Christs Victory Over the Dragon

being stable and invincible both in grace and glory: There is never a Believer, but hath, or shall have obtained a noble victory over Satan, sin, death, hell, the world, even in this life: his faith now treads the dragon under his feet, and carrieth in it a power superior to the power of all the gates of hell: Now our care must be to find this victory begun in us already, and follow the chase.

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

I answer; by these notes.

First, if we have proclaimed, and do maintain the war against the Kingdom of Satan and sin, by an undaunted profession of Jesus Christ, and by upholding and renewing the war daily against all unrighteousness, within or without us: but he is far from victory, that hath struck a league with his own sins.

2. Mark: If we have gained some ground, and beaten out the strong man out of some part of his holds; and whereas he keepeth four holds especially in us, in our minds by ignorance, in our wills by rebellion, in our consciences by corruption, in our life by looseness and disorder, we may know him in part ejected, if we daily renew our minds with sound knowledge, if our wills be altered, & made of unwilling, willing, and pliant to God's will, if our consciences be pure, tender, and excusing us in the sight of God; and if our whole course be changed from the course of nature, to the life of God, and of grace. Now we may conclude a great victory is achieved against the dragon.

3. Mark: If we have spoiled him of his weapons, or blunted them, or turned them against himself: Then we spoil him of his weapons, when we crucify the lusts of the flesh, and mortify our earthly members; then we blunt them, when we strike upon them rules of God's Word, and oppose them with the lusts of the Spirit, Gal. 5. 17. then we turn his weapons against himself, when our members are given up weapons of righteousness, serving a renewed mind, our thoughts are brought into the subjection of Christ, and in our lives we practice clean contrary to his motions and temptations.

4. Mark: If we uphold and advance the Scepter of Christ in our hearts, that his Word rule us in all things, as the laws of the kingdom, to whom we profess ourselves now subjects; yea, and if ourselves be become, by his anointing, kings to rule and sway over our thoughts, wills, and affections, overmastering ourselves, and those strong lusts which will be plotting rebellion, & raising mutinies against grace: If we can call in and cherish the new aids and succors of grace daily, by the constant and conscionable use of God's holy ordinances, the Word, prayer, and meditation, by which we are strengthened: Now have we attained a greater victory, than if we could command kingdoms, and such as gives us a comfortable assurance, that we can never be quite overcome: shaken and molested we may be, but the dragon shall never recover his power and strength in us, to hinder our salvation; for he that hath begun this good work in us, will finish it unto the day of Christ.

Further, if the dragon and his Angels prevail not against any of Michaels Band or Army, we see hence the miserable estate of everyone, over whom the dragon doth prevail; who are hereby known and concluded not to belong unto Jesus Christ, but to be excluded from his colors and company.

Object. Oh God forbid any should be rejected from Christ; we all profess ourselves his soldiers, and subjects, and hope to be saved by him.

Ans. If the dragon prevail against any of us, and have us under his power, it is otherwise; we cannot belong to two contrary Captains; we are his, under whose colors we fight, and to whom we have given ourselves to obey. Now therefore examine this point; whether, or how far the dragon hath▪ prevailed in any of us.

Rules of examination are these.

First, where Michael cannot prevail, in such persons the dragon doth prevail: Now there Michael cannot prevail, where,

• 1. His Word
• 2. His Spirit
• 3. His arm and hand is resisted ordinarily.

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

Did God's word rule many of our Rulers, they would go through stitch, and show courage and conscience in God's causes, in beating down the sins of the times, & frame their government according to God's Word, and till they do so, Christ rules not by them, and if Christ prevail not, the dragon doth, except a lying spirit step out and say, there is a third.

2. How little Michaels Scepter prevails among many inferior men, is evident by the prevailing of ignorance, in such days and means of knowledge. How the god of the world blindeth a number of infidels, is lamentable to consider, who, after many years hearing, have still the veil over their hearts, and lie, and live in gross Egyptian darkness; as ignorant as children, as far to seek in substantial grounds of Catechism, as they were at their first hearing; that we cannot say, Christ's word prevails in them, unless we may say, that the light prevails at midnight.

Oh what a pity it is! How many civil honest men, whose souls out of servant love we mourn for, are reached by this doctrine! Not to speak of numbers, who would be thought some-bodies in religion, yet many turn away from it, many turn against it, yea, hate and abhor it.

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

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

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

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

Now for the graces of God's Spirit, by which Michael prevaileth; in how many that come to Church are they resisted, scorned, and blaspemed? Is anything made a more common by-word at this day, than the light of grace, and the power and practice of sound grace? and what child cannot see, that the dragon, who rules in darkness, doth there prevail, where nothing is so much chased as the light, and the glory of the Saints is turned to their shame and reproach? who, but dogs and dragons, would bark and spet poison against grace?

III. They also resist Michael, that suffer not his arm to prevail; How many incorrigible sinners be there, whom neither God's word nor works can bow or bend? Let God back his word with visible judgments & strokes round about them, & upon them, yet they harden their hearts still, and still turn to their old course, going on from evil to worse: Let God curse their trades, they will break the Sabbath still; let God drown their Boates, their goods, they will row on the Sabbath still; let God smite by milder rods, they hear not the rod, nor who appointeth it; let God break the staff of bread, they will still make stones bread; let God bring heavy strokes, they will not understand, though the foundations of the world be moved, Psal. 82. 5. how doth Michael prevail, when such sensible strokes make men more senseless? and why should he smite them anymore, who fall away more and more? Esa. 1. 5.

The second Mark or Rule of trial is this, Where the dragon holdeth a man under his slavery, there he prevaileth; but this he doth sundry ways.

1. When he fetters any man as a slave to his own lusts, and the commands of the flesh, chains him to a blind and rebellious heart, to passionate and froward affections, and throws him into the stream of corrupt nature: This prevaling of lusts is the dragons victory, when sins and lusts grow in number, strength, continuance.

2. The dragon prevails by the world, when he brings men in bondage, either to the profits or pleasures, or to the fashions of the world: What a number follow the world with full stream, and their whole strength, who cannot so truly be said to have the world, as that the world hath them? this eager love to the world signeth a man to have cast out the love of God from his heart, see, I am, 4. 4. &, 1 John 2. 15. and that the Prince of the air prevaileth in the course of the world, is apparent, Ephes. 2. 2. According to the course of the world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: where is he almost that conforms not to the corruptions of times, places, and callings? If times be for Protestants, so be they; if times were for Papists, so would they; if times throw down the Gospel and Preachers of it, so can they; & in their whole course frame in religion to their senses, not to their faith, and live wholly by examples, and not by rules. Who sees not how the dragon triumphs and tramples on such time-servers, who yet would scorn not to be reputed sound Christians.

3. The dragon prevaileth by Antichrist, and enthralleth numbers by the efficacy of his delusions: He that is a slave unto Antichrist, is a slave to the dragon; for Antichrist cometh in the efficacy of Satan, because Satan worketh powerfully in him & by him, 2 Thess. 2. 9. who can without sorrow consider of the numbers that now run a whoring after Popery, and favor it, and plead for it, after that not the Gospel only hath so clearly detected it, but after it hath convinced it self to be the most savage and blood-thirsty religion that ever was, that would make but one Bonfire of three kingdoms, and blow up in one moment religion and justice, Church and Kingdom, Prince and people; nay, after so many good laws enacted against it, wherein the whole Kingdom hath given sentence, and pronounced it guilty of the highest treason that ever men or devils could devise. Is it not the same religion it was then? did they ever reverse any of their bloody positions? did they ever anywhere prevail, and not chase out (with a sea of sorrows) all that look toward the truth and holy religion? Well, the sentence was foretold, Re. 13. Antichrist must prevail among them that perish; A terrible Thunderbolt from heaven against all professed members of that Antichristian body, especially against Apostate Papists, among whom the unclean spirit hath brought seven worse than himself, to hasten their perdition.

