Christs Victory Over the Dragon

in the estate of it: So a son borne of this mother comes into a new estate, is separated from the world and the corruptions of it, brought out of the corruption of nature and practice (as out of the waste and womb of the world) and set into a new condition in grace: and is in all things contrary to himself in his old nativity. The change especially appeareth in five things.

1 Thou wast borne of flesh, and after the will of the flesh: but now thou art borne of God. This is called a birth of water and the holy Ghost: because in this the spirit supplies the office of water in washing away corruptions and defilements of flesh

2 In thy old nativity thou wast borne in sin: now being borne again thou sinnest not. 1 Joh. 3. 9. because the seed of God is in thee, thou canst not, sin reigning, sin wholly and finally: thou hast now a new or renewed nature.

3 In thy old nativity thou wast borne dead in sin, Eph. 2. 1. but now (borne of this mother) thou art quickened with a new life of grace, called the life of God: Now thou livest not, but Christ liveth in thee: Now mayest thou say as Christ himself said: Rev. 1 18. I was dead, but now I am alive.

4 In thy old nativity thou wast as a dead man bound hand and foot, without all motion of grace: nay, all thy motion was downward for nature with contempt of grace: But now a new motion in spiritual things attends spiritual life. Now thou movest upward towards heaven, according to the command of grace, whereto thou wast before an open enemy.

5 In thy old nativity thou wast borne an enemy of God, a child of Hell, as full of venom and poison as a toad or serpent: But by this birth thou receivest power to be a son of God. 1 Joh. 3. 2 and the privilege of sons, pardon of sin, the favor of god, or fatherly affection, and a child's portion in that immortal and eternal inheritance, and a sweet joy in the assurance of that estate.

2 The second mark to know a man borne of this Mother, is his crying. The first thing which discovers the birth of a Child (if alive) is the crying of it, or else it is still-borne: so the new borne child of this Mother crieth in sense of want, of misery, and of spiritual nakedness. In natural birth is sense of weakness, and crying after supply: so in supernatural is sense of frailties, and much grief for sin, and the miserable fruits of it. And as the child in those wants can do nothing for it self but cry, and by crying it gets help: so is it with the child, of God when he findeth an utter nothing in himself, but a gulf of misery ready to drown him in despair; yet now he hath a spirit w ^ch makes him cry, Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. If any of us have never gotten a distinct and sound knowledge of sins, and the curse of God due to the same, nor applied to ourselves that wrath and curse denounced and due to our particular sins, of which we are guilty for the humbling and breaking of our hard and stony hearts; If we have not out of the sense of an humbled and terrified conscience seen our need of Jesus Christ; and from thence have not more earnestly hungered and thirsted after Jesus Christ; and cried as much after pardon of sin, as a condemned man after the Kings gracious pardon. These persons may well instruct their conversion, and their birth of this woman. All thy profession will not make thee a true son of the Church; except thou criest in sense of misery after mercy and grace, and this desire be above all other desires in the world. On the oath side; art thou distressed in conscience in the sense of thy sin. and fear of damnation due to it? Doest thou freely confess thy sins, and heartily bewail them? Doest thou cry after Christ crucified, so as the whole world would not be so sweet as a taste of Christ; and the more thou valuest grace, dost thou the more thirst and desire after it? Oh, be of good comfort, let not thine estate discourage thee; thou art in a good way, and a comfortable condition. It is a comfort to hear a child new borne to cry; it argues both birth and life: and so is it here.

3 The third note of trial of one borne of this Mother is sucking. An infant so soon as ever it is borne seeks and sucks the breast: and so the new borne babe seeks, and sucks the sincere milk of the word. 1 Pet. 2. 2. And as an infant is never well but when it is sucking night and day; and nothing stils the cries of it, or quiets it but the breast: so the child of God (suppose him but an infant in grace) hungerly desires God's word. Gold, silver, honor, pleasure (which satisfy carnal men) quiet not him; only God's word can quiet and satisfy the heart, And as the infant desires the pure breast-milk without any other blending or cookery: so God's children affect chiefly the sincere milk of the word in the plain evidence of God's wisdom; and care not for blending with froth of wit or human eloquence; but as it comes out of the breasts of the Mother, the two Testaments. And as the infant sucketh the breast to grow thereby: So by the sincere milk the children of God grow in spiritual strength and stature till they come to their talnesse, 1 Pet. 2. 2.

4 The fourth note is similitude and likeness to the father of this birth. This mother brings forth children to God in the similitude and Image of god. Other Mothers bring children in their own Image; as Adam begat Seth in his own Image, Gen. 5. 3. But what is borne of the spirit, is spirit. Joh. 3. 6. Now examine how thou expressest the seed of new birth. Whom resemblest thou? If God be thy father, thou resemblest him in quality, though not in equality. Thou art like him in holiness, in righteousness, and in the whole divine nature. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Our Savior makes this a sure note of a son of God, or of the Devil. Joh. 8. The Jews brag they are sons of Abraham ver. 39. Christ saith, were they sons of Abraham they would do the works of Abraham. Then they brag, God is their father, ver. 41. Christ answereth, If God were your father you would love me, and resemble him: for I came from him, and he loves me. But I will tell you whose sons you are: ye are of your father the Devil, for his works ye do. So thou that professest in the Creed, that God is thy Father, and thou believest in him: if instead of Divine virtues thou expressest impious and vicious behavior: thou art of the Devil, whose works thou doest. He delights in blaspheming, swearing, drunkenness, filthiness, he hates the word, the Sabbaths, the Ministers: he delights in feircenesse, slanders, and the like: so dost thou. Thou professest Jesus Christ thy Lord and Savior, but how dost thou grow in conformity with Christ? If thou expressest not his humility, patience, self-denial, holiness, and all Christian virtues in some measure, thou art none of his; The member will grow in conformity with the head: a good child will imitate a good father in goodness.

5 The fifth note of new birth is growth. A child once borne grows up to strength and stature. A child in nature that still sucks wholesome milk, stands not at a pitch, but grows every month and quarter sensibly: so, if thou beest borne of this Mother, thou growest. 1 In understanding and knowledge, 2 Pet. 3. 18. 2 In sound affection, and powerful use of the means of salvation. As a child the more it grows the more it feeds: so a man new borne hath daily more love to the word, more reformation by it, and outgrowes weaknesses, 3. In sound practice of holy duties. As a child grows active to natural and civil actions: so the child of God and the Church, grows strong to prayer, and the parts of God's pure worship: strong to endure the labor of the power of godliness. 4 In strength for the Christian combat. He grows able to bear afflictions, and stand under great burdens and crosses for Christ and the Gospel. He grows strong in resistance of temptations, that he is not now carried ordinarily away, neither by the world, nor by the God of the world from his place. To this mark S ^t . John sends us for trial of our new birth, 1 Joh. 5. 4. He that is borne of God, overcometh the world: and ver. 18. He that is borne of God keepeth himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not: Keepeth himself, that is, groweth up in holy watchfulness, and resistance of temptations: to which care God addeth his blessing, that he abides untouched, that is, of reigning sin; the wicked one strikes him not deadly, nor can wholly and finally foil him. Examine this strength of CHRIST if it be in thee; for so it is called. Ephes. 6. 10.

6 A sixth note is childlike affections. 1 To our Father. 2 To this Mother. The childlike affections to our Father are two.

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

2 A second childlike affection to Jesus Christ, is love. The child loveth his father better then all men else: and canst thou be a child, and not love him that begat: and not as a Creator, but a Father? If thou canst do no more for thy parent, canst thou do less then love him dearly? Examine thy love to Christ, and see if thou canst say as Peter, Lord thou knowest, I love thee. Happy is the soul that dares thus appeal to Christ as a witness of his unfeigned love. But how canst thou say thou lovest him, when his commandments are heavy and irksome? when thou wilt do nothing for his sake? suffer nothing for his name? when thou wilt part with nothing for his words? when thou hatest his servants, his words and Ministers, and risest up in arms against him by horrible sins? David may have a rebellious son, an Absalom: Christ hath no such. All his children love him better then their own lives.

Now secondly, the childlike affections to this mother are also two.

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

Ob. The Papist catcheth at this as making much for him. The Commandments of the Mother Church must be obayed; and therefore in their Catechisms (besides the commandments of God) they enjoin a number of the Churches commandments, which must be obeyed in pain of damnation, as well as God's.

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

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

7 The seventh note of one borne of this woman, is brotherly-affection. Christian love to all that are begotten of God, as to brethren, 1 Joh. 3. 14. highly esteeming them, as the excellent in the earth. Psal. 16. 3. A man borne of this woman respects not men according to their greatness or baseness in the world; but according to this birth, be they rich or poor; and according to this present relation, and that future happiness they are borne unto. A child of this woman cannot disaffect and reproach his brethren because they be brethren, and think the very brotherhood a sufficient scorn. He cannot scorn them for frequenting their Mothers house. Nay he cannot but affect them for the fellowship in the Gospel, and their consanguinity in this new estate. Now lay these notes on thy heart, try by them thy estate; and know, it is better to be out of the number of men, then out of this number.

[And cried in pain ready to be delivered]

The Church bringeth forth no children to God without much travel and pain: For as by an inevitable decree painful sorrow is annexed to natural birth: so it is in this spiritual birth. As our Savior applieth that John. 16. 21. A woman when she travelleth hath sorrow because her time is come.

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

And in the preaching of the Gospel, & sowing this seed in the days of his flesh in his own person, what great sorrows sustained he by the Scribes, Pharisees, Princes, and worldly-wise men? and was made a butte of contradiction; all men resisting his person, his doctrine, blaspheming his miracles and mighty works, preferring murderers before him, and setting him with Belzebub the prince of the devils.

II The painful travel of the Church is by the Ministerial pains and sorrows of her Pastors and Preachers, Gal. 4. 19. Little children, of whom I travel in birth again, till Christ be formed in you. Elias in his calling was in so painful travel as he was weary of his life: 1 King. 19. 4. Ier. 4. 19. The pains of the Prophet Isaiah made him cry, His belly, his leannes 29. 16. the Apostles of Christ what pains they endured appears. 2 Cor. 11. 23. In labors abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison many times, in death often. How they were resisted in their Ministry, whipped like vagrants, reviled, stocked, turned out at towns ends like miscreants, see Acts 2. 15. & 4. 18 5. 28. 13. 46. And after, what violent torments they endured in their Martyrdoms, the Ecclesiastical story showeth. And at this day the labout and sufferings of godly and faithful Ministers is like the labor and sorrows of a woman in travel. For when we travel to bring forth some Children to God out of the common track of the world, how are we often oppressed, contradicted and opposed by timeservers, and libertines? How abased and rejected by the multitude? What heavy strokes and lashes endure we from the tongues of the basest? What slanders are raised, and impudently cast out against us by Papists and Atheists, and inhumane wretches, who fight against us with nothing but witless lies and falsehoods?

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

III. It is no small part of this travel of the Church, that her poor babes are so pained, and suffer with her, while she so hardly brings them forth.

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

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

IV. The pain and travel of the Church is more sharp and sorrowful by reason of those mighty lets and resistances of this new birth, not only without by Devils and all sorts of wicked men; but even within and nearer us then they, and these are especially four.

1 Natural ignorance: what a let was it in Nicodemus, he must go into the womb again, else cannot be borne again. Joh. 4. 10

2 Fear of difficulties, losses, and that this birth would prove an enemy unto their credit, profit, or pleasure, and they see the prejudice and reproach cast upon such as are new borne.

3 Too hasty and inconsiderate, and irresolute undertaking of this business, not casting the costs, and how many sad throws and pangs they may sustain; many therefore in liking of the good way have some pangs and remorse as if they would go through the pain to the birth: But finding more difficulty then they expected, give it over again: for so did many who came to Christ, and were Disciples a while, but left him on the plain field. Joh. 6.

4 The presence and love of sin. First, The presence of sin: there is another monstrous and adulterous birth that hinders, begotten by the unlawful copulation of Satan and the corrupt will: Satan being the Father, and our natural corruption the Mother of this issue, and these struggle with us and get us by the heel, and make the case so difficult, as that the Saints cry with Paul, Rom. 7. Oh miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me &c. Secondly, love of some special sin or sins, which makes all God's ordinances inefficacious; Judas his covetousness, Demas embracing the world: or a secure heart which lets all doctrine run out. Heb. 2. 1. not cherishing or retaining it to an holy conception and birth.

Now what marvel is it that there be no small labor to our Mother, when ourselves are not only so helpless to our own birth, but such hinderers of it?

Object. Isaiah 66. 7. Zion shall bring forth before her sorrows and pain come on her, and therefore brings her children without pain.

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

And this concerns the Ministers; and Ministry, and showeth 4 things.

First, the honor and dignity of the holy Ministry, in that it is the only instrument appointed by God, for the bringing forth of God's children. Never was a despiser of the Ministry yet borne of God, or a son of the true Church; no birth without this immortal seed.

Secondly, the end of the Ministry must be to bring children to God. To form Christ in men, Gal. 4. 19. and fashion them new creatures like unto Jesus Christ. The aim of a true Minister is not how many livings he may get and hold, how much money he may lay up, how high he may climb, how idle he may be and still keep up his credit; But how many souls he may be under God a father unto; How he may imprint in men's hearts, the gracious image of Jesus Christ, that in the day of his reckoning he may with boldness and comfort say; Behold, here am I, and the children that thou hast given me, Isaiah 8. 18. And whosoever aims not at this, or at anything more, misseth his work, and perverteth his calling, his reckoning shall tell him so: we must therefore frame our doctrine, that it may be for the plainness & soundness as Christ by it may be formed; the play of wit, nor profane strong lines, nor frothy strains of strange languages, will not do it. The Prophets, nor Apostles, nor our Lord himself never preached so.

Thirdly, the duty of a faithful Minister consisteth in two things. 1 To resolve on pains in his calling, as knowing he cannot bring men to Christ without pains and labor. An idle Pastor that gives up the pains of his calling, is like a young mother that would fain have children without pains and sorrow in bringing forth.

2 To love dearly persons won to the faith. For he that knows the sorrow of winning and begetting any to Christ, cannot but love them as his own children. And therefore hath God's providence annexed much sorrow to the birth, that the child might be so much more tendered and loved of the Mother, as she hath dearly bought it. And so in this spiritual birth it is true. And a spiritual Father may rebuke and sharply reprove his children begotten by his pains, for just faults, and this is fatherly love; but he that shall reproach the whole seed of Christ, and nip and blast goodness in them, and the more they prosper in grace, the more spitefully shall ordinaryly disgrace them; I doubt whether such a one be the Father of any of their souls. How doth a Mother, yea a tender nurse rejoice in the health and prosperity of the child, and grieve even unto death if the Child thrive not, nor prosper. And who would abide a nurse whom nothing so much grieveth as the thriving and growth of the child?

Fourthly, The comfort of a faithful Minister. Howsoever his sorrows and pains be as sure and inevitable as the sorrows of a woman in travel, yea and as sharp too. Yet

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

2 They are in the end sweet and turned into joy, as theirs Joh. 16 21. A woman as soon as she is delivered remembereth no more the pain because a man-child is borne. Their labor and pain passeth away and is quite and quickly forgotten, but the joy is lasting and eternal, and none can take it away.

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

If we speak words of truth and wisdom out of the book of God, in the name of God, out of the place of God, some dare say we will lie as fast as a dog will run. If our innocence were as bright as the sun, some dog will bark against us. The servant is not above his Master. Our Master, as innocent as he was, some few said he was a good man, but many that he was a Devil, and was a very vile man. Well, this is the comfort of faith, it shall break out of all clouds and darkness, and shine in the faces of all adversaries one day. For, as it frets the enemy that he cannot withhold God's gracious blessing from his faithful servants here; So much more shall it break their hearts, that they cannot resist the glorious light of it hereafter.

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

Quest. What are these sorrows?

1 Resolve therefore of sorrows from within, to undertake the pains of true repentance, sound sorrow for sin, mortification, self-denial; renounce the pleasures of sin which are but for a season. As Moses, as that of Christ, If any will be a Disciple, let him deny himself. Is not here a pains and difficulty to renounce the wisdom of the flesh, a man's own corrupt will, his affections and passions, which must be stocked up root and branches, his own natural inclinations, which are nearer to him then his skin, his own habits and bosom sins of long maintenance, to cut off hands, and put out eyes.

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

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

First, his wisdom foresaw it stood more with his glory, to erect himself a Church in the world in despite of Satan and all wicked instruments. In no natural thing is God's power more seen, then in the birth of an infant in grace, the hazard and opposition is but the manifestation of his power.

Secondly, The Lord would stop Satan's mouth who would accuse the Saints, as Job, as if we served God for naught; when we are ready for Christ to endure all hazards, and deadly dangers.

Thirdly, The Lord tries the truth of his children's graces, while they abide with him in affliction. Now we must resolve to go through the pains of new birth, to difference ourselves from, 1 Carnal gospellers, that like not the gospel, because it teacheth self-denial. 2 Wicked men, because the power of it crosseth their whole course. 3 Politicians, who renounce it, because it requires a change, and they can endure no change, though for the better.

3 Resolve of pains and labor in the means of grace, in hearing, reading, praying, watching, fasting, and spiritual combat: for God brings forward his image in his own means. Consider, for encouragement,

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

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

3 The happy estate into which thou comest by suffering. Thou art borne to blessedness. Blessed are they that mourn. All thy pain in suffering is not cōparable to the gain of suffering. The momentary afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory in the life to come, look not on the loss but on the gain. Thou loosest friends, but hast God and Christ, and his Angels near thee. Loosest liberty of body, but hast liberty and joy of Conscience. Hazardest outward peace, but hast peace with God, thyself, and all creatures, so far as they cannot hurt thee. See our Savior's argument, Mark. 10. 29.

And there appeared another wonder in Heaven.]

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

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

The description of the Dragon is by two arguments.

• 1 His adjuncts, being five.
• 2 His effects, which are two.

His adjuncts in the text are:

• 1 Magnitude.
• 2 Cruelty.
• 3 Subtlety.
• 4 Power.
• 5 Victory.

His effects are

• 1 Against the Stars, he drew down with his tail the third part.
• 2 Against the Woman, stood before her to devour her, &c.

First, Of the dragon himself.

Quest. What is meant by the Dragon?

Answ. 3 Things.

1 The Devil, for so it is expounded ver. 9. to be that old Serpent called the devil and Satan.

Now the devil is called metaphorically a serpent or dragon.

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

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

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

Fourthly, For his slinesse, subtlety and craft wherein he resembleth the serpent which is more subtle then all the beasts of the field, Genes. 3. 1. and this is mentioned ver. • . which deceived all the world. And this his nature is couched in his name, drac • , cōing of a word signifying to see peircingly, for he is subtle acute and quick sighted to discern a far off his pray and advantage against us.

