunghill gods. It is out of Gods righteous judgement, when a man will not be reclaimed, when the Lord wounds, and cruſhes him, and brings him to the laſt gaſpe, if he have a licouriſh affection ſtill; now it is an uſuall thing with God to pay men to their own perdition: And therefore in Rev. 17. 11. It is ſaid, the beaſt that was and is not, ſhall goe into perdition, that's the head of this Beaſt; that is the next newes you heare of this ſecond beaſt here in the Text, and therefore it is called both the beaſt, and the head of the beaſt, where the firſt beaſt is preſented in the form of a great whore, who is to be brought to the laſt gaſpe; A whore ſhe was, but he preſents her to John as a great beaſt; Now hee gives him leave to riſe againe to his own perdition, and of many thouſands more. Thus you ſee the truth of the point.
Now for the uſe of it.
Firſt,Ʋſe 1. it may be a juſt watch-word and warning to all the Sons of men, to beware of Gods checks. When the Lord checks you, cruſhes your Crowns, and expoſeth you to this and that danger in one kind or other, beware of this; whether you be the children of God or not, yet come home effectually to him; for this you ſhall finde, if you be in diſtreſs, and call, he is ready to heare; He will heare Iſhmael; and he hears the Lyons that roar, and ſeek their meat of him; He will many times, once, or twice, or thrice do thus: But if the Lord once ſtrike, and almoſt cruſh you, beware now that you lay aſide all carnall ends and ambitious deſignes; for otherwiſe, if you ſhall recover againe, and perſiſt in your former wayes without repentance, then the next news is, you goe on to perdition: And therefore when ever the Lord affects us, and afflicts us in any kind, it is heavenly wiſdome to be warned by the leaſt phylip of his finger; be warned by any ſickneſſes, croſſes, danger by Land or Sea, by any thing whatſoever the Lord is pleaſed to exerciſe you with, this is both childrens bread, and the bread of ſtrangers: Beware you goe not on ſtill, but if the Lord check you, then turn back again; but if you go forward, be ſure you go to God-ward, and according to Gods will, and after Gods ends:
This is that which God calls for, that you walke more exactly, and more accurately, Epheſ. 5. 15. See then that yee walke circumſpectly, not as fooles, but as wiſe, redeeming the time; becauſe God hath thus and thus taken paines with you, and hath thus and thus been as a Leopard in your paths. It is a ſtrong ſpeech that in Amos 3. 5. Will a man lay a ſnare (and the word is a deadly ſnare) will a man lay a deadly ſnare, and take it up, and catch nothing? The Lord will catch a prey when he layes a trap for us, and he will not leave till he have girded our loynes and our hearts cloſe to him, and made us more exact in our way, or otherwiſe if he let us ſlip, it will be to perdition: And therefore let all that heare the word, ever be ſenſible of the leaſt wounds & checks, eſpecially if they grow to ſome bulky frame: I ſaw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and this deadly wound was healed, and it was healed to immortall perdition, and therefore all that wonder after the Beaſt, they are ſuch as have no part in the Lambs book of Life, they have no part in Chriſt.
Secondly,Ʋſe 2. It may teach us the more earneſtly to wreſtle with God by faithfull and earneſt prayer for any of the Churches of Chriſt in any parts of the world; that if the Lord give them an opportunity to wound the head of any Image of the Beaſt, any of his heads or horns, then it will be neceſſary that all ſuch Churches do take the hint and opportunity that God puts into their hands, and that they do not rather cloſe with ſuch heads whom God wounds, and be loath to lay hold of thoſe liberties that he procures for them: But let this be the conſtant care of Chriſtians to deſire that ſuch heads may not be uſurping: but if the Lord gives an opportunity, the Lord looks that all Chriſtians ſhould improve it, to vindicate themſelves, when the Lord gives any hint thereof: When he gives an opportunity, then is the time; when the iron is hot, then ſtrike; Intreat God, that when he puts a prize into their hands, that they then may learn to get wiſdome, and not in their hearts turn to tolerate arrogant deſignes, and ſuch as are ugly in the ſight of God: When God wounds the head of Enemies, and caſts ſhame upon them, and hath reſcued his people from them; If Churches ſhal again comply with them, then what will the end of that be? It is a fearfull thing, ſuch kind of Heads goe to perdition, and thoſe that dote upon ſuch Heads. It is a check eſpecially for this great beaſt of Rome, but it will be dangerous for other States too: This will be the finall iſſue, they ſhall have enough of it, they ſhall be filled with Hirarchicall power, and with their Agents in Civill States, their feete like a Beare will raven in all, that they ſhall all be weary of the burden, and ſhall be ſo filled with them, as to ſpew them out of their mouths: And therefore how ſhould we help the people of God to traverſe that wounded Head that it never riſe up more.
Thirdly,Ʋſe 3. this may ſerve to teach ſuch whoſe Heads have at any time been wounded; As there is none of the ſervants of God, but ſometimes he will have them ſacrifice their Iſaac, that which is moſt deare to them: The Lord will rend away our moſt deſirable comforts; he will follow us there, where we moſt of all are affected: And let this teach the people of God, that if the Lord then bow their hearts to unfeigned repentance, turning from all evill in their hands and hearts, how then? If the Lord will reſtore the wounded head of a beaſt, a beaſtly head, of a beaſtly ſhape, will he not much more reſtore the hearts of his ſervants that ſeek to him for healing of all their corruptions, and ſcattering all their temptations, that they may walke before him according to to his will? What ſaith the holy Ghoſt, Hoſ. 6. 1, 2. Hee puts words into their mouths, come let us return unto the Lord: He hath torne, and he will heale us; he hath ſmitten, and he will bind us up: after two dayes will he revive us, and the third day he will raiſe us up, and we ſhall live in his ſight. Wherein he ſhewes the meanes whereby the Lord will apply this medicine to his own ſervants, namely by the death and reſurrection of Chriſt, to which he doth allude; that as Chriſt dyed, and roſe the third day, ſo ſhall all that have part and portion in him; They may lye in danger, but they ſhall come out in due time: but however, it ſhould be a warning to the ſonnes of men how they adventure their lives by going into any danger where God calls them not: But if you be brought into danger when the Lord doth deliver, you have cauſe to bleſſe him, and to render your ſelves and Families back to him, that you may walke with more girt up ſpirits to God, that ſo he may not repent of what deliverances he vouchſafeth to you.