4. The dragon prevaileth by false and libertine teachers, like the false Prophets that prophesied lies, and the visions of their own hearts, to strengthen, with sinful daubing, wicked hands, and discourage godly hearts; now when a people follow such, and love to have such guides and guidance, as, Ier. 5. 29, 30. the dragon hath prevailed, to pull them to hell. Michael prevaileth by faithful teachers, who bring wholesome and sound doctrine, and causeth his people to delight in them, and follow them; contrarily, the dragon prevails by such teachers as frame themselves to speak so, as to please all, that seek unto them in there loose courses, and according to all that they would have, and so sell thē to Satan: And what a just revenge of God is it, that a people who will not suffer the Lord's servants to prevail with them, to be brought to the truth, should be fitted with such Teachers, as with sweet words, and fine devises shall prevail with them to their destruction? and look how much any one hates a true teacher, by so much he loves a flatterer, who shall do him as much mischief, as the other would have done him good. Beware of this sly reach of the dragon, prevailing against not a few.

5. The dragon prevails mightily in disobedience; Ephes. 2. 2. In whom doth the Prince of the air rule, but in the children of disobedience? and these bewray themselves everywhere.

I. In such as walk in the disobedience of nature, sons of Belial; who reject all yokes, and refuse all counsel by God's word, God's Spirit, God's people, to walk at large, compassing their lusts according to the command of their own rebellious wills; a Sermon or a Play is all one, only they can sit out a play with more patience.

II. Such as are willful in their disobedience against God's Word, not only of an unteachable disposition, but intractable; prick their corruption but a little in sound application, oh how it will show it self in raging, stormy, and unruly distempers! this festered heart that will abide no searching, is conquered by Satan: these that will not suffer Christ to rule them are called his enemies, and called out to execution, Luke 19. 27.

III. These willful rebels commonly lie in ambush against the faithful, either to accuse them, to make them hateful to Magistrates, or to slander and scorn them, to make them hated of others; as Ier. 18. 18. Come, let us smite him with the tongue; and verse. 23. even some pretensed friends sought to banish him, nay, to do more, even against his life, if they could have prevailed: No man can seek sinistrously to prevail against a good man, but the dragon hath first prevailed against him.

6. The dragon prevails by bad society and example; when workers of iniquity meet, oh how the devil rules their counsels, tongues, actions! many hands make light work, and rid much work; if any man refuse, or forbear, or scorn to join himself to God's people; if any reproach God's name, truth, or servants, hate the society of Saints, their persons, their profession, or godly practices, the dragō hath his will on thē, and in them, and where the dragon thus prevails, the Lord Jesus hath nothing to do, but to prepare himself to war, and wrathful judgment, against such sworn enemies of his Kingdom.

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

Where, to find the meaning, we will answer four Questions.

Quest. 1. What is meant by heaven?

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

Some by heaven understand the Throne of dignity and authority, which we have shown to be a kind of heaven, or Throne of God; and this is true also in part, that the conquered party was cast from the Throne of God, when those openly professed dragons were subdued, and cast from the top of Imperial State and Majesty, without hope of recovery of their strength against the woman anymore.

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

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

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

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

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

• 1. General.
• 2. Special.

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

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

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

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

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

This general overthrow is not here properly meant, but a special victory, and overthrow of some special dragons that rose up afterward to waste the Church, because this is a prophesy after S. John's time, the proper interpretation and accomplishment whereof is plentifully cleared in Ecclesiastical History: For,

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

2. What place had the dragon in the Church, when noble Constantine had slain those four savage Tyrants and Monsters, Maximinus, Maxentius; Licinius, and Maximinian, and became the great Protector of Christian faith; and to signify that now the dragon was overcome, not without God's special Providence, he set up upon the gates of his Palace his own picture, with a dragon lying slain under his feet, and a Dart thrust through him, as Eusebius reports, which is a plain demonstration of the accomplishment of this Prophesy?

3. What place had the dragon in the Church, when by the free preaching of the Gospel by orthodox Pastors and Bishops, the Idols and heathen gods were cast down, their worship abolished, their Temples destroyed, Paganism was turned into Christianism, and Christ's Kingdom grew so fast, as that it was received through the world, in the places and countries where the dragons had formerly cast it out?

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

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

Quest. 4. How can it be said, that the dragons place was no more found in heaven, seeing he returns again and renews his war against the woman, verse. 13. and 17?

Answ 1. Our Savior in John 12. 31. saith, The Prince of the world is cast out, and so the death of Christ hath cast him out of possession; so as, although he may come to claim, yet never to possess.

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

3. He may show himself in temptations, and in raising horrible and hideous persecutions, as at this day, but without all power or hope of prevailing: He comes not to stand to it if he be resisted, nor to overcome in the issue, but to be overcome, and at last so fully overcome, as his place shall never be found in heaven, nor in the Church, but shall be bound fast in chains of black and hellish darkness forever.

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

For why?

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

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

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

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

Fourthly, always their hoped happiness in the life to come; for as GOD hurles the wicked man out of his place in earth, so he sends him into his own place (as is said of Judas) that he may dwell forever in the place of his iniquity, Job 8. 4.

2. God's justice pursueth and hunteth the wicked man to destruction; let him seek never so many muses and burrows of craft and policy to hide himself in, the Lord's revenge follows him step by step, till it overtake him, 2 Thess. 1. 6. It is a righteous thing with God, to render tribulation to them that trouble you; Achan troubleth all Israel, and the Lord troubleth Achan, Joshua 7. 25. the enemy makes the Saints drink the cup of affliction, but they taste but the top, which is medicinal, but the Lord's justice reserves for him the dregs and bottom of his cup of wrath for poison; they chase the Saints unjustly out of the earth with a sea of sorrow, but the Lord justly casts them out of earth and heaven, into a bottomeless sea of everlasting wrath.

3. They must be covered with shame that war with Zion, Psal. 129. 5.

First, because she being God's own Spouse and delight, he accounteth her cause to be his, her sufferings his, her enemies his, and cannot but out of love and jealousy avenge her quarrels, and execute vengeance on her adversaries, Deut. 32. 43.

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

4. The fervent and faithful prayers of the Church are as an heavy Hatchet to knock the enemies on the head: never could any prosper still that had the prayers of the Church against them; Hezekiah prays against Sennacherib and Rabshakeh, and God sends a blast on them, and shakes all their power in pieces, 2 Kings 16. 6. The like in Haman, Judas, Julian. If this thundering Legion come against them, they cannot stand against the shower and storm of shot, like Hail that gals them on all sides, more than all the Horsemen and Chariots, than all the Muskets and Pikes mustered against them. This was confessed by Marcus Aurelius, Emperor, to the Senate & people of Rome; the Christians by prayer obtained for him a sweet shower of water, when he wanted five days, and a shower of Hail, and Thunder, and Lightning against the adversaries.

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

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

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

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

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

3. For the world, all that is borne of God overcometh the world, 1 John. 5. 4. and it passeth away, and the fashion of it shall be no more.