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

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

Sol. The whole kingdom of the devil may be said to be but one dragon:

Because. 1 It is a kingdom not divided against it self, all of it is but one corporation or society: for, although they be several in themselves, yet they all join in mischief and malice against Christ, and his Church, as if they were but one and not many.

2 All the members of that kingdom resemble the nature of their head, which is the dragon: and all have one common work, and are all fitly comprehended under one name.

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

3 Because this vision was properly of things and persons after John's being in Patmos, it seems yet to be fitlier brought lower to some more special instruments who have imbatled themselves against the Church since Christ's ascension; And then we cannot more properly apply it then to the persecuting Emperors of Rome while it was heathen, who were special ministers and instruments of the devils fury against the Church, And all of them being many made but one dragon For,

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

Secondly, They were all one in place, one in judgment, one in succession, succeeding one another both in the throne and authority, and in the execution of it against Christ and this woman his spouse, with the cruelty rather of fell and fiery dragons, then of men that had retained but one spark of humanity or pity within them.

Thirdly, All of them gave the dragon for their arms: which doth not obscurely give us to understand, what enemy the Spirit of God would more particularly aim at, and design unto us. And show that:

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

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

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

Acts 17. 18. Epicures and Stoiks were as contrary in their sects and opinions as black and white. One most strict in their way, the other as loose and libertine. One placed their happiness in virtue and moral honesty; the other in volupteousnesse & brutish pleasures.

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

At this day, all the catholic countries, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, whatsoever particular quarrels are among themselves, yet all are in holy league as they call it, against the poor Reformed Churches.

So of all heretics, if they be never so hostile among themselves, yet all join against orthodox doctrine; And all worldly & evil men full of enmity one against another, yet all agree against the profession of godliness and practice of piety.

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

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

3 The policy of the dragon, who well knows that united forces are strongest, and therefore holds all the kingdom of darkness together for the overthrow of the contrary power, for if God's kingdom should prevail, down goes theirs. It is the voice of them all, If we let this man alone, the Romans will come to take our nation. It is the prudence of the captain to keep his band from mutiny, and Satan knowing that a kingdom divided against it self, cannot stand, labors to hold it in peace against the common enemy.

4 The common corruption and consent of wicked and unregenerate natures, all are of the same poisonful nature, all led by the same spirit that ruleth in the world. All their wills given up to the devil, to rule and move at his pleasure All their counsels and intendments against God's people, mischievous like the poison of dragons. Deut. 32. 33. detestable to God, and dangerous to m • n. All alike flexible to sin: for, by the infection of sin, one wicked man can soon draw another: and all are as ready to such motions as gunpowder to take a spark of fire. All their delights are the same in the ruin and spoil of the Church, so far as they can. They all eat up God's people as bread. Psal. 14. like dragons, who so hate mankind, as they devour men, not for hunger, but for spite and hatred, taking great delight in eating his pray. So these delightfully oppress the people of the high God.

First, See how they are deceived that make unity a note of the Church; Here we see the kingdom of the devil at unity making up but one dragon, all the devils in hell are one in their aims and ends, in their wills and endeavors against the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

All the wicked in the world, Jews, Turks, Papists, Atheists, Epicures, all disagreeing among themselves, yet all join in one against Jesus Christ. The world ever afforded a general unity against Christ.

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

Secondly, See what is the unity and peace we must preach for, a unity in verity Eph 4. 3. endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. It must be the peace of God that must rule in our hearts. Col 3. 15. It is an idle thing to call for and commend an unlimited peace, a carnal peace, a peace without, yea against grace and truth: the dragon can maintain an unity against verity.

And the Scripture everywhere disclaimeth carnal peace Mat. 10 34. The Angels sign first glory to God, and then peace with men; but it is not for God's glory to run and combine with evil men, follow peace, and holiness. And the kingdom of God is, first righteousness then peace, Rom 14 17.

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

Thirdly, As hatred of truth unites the hearts of all wicked men against it: So let the love of faith and truth unite our hearts for it, that we might serve the Lord with one accord and with one mind, and one mouth we may glorify God.

1 Hereby we shall prevent the dragon, who, while he will not suffer his kingdom to be rent in the main: sows tares of dissention, and division in the Lord's field; As an old polititian, he knows how much it makes for his party, if he can raise a mutiny in the contrary army.

2 As there is not a greater benefit on earth then communion of Saints, so there is no greater damage and detriment to Satan and his kingdom, then when it is carefully and fruitfully preserved: hence he bestirs himself and prevails with many who would be counted peaceable men, to live in open malice by seven years together, to the scorning of many of God's graces, for which they shall be countable.

3 What a shame that men of wicked opinions, and lewd practices can close and combine thenselves against God and his Son, against his truth and servants; and we that profess the doctrine of grace and love, and in judgment hold the same truth, yet in affection, and conversation, break one from another, as if we had no such bands upon us, as wicked men, yea devils have? Do not birds of a fether fly together? Do not Atheists, swearers, adulterers, drunkards, thieves, and all wicked ones sharpen their swords, whet their tongues, and dragons stings to revile these? Do not devils stand together against the truth? and shall we speak as the dragon, do as the dragon, be not half so fast for the truth as they against it? can no Christian bands tie us, as fast as malice and hatred of Christ doth them?

A great red Dragon.]

Now we come to the five properties of this dragon. The first of which is his magnitude or greatness, which property is expressed for more terror, seeing the greater the dragon is, the more dreadful he is. He is great in four respects.

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

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

• 1 Multitude.
• 2 Quality.

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

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

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

And secondly, of their joint power and authority to execute those fiery and wicked wits, which is so great, so catholic, universal and unlimited, as no power in earth is comparable, and only the pour of God superior.

Fourthly, The dragon is said here to be great, in respect of the great seat and City, where this imperial dragon reigned over all the Kings of the earth. Rome that great and mighty City, as it is called Rev. 18. 10. 1 Great in splendor and beauty, as set upon seven hills, for which she is famous in all the world. 2 Great in power and authority. In Jesus time having command over all the Kings of the earth; the eye of the world, the Metrapolitan of all the earth. Queen of nations, and Mistress of Monarchs.

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

1 The Church is described to be as a lilly among thorns. These thorns are sharp and thick about it, to hinder the rooting, and the prosperity, and prick the Lily in the name and profession. And how weak a thing is a lilly to defend it self from the prickly thorns? And Christ sends out his servants as sheep in the midst of wolves, weak and silly creatures in comparison of them.

2 The world which always lieth in wickedness, is no changeling, it is a very Egypt to the Israel of God: not only oppressing them with cruel burdens and tasks: but a breeder of fell and hideous dragons, and most poisonful monsters, tyrants, hypocrites, heretics; partly by secret trains to infect and poison holy doctrine and conversation, and partly by manifest assaults to sting and wound thē in their names, & profession, yea, & by tyranny & persecutiō to threaten with present death every moment. And as the Church was once, so it is ever, in the world, as in a wilderness, the wicked inhabitants of which are as so many wild beasts and dragons, among whom is no hope of truce or composition.

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

First, She may be thoroughly tried and winnowed. Rev. 2. 10.

Secondly, Have experience of her own weakness, to be humbled.

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

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

Fifthly, To make heaven sweet after so many fears, sorrows, and sufferings, when the enemies whom their eyes have seen, they shall never see more.

4 The Lord sees often just cause in the Church and members to afflict them with such fell dragons and scorpions: for seldom is the Church cast into the place of dragons, but meritoriously & justly, seldom do common calamities, by tyrants, come on the Church, but the ambition, covetousness, and contention in teachers, or else the earthliness, security, or lusts, and looseness of professors went before.

Object. How stands this with Christ's legacy? My peace I leave with you &c. And with his promise, My peace none shall take from you.

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

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

And though Christians think it too strict to be tied to a constant watch, over their life, yet to give up, or be negligent in this watch, is but to agree with this enemy for thy own destruction. The adversary is great in power, in wrath, in watchfulness against thee, and thou hast no more assured means of safety then to set a watch about thyself, in all times, in all places, in all companies, in all occasions, over all thy parts, gifts, affections, speeches, actions, that thou mayest be able to defend them all with peace of conscience against all accusers, and defeat also so great and wrathful a dragon.

Secondly, Against so strong an adversary, wisdom will seek to procure the greatest helps and succors that he can.

Quest. What aides may I procure?

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

Quest. How.

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

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

Secondly, God's Angels are good aids: who have charge over thee so long as thou keepest the way, by whose presence Thou shalt walk upon the dragon, and tread underfoot the young Lion and dragon, Psal. 91. that is, overcome the strongest and greatest enemies.

Thirdly, Among other parts of Christian armor, the sword of the spirit, the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness, and a good conscience; and there is great strength in the prayer of faith. Ephes. 6. 18. And of the faithful, Acts 12. 5. 7. as for Peter in prison: yea, prayer is able to muster an army of heavenly soldiers for our defense.

If all wicked members, limbs of the dragon, be great enemies, we must be wise to avoid their societies, and combinations; whatsoever peace and favor they pretend, fly inward fellowship with them, as from dragons, whose property is to poison a far off before we see them. Trust not their flatteries and pretences, Genes. 49, 5, 6. Simeon and Levi brethren in evil; and instruments of cruelty. Into their secret let not my soul come. It had been happy if in many passages of latter times, the Church had been more shye and wary of the fair and treacherous pretences of Antichristian dragons, who use to pull on fair gloves on foul and carnal fists, and paws; And who will trust him that cannot put off the nature of a dragon, although he may speak as the Lamb?

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

Quest, What ground of courage have we against so great a dragon?

Answ. First, We have a great adversary, but we have a good cause, in which we need not fear to dy, or maintain unto death.

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

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

Fourthly, We have great enemies, but more and greater succors, then we have enemies, both with us and in us. They are spiritual wickednesses that are against us, but we have the spirit of God and of grace with us. Wicked men seem great and dreadful dragons, and as great and unresistable as an hideous dragon by a weak woman. But let them combine in most forcible manner: all that strength is but as the strength of reeds, in comparison of that with the Church; see Ezekiel. 29. 9. 6.

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

Fifthly, Our enemy is great, but thence we are assured of greater glory and victory, as David the harder task he had against Goliath the greater was his victory. The more difficult the war the more honor is in the conquest. [A red dragon.]

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

The first a white horse, which color noteth, in the Revelation, purity, and innocence of doctrine, and manners, and figureth the virgin primative Church, upholding the purity of doctrine and discipline of the faith, and worship appointed by the holy Apostles, before this white came to be speckled and spotted with black errors, and stains, in doctrine, discipline and worship.

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

The third horse is a black horse, noting the estate of the Church, now black and in sad and afflicted condition by heretics which had horribly mingled the truth of pure white and lightsome doctrine, with black darkness of heresies and errors; For it were not hard to show how in the first two hundred years after Christ, the Church was blacked by the heresies of Ebi • n, Cerinthus, Valontine, Marcion, and Basilides. In the second two hundred, by Photinus, Samosatonus, Sabellius, Arius, and Eunomius, &c.

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

But this red color of the dragon, lively pourtreyeth the feritie, cruelty, and bloody disposition of the dragon against the Woman the Church. The Greek word here used 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is emphatical, noting him to be a fiery dragon, fiery red, set on fire, and all enflamed with an hellish flame of wrath and cruelty against the Church of God.

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

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

Secondly, He is actually red, imbrued with all the blood of the Saints, of Abel, and of the Prophets, Apostles, the Son of God himself: and all his holy Martyrs since his ascension. He is guilty and died with blood.

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

Fourthly, he is originally red: yea the author of all cruelty and blood-shed that ever was in the world, and all the homicide done by man upon man, tis the proper work of the devil, in whose service homicides are So Christ to the Jews, Joh. 8. his works ye do, seeking to kill Christ.

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

Saul before his conversion, breathes out nothing but slaughters and threatening, as a dragon that slays only with his breath.

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

Thirdly, See it especially in the Imperial dragon, the bloodiness and tyranny of those Roman Emperors was matchless, who poured out the blood of innocent Christians by thousands, and ten thousands in their streets and territories, like water.

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

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

After him, Domitian, who cast John the Evangelist into a furnance of scalding oil, but when he saw he came forth unhurt, he banished him into the I will Patmos, where he writ this Revelation. Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 17.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thirdly, The fury and feircenesse of the enemy is still augmented by reason it finds fuel to feed it. First, the light and grace in the godly which the more it increaseth and shineth, the more their malice and hatred burneth and boileth against it. For;

Why did Cain as a dragon slay Abel, but because his works were good? 1 Joh. 3. 12. Why do the godly make themselves a prey, but because they refrain from evil? Isaiah 59. 15.

Dragons can plead many causes. Amos is accused by Hamaziah, that he hath conspired against the King. Daniel, by the envious princes, that he rebels against the Kings proclamation. Jeremiah, if he exhort to go out into Babel according to God's word and decree: that he is a confederate with the Chaldeans. Paul, that he is a troubler of the City, and preacheth strange doctrine: and pity it is that he lives.

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

This doctrine may serve as a glass, to let many see their own faces, and to what head they belong. There is a generation of men who are fierce, revengfull, and cruel hearted against the godly, who may here see what spirit they are guided by. The spirit of God is gracious, meek, merciful, gentle, but they are not led by him. His they are whose spirit they resemble in mischief and malice. Joh. 8. 44. Ye are of your father the devil, for his works ye do. A natural child resembleth his father, so do they theirs, who was a murderer from the beginning. As it was once, so will it ever be, Gal. 4. 29. He that was borne after the flesh, persecuted him that was borne after the spirit, and delighted in scorning the generation of God, and seed of the promise: these show themselves a bastardly brood of Ishmael: who have no part in the promise, no foot in the promised land.

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

Hence it follows that the Roman religion cannot be of God, for,

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

2 Her members resemble the head; for never were anymore cruel and fiery dragons, and homicides, then the Antichristian zealotes, and popish Inquisitors, which for so many ages have destroyed the bodies of the innocent Saints with fire and sword: and innumerable souls with devilish and heretical doctrines.

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

4 Her proper color is red, scarlet died, and drunken with the blood of the Saints, which noteth her an essential member of the dragon, fiery dragons are they, furious, and sulphurious: kindling blazing fires not only against the bodies of men women and children, but laying their fire works under ground, against the bodies of many kingdoms at once.

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

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

To comfort the Church beset with red dragons, fiery and fierce men, implacable in their causeless wrath: and as much hope of reconciliation as with hell it self, unless God work a happy change, and make them of Asps and Cockatrices, Lambes and sucking Children,

1 We are to conflict with many red dragons: But we have a captain in red garments coming from Bozra, who walketh in great strength, mighty to save. Isaiah 63. 2. First, His garments are red with his own blood drawn by the dragon. Secondly, By the blood of his enemies, whom he treads in the winepress of his wrath.

2 The enemies garments now died red in the blood of the Saints, shall at last be made red with their own blood. As in Hered, Nero, Dioclesian, Julian, Judas, Arius. Take the counsel of Pilate's wife, Ha • e no hand against the just and godly man. There is a time when the great Angel that hath power over fire: that is, all the judgments of God, and revenges of his enemies, and much more over all fiery dragons, shall cast them into the winepress of the wrath of God, and their blood shall come unto the horse bridles 1600. furlongs. Revel. 19. 20. Let us leave all revenge to God, who will avenge the blood of Saints in due time.

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

Seaven heads]

The third property of the dragon follows; which is his subtlety and craft, set out by his seven heads.

The head is the seat of prudence and policy: And the number of seven heads, notes the manifold subtleties, and crafty devises of this Hydra: namely, The devil and his instruments: and under these seven heads are comprehended all hurtful arts, and all kinds of wicked imaginations and devises against the Church of God.

Others by seven heads understand the seven hills of Rome, where the dragon lived: Or the seven heads, and kinds of governements in the Roman Monarchy. Which considered may lead us to that special dragon here aimed at, whose throne was upon seaveu heads or hills; and had seven heads or several kinds of government, which throne was yielded by the dragon to the Antichristian beast. chap 13. 2.

Which noteth unto us, that Satan and his instruments are as subtle, as cruel, against the woman the Church. For the dragon hath seven heads, a number of policies and fetches to bring forward his mischieves.

Of Satan himself, the head of this dragon: He is the old serpent more subtle then all the beasts of the field. Genes. 3. 1. A notable instance whereof we have in his first stratagem by which he overthrew all mankind. In which hell set all his seven heads to work. So as we may say by woeful experience, we are not ignorant of his enterprises. For

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

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

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

Fourthly, Begins subtly, for God having forbidden but one tree, he asked if God have forbidden them every tree, and so wronged them.

Fifthly, In all his speeches and answers along, he speaks craftily, and Jesuitically, venting as many lies and Amphibologies as sentences: and yet so, as if they had proved false, he had a double meaning to himself. As,

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

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

3 Knowing good and evil. And so they did, but not as God's, but by a miserable and experimental knowledge in the want of good, and presence of evil.

4 Ye shall be as God's. Elohim signifieth Angels or spirits, and so they were in the same state of condemnation with them.

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

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

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

Quest. Why doth the Lord give such good gifts to such evil men, and agents, that bend it against himself and his people?

Answ. God inverteth not the order of nature, for evil men's abuse, but over-rules it for justice or mercy, as his wisdom sees fit. As in the external faculties of the body, so of the mind, he suffers the powers of nature to be put forth corruptly, as in fornication or adultery. He hinders not the natural action, but orders it for his own glory: so here.

2 He magnifies his own grace, who is good and bountiful to all, offering not only common gifts, as the sun, rain, and natural endowments, with wealth and honor to good and bad: but even the gift of his son in the Ministry of the gospel, to those who abuse it, and turn all his grace into wantonness.

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

Quest. But why are wicked men subtle against the Church?

Answ. First, Because they are of the serpentine seed, and spawn of the dragon. Acts 13. Paul to Elimas. Oh full of all subtleties, and mischief, the child of the devil. Wicked men not only serve prentiships to the old serpent: but as our Savior is bold to tell the Jews, they were of their father the devil.

Secondly, They know they shall more easily prevail and deceive, the more • lily and subtly they work. Open enemies are sooner prevented then secret, and Satan hath subdued more with his serpents wiles, then his dragons force. And when he cannot prevail with his Lions pawe, he puts on the foxes skin, and goes to work with his wiles and subtleties.

Thirdly, God will have his Church every way tried and exercised to shake her out of security. How was Israel tried.

By Pharaohs policies to destroy them, before his open force, for

1 He laid heavy tasks on them to weaken them from generation.

2 Cruelly oppressed them, by taking away the straw, and exacting the same tale of brick.

3 Slaying and drowning the male children as fast as they were borne; And after assailed them with all the power of his country.

How was David exercised and kept waking by Ahithophel's counsel, which made him apply God by prayer to turn his counsel to folly.

How was Joseph and Mary exercised, by Herod's subtlety, who pretended to worship Christ, but intended to kill him.

First, By this we may take notice of the dragons wiles and subtleties which are as many as his heads. And because the knowledge of his plots and discovery of his devises is more then half the prevention of them, we will spend a little time in laying open some of his stratagems, and secret trains, laid out of sight, every way reaching to catch and circumvent us

These are reduced to three heads as they concern.

• 1 Persons.
• 2 Actions.
• 3 Assaults.

First, The dragons subtlety concerning persons is in two things.

1 In dissembling his own person. 2. In taking advantage of ours.

First, Although he be a dragon and devil, and deadly enemy: he cometh commonly as a friend, and in the habit of a good counselor, and though he be a prince of darkness, he transforms himself into an Angel of light. 2 Cor. 11. 14. that where he cannot force, he may allure.

Satan well knows how the Gibeonites closed and gate within the Israelites, by dissembling their persons. Joshu. 9. 9 and so he gets in with us. To Eve though he appeared in the shape of a serpent, yet seems to be more friendly to her then God could be, God knows ye shall be as God's. And he that came to Eve in the shape of a serpent, appears to Saul in the shape of a Prophet, and Samuel himself could not speak better words, nor truer in the event then this counterfeit. 1 Sam. 28

He cometh to Christ in the person of a friend, Master pity thyself, as if he had pity on Christ: who kindled and stirred all the dragons in the world against him to sting him to death.

And who can think but he is a friend of Christ, who can preach him to be the Son of God. Mar. 1. 24. And who can preach the Apostles to be the servants of the living God, Acta 16. 17.

The poor lambes of Christ's fold are never in greater danger, then when the fox preacheth. Of all other a preaching dragon is the most dangerous, who will wind us in by scripture, and by that which is the only preservative against sin, draw us into sin. As,

To abet covetousness, & earthliness, and worldliness, and to bind a man's hands from doing good: he will put thee in mind of that Scripture, He that provides not for his family is worse then an Iufidell.

To harden and embolden men in sin, he hath a plain text; Where sin aboundeth, grace abounds much more.

To an ordinary Sabbath breaker, he hath a comfortable text; The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

To him that is not at leisure to repent yet, he can preach upon that text, At what time soever a sinner repenteth, &c.

To strengthen the libertine, and loose gospeller, that hates nothing more then to be tied to the rules of godliness; he hath as direct scripture as may be, Eccles. 2. 7. 18. Be not just over-much: What can be more plain against these nice and precise fellows?

Beware also of a friendly dragon. The Crokadile shedds tears, but it is to shedd blood. To an angry man the dragon as a great friend asks him why he will suffer himself to be trodden underfoot: and tells him, if he suffer this or this, he shall never live in peace; as if he wished his peace and prosperity, who never ceases to blow the bellows of wrath and anger.

To a profane and carnal man, What need you trouble yourself with religion? you have a charge, and look to the main chance. What? is it for you to suffer your servants to let their time and work to run to sermons, as Pharaoh to Israel, Ye are too idle. And many are brought in mind, that if their servants be religious, they cannot possibly thrive. Heathenish Civilists scarce so heathenish.

Romish dragons insinuate into their proselytes, they lament the estate of their souls, and persuade like very good counselors, to leave these heretics, and come to the catholic religion; they can fain Crokadiles tears: calling heaven and earth to witness that they respect nothing in the world but to promote the truth, and save men's seduced souls. And it is nothing but the Catholic faith that makes them venture their lives and fortunes, and a great number more empty and windy words, and • ll to ensnare simple and unsettled persons.

Nay, and which is a deeper plot of the dragon, he can pretend peace, friendship, amity, marriages, oaths, and what not, and all under pretence of peace, and clcake of friendship, that he may slay and devour: as France in that horrible Massacre 1572. had woeful experience.

Nay, if need be he can pretend religion, and support of the Catholic cause, when he is digging and undermining, and laying barrels of powder, and iron bars, for the destruction of whole States and kingdoms. Here are religious Dragons.

A foolish and silly woman shall the Church be, to give any credit hereafter to the flatteries and fair pretences of so often perfidious Dragons; who salute to wound, and never kiss but to kill.

Secondly, He takes advantage of our own persons, setting upon us when we are weakest. As,

First. In our solitariness; He overcame Eve when she was alone. Cain set upon Abel, when he had him alone in the field helpless. Dinab being alone in the field, was set upon and foiled. And when set P • tiphers wife upon Joseph, but when they were alone in the house? A Christian man must never sit alone, if he have no company of men, be sure of the company of God and his Angels, and then he is never alone.

Secondly, In our sorenesse; as, Simeon and Levi set on the Shechemites, when they were sore, and could not resist; as in the terror of conscience, & distress of mind, If God lay on his little finger, now Satan lays his heavy loins. Thou art an hypocrite, a dissembler, hast sinned the sin against the holy Ghost. And many he prevaileth with to speak in his language. Now to discover Satan's wile herein, is a part of the cure.

Thirdly, He assailes us in our sleep; For then we are weak and exposed to all danger. The envious man sows tares while men sleep. In sleep Iaell easily slew great Siserah with a nail & a hammer. And the dragon knows how easy a conquest he obtaineth in our sleep of security. David in his ease and rest, was soon cast down; wherefore we must watch and pray.

Fourthly, In our nakedness, as,

1. When we are out of our way and calling. Israel by sin had made themselves naked to the darts of the dragon, and of God himself.

2 When we are impotent and inordinate in our natural desires, cares and corrupt affections. Solomon saith, A man that cannot refrain his appetite, is as a City without walls, Prov. 23. 28. naked and exposed to all dangers; and as a captain, where the wales are lowest or weakest, there lays his battery: So the great dragon marks our inclination, and thrusts us down the hill, where we are ready to run headlong of our own accord. And as he finds dispositions set, he baits his hook, and fits them with temptations, and objects fit for their ambition, or voluptuousness, or covetousness: and so finds strength enough in ourselves to overthrow us. Esau by his broth. Lot by his Wine. Judas by money. a root of evil fell upon many temptations and snares. Hence are those many exhortations, to take heed that our hearts be not oppressed with surfeiting, drnnkennesse, or cares of this life.

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

When was Peter set upon? Not so long as he was in the company of Christ, and his disciples, whose presence might have been means to uphold him; But when he runs among the high Priests servants, and sits down by a warm fire: Now he is fit to be wrought upon, he will now be brought easily to deny and forswear his Lord.

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

Secondly, Concerning actions, we shall observe the dragons subtleties:

• 1 In respect of good actions.
• 2 Of evil actions.

1 In good actions or duties he sets all his seven heads on work.

• 1 To hinder.
• 2 To blemish.
• 3 To disgrace them.
• 4 To frustrate them.

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

1 The greatest work that ever was wrought was that of man's redemption. How craftily did he seek to hinder this in Peter? Master pity thyself.

2 The greatest duties that the Lord hath enjoined us, are those which we are to perform in his public ordinances, as, preaching, hearing, praying, and all parts of public worship. Hence he raiseth persecutions against the Church, to hinder these and disperse the Saints, Acts 11. 19. And he can hinder the free passage of the gospel, and stop the Apostles themselves in the course of their ministry, 1 Thes. 2. 18. But I speak not here of his force, but see how finely his heads can contrive it. He can pretend unity, and peace, and order, decency and obedience, and everything that is good to stop the course of the Gospel, and hinder it. So he did in Q. Mary's days.

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

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

Besides you have a calling to follow, a charge of children perhaps live of your labor: how can you spare time for such occasions? And who sees not that the world was better, when there was less preaching? men were more devote, less contentious. And one Sermon well learned is better then all this preaching: and many learned men wish there were more praying and less preaching: for so much preaching brings but preaching into contempt. Never were these seven heads more beaten, then in beating down preaching, the only hammer against the kingdom of the devil: and never were they more busy working in this subject in man's memory then at this day: never were his subtleties and wit more applauded, and more approved then now.

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

Especially those of faith, repentance, and holiness.

First, Our faith is a sweet morsel to Satan • , because we cannot resist him unless we be steadfast in faith. His incessant work is, either to hinder us from attaining, or retaining it, for if he can hold off or wrest from us this shield, he hath devoured us already: and this he can contrive nimbly.

What seeft thou in thyself worthy of the favor of God? a man of so many & so great sins, for thee to assure thyself of thy salvation, is boldness and great presumption.

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

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

Thirdly, Holiness and exercise of all good works and virtues; He can tell how to undermine all good duties most subtly.

1 Mountains of fears, losses, crosses, and difficulties.

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

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

4 He can cunningly make one of God's decrees cross another, whereas they are all dependant and strengthen one another. What needs all this strictness and study of holiness, and all this business in mortification, sorrow, forgoing delights, change of life? If God have predestinated thee to salvation, thou shalt be saved without all this ado: And if thou beest not ordained to life, do what thou wilt or canst thou shalt never be saved; as if God who decreed the ends, had not also decreed the means. But his seven heads to a carnal man can by God's election, overthrow sanctification, whereas the Apostle saith plainly, He hath chosen us that we should be holy and unblamable.

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

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

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

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

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

Protestants, do duties in themselves good, give alms, part freely from their money to pious and charitable uses, come to Church, hear diligently, speak feelingly, profess forwardly, uphold the Ministry carefully, if the end of this be to be seen or approved of men, as our Savior saith of the Pharisees alms, verily they have their reward.

Absalom is very civil, courteous, and pleasing in his carriage, but it is to undetermine his Father, and steal men's hearts from David.

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

III What good he can neither hinder nor thus blemish, he will openly disgrace and revile: for he rageth against goodness, so that he never ceaseth to cast false and scandalous reproaches and imputations against it.

Whether the goodness be personal or, social.

1 For personal goodness he can black and stain it, he can charge Christ himself that he casts out devils by Belzebub. And Job, that he serves not God for naught, he is very devoute, but a very hypocrite; and Anna, that while she prays within her self, she is drunk: Joseph thinks Mary's conception of Christ to be adulterous.

He can and doth at this day make hateful the very show of religion, under terms of purity, preciseness and hypocrisy.

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

He can scorn men for reading Scriptures, prayers and singing of psalms in their houses: for are not these manifest marks of hypocrites and dissemblers? for to be zealous against sin and corruption is, not to know what spirit he is of, or what he would have: nay, he hath his teachers to disgrace forwardness in religion, and warn men to beware of such hot courses, which only a few hair-brained men take up.

Thus we know hear and see this sect everywhere spoken against, which is the sect of Christ himself and the holy Apostles, who for all their holiness could not avoid the rebukes of holy religion, Much less can we.

2 For social goodness, which is the practice of goodness in society, Here above all the dragon shows himself the accuser of the brethren: for as in the primative Church, he oppressed the truth with malicious reports and slanders: that the poor Christians in their private assemblies were incestious, conspirators, sacrificers of infants; and putting out candles went promiseuously to all kinds of barbarous lusts: So also in latter days, the Priests and Friers in their railing Sermons. Anno 1558 persuaded the people that the Lutherans of Paris assembled together to make banquets in the night; and putting out the candles, went together after a beastly manner. And the Sorbonists accused them, that they maintained that there was no God; no immortality of the soul; no resurrection of the dead; and denied the divinity and humanity of Christ; and all articles of true religion. Fox pag. 927.

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

3 The dragon can easily meet with godly Christians if they join in any good duty, though in their own houses privately among themselves, in prayer, conference, repetition of sermons, and cry down those as unlawful combinations. but let never so many combine, in drunkenness, dycing, carding, swearing, from one weeks end to another, there is nothing made of such neighborly meetings.

Nay let hundreds and thousands meet on the Lord's day, at footbals, cudgels, fightings, there is no evil in such meetings; the dragon that draws them together, makes no complaint; and why should we marvel that he, whose industry is to hinder everything that is good, should so far prevail in that which is contrary, and mightly buildeth up his own kingdom?

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

First, in general he cares not greatly how many good things thou doest, how charitable, how devote thou art, how diligent and laborious even in that which is good; so he can keep thee without the care of sound conversion, and from serious repentance, for he knows that all that is done before conversion is hateful to God. That of thistles no figs can be gathered: that out of a reprobate soil can nothing be yielded, but noisome weeds, and poisonful plants, what goodly show soever they make; That before repentance the sacrifice of a man is sin, and his very prayer is abominable: what cares he how much and often thou pray, so thy prayer be frustrate: But whiles thou regardest wickedness in thy heart, he knows God will not hear thy prayer.

Neither cares he what good thou doest, so thou be proud of it, and say, Lord I thank thee I am not as this Publican. If he can get thee to thrust thy glory between thy actions and God's glory he hath frustrated all thy expectation.

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

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

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

3 Without change of heart and life; what cares he if thou hear every hour a sermon, so all be put into a riven vessel: If thou hearest 20. years together never so diligently, if thou holdest thy sin, and abidest a hateful wretch, spitting poison against the word and preaching of it.

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

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

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

Either first, by keeping thee from being beaten down by the law, for then all the foundation is deceitful. Or secondly, by neglecting the means of faith, for then he knows thou nourishest but a fancy for faith. Or thirdly, by making shipwreck of faith by corrupt conscience, while he holds thee fast in some sin or sins, as lying, cozening, swearing, usury, gaming, or deceitful courses, or looseness of life: for now brag of faith, and say thou wilt never forsake the gospel: I say thou shalt never hold it out, for thou canst not favor it and thy sin too, which it favors not; In heart thou deniest it, and easily wilt with thy mouth.

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

I • Now for evil actions the dragon sets all his seven heads a work to thrust them forward, and that especially two ways.

First, Because he cannot make them be good, he can make them to seem good till they be acted. He can hansomely apparel them, and make them appear next to virtues.

The eating of the forbidden fruit will make our parents as gods: extreme covetousness is but nearness or good husbandry, wrath and cruel revenge is but manhood and spirit, unfruitful wasting of our time is but good-fellowship and neighbor-hood.

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

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

Thus skillful is this seven headed beast to wrap up all his poisoned pills in some sugered pretence, and persuasion or other: he can make them seem near allied to virtue and grace.

Secondly, If he cannot make them seem good, yet he can so gild, and hide them, as they shall seem less evil.

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

When he hath in anger and rage cursed, sweared, railed, and quarrelled with his neighbors, it is a fault indeed: but no man is a Saint, and it is in some men's nature to be more choleric then others; and thus comforts and confirms himself; uncleanness, fornication, adultery, great sins against the fountain of mankind are slighted: it is but a common error of youth, and age will mend it. Ordinary oaths, by faith, troth, Mass, Mary, and by God himself, are but small sins; the custom takes away the sense, but not the guilt.

Secret sins which other men see not, he can make a man's self not to see them: and those which dig into the bowels he makes appear but as the scratch of a pin.

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

The third head wherein we shall see the subtle working of these seavē heads against the woman is in respect of his assaults, which are most subtle: for never was there such an engineir so expert to win and hold: as shall appear in some instances.

His first stratagem or assault is to intercept victual from the Christian soldier: which if he can do, he need nevet strike a stroke; well he knoweth that where vision (which is the Churches victual) faileth, the people must perish. In the siege of Samaria. 1. King 6. the famine made them eat one another. And in the siege of Jerusalem, the pitiful women sod their own children for meat, and eat the fruit of their womb a span long. Lament. 4. 10. And in that by Titus and Vespasian, more were slain by famine then by the sword: and so this enemy bestirs himself to prevent victual from us, which he can and doth many ways, while one would think he intended no such thing, as,

1 By hindering the preachers and purveiors of the Lord's campe under pretence, as was aforesaid, of unity & the like: Or stirring up his preachers to preach against preaching, as too much, too often, or too plain, and too vulgar, and is not Joab's hand, the dragons hand in all this? did ever the spirit of God utter one syllable in all the bible against preaching? did not the Apostles rejoice that Christ was preached any manner of way, even by evil men? And is that spirit Apostolical that repines at much preaching of Christ, by good men? is not Christ lifted up in the preaching of the word? and is he a preacher from Christ that envies his exaltation?

2 By hindering men from coming to the Ministry, he can thrust in a number of distractions, which negligence hath made urgent, and then persuade very pleasibly (as he did good Martha) that they shall do very ill to sit down at the feet of Christ at such times; they must leave that to such bad huswives as Mary, whom if Christ • ad not justified that she had chosen the better part, she had been checked at all hands.

3 If he cannot hinder them from coming, he will come with them to hinder their hearing: well knows he, that no man would look for a devil in the Church; at so good an exercise: and therefore when men think him farthest off, he will be sure to be nearest. Now he cometh to steal away the word, not as other thieves to convert it to his own use, but to prevent thine.

Quest. How doth he steal the Word from Men?

Answ. First, By thrusting in a world of worldly and wandering thoughts of profits or pleasure which fill up the room, and divert the mind from the word in hand; and here he mightily prevaileth, as by his own subtlety, so by God's just judgment, upon them who deny God, their heart, mind, & thoughts in his service; the devil must have them.

Secondly, If bad and idle thoughts be repelled, he can thrust in better thoughts and meditations, on which while the mind settleth, the business in hand is unprofitable to them: or he can while they should hear, make them devout in praying, or diligent in reading, wherein how can they choose but think themselves well occupied? but are circumvented by the seven heads, who can overthrow good things, not by evil only, but by good.

Thirdly, By binding up their senses, and casting them asleep, least they should hear and believe. A fearful sin of many who seem to have taken some grains of some opiated hellish confection to cast them asleep.

Or, if he cannot shut and bind up their senses, he can draw them aside to outward objects, on this or that person or occasion, and set them a tattling or gazing or some other unfit exercise, and all to divert the mind from the one thing necessary.

4 If he cannot hinder them from reverent and watchful hearing: thē he casteth about to intercept it from the heart, and life.

1 He will call the word into question as he did God's own voice to Eve: And so not mingling it with faith, he knows it must be unprofitable.

2 Or if he cannot question it, he deviseth to make men fall out with their meat if everything be not to their minds, either it wants latin, and learning; or it is too tart and personal, it shall go hard but some dislike shall fall on the man or the matter; John's austerity, Christ's familiarity, all shall be distasted. Pipe or mourn to froward children all is one.

3 Or if they hear it with pleasure and affection, then he will make them believe that to hear is enough, without all due meditation in the mind, or expressing the power of it in the life and practice: he cares not greatly if they chaw it a little, and turn it over their tongues by speaking of a point or two, so as there it rot between their teeth, and starve faith and good conscience.