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

5. For Antichristian and Popish tyrants and enemies, yet a little while and they shall be found no more; in the cup she hath filled unto us, shall be filled double; No man shall buy her wares anymore, Rev. 18. 11. all her glory and wealth, (called fat and excellent things) are departing, and none shall find them anymore, verse. 14. with violence shall the great City Babylō be cast as a Milstone into the Sea, & be found no more, ver. 21, 22, 23. she hath brewed blood, & blood must be her drink. Our own Babylonians began, not long since, to prate of the price of Fagots, to show what they meditate, and that they are of the right blood of their bloody Parents; But I assure them, fire and Brimstone shall be cheap enough, when that shower appointed falls upon that filthy Babylon, to revenge their fiery rage against the Lord's servants.

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

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

1. By repentance and reconciling ourselves to God; see, Job 11. 14. and, 22. 21.

2. By steadfastness in faith, and other graces; all our stability is founded in God's covenant, as on a sure rock; stable faith upholds the whole estate; truth of faith and grace is an impregnable hold and fortress, but a wavering mind, in faith and religion, is restlessely tossed and carried everywhere by temptation or persecution from the truth.

3. By joining in God's worship with God's people; Job 22. 27. He that is a pure worshipper, that lifts his face to God, and makes his prayer and renders his vows unto him, the light shall shine upon his ways; when others are cast down, he shall say, I am lifted up.

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

The next Use belongs to the enemies of the Church; and,

First, to terrify them, in that they cannot choose but work their own woe and wrack. The woeful condition of persecutors & enemies is, that howsoever they lift up themselves against God and his truth, they must come down; was it not a woeful fall of Haman, when he sought his life of Hester, whose life he had sought?

Now this must needs be;

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

2. Their rage and fury against the Church makes them run headily upon their own ruin; for it suffers them not take any good counsel, but in pursuit of their chase march furiously as Jehu, and plunge themselves into such a depth as they cannot wade out again. Could Pharaoh get back again, when himself, his Princes, power and Chariots were in the bottom of the Sea? now he found he was too deep, and he that found a way in, could find no way out; had he consulted with himself, he might well have thought, that God made that not a way for him, but for Israel, whose business lay beyond Sea. Could Haman get back again, when he had laid that wicked plot, without breaking his own neck? Could Judas, having betrayed innocent blood, get back again without shedding his own?

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

4. The pride of wicked enemies must needs give them a fearful fall: For, if for the humiliation and scourge of the Church, God suffers him to prevail a while, the more he prospers in his way, the more he provokes God, and prides himself against him, till he be at the height, fit to be taken down. Rabshakeh, because the gods of the Nations could not deliver the people out of his hands, grows to high blasphemy against the God of heaven, Psal. 73. 6, 9. Pride compasseth them as a chain, and then they talk presumptuously, and set their mouth against heaven; so do Papists at this day.

5. As his seed time is, so is his harvest like to be. As a man sows, so shall he reap; he is ever sowing iniquity, and cannot but reap affliction. Prov. 22. 8. his own wickedness takes him by the heel; as he brewes sorrow, so must he drink; he drinks deep of the cup of sin, and must drink deep of the cup of vengeance: according to his conception, so is the birth like to be; he hath conceived mischief, and must bring forth wrath; his sorrows are coming on him, as on a woman in travel, as certain, as sharp, but hopeless and desperate.

Object. The enemies have a wealthy and flourishing estate.

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

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

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

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

2. It is enough, they deceive themselves with a conceit of stability and sure footing, but let not us be deceived for company, but look into the Scriptures we shall see, that nothing is more vain than a wicked man's prosperity, Psal. 37. 2. they are soon cut down, and wither as grass; there is a little flourish, but no stability,; if the flower be not cut down, it withers of it self; and verse 20. They shall be consumed as the fat of Lambes, offered in daily sacrifice, which no sooner came to the fire of the Altar, but it melted and vanished into smoke; so are these; and how thē are they stable? shall we compare their vain and unstable stability with anything more vain? Psa. 1. 4. see him compared to chaff:

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

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

3. Nothing is sooner blown away than chaff, nor nothing more easy to be blown away out of his place than a wicked man; they may show like Mountains but are but heaps of chaff; they may seem like rocks for firmness and stability, but wanting solidity before God, have no stablishment; David did but look off them, and they were gone, and their place not found.

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

Ans. For the time of God's patience they are still, but whē that is expired, they are hurled away out of their places as chaff lies still unmoved in a calm season, till a strong wind arise, and then it is seen no more; so wicked men, who are chaff, may be still till the wrath of God, as a storm or whirlwind, arise and carry them quite away; see, Hos. 13. 3.

Again, though the Lord seem silent, while he doth not tear them in pieces like a Lyon, yet he doth always, as a moth, consume them: when his wrath blazeth not out in flames at once, to burn up these thorns, yet it feeds on them, as fire on fuel, and moulders them away insensibly.

Object. They have many fair pretenses for their practices; they intend the advancement of religion, the setting up of the ancient Catholic faith, the suppressing of heretics, the blowing up these apostates and heretics, with whom no faith is to be kept.

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

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

For the notes of a man whose place shall not be found, but hastening his ruin;

First, one in the Text; he that is a plotter against Christ the Head, or against his Members, runs upon the point of this heavy curse; Judas plots against Christ, and presently his place was not found, he went to his own place, Act. 1. 25. the Jews plotted against Christ, and the Romans came and took away their place and Nation; The Nation or kingdom that will not serve thee, shall perish; so he that cōtrives against the members of Christ, hasteneth his own ruin: God gives such over to run riot, that everyone may see the end of their way. Saul when he hunts David, and had set an envious eye upon him, and watched him mischief, that all David's piety, and wisdom, and innocence cannot prevail, but he bolts on; GOD gives him up to run to witches, which himself had condemned, that all might see God gone from him: Even so, when men contrive against God's servants, against their own consciences, and their own protestations, as Saul did to David, & make grace and innocence their Butt to shoot at, and as much hope to make a league with hell, as with them, God gives them up to hateful things, condemned by themselves, to drunkenness, filthiness, usury, base and shameful courses, that their name stinks as a Candle sluttishly put out, not after, but before they are put out, that all men may see them cast out of their place & parts before hand: and if the wicked servants talēt be taken from him, what remains but the other part of the sentence, Cast him into utter darkness, Mat. 25. 30.

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

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

I. If any be carried with every blast of false doctrine, as unrooted & unsettled in the faith; never was there change of religion, but Satan raised false teachers and seducers, who did privily bring in damnable heresies, such as Jannes and Jambres, that resisted the truth, and carried away numbers from the truth, themselves first carried away by the deceit of Balaam's wages; beware of such Popish Pedlers, that help to sell the people of God into the hands of the cursed Babylonians; Jeremiah describes such,

1. They cast aside the Word of God, and deliver their own dreams, chaff instead of wheare; they bend and strain their wits to look out vain and foolish things, causes of banishment, Lam. 2, 14.

2. They are described by their intolerable & Jesuitical lying, fathering that upon the Lord w ^ch the Lord never spake: where doth the Lord in all • the Scripture inveigh against the powerful & frequent preaching of his holy word? Shall we believe he speaks from God, who cries out of too much Preaching? I must believe, that his eyes are sore or bleared, who cries out of light; how can a Torch-light be welcome to a company of thieves or robbers? how can the light of the word be welcome to Atheists, Papists, and Jesuitical spirits, who would rob the Church of the word of salvation?