4 Or if they begin to practice or show any fruit at all, then he hath some agent in a corner to advise him to be wise and be not led away by sermons, he shall be noted for a favourer of such as will be little for his credit. Thus Elimas sought to turn the deputy from the faith. Paul spying him catching the word. Oh full of all subtlety and mischief, child of the devil. Or by open scoffs and reproaches daunt them who are unsettled, from the profession and practice of godliness. Thus Satan keeps infinite souls starving and fasting so as they are never able to hold out in the encounter.

A second stratagem of Satan in his assaults against us, is in regard of our weapons, and here he attempteth two dangerous plots.

First, To disarm us, to keep us naked, and destitute of armor. If a captain can keep his enemies from weapons, what needs he more for victory? The Philistines to hold Israel under their bondage. 1 Sam 13 19. left never a smith in Israel, who might help to arm them. And if Satan can keep men naked without armor he hath enough to hold thē forever under a hellish slavery.

Quest. But how doth the devil disarm the Christian?

Answ. Two ways.

By driving men to sin against God, so as now they are naked and destitute of God's favor and protection. Exod. 32 25. Israel making a calf was naked. And Balaam could not curse or any way overcome Israel, but by enticing them to commit, first, corporal fornication, and then spiritual, and this made a fearful breach among them.

2 By persuading men to put off or lay aside their weapons or some part of their armor for a while. He knows when we lie open in any part, and can there hit and wound us, as, he can easily persuade to remit prayer; to be weary of faith, his shield, for the weakness of it; To crack a good conscience and to strain a little; to dislike the profession for the suit and service of it; to slight the preaching or reading of the scripture, and so cast away his word; or in time of peace and security to suffer his armor to hang by the walls rusty and dis-jointed, not considering that the adversary takes no days of truce: nor the Apostles precept, to put on the whole armor of God: As good no armor, as not put on.

Secondly, If he cannot get us to lay aside our armor, then his next drift is to turn them the wrong way. If he cannot wrest it from us, he will seek to wrest it against us: it was the glory of David's victory that he took off Goliath's head with his own sword; and many times and ways doth Satan glory in such conquests over us while we little discern him, For,

1 That he ever conquers us by our own corruptions every man can conceive: which, what is it else then to fetch his weapons out of our own armory?

2 But, which we less discern, he beats us, and overthrows our graces, not by corruptions only but by our graces. As, if we be sorrowful for sin, he will have us swallowed up of sorrow. 1 Cor. 27. 11. If we be zealous, he will carry us so far as the Disciples, who will call for fire from heaven; the fire that should warm the house, shall burn it: If we be humble, he can make us proud because we are humble: in maintaining our Christian liberty, he can easily bring us to licentiousness: in hatred of our former prodigality, he can easily draw to more hatefullc ouetousnesse: and how easily shall we think that to be a virtue, which is contrary to a former vice?

3 The Word of God, a principal weapon, he can easily turn in our own hands against ourselves.

First, Sometimes by hiding some part of it, which is as a breaking short our sword, so as it cannot reach to offend our adversary, or defend ourselves. To embolden men in sin, he alledgeth Ezek. 13. & 18. As I live saith the Lord, I will not the death of a sinner, but hides and breaks short the next words, but that he repent and turn. and 1 Tim. 2. 4. who would have all men saved, but breaks off the next words, and come to the knowledge of his truth. So, to bring Christ to presumption, he alledgeth Psal. 91. He shall give his Angels charge and they shall keep thee &c. but breaks off the words in all thy ways.

Secondly, Sometimes by inferring on words of Scripture diabolical conclusions, as, Christ died for all, therefore thou mayest live in sin. He that provideth not for his family is worse then an infidel, therefore thou mayest be covetous, earthly, unjust in word & deed; a remedy worse then the disease; to avoid infidelity by a greater infidelity; for never can he speak truth but to deceive, and in nothing can he more plausibly hide his lies, then in words of truth, and most of all in words of scripture. Thus Satan foils us with our own weapons.

A third stratagem of this seven heads is, they are very buisy to break our ranks, for thus an army is soon discomfited. This policy Joshua used against the men of Ai. chap. 8. 20. he set part of the army before and part behind in ambush; who when they arose, so troubled the enemies ranks, that being disranked and confounded, they could not stir any way to escape; and thus dealeth the dragon. The ranks of Christian soldiers are their callings; which are of two sorts: general calling of Christianity: and the special calling in which station every man abideth.

If Satan can interrupt or hinder either of these, he hath drawn us from our wall and fort, and soon foyleth us.

1 The duties of our general calling are praying, reading, conferring, meditating and the like; in which we must stand continually, as the Apostle, pray continually, in all things give thanks. Set the Lord continually at thy right hand; if Satan can win us to discontinue these duties at any time, he easily winneth his purpose against us.

Example in holy David 2 Sam. 11. 2 he was wont in the afternoons to be praising God, praying, meditating in the statutes, compiling holy psalms; But now he must have a nap; after that, he spies a woman washing her, hence was his adultery, and to hide that sin addeth the murder of his faithful captain Uriah.

2 Our special callings are our ranks, and if he can turn us out of them, which are our way wherein we have the promise of God's protection; he easily overthrows us.

Idleness is the devils pillow and anvell; an idle mind empty of good, is fit to be filled with evil, whereas look as a full vessel can receive no more, so an heart filled with godly meditations, or an hand full of good exercises, leaveth no room for Satan's temptations, nor leisure for his designs or enterprises. We must therefore abide diligently in our callings, which are a school and exercise of many graces, as humility, obedience, patience, faithfulne, experience of God's blessing, power, and providence, with daily exercise of the word, and prayer, to sanctify them, all which are notable bulwarks against the incursions of the devil.

A fourth usual stratagem of Satan is to dissemble a flight when he need not, when he doth not. Thus Judge. 20. 32. the Israelites after two foils drew all the Benjamites out of the Citty by dissembling a flight, and by such as were laid in ambush (of whom the enemy was not aware) cut them off everyone. So Satan often dissembles a flight for his own advantage; For,

First, He can and often doth depart from vexing and afflicting men at the command of the loosing witch, nay instead of hurting he will offer his help. But 1 to bind his servants more obse quiously unto him. 2 To draw the faith of men from God unto him, and reject dependency on him, and the lawful means, and so do homage to the devil; and is not this flight a mighty conquest?

Secondly, He will give a man leave to leave some sin, so he can get him surer into another extreme: and then he thinks this must needs be a motion of the spirit, because he concludes it clean contrary to that which he took to be a motion of the flesh or devil.

Thirdly, After much struggling and resistance he departs and seems to fly, but his flight is his forest fight; For,

1 He departs but for a season.

2 Never but to renew his forces and assaults, to bring seven spirits worse then before.

To bring us into the sleep of security, as conceiving both,

• weakness in our adversary.
• and strength in ourselves to resist him.

A fifth stratagem of the dragon, he can greatly weaken the Christian and much avail himself by light skirmishes, and proveth most dangerous, when he seems to intend least danger, as,

First, He will begin mannerly with one sin, and what great danger can be in that which is so necessary too as he cannot thrive without it? As, to lie or swear for advantage, or to take usury to live by, to be a non-resident, a gamster, or a sociable man, but he knows: 1 One sin never goeth alone; one sin cannot keep it self warm without another. 2 One sin suffered is like a hole in a ship, which will sink a ship of the greatest burden, somewhat more slowly but as surely as if a whole side were shattered out. Let thy fraught of graces be never so rich, one reigning sin will wrack all. One Agag spared shall cost Saul his kingdom, and his life; one dram of poison is enough; one swine in a garden to root up all; one dead fly shall make the whole box of ointment to stink; and one sin reigning and unrepented shall slay the soul forever.

Secondly, He can easily prefer and get countenance to secret sins, as, evil and wandering motions and thoughts to take up the mind by days and months, with foul & unclean desires, and purposes, yea and practices and actions suitable: For,

Are not thoughts free, and who sees so much hurt in them as in the pricking of a pin, et fi non caste tamen caute, He that cannot live chastely, yet if he can carry it cautelously and charely, all is well.

But the dragon knows, that,

1 If the fountain be corrupt, so are all the streams, and this is a cōpedious way to poison all that comes from within.

2 That secret sins are stronger snares to hold men faster then more open and manifest: both because these are more easily contrived, admitted and continued in. As also because these want those restraints which usually curb open crimes even in bad men, as shame of men, fear of law, and sting and terror of conscience.

Thirdly, He gets no small conquest by holding men in small sins, which are so only in comparison of greater; why, Is it not a little one, and my soul may live in it? and, The offense, skarr, noise and punishment of a small sin cannot be great: whereas he knows, that

First, The least and smallest sin, let in, and allowed, will widen and make room for greater, as a little villain thrust in at a window will soon set the whole house open to the whole crew of thieves and cut-throats.

Secondly, As a skillful Apothecary he can disperse the poison of sin at first in so small quantity, as that the conscience be not sick. But it is that the practice of small sins may grow into custom and habit, and that the conscience may at length come to digest it, as meat and drink with delight, because of the sweet taste in the mouth. And then what delight hath God in him whose delight is in any sin.

The 6. stratagem of these 7. heads is, that the dragon gaineth no small advantage by spreading false fears and terrors to dishearten us in our combat, as valorous chieftaines raise up clouds of dust, o • kindle some false fires that in the smoke of them they may help thenselves, and hinder their enemies: Thus Gideon Judge. 7. by 300. persons discomfited a mighty host of Midianites, by blowing every man a trumpet, breaking every man a pitcher, and holding up every man a burning lamp, by which policy they seemed as many bands as they were men, at which the amazed host fled worse afraid then hurt, had they stood their ground: Even so Satan to discomfit the Christian, spreadeth false fears and terrors in their minds to make them forsake their ground; and these feàres may be reduced to 2. heads.

• 1. Concerning their estates.
• 2. Concerning their actions.

First, For their estates, he terrifieth them with these suggestions, as,

1 That they never had truth of grace but all that ever they had or did was hypocrisy, and dissimulation, or presumption; all 'to make them out of love withgrace.

2 That God never loved them, for then he would not so afflict them, but dandle them as children; and this is to shake out the love of God from their hearts, which constrayneth them to duty and obedience.

3 Terrifieth them with their own wants, ignorance, infirmities, unworthiness, and fear of shameful falls, as such and such of God's servants, that seemed well rooted; his scope herein is to make them weary of all.

4 With fear of final falling a way, and withering if the sun of persecution should arise, and thus causeth many to cast away their confidence, as if he that began the good work would not finish it.

II Concerning actions the serpent spreads many false fears to drive the Christian off them, as,

1 In religious actions he objecteth and urgeth the reproaches and many wrongs there waiteth upon forwardness; it is but to purchase general dislike and disgrace, & expose himself to be a prey; and as many Lions and difficulties are in the way sufficient to cast off the sluggard, and no fewer losses of friends, customers, takings in the trade, his credit, respect of great ones, and the like. Here not a few are circumvented.

2 In common and civil actions he persuadeth men, that they cannot live by true dealing without falsehood in word and deed; and if they help not themselves with lying, swearing, dissembling, unlawful gains by usury, and the like; they cannot trade or live; And hereby he holdeth many tradesmen in the trade of sin; who account nothing evil which may bring them in the goods and profits of this life.

3 To hinder actions of mercy and liberality, he frighteth men with false fears, least by giving, themselves come to need, and so they wrong their family; as if God supplied not seed to the sower, and as if he that watereth should want rain. See Proverbs 11. 25.

4 To hinder actions of justice, especially if against a great man; What know you what you do? would a wise man raise a Liō, or take a Bear by the tooth? will you pull on yourselves a needless danger? thus is he skillful by false terrors to hinder any good; hereby he doubleth his strength and winneth ground on our cowardliness. These things have I set down, that we might not be ignorant of his enterprises. 1. Cor. 2. 11.

Being to deal and to grapple with this seven headed dragon and all the serpentine seed, we must learn that needful lesson of our Savior Mat. 16. 16 Be wise as serpents.

Quest. Wherein is the Serpents wisdom?

Answ. In 4. things.

1 The serpent is naturally wise to defend himself frō wrongs, to which end he will wrap up his whole body about his head, to save and defend that from danger: So must Christians be most careful of their own safety, by careful respect of their head, namely, the faith and glory of Jesus Christ, and expose themselves to any dangers to save him, his glory, his holy profession harmless; as the holy Martyrs did

2 The serpent or dragon who is the old serpent, and his seed, are very subtle to contrive evil: So Christians must be wise and politick to contrive and bring to effect that which is good. Rom. 16. 19. Be wise concerning that which is good; but simple concerning that which is evil: The object of Christian wisdom must be that which is good, and a good cause wisely handled is very graceful, which made David's face to shine even in Saul's envious eye; because he behaved himself wisely in his matters. Good Rebecca willing to save Jacob from Esau's fury, hideth her counsel, by pretending another occasion; because the daughters of Heth were a grief unto her; she would send him to Padan Aram to fetch him a wife; And so wisely prevented the intended mischief. Gen. 27. 41. And Paul used a special good policy for himself amongst his accusers, who discerning that some were Sadducees who denied the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the dead; and that some were Pharisees that held both, he professed himself a Pharisee, and cast a bone between the two sects, and so slid away between them. Acts 23. 6, 7.

And thus Christian policy is as lawful in our war against this hellish and serpentine army, as are those prudent policies of the field in external wars and martial affairs, squared to the rules of God's word, and to these cautions; 1 That nothing be said or done to prejudice truth; 2 Or God's glory; 3 Or civil righteousness; 4 Or the special calling.

3 The serpent is subtle to contrive evil by evil means, and this is that wisdom that is earthly, hellish, sensual and devilish, such are the Machivilian policies and desperate shifts to atraine wicked ends, by right or wrong, force or fraud, life or death; Thus Ahab and Jezebel cōtrived for Naboth's Vineyard, by hypocrisy and murder. Thus Papists will set up their religion by lies, equivocations, Spanish inquisitions, gunpouder plots, and such horrible torments as are likest and come nearest to the torments of hell, whence both their religion and devises to uphold it are. Thus many Tradesmen are wise to get wealth, by lies, oaths, circumventing and laying snares.

But the practice of true wisdom from above is, pure, peaceable, gentle, and by allowed means attaineth lawful ends: the Serpents policy is ever joined with iniquity: but Christian policy must be accompanied with innocence, and contriveth good things by good means only, and degenerateth into carnal counsel, when, even in case of saving the life, unwarrantable means are undertaken: as when David to save his life feigned himself mad: Peter denied his Lord; a Protestant to go to mass with pretence to keep his heart to God, or a Christian for recovery of health or goods, to go to the Witch.

4 The serpent is wise to stop his ears against the charmer, and will by no sweet and cunning notes be drawn out of his hold into danger; So must the Christian be here as wise as serpents by bewaring of men Mat. 10. 17. Godly men must not commit themselves hastily to everyone that can speak thē fair, and singing sweetly unto them; but carefully keep them out of their snares; who are like ponds, the water is clear enough at the top, but at the bottom foul and muddy. Let us remember our Lord was betrayed with a kiss; that the Apostles suffered most from false brethren who, crept in to spy their liberty.

That enemies of grace can make fair weather when they are most stormy within, that the times are dangerous, the persons we have to deal with pernicious, the flights of the serpent mischievous, and if we deal not as wisely as warrantably, they will get beyond us; that it is the property of folly to pour out all his mind: but wisdom reserveth something for afterward.

2 But especially let us not be carried away with their whisperings and charms that would draw us from our religion, sincerity, true worship; Let no Syren song draw us out of our hold, as those of Jesuits, Priests, Libertine preachers, nor prevail so much with us as to taste any forbidden fruit.

Quest. How shall I get this serpentine wisdom to oppose the dangerous 7. heads.

Answ. 1 Get the fear of God, that is the beginning of wisdom Prov. 1. 7. Psal. 111. 10. and to depart from evil is understanding Job. 28. 28. Prov. 3. 9.

2 Use the means appointed, seek for wisdom, dig for it as for treasures Prov. 2. 4. Minerals lie hid in the bowels of the earth, and are fetched out with labor and hard pains, wait at the gates of wisdom: that is worth nothing which is got for nothing: we must seek it as silver, covetously, diligently, constantly.

3 Make the word thy counselor, there thou meetest with the wisdom of the spirit, which overreacheth all the wisdom of the flesh; David hereby became wiser then the ancient, then his Counselors, then his enemies Psal. 119. The serpent indeed hath a subtlety of many turnings and windings, but in the scripture is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a manifold wisdom against all devises. It is a faithful guide against all wanderings: it is as was the cloud in the wilderness for our motion or station; an unerring gu • de that leadeth us as wise men to Christ: it is the holy card to direct us in this troublesome sea, to escape all the shelves, and sands, and rocks, to conduct us safely to the holy land.

4 Pray for wisdom, so did Solomon: for heavenly wisdom thou must go to heaven. James 5. If any want wisdom he must ask it of God, the encouragement of the prayer is, 1 The promise of the spirit of wisdom; grace, and speech to prevent evils, and disappoint enemies. Luk 21. 14. 2 The promise that God will turn wicked men's counsels to folly, as Ahithophel's 2 Sam. 15. 31. he will scatter their devises and bring them home on their own heads.

5 Practice true wisdom: the practice of true wisdom increaseth it. The dragon is subtle by long experience and practice, against which we shall well oppose this experimental and practike wisdom. Deut. 4. 6. This is your wisdom.

Quest. How may we practice this Serpentine wisdom.

Answ. 1 In respect of God and the things of God, true wisdom will provide for it self the best things. In vain is that man wise that is not wise for God and himself. Prov 9. 12. Sound wisdom will provide the best estate for it self; Wise Virgins will prepare oil as well as lamps, and the wise Merchant will be sure to purchase the pearl, though it cost him his whole estate: true wisdom will first seek the Kingdom and the righteousness of it, then other things: true wisdom esteemeth godliness the greatest gain, and is provident for it self.

2 True wisdom is watchful of it self; it will observe what evil it is most prone unto, and there fence most carefully; as Citizens besieged do the weakest part of their wall, and there keep strongest watches.

1 It knoweth the dragon watcheth all occasions, and so it doth for it self; and seeing it knoweth Satan fitteth his temptations to every estate: it will observe it self, in prosperity to watch against pride, in adversity to watch against impaciency, it will observe opportunities offered and accept them for God's glory, and the good of himself and others.

3 In good duties it contenteth not it self, that they be done unless they be well done, and in a good manner by good means, to right ends, and in all right circumstances, as knowing he must not only do good, but be wise to do good.

2 It will do all the good it can, if it cannot do all the good it would, for so the dragon doth in evil.

3 It will be in lesser duties and commands as conscionable as in greater. Psal. 119. 6. When I have respect to all thy Commandments.

4 In temptations to sin. 1 It thinketh not itself gotten ont of sin by running unto the other extreme. 2 It will abstain from evil and from the appearance of evil. 3 It will abstain from evil though good might come of it, Rom. 3. and so preventeth the tempter, whoever thrusteth on evil under the color of some good by it.

Comfort to the church not to fear the high reaches and deep devises of the enemies, for,

1 The wise God taketh the wise in their craftiness and breaketh the head of the crooked serpent and dragon of the sea, Isai. 27. 3.

2 Though the dragon have 7. heads, our head is wiser then them all; In him are treasures of wisdom and knowledge; dragons may hide their counsels from men; but not from him who hath 7. eyes to foresee and prevent all mischiefs from his Church, Zach. 4. He hath the 7. spirits of God. Rev. 5. 6. that is a most absolute wisdom and power, to repel all the dragons subtleties.

Ob. What is this to us?

Answ. Yes, these 7. spirits are sent into all the world. verse. 5, 6. 2 The head hath wisdom for all the members, and understandeth not for itself only, but for them. 3 He is made of God to us wisdom as well as righteousness. 2 Cor. 1. 30.

3 Though Charmers whisper and busily pull many from the truth, yet by this wisdom of thy head thou mayest discern between truth and error; between the voice of a shepherd, and of a stranger. Let never so many false Prophets go out into the world; thy comfort is, thou art of God and hast overcome them.

4 Though tyrants and antichristian powers should draw thee before councils and consistories, fear not what to say, in that hour wisdom shall be givē to thee, as the poor silly Martyrs, to confound the mighty and learned.

5 Though in the world thou art counted silly and simple, to cross thyself in the reputation of it, be content, let others be wise in the world, be thou wise by the word, so shalt thou be wise to salvation, when worldly wisdom shall end in folly and damnation.

And ten horns]

Now we come to the fourth property of this dragon namely his power and strength called, here ten horns: where consider,

• 1. What those horns be.
• 2. The number of them.

1 The word horn properly taken is well known to be that part of the beast wherein is his chief strength and beauty: but in scripture it is commonly taken Metaphorically, and signifieth strength, might, power, kingdom, glory; Sometimes in the Creator. 2 Sam. 22. 3. The Lord is the horn of my salvation, that is, my powerful and glorious Savior. Sometimes in the Creature, and thus great Provinces, and Princes, and those mighty Kings and kingdoms which like beasts with horns, both defend themselves, and offend and hurt one another, are usually called by this name in scripture.

Dan. 7. 7. The fourth beast (by which some understand the Roman Monarchy, and others better, the Asiaticall kingdom of the Selucidae) was fearful and terrible, and very strong, It had Iron teeth and devoured and brake in pieces all before it, and it had ten horns, and those were ten kings that should rise successively: and ver. 8. another little horn, that was Antiochus Epiphanes ver. 24. called little, because he was youngest brother, and had no right to the kingdom, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked away; that is, 3. kings who had right before him, but all made away by him, that he might come to the kingdom. And the Beast, Rev. 13. 1 by which is meant Antichrist, is said to have 7. heads and ten horns; here in agreeing with this dragon; both of them are monstrous, and though they are divers beasts, yet resemble one another in great correspondency, and those ten horns, are expounded to be ten Kings, vassals of Antichrist. Cap. 17. 12.

Here by horns I understand.

1 In general the mighty power and strength of the whole dragon, both head and members, that is, of Satan, and his instruments, against the Woman the Church in general, thus. Zach 1. 18. The Prophet saw a vision of four horns, and the Angel expoundeth it; saying, These be the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, that is, the enemies which oppressed the Church, called 4. horns, not in respect of number, as if there were no more, but of universality, because they make waste and havoc of the Church, in all the four costs and regions of the world; as, East, West, North, South. As;

1 On the East of Judea were Moabites Ammonites, and Idumeans.

2 On the West were Philistines.

3 On the South Egyptians, and Ethiopians.

4 On the North, Syrians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. So the Church is beset with these four horns.

II In special the excessive power, and glory of the imperial dragon, or Roman Emperors, who most of them were successively armed with as much power as cruelty, to wast and destroy the woman, that is, the first Churches and Christians of the new testament; to which story the Evangelist John in all this vision hath special reference, as we have already in part shown, and shall declare further all along as we come to the particular.

The number ten horns, this may be taken two ways.

1 Definitly, and with limitation and restraint, to a certain number, and so hath an eye either to the ten bloody tyrants, and persecutions under those Emperors or to the ten Kings and kingdoms of Europe, which were under the Roman Empire, who made themselves vassailes to that dragon, and gave that power and horns to him against Christ, and his spouse, this Woman.

2 Or rather, which I think the better, we are to take this number here indefinitely, for all those Kings and Princes and Captains under them: who leagued and banded themselves against the Woman, which by the perfect number of ten, are noted to be exceeding many.

1 Because this number is often so taken in the Scripture, for an uncertain but a very great number, Numb. 14. 22. they tempted me ten times Job. 19. 3. Ye have reproached me ten times, that is, very many times Rev. 2. 10. Ye shall have tribulation ten days, that is, many days; a certain time for an uncertain; and the whole visible Church is described by ten Virgins, that is, a numerous multitude of professors, Math. 25.

2 I take in the instruments and agents of Kings and Princes, because the horn properly ariseth from the head, and those instruments of violence and fury sent from their heads and Commanders are aptly meant also by horns.

3 Because of the number here are but seven heads; but ten horns, not so many heads as horns, and so there are more Executors then Princes, more Instruments then Captains and heads and Generals, and the title aptly bringeth them in all.

The Church of God is among the wicked as among so many horned beasts of great power and place to hurt and oppress: See Psal. 22. 12. Many Bulls have compassed me, even mighty bulls of Bashan and verse. 16. dogs have compassed me; as a fearful Hare beset with a kennel of dogs is in great danger: so the weak Woman here beset with fierce and ravenous beastsand: verse. 21. Save me from the Lions mouth and from the horns of Unicornes. Hence Dan. 7. the calamity of the Jews is from the four Beasts; that is, those great Monarchs and Rulers, described under the name of sundry beasts, which with strong horns fought one against another, but all against the Church: and everywhere tyrants are called in Scripture Lions, Bears, Unicornes, Wolves, for their cruelty in themselves, and for the oppression of the people of God.

Mat. 10. Our Savior forewarneth his disciples of their condition; I send you as sheep among Wolves; and these have force and power far above the sheep. To come to the times here aimed at: how was the Church in the beginnings of the New Testament pushed and gored with the horns of these beasts, such as Herod the son of Antipas, who beheaded John; and Herod Agrippa, who slew James with the sword, and persecuted Peter delivered by an Angel, Acts 12. Such were Felix and Lysias, and Festus, who used their horns, power and places to persecute Paul and Christians in those days. And after these, how lamentably was the Church wasted by the Roman persecuting tyrants, even those ten Imperial horns, and other savage dragons, until Constantine, who all imbrued themselves till they were all red with the blood of many thousands of Christians!

In regard of the wicked themselves, who all of them by nature are furiously and impetuously like brute beasts carried against grace and piety, and as little restraint have they in themselves as furious beasts unless God by common grace restrain them, or by special saving grace change them, and make them of Lions, Wolves, Bears, Cockatrices; Kids, Lambs, and harmless creatures. Isa. 11. 6. For so there the Prophet styleth men in their nature, because their enemies are so cruel and sanguinary, more like beasts then men. Godly men go soft pace in the way of godliness, because they have a restraint in their relics of flesh present with them; but wicked men, without restraint of grace, as brute beasts, rush upon mischief, as the horse into battle; If the godly walk they can run; if the Saints run: they can fly; if the godly be foot men: they are light horsemen.

In the Church. 1. The sins of the Church often strengthen and sharpen and multiply the horns of the dragon. Psal. 81. 13. 14. O that Israel would have walked in my ways, I would soon have humbled their enemies: through the whole story of Judges so often as Israel sinned God gave them into the hands of oppressors. cap. 4. 2. cap. 2. 14 cap. 6. 1.

2 The afflictions of the Church make the Enemies lift up their horns when they see and hear of their troubles and foils, when they see that their prayers and exercises of religion cannot help them, especially when they see God for their humiliation leaveth them as a prey in their hands, this maketh them exult as against Christ on the Cross, He trusted in God, let him deliver him; want of grace, yea hatred of grace maketh them insult where they should pity; not thinking the same or worse things may be fall themselves. Lam. 24, 5. and 2. 15.

3 The continual estate of the Church is to be in the world as a wilderness, wherein what can they look for but to be environed with wild and furious beasts; that is, evil men, who for their disposition are as wild and fierce as Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Cockatrises, because both of their power and desire of hurting and making a pray and spoil of the Church.

The world, in which the Church is a stranger, affordeth to her natives all her aide and mighty means to furnish them against the Church, which maketh them advance their horns on high, in pride and fury against the Church, for they have

1 Carnal wisdom, prudence, policy in martial exploits; and whereas a good conscience can go but one way; they can shift into a thousand by ways which is their advantage.

2 They have multitudes, power and strength of arm, and flesh, wherein they boast and glory.

3 They have armories, defensed Castles, Cities, and can want no weapons of death against the Woman.

4 They have treasures, revenues, wealth, large possessions, gold of India, which are the sine ws of war.

5 They have friends, allies, confederates, holy leagues, auxiliary forces, and supplies, and in these they lift up their horns, and are made very strong and bold, for, those that have no part in God, glory and pride themselves in everything, but God.

Quest. But what doth the Lord all this while to suffer the dragon thus to exercise his rage and domineer over the Church? can he help all this, and will he not step out for his Church?

Answ. The Lord hath sundry good ends of this his providence. For,

1 He so ordereth the matter as that the Church must be conformable to her head, and the servants not above their Master; Christ himself was in the wilderness with wild beasts, expecting the great dragon to set upon him, as he did in three horrible and hellish temptations: and through his whole life he was beset with these horned beasts, among whom the principal was Herod Ascalonita; who as soon as he was borne, sought to slay him, and devoured all the Infants of Bethlehem, hoping he had been within his net: And Pontius Pilate the Roman President, who with the Scribes, Pharisees, and chief •• jests, crucified and put him to death, and yet who can deny that he was the Son of his Love, and most dear unto his Father?

2 He doth it not to extinguish, but exercise; not to destroy, but try their faith, patience, and graces: for grace is like gold, the oftener tried in the fire, the purer. Rev. 2. 10.

3 To acquaint them both with their own danger, and so to stir them up to a constant watching, as also to let them see their own impotency and weakness, so to drive them out of themselves, to rely on his strength and power: who is only able to overmatch these mighty horns in man's eye.

4 To wean them from the love of this world to which we are all naturally wedded; and to hye themselves through it as through a dangerous wilderness. So David's soul was weary with dwelling in Mesech.

5 To advance not only the patience of God, suffering his enemies to rise to such a height; but also to manifest his great care, and provident eye over his Church, by whose almighty power this small flock of sheep is safe amongst a drove of wolves Lions, and a whole foxest of foxes and dragons.

Take notice of the perpetual condition of the Church and her dangerous estate, that we may not marvel or take offense at the tumults and hostile forces, raised against the Church at this day.

1 Let not the might and power of the enemies gathereed against her dismay us, nor their great and puissant armies and Captains; nor that royal and imperial forces are raised against this poor Woman utterly to destroy her; this is no new thing, that mighty horns, and the highest of all human power should lift up themselves against her, she hath from the beginning been acquainted with such trials.

Nor let us startle at the multitudes of enemies & Princes, and armies, that stand about her; it is not the first time that ten horns at once have assaulted and pushed her; nay, seldom shall ye see this Woman but in the midst of these ten horns, all ready to make a present spoil of her.

Neither let the fierceness and savage disposition of them against her be strange to us: seeing they are the dragons horns, dragons are guided by no law but by their own fierce and truculent nature, flying upon their prey without all pity: but no cruel and truculent beast or dragon is so fierce against men, as wicked men are against the Woman: no law of nature or nations, no bond or tie, no respect of sex or age stoppeth them, but pitilesly without all mercy, the dragons seize upon young and old, male and female, high and low, nocents or innocents, if they fall in their way; whosoever profess the fear of God and true religion against them they are gathered: See it in one example: Haman, because Mordecai will not bow to him because he was of another religion, getteth to the King, enformeth against all the Jews, as having a law and religion of their own contrary to the Kings: and it was not for the Kings profit to suffer thē: presently without any course of law, no man being heard, nay no man complaining, but Haman privately slandering; the King delivereth the whole nation men, women and children some 2. or 3. thousand persons to death and bloody buchery all in a day (but that God prevented it) a thief or guilty fellon shall have a due course of law, & shall not be condemned unheard: sometimes pity spareth a seditious and rebellious multitude that have deserved death, because they are many. After war and hot blood, the most furious enemies will spare such as are overcome, though they would have spoiled and not spared them in hot blood.

In sacking and taking cities the Conqueror often in humanity spareth women & children, when their lives are in their hands: But in this cause of Religion, these horned dragons put off all humanity, & clothe themselves with barbarous & more then brutish cruelty; no humanity nor humility, no entreaty nor sex, no age nor place can plead for one drop of pity; As in plentiful examples both old and new, might be proved, namely, the French Massacre, 1572. and our own powder Treason.

Quest. But what, shall the Church be devoured by so many and potent horns? how can a silly weak woman be safe among them?

Ans. No: this Woman was never yet overcome by them, nor shall be, she may be tired, terrified, pushed, wounded by them; but not overcome: For,

1 The dragons great power is but limited and restrained: as Satan must not touch Job's wise, and Laban against his own evil intention is commanded, Gen. 31. 24. Take heed thou speak naught to Jacob save good: So can they do nothing against Jacob which is not good, or shall not be turned to good.

Though their power be great, yet there is a greater and over-ruling power, which curbeth them both in the attempting, proceeding, and ending of their intentions. Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Gentiles can attempt nothing against Christ, but what the hand and counsel of God hath before determined to be done. Act. 4. 27. In the executiō this over-ruling power can blunt their horns at his pleasure, If Esau be come forth with a band of men to revēge on Jacob, this power can turn their hearts to favor his brother: in the end they are over-ruled, for whereas they would make no end of pushing and goaring, he will have them go no further then he please. And the rod of the wicked shall not always lie on the lot of the godly.

2 The horns of the dragon have great power, but being set all against God & his Saints, it cannot prosper Job. 9. 4. Who was ever fierce against God and prospered? their power shall never effect all their wills, being so contrary to the will and counsel of the Almighty: their will is to destroy and root out the Saints of the most High, but his will and counsel is only to chasten them: their will is not only to destroy the person, but the faith also, & fortitude; but they can do neither: for though they may prevail against the persons of some members, yet never against the person of the Woman the whole Church, and those that are overcome of them in respect of life, are never in respect of faith, the gates of hell cannot prevail against that: so as though they be slain they are never overcome.

3 Although mighty horns are raised up against the Woman, yet hath God raised up for her a more mighty horn of salvation. Luk. • . 69. Even the horn of David, stronger then they all, the greatest enemy of the Church is but as Antiochus, a little horn to him.

Ob. But here are ten horns, what is one horn to so many?

Answ. Christ our Lord and head wants not a sufficient number of horns to encounter the dragons ten horns, Rev. 5. 6 the Lamb hath 7. horns: though the dragon seem to exceed in number, yet doth not; for the number of 7 is a number of perfection, and argueth in Christ perfection of power, which is not in the number of ten, whether it be taken definitly or indefinitely in the dragon, and there is not one of these 7. but is stronger then all the dragons ten. And besides, whereas the dragons horns are confined to his heads, which they exalt and carry aloft; our Lord Jesus hath many horns, coming out of his hands, Hab. 3. 4. that is, Omnipotent in all his works, especially in his battles against the dragons ten horns, for he hath achieved an admirable victory over principalities and powers, and made show of them openly as a triumphant Conqueror on the Chariot of his Cross; and at his ascension professed that all power in heaven and earth was given to him.

4 Although the dragon hath his horns and agents everywhere, so as the Dove of Christ knoweth not where to set her foot to rest safe from them; for there be 4. horns which scatter Judah in all the 4. quarters of the world, Zach. 1. 20 yet verse. 21 God hath 4. Carpenters or workmen with tools and axes to strike off these horns, that is, as the dragons horns are in all quarters to scatter and wast the Church: so the Lord hath everywhere instruments to batter them: although the Lord could do it with any one instrument, or by never a one; yet for the full consolation of the Church, he described them to be as many, and in as many places to resist, and suppress them.

5 Though these horns of the dragon be many and powerful, yet God doth often turn them one against another, as the Midianites swords were thrust into their fellows sides: and shall at length easily and certainly break all their horns lifted against him and his Church, as in Haman, Herod, Pharob, Judas, Julian, Zenacherib; A proof how he brake in pieces the Antichristian horn in our Fathers days; some persecutors died suddenly, as Annanias, some with their guts falling out, as Judas, some with loathsome excrements finding unnatural ways, by the mouth & nostrils, some brake their necks, some became frantic, none escaped without repentance, though for a while they held up their heads and horns aloft.

Quest. But what means may this Woman use against all these horns for her safety?

Answ. 1 She must know as all human power cannot resist those mighty horns, and therefore must utterly dispare of her own strength, for we fight not against flesh and blood; but against spiritual wikednesse also in high places, nor against weaklings but against the strong man armed, Luk. 11. 21. Who is resolved to keep his hold; against the Prince of the world, yea the god of the world, and not against one enemy or two: but ten horns, an infinite army of principalities and powers, with all his aids and abettors, which are the great and innumerable worldly horns, all at his command against the Church, and her Head Jesus Christ: What is the world but Satan's armory? and our adversaries are not more puissant, and numerous, as we are few in number, weak in ourselves, weaker in our sins, utterly unable to resist their horns, and assaults, Impar congressus, as Saul to David, he is a man of war and the other a stripling; therefore we must despare of our strength.

2 Fly to the strength of God which will make us conquerors: acknowledge that salvation is the Lord's; the dragon hath his strength from earth, the Woman hath her strength from heaven, by prayer. David comes to Goliath in the name of the Lord and foyleth him: so let us disparing of ourselves be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Ephes. 5. 10. we shall be able to do all things through the help of Christ strengthening us. Phil. 4. 13. Colos. 1. 11. we are strengthened through him. &c.

3 The dragon is strong by human confederacies and alliance; we must confederate with God by daily renewing our covenant by faith & repentance; strengthen our league and union with God, who will give us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15. 57.