3. They are described by hucksterly blending the wine of God's word, with the puddle-water of human inventions; watch them, and disclaim them that would sow our field with the miscelen of Popery, who, like their Jesuitical friends, with one wipe will cast out all the reformed Churches from being the true Churches of God, with whom we have joined as sisters, ever since the restoring of the Gospel, as in the harmony of Confessions appeareth, with another, overthrow the better half of the fourth Commandment, as their friends cast out the whole second Commandment, and (as like the Jesuits as may be) cast dirt and foam upon the faithful, able, and zealous Preachers, because they see them stand in their light, as the greatest opposites to their Popish projects.

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

II. The like of one who is carried away with the blasts of temptation, from sin to sin, having no steadfastness in a good course: None can be established by iniquity.

III. The like of them that are carried away with Apostasy, from good beginnings, without constancy in their hearts, or mouths, or good actions; such withered leaves are blown away with winds, Psal. 1. And,

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

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

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

1. His names and titles, which are four;

• 1. The great dragon.
• 2. That old serpent.
• 3. The devil.
• 4. Satan.

2. His effect, he deceiveth the whole world.

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

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

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

First of the description.

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

Answ. 1. That we should not mistake the enemy overthrown, and conceive of any natural or physical dragon in proper sense.

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

For the meaning of the names.

I. The great dragon is the arch-enemy of mankind; who had in all ages, by his instruments, oppressed and outrageously wasted the Church, but especially (as we have seen in this Text) by the great and profane power of the old Roman and imperial dragons, in whom he had ruled at his will, tyrannized over the woman, spreading & upholding all Idolatry, blasphemy, heresies: and plotting, dēvising, and executing all injustice, tyranny, and barbarous immanity against her; this dragon is now cast out; of whom, and his greatness we have spoken at large, verse 3. and will neither repeat nor add to that discourse.

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

• 1. His nature,
• 2. His adjunct.

His nature, he is a serpent.

First, because he hid and covered himself in the serpent, in his first stratagem against our first Parents.

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

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

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

But this serpent spets out poison, to kill and poison to death every man and woman, as well as Christ, as indeed he hath slain every child of Adam.

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

3. Again, the devil is called a serpent, for his serpentine and cursed condition; The serpent is accursed of God above all beasts of the field, Gen. 3. 14. so is the devil and his Angels above all creatures: The curse reacheth the serpent, both in his habitation and sustentation; he dwells in thorns and bushes, there he lurks and hides himself; so the devil in the thickets of sins, lusts, and hateful deeds, flying the light: the serpent feeds on earth and cursed dust, so do the devils on earthly-minded and carnal men, who lie under the curse of GOD, careless of the blessing.

The adjunct of this serpent follows, an old serpent.

1. Because himself hath been of the same antiquity with the beginning of the world, who, of old, even then cast us from our happiness.

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

3. He excels, not only in natural subtlety, but by his experience, ever since man was on earth, is grown wonderful deep and cunning, like an old beaten soldier, trained in manifold crafts, and mischievous stratagems, so his craft is redoubled by his age and experience.

III. The third title or name, is, The devil, for crimination, accusation, and calumniation: He is that egregious calumniator, whose incessant delight and practice is, in accusing and calumniating.

1. God to man, of envy, injustice, or the like unkind affections, as, Gen. 3. 3. God knows your eyes will be opened.

2. Man to God, in good, that it is done in hypocrisy, as, Doth Job serve God for naught? in evil, that man is guilty of that sin which himself drew on. But of this Title, more in the next verse.

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

He is an adversary, and opposite,

• 1. To God.
• 2. To good men.
• 3. To good actions

I. To God.

1. In his decrees and good purposes of restoring the Elect unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ, by all means striving to frustrate them, though all in vain, for the counsel of the Lord shall stand.

2. In all the means appointed for the execution of those decrees, as, the word and truth of God, which he laboreth to turn into a lie, Gen. 3. 5. Ye shall not surely die; by which he brought in sin upon us: he hates that as the sentence of his damnation; so he hindereth the preaching and publishing of it, as in Paul and the Apostles, 1 Thess. 2. 18. He sends his Ministers impudently to disgrace the holy preaching of the word, and to cast down, if they could, all exercises of religion, public and private. For the graces of faith, love, holiness, wrought by the word, in which are the beginnings of salvation, he hates and resists them, and disgraceth them, as most contrary to himself, being an unclean spirit: I have heard many of his Agents openly revile the grace of GOD, and disgrace holiness in hateful terms, but none of them but apparently foul and unclean beasts in one kind or other, and how can contraries but fight?

II. To all good men he is an adversary, because of God's Image and way; they have God's Image and superscription upon them, and so of a contrary kingdom: And he, who, while we were in our own way, or the way of the world, never resisted us (for then we were going down into Egypt) now if we be in God's way, and set out toward Canaan, never ceaseth his resistance.

III. He is also an adversary to all good things and actions; he watcheth to slay all good motions in the womb, that they shall no sooner be conceived, than abortive: he is an adversary to each good action, either to hinder it (if he can) by hindering us from attempting good or achieving it, by hindering us from feeling the sweetness of godliness, so as having no pleasure in it, it may go on heavily; by making us fickle, inconstant, soon weary, and then all is lost: or if he cannot hinder, to corrupt, and deprave it, that though he cannot make it evil, he may make it seem so to be.

By all this description the Spirit of God would have us become wise, to take knowledge of our enemy, and make our own profitable use of this discovery, especially that we should never compact with such an adversary. In his temptations to sin, he comes in the habit of a friend and loving Counselor, but is indeed a dragon, and therefore fierce, and a winged dragon, swift to shed blood: Oh that we could think, while he is enticing us to sin, that we have to do with a serpent, who hath a natural enmity against us, and this antipathy, set by God, admits no reconcilement: and not a serpent only, but an accuser of us to God, for that which himself enticed us unto! In his disswasives from good, pretending our peace, ease, credit, or whatsoever commodity; happy it were, could we say, Come behind me Satan; this is nothing but the voice of an adversary resisting me, to hinder both the work and wages.

2. Again, we learn to beware of such a monster and watch such an adversary, who is a serpent, therefore subtle to deceive; a serpent, therefore full of poison and deadly infection; an old serpent, and therefore by his experience, ever since the creation, can espy the least advantage against us, can see all our counsels and consultations in our secret chambers, and will not slip any such advantage, but put it forth to the furthest proof and extent for our greatest harm.

Furthermore, we are taught to fence ourselves against his wiles and enterprises.

Quest. How may that be done?

Answ. By three sorts of rules.

I. Against the subtlety of this serpent, we must labor for true wisdom as a countermine: And that is,

1. By humility, denying our own wisdom, as insufficient to guide us. The Lord guideth the humble in his way, Psalm. 25.

2. By prayer: go to God for wisdom: If any man want, let him ask it of God. I am. 1. David prayeth God to turn Ahithophel's wisdom into foolishness, and so it was. God only can make us wiser then this our enemy: therefore as a child, the weaker it feels it self, the faster hold it lays on the hand of the father; so let us on our heavenly Father.

3. By sticking to the Word. Psalm. 119. 24. make that the man of our counsel, which only can make us wise to salvation. By this David was wiser then the ancient, then the counselors: By this all the serpents stratagems are discovered and diverted.

4. Grow up in the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. This stands not in contemplation, but operation, rectifying the mind, affections, actions, and is nothing but an upright endeavor to please God in all things. A good understanding have all they that do thereafter.