4 Leane upon the promise of God who hath undertaken to break for his Church all the horns of the wicked. Psal. 75. 10. Even all these ten horns shall be broken; distrust not the promise but believe and be safe; faith will be an honorable victory for it apprehendeth the power which brought Christ safe from the wilderness, and wild beasts, and shall bring the Saints safe through all

An admonition to the enemies Psal. 75. 5. Lift not up your horns high.

1 what are they in nature but savage beasts and dragons; nay the wildest of the beasts retaineth more goodness in his nature then the wicked man doth in his; Christ was more safe in the wilderness among wild beasts then in the world among wicked men; the beasts in the wilderness acknowledge their Lord and hurt not him; But if he come among wicked men, Judas will betray him, the Jews will accuse him, Pilate will condemn him, the common soldiers will crucify him: Daniel was more safe among the Lions, then among his enemies: so was Paul too, who had better escaped the beasts at Ephesus then the men; Lazarus found the dogs more pitiful then Dives. The beast knoweth and feareth those that do him good: but these, worse then beasts, neither know nor acknowledge God nor his people, from whose hand and for whose sake they hold all they have.

2 What are they in God's account?

Obj. He favoreth and prospereth them.

Sol. Though they seem to carry all before them, and are men of place and power, and all men stand in awe of them, yet in God's account they are but beasts amongst men, their strength and power but as the raving and pushing of horned beasts.

3 How are they crossed in their own account! they shall never have their wills against the Woman, nor shall never destroy her faith and fortitude: their intended mischief shall effect her good: By tearing with their teeth they would utterly devour her, but as Ignatius, let wild beasts tear and grind her it is but to make fit bread for the Lord's table.

4 Though now Papists and Antichrists horns be lifted up, God seeth and sustereth, and smileth, he seeth and hath let his servants see their day coming; the sins of the Church do a little while put it off, but God's word is as a hatcher lifted up to knock both the head and horns, and the strong arm of God shall make good his word, and ere long these ten horns shall hate the whore and make her desolate. see Revel. 17. 16.

And seven crowns on his heads]

The 5. and last property by which the dragon is described is by his great conquest & victories, together with his high rule and authority which he exerciseth and usurpeth in the world against the Church.

By crowns or diadems is meant 1. in general, the whole kingdom of darkness which Satan by the greatness of his power usurpeth, not upon inferiors and vassals only: but upon the chiefest Monarchs, and potentates of the earth, whose crowns after a sort become his crowns.

2 The many victories and great conquests, which partly by fraud, and partly by force, he hath carried away amongst earthly Princes, and carnal professors, for who wear crowns but Conquerors?

3 Here especially is meant the supremacy or supreme majesty of the Roman dragon or Empire, subduing under it the Princes, provinces, nations, by innumerable victories, but especially prevailing against the Church, and primative Christians, as so many Conquerors.

The number of the crowns are 7. according to the number of his heads, and all his 7. heads are crowned because his subtleties have so often prevailed.

The dragon usurpeth and exerciseth kingly authority and regal power in earth by which he often prevaileth against the Woman the Church. This our Savior teacheth, both in the style that he giveth him, and also by the state which he ascribeth unto him; for as great Princes have many great titles which declare their might: So hath the dragon; he is called Joh. 14. 30. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Prince of this world; and Ephes. 2. 2. the Prince of the air, Epes. 6. 12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Lord of the world, and 1 Cor. 4. 4 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ▪ the god of this World. And his estate is described no less magnificent, then his titles; for he hath not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a house, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a Court like a Prince, not only his palace in hell where he commandeth the inferior devils, but one erected here on earth in the hearts of wicked men: Nay he hath not only a Court but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a Kingdom, Math. 12. 26. If Satan be divided his kingdom cannot stand; thus the Scripture speaketh of him as a crowned King and great Monarch.

Quest. But wherein doth the dragon exercise his Princedom?

Answ. This kingdom of the devil is partly spiritual, partly corporal.

1 He rules and playeth Rex chiefly spiritually and inwardly in all the children of disobedience, acting and moving them according to his pleasure. In all unregenerate men all the dragons heads are crowned, for, 1 He hath conquered and subdued their persons, their minds by ignorance, their wills by rebellion, their harts by hardness, their whole man by lusts.

2 He setteth up his edicts, his will is their law, and they are moved at his pleasure, as slaves and captives. 2 Tim. 2. 26. and how just is it that they who will not be ruled by the will of God in his word to salvation; should be left to the will of the devil to destruction; his servants are they whom they obey.

3 As a crowned King is not content to rule according to his own will, but his subjects must take up arms in defense of his title, and whensoever he commandeth, must fight his battles: So do and must unregenerate men give up their members weapons of unrighteousness and fight for sin against grace; and are ready as voluntaries to maintain abet strive for and defend the lusts of sin, and bear weapons against heaven and Jesus Christ in whose name they are baptized: & this is the forlorn estate of any wicked man; that his person is in the power of the devil, and he being a slave, his whose life is a homage to the dragon, and his whose power and strength warreth against God his Creator. Now the dragons heads are crowned, and he set upon his throne.

II Outwardly and corporally the dragon useth Kingly authority, thrusting on his counsels by secular power and prevailing with wicked Kings and tyrants to execute all his bloody edicts against the Woman, and therefore is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the strong man; not only because he is admirable strong in himself, but because he commandeth secular powers and getteth their forces and weapons drawn against the Church, hence is he said to have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , vessels, and instruments, and armor, that is, as Chrysostom interpreteth, wicked mē & Potentates that fight as leaguers and confederates with him. If this great Centurian bid Cain rise up and slay his own natural brother, Cain must and will do it; against all laws of God and nature. If he command Pharaoh to slay the seed of the woman, and oppress the Woman her self, he is in pay under the Devil, and must do it: If he command Nero, Domitian, Trajan, and the rest of the crowned heads (at whom our text aimeth) to shed like fierce and sanguinary dragons, the blood of the Christians, till the streets of Rome ran with blood, as Jerusalem's did in Manasseh time: they readily give their crowns to the dragon, and execute all his designs. If he command Popish Princes and Captains to persecute with fire, and sword; with bloody Inquisitions, Massacres; with force and fraud, the holy religion of God; these slaves and tyrants must and will give their crowns to the dragon, and the beast, and in savage manner make no end of effusion of Christian blood, but would barbarously wish (as one of them) to ride their horses to the bellies in the blood of Protestants. Thus the dragons heads are crowned in all those Kings and Princes, that are enemies to the Church, and exercise their power in peace or war against her.

From Satan's malice and contrariety to Christ and his Kingdom, and all he claimeth, as in these particulars.

1 If Christ be Lord of all, the dragon will claim all. Math 4. All these things will I give thee, for they are mine: Dare he so before Christ's face challenge his right, and will he not behind his back?

2 If Christ have a kingdom of light which tendeth to gather the elect and destroy the wicked: The dragon hath a kingdom of darkness clean contrary, which tendeth to destroy the elect if it were possible, and to gather all the wicked to him in his own damnation.

3 If Christ's kingdom be ample and large from East to West, and from sea to sea, Psal. 2. 8. and 72. 8 The dragon will compass the earth, Job. 1. and getteth the harvest of the world, leaving but a few gleanings for Christ.

4 If Christ require spiritual worship, being a spiritual King, the dragon will require the same, Math. 4, If thou fall down and worship me; And that which he could not obtain of Christ he winneth of all the wicked in the world, who worship the beast and the dragon, Rev. 14. 3.

5 If Christ call his kingdom inwardly by his spirit and without by the ministry of Angels and men: So will the dragon rule and move his subjects, partly by inward motions and suggestions, and partly by wicked angels and wicked men, who are all bad agents and factors for him.

6 If Christ ordain power, and authority, and raise up Kings, and give them crowns and scepters; that as they rule by him so they should rule for him; and for the upholding of his title and kingdom: The dragon in special despite of this ordinance prevaileth with them to bend their power against Christ and his Church from whom and for whom they received it.

Is from the subtlety of the Dragon, who knoweth it is the greatest advantage to his kingdom if he can get all his heads crowned; for his experience hath taught him three things.

First, that if he can get in great ones, he gaineth in them all their inferious, who follow the motion of the great wheels: If Rehoboam commit adultery, all Judah will sacrifice under every green tree.

Second, that his kingdom being of this world, as himself is the god of the world, so his kingdom standeth by secular power, and worldly means; well he knoweth that truth needs no secular arm, for it hath a stronger power and arm for it; but falsehood needeth worldly power and policy to uphold it: if his heads be not crowned they cannot long prevail.

Third, if he can get his diabolical edicts once crowned, they shall pass almost unquestioned, and that generally; and be they never so unlawful and wicked against God's pure worship, against God's holy Sabbaths; yet they shall prevail not only against the wicked, who shall show themselves good subjects in their blind and impious obedience; but especially against the godly, who shall be pursued with all the wrath of such superiors, as rebels, seditious, disobedient to Rulers and Princes; as Daniel, against whom they could pick no quarrel, but in the matter of his God.

From the desert of the Church: for her sins crown the Dragon, God in justice appointing them to be the rodds of his wrath, by whom he whippeth his own children: for whereas the promise is, that the Church, obeying the commands of God, he will make her the head, and not the tail, and she shall be above and not beneath. By her disobedience her adversaries become chief, and those that hate her in affections, and those that oppress her in action, get the staff into their hand; and have power as crowned Dragons over her. Lament. 5. 5. and especially, cap 1. 5.

From the justice of God against the dragon himself both head and members, that they may run on headlong to their perdition: For, the more power and greatness they have, the more they grow in malice and madness against the woman; and the more victories they attain against the Church, the more they exult and triumph, and sooner rise to their height, and fill up their measure that the Lord may awaken himself, and rise up as a Giant, and pursue and break them, and cast them as rodds into the fire as he hath ever done.

Note the good service that every wicked man and enemy of God and his Saints do in the world; he is of no other use and service, then to hold the crown upon the Dragons head. For, as every good subject must stand to the death to uphold the crown and dignity of his lawful Prince: So do these rebels, and revolters from Jesus Christ uphold the crown and dignity of this usurper.

Object. God forbid there should be any such, we are all Christians, &c.

Sol. Yes, the Dragon hath a number of good subjects that strongly and mightily uphold his crown, while they will protest and profess the contrary.

Quest. But how may we know them?

Sol. 1. He is free from righteousness, that is, de sacto, non dejure; he will have nothing to do with that, let grace woo him and persuade him, it can prevail nothing at all, let the Spirit of God persuade him to humility, obedience, conscience: he is an enemy to the Spirits motions and persuasions; but let the Dragon instigate him with wicked motions, and cogitations, he is a ready agent: as Judas rejecting the good motions of the Spirit, the devil entered into his heart to betray his Lord; and it was soon done. Let the word persuade him to change his master; and of the slave of the Dragon, become the Lord's free man; He resisteth the word, the Spirit of God, which inspired the holy Prophets, and Apostles, moveth us to speak the same word, and the wills of believers to obey it: But the Dragon moveth them to scorn, and contradict our doctrine, and so resist the holy Ghost, as Steven telleth his adversaries: and why? because we light not candles to the Sun, nor confirm the Kings word by some of the guard, nor prove the truth of God's Spirit, by men and human spirits, Eph. 2. 2. These sons of disobedience walk after the Prince that ruleth in the air, and being of impure cogitation, and conversation, how is it possible but they should judge amiss of the truth? Whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded: Can a blind man judge of colors?

II. They walk according to the course of this world, Eph. 2. 1. Frame themselves in religion and manners to the times, to please men, can swear, drink, scorn, rail, speak filthily, sing beastly songs: for of so wicked a Prince, all the servants are extremely wicked, the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience, moveth, and acteth in them, as the soul in the body, there is no service of sin cometh amiss: and when the devil ceaseth to draw his slave from evil to worse, we may hope better things of them.

III. They are believers of lies, 2. Thess. 2. 10. They that are carried away by the effectual working of Satan, or given up to believe lies; carried away with Priests, Jesuits, Seducers, to believe all false doctrines contrary to truth, as transubstantiation, salvation by merits, purging of sin by penal works, and human satisfactions, worshippings of Angels, Saints, images, crosses, and a million of dotages, being carried about with flattering teachers to believe lies.

IV. Persecuting of godly men, and ministers, there Satan's throne is, and there the dragon is crowned, Revel. 2. 13. Good subjects will not endure him to be spoken against which they love well, therefore they hate godly preachers, and cannot abide to hear the abominations of popery, and Antichrist to be detected; but our Preachers, say they, lie as fast as their dogs run: these uphold the dragons crown, and resist the crown and dignity of Jesus Christ, what ever they prate to the contrary.

In beholding the battle of the woman, against so many crowned adversaries, learn not to esteem of a Church by external splendor, pomp, wealth, or glory; which is a note of the Antichristian Church. Here we see the Dragon hath seven Crowns, Dan. 11. 31. 36. Antiochus a wicked man, that shall magnify himself against all that is called God, and speak marvelous things against the God of gods, yet he shall prosper, and have armies stand on his part; and Antichrist typified in Antiochus, who magnifieth himself above all that is called God, and hath on his head written names of blasphemy, hath his armies standing with him, Italy, France, Spain, and many crowns, to thrust forward his Antichristian laws, and decrees. It is true, we grant there is an internal splendor and glory of the Church, consisting in the ornaments of faith, charity, patience, and other virtues, as also in the purity of sound, and wholesome doctrine: and this splendor, because it constituteth the true Church, it can never want; and yet even in this it may be greater, or lesser, as the doctrine is more carefully preserved, or otherwise.

But that outward splendor, and glory, which consisteth in peace, wealth, and multitudes of professors; this may be hid, oppressed and obscured; for,

1 This maketh for the good and safety of the Church, sometimes to be hid, and obscured, for hereby God preserveth his Church, which were it all and always known, all the horns, and the crowned Dragons would assault it at once to destroy it utterly.

2 The greatest glory and splendor of the Church, is that which appears not to the eye of flesh, but to the eye of faith, which is patience in afflictions, and constancy in faith, this is her victory 1. Joh. 5. 4.

3 The greatest splendor of the Church, is not that which the world can afford her, but that which she hath frō Christ, & in w ^ch she is likest unto Christ, who had small rest or reputation in the world, Fulget Ecclesia non sua luce, sed Christi lumine, & splendorem sibi accescit de Sole justitiae: As the Moon shineth from the Sun, Ambr. Hexam. Lib. 4. cap. 8. Christ himself had neither form nor beauty external to be desired: and the Church his Spouse is glorious, but within; and the eye of faith can espy glory in ignominy, Christ crowned on the Cross▪ and a glorious shining and victory of faith through the bolts and chains of believers.

Not to disesteem the Church and Kingdom of Christ, as if she were under hatches, or inferior to those crowned enemies, which rise against her; or disabled to make her party good against them: Here consider the Church, 1. in her person, 2. head, 3. estate.

1. The Dragon hath seven crowns on his heads, but yet a Dragon still: but this Woman is a crowned Queen, as we have heard, ver. 1. not of noble only, but of divine descent; and crowned, not by men, with a crown of Gold and Pearls; for so high is her estate, as she treadeth all such trash under her feet; but by God himself, with a crown of twelve Stars, the doctrine of the twelve Apostles, which is more durable, precious, glorious, and invincible, then all the crowns and kingdoms of the world. 1. They be crowns corruptible and fading; This is unwithering: 2. In them much unrighteousness in getting and holding; This a crown of righteousness: 3. they are dead or dying crowns; This is a crown of life, Revel. 2. 10. which no death cometh near; which all the kingdoms in the world cannot put off for one day.

2. Consider the Church in her head, and there we shall see her far more victorious then the dragon, for all his 7. crowns: indeed the dragon is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Luke 11. 21. but in the next verse Christ is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a stronger then he. And be it that this strong mā hath a strength above all men, as namely of all the wicked angels; yet it is but strength created: the woman hath in her head a creating strength; for, Isaiah 9. 6. the Prophet calleth him • ll Gibbor, the strong God.

The dragon is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Lord and Prince of the world; but Jesus Christ our head is above and beyond him in infinite degrees, for he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Lord of all, and heir of all things, Rev. 18. the dragon is potent, but our Lord is omnipotent: The dragon hath many crowns and kingdoms, but they are all shaking, and shall be shaken to pieces; one of them prevaileth against another, and one of them is eaten of another, but on Christ his crown shall ever flourish; his kingdom is unshaking, an everlasting kingdom, all the crowns on earth, and all the gates of hell cannot prevail against the happiness, neither of the head nor least member.

3. Consider her in her lowest and most afflicted estate, which is most questionable, even in that she is more than a conqueror, Rom. 8. 37. Look at her at worst, and then she is crowned; what if with a crown of thorns, a crown of persecution and Martyrdom, as Job called his suffering his crown.

1. What other crown can the Saints expect, seeing their Lord Christ wore no other, and yet even then was he overcome?

2. God is more graciously present with them, as their crown, and they are now more glorious than if they had a crown of gold. If a man had seen the three children walking in the fiery furnace, and a fourth walking with them like the Son of God, was not this a more glorious sight then to gaze upon Nebuchadnezzar's golden crown? faith can see the faith of the Saints conquering and tormenting the tyrants, while they torment them, as Christ on the cross tormented the devils, while they tormented and crucified him.

3 The consolations of God's Spirit are never so near, warm and sensible to the Saints, as in their sharpest trials, for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth on them, crowneth them with mercy, and sustaineth their hearts with such cordials and comforts, as all other crowns cannot procure.

4. The conquest and victory even in Martyrdom and suffering is a most glorious crown, while by faith and patience they triumph over all adversities, and overcome most when they seem most overcome; now Christ hath crowned their graces by their fiery trials: crowned his own victory in them, and also their persons, lifting them up to sit with himself in his own Chariot of triumph. A ground of patience and contentment establishing the godly mind whether it look without or within it self. 1 Without itself, while it beholdeth the prosperity and advancement of wicked men, that their wicked designs prosper for a time, and prevail, and that mischief is so nimble & quick, marvel not seeing it hath all the power of hell and the world to put it forward; many hands make light work. Psal. 37. 7. Fret not thyselfe for him that prospereth in his way, &c. If a man would compact with the dragō as they do, he might thrive in the world, and be preferred as they. Every corporation preferreth his own citizens, and were they of the world the world would love hir own. Neither let godly men be discouraged to see the increase of the wicked, never was the dragon so victorious; numbers fall to Atheism, numbers to Popery, multitudes to carnal policy and self-seeking. God suffereth the dragon to crown all his heads, and prevail against those whose names are not written in the book of life.