II. Against the sting, poison, and biting of this serpent.

1. Let us look to the brazen Serpent, Christ, that we may be both healed and saved. No other sight but this can ease us, not gold, not silver, not lands, nay not heaven it self without Christ, nothing but Christ's blood. The Israelites must be cured only by looking, the Christian by believing.

2. A special preservative is prayer. The policy of the weesell is, that knowing the serpent will set upon her, and that he cannot abide the sent of Rue, which we call herb-grace, she runs and eats of that herb, and so the sent of it drives off the serpent: so we being sure to be set upon by the serpent, who is too strong for us, must run to this herb-grace, and let our daily and fervent prayer be as Rue against him. Thus are we taught to prevent temptation, by praying not to be led into it.

3. Daily apply the virtue and power of Christ's death to the cure of thy sin. The Harts horn burnt is of power to drive away the serpent, and a good antidote against his poison: Christ is this Hart or Hind, his horn is the power of his death, this horn burnt or parched on the cross with his Fathers wrath is the only antidote against the malignity of Satan.

III. Against his satanical opposition and enmity, be sure to get God thy friend, if God be with thee, Jesus Christ for thee, the Spirit of God within thee, who can be against thee? Rom. 8. 31. If God be for us, who can be against us? And if Christ be dead, and risen for thee, who can lay anything to thy charge, verse 33. 34. Now God is with thee, so long as thou art with him: for he leaveth not those, who have not left him first.

IV. Against his accusation get,

1. The testimony of thy conscience excusing thee, that no sin is unrepented. 2. Corin. 11. 12.

2. The testimony of the Spirit, that thou art the Lord's, and in Jesus Christ, and then is no condemnation. Rom. 8. 1.

3. The Lord's justification of thy uprightness, Job 1. By fearing God, and departing from evil.

This of the names.

The second argument, by which the Dragon is described, is his effect, that he seduceth or deceiveth the whole world: where four things for opening the words.

I. What is it to seduce?

Answ. In proper speech it is to mislead or draw a man aside from the right way into some by-way, and is a Metaphor taken from travellers, or passengers, who being ignorant of the right way, are led aside into error, and wrong ways. Thus the dragon, after the way of God had been propounded to the world, in the preaching of the Gospel, and Jesus Christ had been published the only Way, by whom we can come to the Father, by all means would shut up this way to heaven, and did draw aside the world from the true worship of God, to idolatry, and false worship of idols, and heathen gods, and from the embracing of Christian religion, to Paganism, and Heathen rites, so as the very name of Christ should be extinct, if it were possible. This is the seduction of the dragon: which he incessantly labors in, as the participle of the present tense noteth, even a perpetual action of drawing men from the way of truth, to error and false religion.

II. The persons that are seduced, are the whole world; alluding to his general seduction and surprising of all mankind in our first parents, as also the general corrupting of true religion in the days of Noah, when all flesh had corrupted their ways, and were destroyed by the deluge. But by the whole world or earth are meant the reprobates or earthly minded men, who intended the world, and minded earthly things, with contempt of heavenly. These were the dragons prey, for their multitude called the whole earth.

For first, it is not possible the elect should be seduced. Matt. 24. 24.

2. They are only in the world, but not of the world: they are not the earth, while they are in the earth, nor parts of it, but citizens amongst Saints, and of another corporation.

3. The dragon cannot go beyond his commission, which reacheth not to any elect, but only to those who by the just decree of God are given up to his seduction and their own destruction. Rev. 9. 4. The locusts are sent out with a limited commission: they are commanded not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, that is, the elect, who have any appearance of true grace, these are not to be wounded with the keen stings of their damnable errors, and devilish devises: but only the reprobate, who have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And Revel. 13. 13. who be they that worship the beast: but they, all they, and only they that dwell upon earth, earthly men, who have no part in heaven, whose names are not written in the book of life.

III. How or by what means doth the dragon seduce the whole earth?

Answ. He hath many ways, some without us, and some within us.

Without us, especially three.

1. He deceiveth by false doctrines, errors, heresies, and lies: in which sense Antichristianism is called the deceiuablenesse of unrighteousness. 2. Thes. 2. 9. because under pretence of truth and Christianity it fights against Christ and his truth. Thus was Ahab seduced by four hundred false prophets. Thus Elymas seduced the deputy, and resisted Paul's doctrine, and Paul calls him the child of the devil. Acts 13. 10. and so be all they that dissuade others from hearing the truth.

II. He deceiveth the world by impious frauds, diabolical impostures, and prodigious works, for the confirmation of error. Revel. 13. 14. the beast did great wonders to deceive them that dwell on the earth; by signs, as to make fire come down from heaven, and the like. This beast is Antichrist, and that false prophet, Revel 19. 20. who wrought false miracles, by which he seduced those that received the mark of the beast. He shall do great wonders, to confirm a deceivable doctrine, yea even call for fire from heaven. Which though Bellarmine, to free his Pope from this mark of Antichrist, saith, the Pope never did, yet it is truly verified of him, both in mystical and literal sense.

1. In the true and mystical sense, (for this book hath as many mysteries as words) by fire from heaven in Scripture is meant God's wrathful vengeance executed upon sinners, called the fire of his wrath: In this sense, the Popes flatterers call them gods of revenge: Hildebrand in an epistle to the Germans, having excommunicated Henry the fourth, called him afflatum fulmine, smitten with a thunderbolt. Here we have the Pope confessing, that he brings fire from heaven. Did they not vaunt, and Kings, and people fear, that being stricken with the bull of excommunication, they were smitten with a divine revenge, as with fire from heaven?

2. In the literal sense: boast they not of Zacharias the Pope, as he was in his progress to Ravenna, that in the day he was protected with a cloud from the heat of the Sun, and in the night armies of fire in the heavens gave him light? What shall I speak of the fiery streams, which they say have reached from heaven to earth to point out the lost host, as was wont to be read on Corpus Christi day? What of the fiery tongues which they fetched from heaven on some of their Saints, to make them equal with the Apostles? or of the fire from heaven, to destroy the enemies of some of their martyrs? Their Legend is full of such fables: but this shall suffice for the pointing of Antichrist of Rome by that wonder in that text: which is true both in the true mystical sense, and in their false literal.

But these are called lying wonders and collusions.

1 In their original they proceed from the father of lies, who is a lying Spirit in the mouths of all false Prophets.

2. Their matter is lies, appearances, jugglings, at best wonders not miracles, such as Jannes and Jambres seduced Pharaoh withal.

3. Their end is lying and seduction, confirming lies, idolatry, superstition, and apostasy, so leading and settling men in error for destruction.

III. The Dragon seduceth numbers by open tyranny and persecution; we see how the apprehension of Christ drove away all his Disciples for a time, and how the fan of tribulation blows away the chaff from the wheat forever. And thus the whole world was seduced here in special manner, being forced by open tyranny and rage of the Imperial Dragons to the level and prescript, to the rites and religion of heathenish and idolatrous Rome.

Thus he seduceth us outwardly.

Within us he hath many means and ways to seduce us: as,

1. By exciting and stirring our original sin: blinding our minds with clouds of darkness, and our understanding with mists of error, working on our wills to embrace things with corrupt judgment directeth unto: stirring our affections to rebel against right judgment and will. And thus he seduceth us by ourselves, I am. 1. Every man is seduced by his own concupiscence.

2. By working on our natural faculties, both our spirits and senses. He knows how to dull our spirits and make us drowsy, and easily give off in any good meditation or service. And contrarily, he can refresh and excite them in evil, to make them watchful, and of long continuance, and constancy in such objects. And for our senses, he can draw the eye to behold wishingly the forbidden fruit: the ear to set open it self to receive lies, and slanders: the tongue to blaspheme, curse, swear, lie, and revile: the smell to wind a commodity which must be compassed by oppression, wrong, or the like.

3. By finding out our inclinations, and intents, and purposes, that he may suggest according to those inclinations, as it were hanging his weight upon us, to force our own disordered motions. Thus he doth, and can out of our own universal corruption, and from observation of our counsels, speeches, and gestures, lay fit trains for us; first, receiving true intelligence from ourselves, by observing our motions, lusts, affections, and then sits himself down in counsel with us in our secret chambers, in all our consultations of sin, himself being the President of our privy Council.

4. By sweetening his allurements, so as no temptation is so bitter or poisonful against God or man, but he can guild and sugar it, and then layeth them in secret, and in the dark, so as we easily take, and no sooner take than are taken, by means the waters are both stolen and sweet.

IV. The last thing in opening the doctrine, is, the reasons why the dragon seduceth the whole earth; Namely,

1. The just judgment of God upon the world for the contempt of his word, and the unkind usage of the Gospel, by which the world meriteth to be seduced; see, 2 Thess. 2. 10, 11.

2. The desperate wickedness of Satan,

1. Proclaiming open war against God, and withstanding the word of God, the faith of men, the glory of Jesus Christ.

2. Exercising incessant fury against mankind, all which he seeketh to bring back into his own damnation.

3. Advancing himself in his horrible pride, to enlarge his own kingdom, to establish his greatness upon earth, and to show himself the Prince of the world.

In the generality of persons, that the whole earth is seduced by Satan, we learn,

First, how false a note of truth a multitude is: the way of the world, is the way of error, and of seduced persons to destruction; rather conclude with our Savior, the multitude walks in the broad way, but strait is the way that leadeth unto life, and few find it. The wisdom of a Christian is, not to number voices, but weigh them, and not to look who go in the way, so much, as in what way we go; neither to hold it a good plea, I did but as the most did, seeing the whole earth is here seduced and deceived.

Secondly, marvel not that many be seduced and carried away from God and his truth, into so gross and palpable errors, seeing the dragon seduceth here all the earth.

1. It is a general, but a righteous judgment of God, to give up them that love seduction, to be willingly blinded and carried to destruction.

2. Heresies, false doctrines, and delusions are just punishments of the contempt of the Gospel, and word of truth.

3. The world is the Princedom of Satan, he must prevail and command his subjects, and tyrannize over all earthly and worldly minded men.

Let us not marvel, that Papists are so resolute in such horrible delusions, not only against the clear light of the Scripture, but against common sense, as stiffly to maintain transubstantiation, judicial forgiveness of sins by a Priest, purging of sin by penal works and satisfactions, salvation by merit of works, worshipping of Angels, Saints, Images, Crosses, crusts, blocks, stones, and a thousand such senseless dotages; seeing the Lord hath smitten them with blindness, that they cannot see the truth.

Let us not be moved, that Popery doth so prevail in all Countries, that Princes and people, learned and unlearned join to it: For, efficacy of doctrine is no proof of truth, because there is an efficacy of error, by which the dragon prevails against all the earth. But, is the doctrine effectual to turn men from the power of Satan to God? then it is true, not else.

Nor yet be much dismayed, that among ourselves, after the knowledge and profession of the truth, so many should turn away to Popery, and are seduced by Priests and Jesuits; for how can a carnal doctrine but prevail among carnal men? what look they after in their religion, but men on earth, at Princes, laws, times, persons, and earthly respects? not one of them after God or his word, or rules of direction from it, but hate the Scripture, as a thief the gallows; & their Religion then must needs be good: But none are altogether given up to Antichristianism, but they they are first given up to Satan to be seduced: Oh that Papists would hear and lay to heart, that they are pitifully seduced by the chief seducer under Satan! which is a plain sign of perdition; for among whom doth Antichrist reign, but only them that perish, Rev. 14. 6? How can they expect to reign in the heavenly Jerusalem with Christ, who stick in mystical Babylon unto Antichrist? how shall he triumph in heaven with Christ, that fights on earth for Antichrist?

But well may we with a sea of tears take knowledge of the general sin of our land, in the hatred and abuse of the light, and bringers of it, for which the Lord may justly deliver us up to delusion, and efficacy of error; and if we go on, resolved to give no better entertainment to the light, the Papists themselves are not more effectually deluded in main points, than it may please God many among us may be.

Finally, marvel not that so many great, wise, and learned men in the world oppose & resist the truth, plot & cōtrive against God's Ordinances & servants, for how can earth but stand in opposition to heaven? they are but pieces of earth, and of the world delivered up to Satan to deceive; earthly affections, lusts, motions, desires carry them away; earthly policy, dignity, favor, ease, wealth is all they aim at, their way and their end; earth is their portion, and they the dragons, for the dragon seduceth all the earth, and only that: Doth any resist and oppose heavenly doctrine? he is earthly-minded, he savors the earth, some base lust or sin is the dragons chain to hold him under delusion, to destruction.

Thirdly, we learn hereby to beware of seduction, and carefully prevent it.

Quest. What means may we use thereunto?

Answ 1. Get out of the estate of nature, into the estate of grace, become a believer, by faith get into the hand of Christ, and none shall pluck thee thence, John 10. Give all diligence to make thine election sure, by adding grace to grace, and bringing forth fruits of faith; the dragons delusions are only effectual in them that perish.

2. Get out of the world; answer the voice of Christ calling thee out of the world; for what is the whole earth but a company of seduced and deluded people? If thou art still in the world, he that seduceth all the world, cannot but carry thee away from God. Demas embraced the present world, and forsook the truth: The young man went heavily from Christ, for he had great possessions, nay, they had him rather. The dragon thought to have seduced Christ himself by the profer of the world, All this will I give thee. Oh therefore get thee with all speed out of the world, in affection, in conversation, love it not, live not after it.

3. Avoid persons and places of seduction. Persons are,

1. False teachers, and false Prophets, that come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves, Mat. 7. 15. not Priests and Jesuits only, who study the art of deceiving; but sweet-tōgued Prophets, who by libertine doctrine or looseness of life, lead the way to wickedness. They are accursed in the Law, who make the blind go out of the way, and all the people must say, Amen, Deut. 27. 18.

2. Perswaders to Popery and false worship, whereof there are not a few at this day, and such as persuade to any schism or separation from the truth. Let servants be choice what Masters they serve, and be sure their Masters serve the same Master in heaven with them; but above all beware of a Snake in the bosom; our weakness needeth a faithful Counselor so near us.

For places.

1. Beware of ignoran tand rude places, which are destitute of instruction and able instructors; where the eye is blind, that man is misled any whither, and such a people are led away as a prey to the dragon: a wicked Ministry makes a naked people. Where do the Frogs and Locusts, Priests and Jesuits, sculke and croake, been ignorant and untaught places, where men are taught no difference between the mists of Popery and the shining light of the Gospel, where the watchmen are blind, the ambassadors dumb, and teachers untaught need teachers themselves in the principles of Religion?