2. Within, the godly mind beholding his own abasement and opposition in the world; how little of God's work he can do, how little thank he hath for that he doth, what reproaches and wrongs he must pocket and put up for doing his duty, might make him weary and faint if he did not apprehend the true cause of all, namely that he must strive against many crowned adversaries, principalities and spiritual wickednesses, wicked Princes, and worldly Potentates, and wicked persons, who commonly can get the edge of the laws, & of the sword directly bent against the kingdom of Christ and his members. It were hard if some of these seven crowns could not fetch in a godly man: for of the innocent Son of God himself, the Jews could say, We have a law, and by that law he must die, John 19. 7. If they can find none, it is easy for crowned dragons to make one, as against Daniel, and Haman against the Jews, and Pharaoh against the Israelites. And the Saints must not be discouraged, though they are to strive with unreasonable men, that are not guided by truth, humility, charity, or Christianity; but by fury, railing, pride, pretences of law, threatening, and violence; the dragon will show not his horns only, but his crowns to.

See we the wicked of the world giving up their crowns to the dragon, and with all their strength and power, and authority, setting their crowns on the dragons head; we on the contrary must learn with all our power to set up and uphold the Crown and Scepter of Christ in ourselves and others, for as all the limbs of the dragon rejoice to see him crowned and domineer to the ruin of the Church; so let all the children of Zion rejoice in their King, Psal 149. 2. Shall the Papists triumph and glory whē the Antichristian forces prevail against the reformed religion, and shall not we when the woman prevaileth against the dragon?

Quest. How may I uphold Christ's Crown and Scepter against the dragon?

Ans. 1. Cast down thy Crown at the feet of the Lamb, and worship him that sitteth on the Throne, as the Seniors, Rev. 4. 10. this is done by 2 practices.

1. If thou deny thyself, and diselaime whatsoever is in thyself, as being void of all power and strength to attain anything that is good.

2. If thou ascribest all power to God and Jesus Christ of creation, and providence, of preservation, yea of final victory against all enemies, whom he will make his footstool, and set his feet upon their necks and crowns, as Joshua did.

II. Alow thy heart for his throne and chair of state, that in it he may sit and command: and beware of resisting his person or entrance, or peaceable possession in thy soul. Psal. 24. open thy gates that the King of glory may enter; avoid whatsoever would hinder his peaceable entrance, or continuance; especially in four things.

1. Infidelity; for Jesus Christ is no way received but by faith, John 1. 12.

2. Impenitency; he dwelleth nowhere but in an humble and contrite soul.

3. Raigaing sin • , which are as iron gates and percullices to keep out Jesus Christ out of his kingdom, and hold the sinner in rebellion against his Sove. aigne and King: where any sin reigneth, there Christ cannot reign; and as no man can serve two contrary masters, being enemies; so no man can be subject to two kings, enacting contrary laws.

4. Idolatry; what communion between Christ and Antichrist, 2 Cor. 6. 15, 16.

III. Take the oath of allegiance to Jesus Christ to submit to his laws willingly: David took this oath, Psal. 119. 10. I have sworn, and will perform to keep thy righteous judgments: A seeming subject is most pernicious; such as the Pope and Jesuits have catechized to refuse the oath of allegiance to our Sovereign, they are among us, but not of us. Such subjects to Christ are wicked men and hypocrites, Christians only in name and profession, are counterfeit; are in the Church, but not of it. 1 Joh. 2. they want all the notes of good subjects; which are,

1. To know and attend to the laws, and word of his King: the word of the Law and the Gospel, is the municipal laws of this kingdom, called the word of the kingdom; a good Christian will attend to the word preached, as a good subject to his Kings Proclamation.

2. To obey his laws, yielding obedience to the whole law, in true endeavor, so did David have respect to all the Commandments, Psal. 119. 6. and also faith and repentance to the Gospel.

3. Neither this by constraint, but as a willing people, Psal. 100 of unwilling, made willing; drawn by the Father, as the sheep of Christ, to hear his voice and follow him.

IIII. Resist the Dragons encroachments upon this Kings kingdom: know the enemies, the Devil, world, sin, Pagans, Papists, Heretics, Atheists; they would pull thee from allegiance to former slavery: furnish thyself with weapons against all the enemies of the kingdom, which are the word, faith, hope, love, righteousness, patience; especially prayer against the kingdom of darkness, and the proceeding of the enemies of the Church: Hester must stand up and intercede for her people: let us not fail at this time. Shall the Pope enjoin a fast for the prosperity of the wars against the Church, and we shamefully neglect it?

[And his tail drew down the third part of the Stars.]

Having spoken of the five properties, by which we have heard the Dragon described, we come to the second part of the description, which is by two effects.

The former against the Stars of heaven, in this verse.

The latter against the woman, in the next verse.

For the meaning, every word is mystical; we must stand a while in the interpretation, in which are four things to be considered.

First, what is meant by the Stars of heaven?

Ans. Fondly do the Papists understand here by the dragon, Lucifer, drawing down with him in his fall many Angels, which they say are meant by Stars of heaven, not attending the scope of the place: for I read not in all the Scripture where Satan is called Lucifer: Calvin calls it a gross ignorance, to father Satan's name upon Isa. 14. 12. but it is called by this name, Rev. • 2. 10.

1. These Stars fell to earth after John's prophesy, whereas they fell before man's sall.

2 These stars fell in the Church, when the battle was pitched against the woman, but Satan fell, and his angels, before there was any Church in the world, or before there was any mention either of Christ or his Church.

3. Those fell with the dragon, these cast down by the dragon.

4. These stars were cast down by the dragon to the earth; from mystical heaven to mystical earth: but those Angels were cast down by GOD, from heaven into hell, where they are reserved in chains of darkness to the judgment of the great day, and both taken in their proper acceptation: But this place is an allusion to Dan. 8. • 0 where Antiochus Epiphanes a type of Antichrist, is said to cast the stars unto earth and tread upon them: where he calleth by the name of the Host of heaven those whō our Evangelist calleth the stars of heaven, that is, the Ministers and Pastors of the Church, called by this name, as we have declared verse 1.

1. As they are set in their orbs by God, and receive their light from the Sun, and move in their certain order and station; so are these set in their several stations, to keep the watch of the Lord by a perpetual decree, so long as day and night succeed one another.

2. As they shine in the darkness of the night, so do these give light to the Church in the dark night of this world; partly by doctrine and partly by holy example Matth 5. 14 Ye are the lights of the world, and the light of the stars is not for themselves.

3. As stars are eminent and in high place above the earth, so the Pastors and Teachers are in eminency as stars of heaven, both in themselves in respect of divine and heavenly light and gifts of wisdom and knowledge, especially of sanctity and heavenly conversation; as also in respect of the high regard and reverent respect which faithful Pastors have amongst true believers: for as they have the highest place in the Church of God; so, walking worthy their place, they have the highest place in the hearts of believers. Now these stars set by God in their orbs, shining in so high place, are said to be drawn down, and thrown to the earth.

11. The second thing in the meaning is, How the stars are said to be cast down to the earth?

Ans. To fall frō heaven to earth, here is not to be taken literally, but it is in matter of religion to fall frō a heavenly profession and hope, to carnal and earthly counsels and courses, and then the Pastors are said to fall from heaven to earth, when they fall back in their 1. judgment, 2. affection, 3. practice and conversation.

1 Then in judgment they fall and fail, when the light that was in them is turned to darkness; when they turn away from divine and heavenly truth, to errors, lies, men's fancies and traditions, to doctrines of liberty, to please carnal minds, and turn from substance to superstition.

2. When in affection they change the love of the word into the love of the world; they affect the winning of wealth and ease, above the winning of souls: instead of minding divine studies, to save themselves and others, now they mind earthly things: instead of the love of Christ which they seemed to profess and express in feeding his I ambes now they are carried with self-love, seeking and feeding themselves only: here is a lamentable • all of stars from heaven to earth.

3. When in practice they exchange their godliness with gain, their piety and sanctimony into earthliness, covetousness and worldliness; their conversation which seemed, and should have been in heaven, into earthly, fleshly, and unfruitful courses: This is a woeful fall of the stars, which have lost their station, as pernicious to the Church, and to thenselves as if the stars in heaven should fall upon the earth.

III But how, or by what means could the dragon cast down such excellent men, that shined by the light of holy doctrine, and conversation, as bright as the stars in the heavens.

Ans. By his tail: by which word are there implied all those base arts, & wicked instruments, & means by which the dragon casts down the stars, and these are three, which the word most expressly implieth.

1. By force and tyranny: Dragons have more force in their tales than in their jaws; and therefore this is a figurative speech, befitting the nature of a dragon, when by the rage of persecution and bitter war, and wrath, by their fire and sword, and cursed cruelty, the dragon forces many of the Pastors, who had shined, and ought still to have done in their places, to fall frō their shine frō their doctrine, holy professiō, holy conversatiō, first to corrupt & earthly doctrine, then to corrupt and earthly life and behavior, such as other men of earthly minds and professions, have undertaken and expressed.

2. By flattery and insinuations, by which, as by a dragons tail the Pastors were beaten down: for as dogs do use to fawn and flatter their masters with their tail; so the dragon not by open force only, but by secret fraud and insinuation assaileth the stars; namely by many fair promises, and sugared persuasions, making offers of wealth and preferment, favor, and what else the world can bestow on her favorites; by which means he drew many ambitious, pompous, and c • vetous teachers from their former study, and care in propagating the truth, and from their diligence and labor in advancing the salvation of men unto earthly studies and cares how to build their own houses, and feather their own nests, not caring that God's house lay waste.

3. By poison and infection: much poison lieth in the tail of a serpent, the dragon poisoned a great number more with heresy, and poisoned opinions, against the truth of Christian religion, for which end he daily stirreth up heretics, and false apostles, and false teachers, who being furnished with all arts to deceive, draw a number of the stars away, from sound and heavenly truth, into the apostasy of earthly and impious doctrines, clean contrary to the Scripture, and to the person, natures, and offices of Jesus Christ. Thus the Prophet Isaiah 9. 15. saith, The false prophet which teacheth lies, is the tail: calling him so in four respects.

1. For baseness and contempt: let them bear themselves aloft in conceit of their wit and learning, and others admiration of them.

2. For their base flattery and playing the parasites, and sawning upon patrons and Princes, as dogs on their masters with their tails, for a bone or a crust.

3. For their inconstancy and mobility, as a dogs tail wags and moves easily on this side and that, so they in their doctrine and conversation are here & there, and buzzing everywhere for an advantage.

4. Especially for their poisonful and hurtful disposition and effects, for as venomous beasts hide their venom in their tails, by which on occasion they do much hurt and mischief; so false and corrupt teachers, by eloquence, sophistry, and base shifts hide the poison of false and erroneous doctrine, by which they infect and taint the Church of God: for which cause, Isa 59. 5. false doctrine is compared to the eggs of Asps, which if they be eaten bring most present death; and broken, sendeth forth a Basilisk: that is, is most pernicious, both Autoribus, to those that invent and devise them; and also Auditoribus, to those that receive and digest them: it bringeth eternal destruction to both as certainly as if they should eat the egg of a Basilisk, which is most deadly of all serpents, slaying men only with her sight and poisonful vapors that sparkle out of her eyes.

In the times next after the Apostles, at which the spirit of God here more expressly aimeth, how the imperial dragon bestirred himself, and how many stars he drew down, stories are not silent to relate.

1. Infinite numbers by persecution, as Euseb. lib. 8 cap. 3. when wicked Dioclesian commanded the Christians oratories to be demolished and laid even with the ground, the Scriptures to be burnt, the Bishops to be cast in prison, and compelled by torments to renounce Christianity, and offer unto Idols; many suffered death constantly: Sed alij infiniti animis prae formidine perculsi facile post primum impetum prorsus tandem succubuerunt.

In the seventh persecution under Decius, we read of Serapion and Nichomacus, who through their tyranny renounced Christianity; and Cyprian de lapsis lib. 2 cap. 8. mentioneth Ena • stus a Bishop in Aftrike, and Nicostratus a Deacon, who made shipwreck of faith, and as stars fell for fear from heaven to earth.

2. Many stars were thrown down by the flattery and fair persuasions of this imperial dragon. How faithful Policar • e was by Ir • narchus Herodes, and his father N • cetas taken up into the Chariot, going to judgment, and persuaded to favor himself and his old age; and swear by the Emperors good fortune, which he resisted, appears, Euseb. Hist. li. 4. cap. 1 • . And • liny in an Epistle to Trajan Emperor, enformeth him that he had a Libell containing such names as were won from Christianity, and content to do sacrifice with incense, and wine to the gods, and to Trajans Image, & to blaspheme Christ: And how infinite a number were won from Christianity, in the last presecution under Dioclesian, were easy out of stories to recite.

3. Many more were thrown down with the porsonfull tail of the dragon, namely of heresies and false doctrines: for the horse which was white for integrity of Apostolical doctrine, was not only red by bloody persecutions of tyrants against Christians; but was shown to be black for the mournful and sad estate of the Church, by reason of many and mighty heretics, who all of them by all their wit and strength obscured the light and truth of Scriptures, and shook asunder with the foundation of religion the faith of many: every year of the first three hundred producing some monstrous heresy or other; amongst which that damnable Arianism had so poisoned all the world, as it seemed but one Arian; and so prevailed against the stars, as there were scarce five Orthodox Bishops in the world, & Athanasius the chief of them ill entreated and banished; yea so poisonful was the tail of the dragon, that the ancient fathers that lived in those times, near the Apostles, had almost been drawn away, and hardly escaped. Witness Irenaeus inclined to Chiliasts, or Millinaries: Tertullian a Montanist, Origen carried away into many foul errors, much discommended by Jerome, &c.

Fourthly, in the meaning: Is the number of the stars cast down by the Dragon, not all, but a third part; an indefinite part put for a great number, that seemed holy men and zealous, and stood in the firmament of the Church in great shining and brightness, were cast down with the Dragon.

Quest. Why did he not cast down all?

Ans. Not all; because he cannot cast down any of the elect or fixed stars: it is impossible to seduce any of them.

Secondly, not all: for then he had cast down the whole Church depending upon them; for there must be a Church so long as the world continueth.

Thirdly, not all: because many of them were held in Christ's right hand, Chap. 1. 16. and none of those can he cast down; for none can take them out of his hand. But a third part, he cause they were not upheld by Christ, but left unto themselves and their own strength, and to temptation; and so, soon by the power of the Dragon cast down: for no man ever stood long against the Dragon by his own strength: Commit thyself in trial to God's hand and power: pray with David, Uphold me Lord, and I shall be safe.

The chief aim of the Dragon is against the Ministers and faithful Pastors of the Church, that he may throw down to earth the stars of heaven.

It is true, he is fierce and furious against all godly mē, of all conditions, & scorneth not a conquest against the weakest and meanest Christian; but his special malice is intended against godly Ministers, such as in higher places, as in their orbs, shine as stars in piety, faith, fortitude, and sincerity of doctrine and life.

1 Kings 22. 21 He offereth himself to be a lying spirit in the mouth of Abahs Prophets; and striketh down with his tail 400 at once: Zach. 3. 1. Satan stood at Joshua's right hana to hinder him and resist him in his Ministry.

Luke chap. 22. verse 31. the dragon desired to winnow the Apostles as wheat how he resisted the Apostles in all their Ministry, appeareth in the whole Story of their Acts, and in their Epistles, 1 Thess. 2. 18. we would have come to you once or twice but Satan hundred us.

How the stars were cast down by imperial dragons, we have shown: in after ages how the stars were cast down in the church of Rome according to that prophesy: Revel 6. 13. they should fall as the leaves of a fig tree shaken with a mighty wind.

When their pompous Prelates, Cardinals, Patriarchs, and Popes, forsaking and giving up their office of preaching, became earthly Princes, studying policies and laws, and employed themselves not in Pulpits, but on seats of justice in disciding men's civil inheritances, and in matters of state; yea, and whereas they should have labored and confined themselves to the Gospel of peace; not only maintained, but also often in person acted civil war and bloodshed, and leaving the simplicity of the servants and Ministers of Christ, they take on them the state and pomp of Princes, in Princely Palaces, Princely revenues, Princely diet, Princely attendants, Princely pleasures of hunting, hawking, dicing, &c.

Now the stars are fallen from heaven, and from their heavenly function to earth, viz to the seeking and enjoying earthly pleasures, profits and employments, in which no secular man can be more busy. Carnal things are all they care for, and all they savor, and now they are become like other worldlings, called the Inhabitants of earth; and our own experience giveth too many testimonies to this truth, in which the dragons tail hath prevailed to draw away many shining stars, men once of learning, zeal and industry, but now through their own worldliness, greediness, ambition, or though their own fear, flattery, or threatening of times, are grown mere politicians and worldlings, scarce retaining any savor of their former zeal and grace; perhaps zealous against nothing more than grace and zeal.

The dragon is therefore more especially furious against the stars, because of their shining and light of grace above others. Where grace is more abounding, there the dragons envy more aboundeth; the more bountiful God's hand and eye is, the more envious is his; the richer the booty is, the more audaciously will the thief adventure for it. A star of the sixth and smallest magnitude in respect of place and gifts, if he shine faithfully shall not escape the dragons assault; but his chief aim is against the stars of the first & second magnitude, since the Apostles, his tail is most stirring against them, as Luther, Calvin, Beza, Perkins, men in their times of incomparable light of learning and sanctity, and yet how now cast down and darkened by the dragon?

Because God hath specially appointed the function on of the Ministry to batter the kingdom of the dragon, 2 Thess. 2. last. Joshua 16. 20. and to advance the Scepter of Christ. It is no marvel that seeing they most hinder his purposes, & kingdom, that he by all means hinder, cross, and cast them down, as Moses by Ia •• as, &c.

His universal malice to mankind, who, he being the prince of darkness, would keep in a perpetual night of sin and darkness, and therefore with the uttermost of his power would withhold from them all the shine of the Sun, Moon and Stars; he can afford them no light at all of holy doctrine, or holy example: If he can change the light with darkness, how great is that darkness?

His despite to God, whom he would have most dishonored by his chief and next servants, of whō he justly expecteth most honor and service; if he can bring it about, none shall betray the Son of God, but his own Disciple, and none shall so much pull down the kingdom of Christ, as the master builders that should set it up

The hight of the stars: his policy hath taught him, that if he can cast them down he throweth many down with them; if he can win Aaron, he is sure of all the people to make and worship the Calf; they are Leaders, if he can mislead them, he misleadeth a multitude in everyone of them: they are Shepherds, if he smite them with his tail the sheep are scattered: They are Standard bearers, if he can cast down the Standard the bands are soon defeated. Cedars fall not alone but many shrubs are crushed with their fall Besides, he knoweth their falls are more scandalous, more exemplary; and that they who in goodness will neither follow rule nor example, will make their example in evil a rule sufficient. Besides, he knoweth that as a man falling from a great hight seldom riseth again, or not without great hurt; so these falling from holy and heavenly doctrine to human constitutions, to external ceremonies and worldly contentments; seldom or never rise to any good service, but prove greatest enemies of all.