2. Avoid infected places, where abominations are set up and maintained; (no poison kills more certainly or speedily.) Whether they be Popish Countries, to which the Spirit of God would have us bid farewell, Revel. 18. 4. Go out of her my people, lest ye partake of her sins and plagues; Or Popish houses, where deceivers are harboured, idols and lies set up and worshipped, a little Breaden god adored, true religion reviled, and the mystery of iniquity embraced.

Avoid these: This is the third means to avoid seduction.

4. Sticke close to the word of God, which only can hold us upright, Mat. 22. 29 Ye err, no knowing the Scriptures; Here in cleaving to the word,

First, endeavor to grow up in sound judgment, for the discerning af doctrines and signs, which carry great pretenses of truth, and by which the dragon usually seduceth many; 1 John 4. 1. Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God, for many false spirits are gone out into the world.

Alas, how do the body of our people lie open to seduction, and are ready to entertain any doctrine, any religion, for want of this ability? They embrace a religion, because it is established by authority, commauded by the law, professed by the Prince, embraced by the multitude, freest fr ontrouble; But ask them a reason of their faith, call them to account in Catechism, you would think them speechless, you can force no answer savouring of judgment or reason; is there then no need of this exhortation?

Secondly, grow up in sound love to the Word, for else thou canst not but be given up to believe lies, 2 Thess. 2. 10. it is not learning, knowledge, wisdom, that can arm or fence us from delusion, but love of the truth, as in the instances of Adam, Judas, Hymenaeus, and Philetus, &c. but love of the truth will quench in us love of the world, and selfelove, and carry us through fire and water, through Pikes and perils, through thick and thin after it.

Thirdly, stick to the conscionable practice of the Word, and then be sure thou canst not be deceived; hold to the rule of that, for it cannot deceive thee; the powerful practice of it turneth a man from the power of Satan unto God.

V. Pray for the spirit of grace to perform his Office, for thy establishing in grace.

Quest. What is his Office?

Answ. 1. He is that Anoynting, which teacheth all things needful.

2. He is the Spirit of wisdom and counsel, to resolve all doubts; it is his voice that saith behind thee, This is the way, walk in it.

3. He is the Spirit of courage and fortitude, to dissolve the fears of flesh, & to arm us against tyrants, enemies, changes, trials, and persecutions for the truth.

4. He is the Comforter, to sustain us with assured comfort in our heaviness, and to cheare us in our weariness.

5. He is the Perfecter of his own work, for he leaveth no work imperfect, which he beginneth for salvation; Col. 1. 28. I strive to be perfect, according to his mighty power that worketh in me.

VI. Add this to the former; stick to the Ministry, but see that the Spirit be effectual in that Ministry: for,

1. The Spirit worketh all those comforts, by means of the Word.

2. As the evil spirit is effectual in such as perish, by false doctrines, and false persuasions, so the Spirit of God is effectual in the Saints, especially in the preaching and persuasions of the word of truth.

3. It is just, that whosoever suffereth not the Spirit to be effectual there, shall find the spirit of error effectual in strong delusions. If Ahab will not hear God's Spirit in Micah, he shall fall by a spirit of error in the mouths of his false prophets.

Now to be established by an effectual Ministry, we must observe two rules.

1. Receive not everything hand over head, but search the Scriptures, and try the things that are delivered, John 5. 39. and the Bereans were commended, for examining the doctrine of the Apostles themselves, by the touchstone of the Prophets, Acts 17. 11. But Papists would not have the Scripture in common men's hands, because they distrust their doctrine.

2. Having tried all things, resolve to hold all that is good, and continue in the things learned from the Word, which is an assured fence against deceivers, 2 Tim. 3. • 4.

We are further admonished, to take notice of the marks and signs of a person that is seduced by the Serpent, to the end we may avoid them.

One is, in the days of light not to perceive the glorious light of the Gospel, 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospel be now hid, it is hid to them that perish, in whom the god of this world hath blinded their minds, that the light of the Gospel should not shine unto them. He is a blind man that seeth not the Sun shining, nor such objects as the Sun discovereth; so he is blinded by Satan, who cannot, or will not see his estate to be damnable and miserable, but is alive and happy without repentance and conversion; that by the same light cannot see that a sin in himself, which he seeth so to be in another; that by the light cannot be convinced, but that some sins are good and commodious; as profitable lies and oaths, some breach of the Sabbath, some usury, some idle company, and perhaps esteem it virtue or wisdom; that by so clear a light cannot be persuaded, but that there is more ease and pleasure in following lusts and sins, than in observing God's law: here is one led away, and deceived of the serpent.

2. Another mark of such a one is, not to believe the truth, but to esteem the Word as a fable, unworthy of our credit. Eve was not seduced, till her faith in the word was shaken. Thou that believest not the promises, as not expecting salvation by them: that turnest away the thoughts from thinking earnestly of the threatenings and punishments due to thy sins, that walkest in thine own way, and refusest the counsel of the word; why seest thou not thyself seduced and led away by Satan in great part already?

3. A third mark of such a one is, a departing from the doctrine of faith received, from the religion and divine worship, planted by the Prophets and Apostles, and prescribed in the word of God: a giving way and willing ears to Priests, Jesuits, and croaking locusts. Eve should not have lent her ear to the serpent against the truth of God. He easily seduceth those that are willing to be seduced.

4. The fourth mark is, to withstand the power of grace and religion, accounting the practice of holiness a needless preciseness, esteeming the care of pleasing God to be hypocrisy, zeal to be rashness and distemper. Who seeth not but the dragon hath led these away at his will? For, what other way doth the Dragon himself walk in, but in a perpetual hatred of grace?

5. The fifth mark is noted wickedness of life, and living in lusts; for the more wicked a man is, the more subject he is to be delivered up by God to be seduced: and who be they that are given up to the efficacy of Antichrist, but such as have pleasure in unrighteousness, that is, such as take felicity in sin, and rather then they will forsake it, trample underfoot all the hopes of the Gospel. 2. Thess. 2. 12. Who be they that are, or may be noted at this day, carried away into the delusion of popery, and are a prey to Jesuits, Priests and deceivers, but such as must have liberty and indulgence to live in some sin or other? first they resolve upon a beastly life, and then fall to such a deluding doctrine, as may skin over the gall of their consciences; Of many such Apostates we may say, it were pity they should profess any other religion then popery: for no other would befit the wickedness of their lives so well.

6 The last mark is, when sin is revenged with sin, with hardness of heart, with brawn of conscience, deadness of spirit, dedolency & impenitence. This man is fearfully left by God, and seised on by the dragon: when neither Law nor Gospel, neither piping nor mourning prevails with him. Instance whereof we see in many Apostates and temporizers, who having made some shows of goodness in themselves and good affections to others, falling to the world and self-seeking, have slacked in their love to the truth; and that sin revenged with hatred, and persecuting of goodness, and that sin further revenged with hardness of heart, and a dead conscience, not suffering them to look either behind them or before them, till they have outrunne themselves in so fearful violence against the grace of God, as commonly godliness meets not with such enemies anywhere as those that once made show of it; And as the dragon most desirously assaulteth these, so God's revenge showeth it self most dreadful and severe against such revolters.

The second thing to be observed in the overthrow of the dragon, is the manner of it, namely Satan's dejection, or rather ejection out of the Church.

Quest. What ejection is here meant?

Answ. 1. Not that after his fall, for that was not by war▪ as this, but a just sentence and punishment; that was, because he stood not in the truth: this because heestood against it.

2. Nor that final ejection in the day of judgment: for after that he never assaults the woman, but after this he doth, after that he is cast into hell, but here into the earth.