To teach the stars watchfulness against this sly, busy, wrigling tail of the dragon, which maketh the lives of godly Ministers very troublesome.

Q. How may we prevent the hurt from them?

Ans. 1. By preparing 'for persecution and trial, 2 Tim 2. 3. suffer afflictions as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Act. 20. 24. Paul was ready to go to Jerusalem though nothing but bonds did await him. The star keepeth his place be it never so much beset with clouds, and winds, and tempests; forecast then, the first in any storm against the Church, is the sincere preacher, he is in the foreward and face of the enemy.

2. Love not the world, deny thyself, let the world be crucified to thee, & thou to the world, else wert thou a companion of the Apostles, as Demas, or an Apostle or Disciple at the side of Christ, the tail of the dragon will cast thee to the earth; why else did learned men change with the times?

3. Establish thyself in the truth, and see thou beest well grounded and able to hold the truth against errors, false doctrine, heresies, which are a part of the tail of the dragon; look into the heresies and errors of the time, as physitions study the nature and describe the work of poisons, not to teach them, but to teach how to avoid them. So heresies of Popery must be studied not to be received and supped up, but to be damned and refuted. Many read Popish books and erroneous schoolmen, and are turned into that they read, as poison drunk turns the body unto it self.

2. Settle thyself in love of truth, else mayest thou easily be given up to strong delusions; see 2 Thess. 2. 10. and Mark 10. 21.

4. Content not thyself to be well read and seen in the Scriptures, nor to shine in light of knowledge and pure doctrine, nor in seemly, sober and civil conversation, but labor especially to make thine own Election sure, for the dragon can cast down none of the elect, no not the weakest of them, whereas he prevaileth against strong Cedars of most excellent common graces, who are called to the means, but not of purpose, Rom. 8. 28.

5. Pray unto the Lord to uphold thee, for what art thou to him, whose tail can cast down the third part of the stars? if his tail be so huge, what is the bigness and strength of his bulk? or what is the silly woman or any of her sons to such a monster? pray therefore that Jesus Christ would take thee in amongst the stars, into his right hand, the hand of protection and safety, the hand which is stronger than all, out of which hand the dragon cannot take them.

To hearers, learn hence to pray earnestly for their Ministers, and afford them all the strength they can against this monstrous dragon, whose incessant labor is to throw them down, for prayer is a strong bul warke; a guard of men cannot make them so safe as the prayers of God's people: Peter Acts 12 by this means was saved from the dragons tail, when in likelihood an army of a million of men could not have rescued him; this made the Apostles everywhere beg prayers of the faithful. Faile thou in this, and thou sinnest against God in ceasing to pray for them.

2. Thou makest thyself guilty of the troubles of thy teacher.

3. Thou art often denied comfort in the Ministry, and they that should speak to the hearts of God's people, speak often to grieve and gall them, because thou prayest not for them to speak as they ought.

Take no offense to see many learned men, once zealous preachers, fall ex orbe in orbem, out of their orbe and heavenly motion to the world and secular affairs: It was before prophesied by Christ, Matth. 24. 29. and Rev. 6. 13. Stars fell unto earth as a fig tree casts her figs in a mighty wind: the blustering storm and wind of temptation shake many a fig tree, and stripeth them of their unripe figs and unsound fruit; when we see such woeful sights we may say to thē as Absalom to Tamar, defiled and deflowered by Ammon, Hath Ammon met with thee? 2 Sam. 13. 20. so surely the dragon hath met with them, he ought them a spite and paid them, a piece of his tail hath light on them and smitten them to the earth. And much less marvel if many which seemed good and zealous hearers, and shined in the firmament of the Church, as stars of lesser magnitude, have fallen from their beginnings, as weary of the good way: for if the dragon cast down so many teachers with his tail, what heaps of common professors in the visible Church may we conceive he throweth down from heaven to earth?

To the resisters and opposers of godly Ministers & good Preachers; what art thou that createst trouble, and art casting down the stars so far as lieth in thy power, but a piece of the tail of the dragon? Such as Alexander the Coppersmith, and Elimas that resisted Paul, called by him the child of the devil. And what art thou doing but easing the dragon; and saving him a labor? art thou afraid the dragons tail cannot cast down stars enough without thy help? or what a needless labor art thou about, so long as the dragon is alive?

To comfort the bright shining stars, and faithful Ministers in their troubles and oppositions.

1. In regard of their adversaries; who are they that fight against the light, but menbers of the kingdom of darkness? let a godly man shine as a bright star in his orbe, who be they that oppose & seek to cast him down, but Papists and favorites of them, swearers, Atheists, unclean and of filthy life and tongue? what marvel if such spit poison, what other to be expected? A Pot boils over with such liquor as is within.

2. In regard of their safety, which is in God's faithful promise of four things.

1. His presence with them, I am with you to hide you from strife of tongues, Psal 31. 20.

2. His assistance in their calling, so far as is necessary he will take their part and rebuke the dragon, as in Joshua, Zach. 3. 2.

3. His protection, he will take them into his right hand, Rev. 1. 20.

4. Remuneration, that they shall shine more and more till they shine as stars in the kingdom of Glory, Dan. 12. 3.

The impotency of the dragon, he cannot throw down all the stars, but only a third part, so as two third parts remain still in their orbs & shining. Whē the first Angel blew the Trumpet, that is, when the Gospel was preached by the Apostles, hail, and fire and blood fell as storms, that is, persecutions and perils, contradiction, exile and slaughter by the stubbornness of the Jews against them; and by this fire of persecutiō the third part of the trees were burnt; that is, the Apostles & excellent teachers of the Church compared to fruitful and flourishing trees, for their greennes shadow & fruits, a great part of them were afflicted, slain, put to deadly torments, but not all, the dragon could scorch but a third part Verse 8. When the second Angel blew his trumpet a great mountain, that is, the Roman tyrants, so called for their hight, power and swelling pride, burning with fire: that is, of fury and fierceness against Christian religion: was cast into the sea, that is, many people of the world subject to the Roman power and Empire: and the third part of the sea was turned into blood, that is, many thousand Christians were oppressed and consumed with the fire of the burning mountain, but only a third part. And the third part of creatures died, that is, faithful Christians slaughtered and murdered: & the third part of ships, that is, the Churches, whose Pastors are her Pilots, and these planted by the hand of the Apostles themselves, oppressed and subdued. Now this fierce dragon would have turned all the sea to blood, killed all living creatures, the life of whose faith was manifest in found profession; would have destroyed and sunk all ships and Pilots all visible Churches and Pastors, but could only a third part. Verse 10. When the third Angel blew his Trumpet there fell a great star, that is, the Roman Bishop; for by stars are meant teachers called absinthiam or wormwood fell from heaven, that is, falling from purity of doctrine, and declining to taste the bitter morsels of pride, ambition, preeminence, and of human doctrines and devises it fell into the third part of RIVERS, & made them bitter, & many died of thē; that is, the same corruption tainted and imbittered the third part of Pastors & Bishops, by whō as by rivers, the sweet waters of heavenly doctrine should and have flowed & have been derived unto others; but now by that example were tainted with gross superstitiō, errors, herisies, earthlines, carnal pomp and pleasure; But not all, only a third part, for many upheld in themselves and in others the sincerity of holy doctrine and example.

Verse 12. When the fourth Angel blew his Trūpet, the third part of the Sun, the Moon and the Stars were smitten with darkness, and the day was smitten, & the night also, viz. a grievous night of darkness, either of Idolatry & superstitiō, as some, or of persecutions, as others, darkened and obscured the chief ornaments of the purer Church of Christ: the Sun the Scriptures, the Moon the doctrine borrowed thence, the Stars the Ministers, the day that is the joy and comfort of the Church in enjoying her happy Sun, and the night, it reached even to those without the Church, being as in the night; but the dragon could not darken all the Sun, all the Moon, and all the Stars, but a third part only.

The fifth Angel blew his trumpet, Rev. 19. 1. the Antichristian Locusts, rising out of the smoke of Popish rites and traditions are commanded to hurt no tree or grass, that is, no Pastors or private Christians, which are sealed in their foreheads.

Cap. 9. 15. When the sixth Angel blew his Trumpet; the four Angels, not by nature, but by office: some instruments approved of and appointed by God for the execution of his judgments; they must slay only the third part of men, of Christians, and can go no further. Those six Trumpets thus explained have notably proved the point in hand, namely the dragons impotency.

God for his glory will not suffer the dragon to break in sunder his order, whereby he hath appointed to teach and call men by such as are called and sent, Rom. 10. 15. the Ministry is God's ordinance, not man's; and God will uphold it.

2. The whole government and blessing of the Ministry belongeth to Jesus Christ, who hath undertaken to furnish his Church with Pastors in all ages, for the edification of his own body, till we all meet in one perfect man, Ephes. 4. And look what was the Office of the High Priest, a singular type of Christ, in the Old Testament, the same is the Office of Christ in his Church. The High Priests was to look to the lights in the Sanctuary, and to supply them with holy oil, that they might never go out; and now though the dragon be never so desirous to put out all the lights, yet he is too weak for Jesus Christ in his care and calling.

3. The necessity of the Church suffers only a third part, but not all the stars to be thrown down, for the harvest of the elect must be gathered in all ages, and therefore laborers must be successively thrust forth: So long as the Lord keepeth house he must have stewards to dispose his mysteries, and allowance to his family; so long as he hath a flock he will▪ have shepherds to tend it, and will not suffer them all to be smitten at once, for then all the sheep should be scattered; so long as he hath a Vineyard he must have dressers, so long as he hath a field he must have husbandmen, so long as the ship of the Church is on the troublesome sea of this world, he will not suffer her without Pilots to bring her safely to shore.

4. Christ cannot be so forgetful of his near relation with his faithful pastors, as to suffer the dragō to throw them down all at once; he is their Lord, and they his servants, who is able and willing to aide them in their faithfulness; he▪ is the Bridegroom, and they friends of the Bridegroom, wooing and adorning his Spouse; they are preferred before others in nearnes to Jesus Christ, as having 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a mediation between God and man, especially resembling Christ; yea and are Coworkers with God and Savior's, Obed. 21. of men, and stand in the stead of Christ, 2 Cor. 4. 20. Christ will look to their standing, as to his own.

V. Because of the manifold and sundry ways by which the Lord usually seeth to defeat the dragons projects, that they shall not cast down all the stars; as,

1. He having undertaken to supply his Church, the dragon cannot throw down one but he raiseth another; if not in the same place, yet he pricketh down his faithful servants here and there, so as such as will know them, may by their pains have recourse unto them. If God take away an Elijah, he raiseth up for him an Elisha with his spirit doubled upon him, 2 King. 2. 15. If Herod take away John, Christ the Bridegroom himself standeth up for him: if the Jews take away Christ, there are twelve Apostles succeed him; and they being departed and taken away by the dragon, a succession of infinite Pastors is raised for them, with whom the Lord Jesus is present unto the end of the world.

2. When the dragon is most fierce, he hath a secret chamber to hide his servants in, till the storm be over, Isa. 26. 20. In the storm raised by Ahab, he hath an Obadiah to hide a 100 of them, a third part, from Jezebels rage. If Christ the babe be hunted in Jury, he shall be sent into Egypt.

3. He can withhold the dragon even by that which he most pursueth and hateth: God can make the reverence and holiness of a man, which they above all things persecute, bind their hands; as all men held John as a Prophet, and Herod feared him and the Jewish dragons would often have assailed Christ himself, but feared the people, that admired his holiness and goodness. They that went to apprehend Christ came without him, saying, Never man spake like this mā.

4. He can and doth often make the dragons themselves protectors, as Claudius Lysias, a heathen, to set a strong garrison about Paul, when forty mē had sworn his death, Act. 22. 27. He can make Pilate's wife and Pilate's self plead for Christ; and King Achish protect David against Saul.

5. He can make the dragon quarrel with himself, and so for a time divert the fury from the stars; he can make the Mideanites turn their swords one against another; he can send an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and a fire shall go forth from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem, and from the men of Shechem to consume Abimelech, Judge. 9. 20, 23. And thus when wicked men fall out among themselves, the godly escape between them, as Paul between the Sadducees and Pharisees. When a man's ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies his friends, although often against their own intentions.

6. He can make them safer in the dragons paw or mouth, than if they were at large and liberty: the three children were safer in the furnace, than they were out of it; Daniel safer in the den than in the Court; and Jeremiah 38. 28. was safer in prison than they that were at liberty, for when they were carried away and spoiled, he was preserved in safe custody for the future service of the Church.

7. He can and doth make the dragon storm and rage to see and say as Pharaoh did, that the more he oppresseth them, the more they rise and increase.

This serveth to dishearten and confound the enemies of God and his Church, they cannot work wisely enough to cast down all the stars, all the power of earth or hell shall not effect their desires; they take crafty counsel against God's secrets ones, Psal. 83. 3. Gebal, and Ammon, and Amilecke, &c. but God with whom is wisdom and strength, overthrows their devises, that never did they, nor shall see all their hearts desires.

To comfort the Church of God against the dragons power, they must know his power is limited and restrained, so that two third parts are still saved: the power of God, which is the only wall and fence against the proud and raging waves of the sea, that they overflow not all the earth, Psal. 104. 9. he restraineth and breaketh the proud and swelling waves of the dragon, saying, Thus far shalt thou come and no further; thou shalt not meddle with my remnant, my third part, these I hold in my right hand, and thou shalt not pluck them thence.

Fear not then the threats of dragons what they can do, what they will do against the stars, they can do nothing, but,

1. What God will permit them to execute for the sins of the Church, which cast down more stars than all the dragons.

2. Nor till God's time be come Christ cannot be stoned, apprehended till the hour of the power of darkness be come; nor any member,

3. Not till the work be done in that place for which God sent them: Paul being in Corinth resisted and blasphemed, shook his raiment, and said, Your blood be upon your own head, and purposed to depart thence, (the case of many a good Minister) but God comforteth him by a vision, and promiseth his presence with him, and biddeth him go on, for he had many people in that city to call; till the work was done he must not go; and so he stayed a year and six months more, Acta 18. 9.

To stay the hearts of godly men when they see true Ministers shining as stars cast down by the dragon, as of late in foreign parts where the dragon hath prevailed; espy here the dragons malice, who will do as much spoil in the Church, as God permitteth him to do: but though he may prevail against some, yet he cannot against all, God will uphold two third parts to witness against the dragon; that is, so many as shall serve his providence in the salvation of all his Saints, wheresoever scattered in the world; So long as any are to be saved by being brought to the faith, the word of faith must be preached.

Ascribe all the glory to the power of God and his Providence, if we enjoy the shine of any star, or see abroad any shining star standing in his place. It is no thank to the dragon, or the enemies who weary themselves in casting about to cast them all down, and would, if the Lord did not uphold thē to the Churches need: I have heard the railing and fear on every side, but the Lord is with me as a mighty Giant, Psal. 1 36. 9 he made the stars for the night, he taketh special care of them; men may call them at their pleasure, he calleth them all by their right names?

Object What need we care for them seeing God is so careful.

Sol. Provoke not God to remove them.

1. See the need of stars for illumination, warmth, moisture, refrigeration; by them discern seasons of grace; guide thy course on the sea of this world: stars were made not for ornament only, but for use, heat, influence.

2. Make use of their light, some hate the light, as of commets, portending evil to them, and bless themselves from them.

3. Rejoice in their light constantly, not as the Jews did in John, that counted him a light for a season; men receive Preachers as new Stars or Commets, gaze a while, but care not how soon they be wasted.

The second effect by which the dragon is described, is by his mischievous attempt against the woman, as the former was against the stars; this effect is set down,

1. By his action, he stood before the Woman.

2. His intention, to devour the child when it was brought forth.

I. In his action observe two things.

• 1. What it is to stand before the woman.
• 2. How he standeth before her.

1. To stand before the woman is an allusion to the ancient Story both of the dragon standing before Eve the woman, that is, the mother of the world and of the Church, to seduce her; as also of Pharaoh called the dragon of Egypt, watching the destruction of the male children of the Church, so soon as the mothers should be delivered of them; to which places out of doubt the text hath reference. This standing before the woman implieth two things.

1, His readiness and nearness, as one at hand, narrowly watching & observing to assault and destroy the blessed seed.

2. His instance and diligence in the purpose, he departs not far, nor long, but standeth, and abideth, proceedeth and persisteth in his mischievous purpose and intention against the Church and members; he standeth still, but not idle.

2. How, he standeth before her, and that is two ways.

1. By fraud and secret treachery, he layeth trains out of sight for her hurt, and by flattery seeketh to bring and lure her into his snare.

2. By open force and violence to subdue such as by secret trains he cannot allure.

II. His intention, to devour the child, he seemeth to do nothing less, but the Spirit of God uncaseth him, & showeth us the true end of all his counsels and endeavors. Let the dragon dissemble never so much friendship (as to Eve in eating) his mind is murderous, for he standeth not afore us to abridge us of our liberty, or goods, or outward comfort only, but his direct aim is to compass our death and destruction of soul and body.

Quest. But what had the child done, or when should he devour it?

Sol. He watcheth the destruction of it before it be borne, if the woman miscarry not, in bringing forth some abortive birth; then he bestirreth himself to destroy the young and tender birth, so soon as it taketh breath in the Church. Where in the dragon note three things.

1. The groundednesse and settledness of malice in the nature of the dragon, who out of his wickedness unstirred and unprovoked, carrieth deadly wrath against the children of the Church. There is a natural enmity and antipathy between the seed of the dragon, and the seed of the woman; for what can the child do against him before he is borne?

2. The policy of the dragon, who will not suffer the woman's children to grow up to strength and stature, but will oppress them even in the bi ••• , or as soon as they are borne; while they are tender and least able to resist: he knoweth the fittest time to blast grace is in herba, in the cradle, in the beginnings.

3. The implacablenesse of this savage dragon, whose pitiless disposition nothing can move; not infancy, not tenderness, not innocence, not causelesnesse, nothing can plead or prevail for a drop of compassion; nay, these rather cause and stir up his wrath, and kindle his rage and fury more against them; and this is the enemy with whom we have to deal, whom God's spirit hath thus graphycally and punctually described, that we might stand so much the more watchfully and preparedly against him.