3. Therefore Satan is cast out of heaven these two ways.

1. By the head of the Church.

2. By the members.

Christ our head hath obtained a perfect victory over him two ways:

1. By the power and merit of his death, by which he encountered the devils, and conquered them, spoiling principalities and powers. Col. 2. 15. So as the Dragons erecting a cross for Christ, set up a gibbet for themselves, as Haman, and for Christ a chariot of triumph.

2. By the virtue and efficacy of it, daily applied to the elect, through the power of his resurrection, ascension, and sending of the holy Ghost into the hearts of the faithful, by whose grace, as by a stronger then himself, Satan the strong man is ejected, and can keep possession no longer. This is when faith apprehends the merit of his death, and the efficacy both of his resurrection, ascension, and sitting at the right hand of God, whence he sendeth the Spirit.

But this ejection by the head is not properly meant, for it was done before John's prophecy, but this was after. This ejection of Satan then is properly by the members, three ways.

1. By casting out and resisting Paganism, idolatry, blasphemy, impiety, and all injustice, and immanity against God and man, in which the Dragon ruled and reigned as the god of the world.

2. By the preaching and promulgation of the Gospel, which is the hammer of the dragons kingdom, and the utter overthrow and eversion of his whole power. Luk. 10. 18. The Disciples in their ministry saw Satan fall down like lightening.

3. By open profession and maintenance of the faith, and truth of the Gospel, and lifting up the name and glory of Christ there where formerly Satan's throne was.

This secondary ejection here meant and aimed at, seemeth to be, when after the days of the Romish tyranny by the heathen Emperors, the great and unlimited power of the old Roman Monarchy (in which the Dragon had ruled and overspread the earth with all idolatry and blasphemy, and had poisoned and corrupted the whole known world) was now broken and thrown down, the maintenance of Christian faith and profession was restored, and liberty given unto Christians by the manchild afore-mentioned. Now was the devil cast out, his idolatries detected, the deceivableness of heathenish error discovered, and his whole power so broken, as he could no longer either hinder the preaching of the Gospel, or the propagation of Christian religion, nor keep the nations longer from the truth of the Gospel, as he had long before done by his tyranny. This I take to be the ejection of the dragon out of the Church, aimed at in this text.

The note is: that till Christ and his Gospel came, the Dragon was not ejected. Wheresoever Christ is not, there the dragon stands in full state and strength. Matt. 12. 29. the strong man keeps the house, till a stronger come to dispossess him. This house is the unclean world, the whole world that lieth in wickedness, 1. John 5. 19. Whole mankind in the first Adam, all unregenerate men: for so the world is taken. Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin entered into the world. that is, the whole world out of Christ, or the whole world not chosen out of the world. 2. Tim. 2. ult. Before men come to the knowledge of the truth, namely of Christ, they are all in the devils snare, taken of him at his will. These snares are errors of judgment, lusts of life, depravation of manners, or some reigning sin or sins, by which Satan holds them under his vassalage, as a fowler can hold the bird by one foot, or by one twig and snare, as well as by the whole body, or net.

For first, as sin hath given him possession of all mankind, as in Judas his heart, so he never goeth out of himself, nay he is loath to be cast out, and when he is, it is not without extraordinary reluctance & molestation. Mark. 1. 26. The unclean spirit departs not without tearing and vexing and throwing him in the midst of them, saith Luke; all signs of extreme impatience.

Secondly, none can cast him out but Christ: for only Christ is stronger then he: men cannot cast him out, no not holy men, as that man said, Master, we came to thy Disciples, but they could not cast him out. Angels cannot cast him out: for they cannot satisfy sin: only the seed of the woman breaks the serpents head, Gen. 3. 15. Christ only is that Angel which John saw (Revel. 10. 1.) descending from heaven. by his incarnation, having the key of the bottomless pit, that is, power over hell and death: as Revel. 1. 18. and a great chain in his hand, the strong chain of his omnipotence, which chain hath many links.

1. The strong link of his passion and death upon the cross, which had more strength in it then the lives of all men and Angels.

2. That invincible link of his resurrection: for it was impossible for him to be held under death. The Jews could devise to put him to death, but not to hold him in the grave, but by his mighty power he opened his own grave, and all the graves of the Saints.

3. That mighty link of his ascension, by which he opened heaven for his Church, when the devil would forever have barred it up against us.

4. That mighty link of sending out the holy Ghost, and sending out the Apostles and Pastors, with a mighty and unresistable commission for the conversion of the world.

But what was the end of this mighty chain of so many strong links? Even to bind up Satan: the Dragon described here, and there, in the same words, a thousand years. The power of Christ's death, published in the ministry of the Gospel, bound up the devil, by destroying Paganism, and converting the nations to the faith, as fast as ever any Conquerer bound his enemy in chains, and restrains him from the execution of his mischievous will against him: for had not the Dragon been bound, Christianity could not have conquered the world as it did: but now, saith Christ, John 12. 22. speaking of his death, is the prince of this world cast out, though not wholly and fully, as in the last day.

Thirdly, the wicked world is so far from impeaching the state and power of the Dragon, that it strengtheneth and establisheth it, by maintaining whatsoever may enlarge the Dragons state and kingdom, and resisting whatsoever might weaken or impair it.

1. This appears, in that every wicked man gives up himself willingly to Satan's rule, who reigns like a lyon in every unbelieving heart: there he enacts laws of evil, there he reigns by sin, there is his seat, his court, his chair of estate: as for Jesus Christ, he casts off his rule, his laws, he breaks asunder his yokes, and disclaims his person, and titles, saying, We will not have this man to rule over us.

2. He rules not all by himself, but by his confederates, which he convocates at his pleasure, and they readily obey the summons. He can presently gather wicked Councils, Synods, Conclaves, & Convocations, to act and decree whatsoever pleaseth him against the word of God, and the truth of religion, only devising in them, what may gall the truth and its professors and uphold superstition and corruption; he hath in store numbers of heretics, false teachers, libertine doctors, to spread and maintain doctrines of devils. And by these agents he hath in all ages especially upheld his state and power in blinding and seducing the world willing to be blinded.

3. He hath the secular arm and civil states of the world at an hours warning to set up, and hold up his state, in erecting idolatry and false worship in all corners of the world, both Heathen, Jewish, and Popish, and this is the ground of all the tumults in this part of the world, the thrusting out of the truth, and bringing in idolatry, whereby the Dragon stands in greater state then in any other ordinary sins against the Gospel; for first this sin is most directly against the high Majesty of God: secondly, as the God of heaven is present, and honored when he is purely worshipped, so is the god of the world when he is served: and as God's glory is set up in and by true worshippers, so is the devils honor in and by idolaters, who are therefore said to offer to devils, and not unto God: Thirdly, as the throne of God is upheld by his subjects; so is the devils throne by his chief subjects, who are idolaters. Revel. 2. 13. The Angel of Pergamos is said to dwell where the devils throne was: the reason is, because that city was most idolatrous, and fierce against Christ and his religion: Satan's throne was set up in Court, in Country, in Churches, in Palaces, he ruled all.

Now this is a rule of trial of religion, of persons, of places.

1. That religion in which Christ is not exalted, in and by that the devil keeps his hold: which is true, not in the Heathenish only, which knows not Christ, or Jewish which acknowledgeth no Messias come in the flesh, but in the natural religion of Popery, which thrusteth down the Scriptures to set up traditions, and setteth up many mediators for one Mediator, and maketh every man a Savior of himself by his merits: besides their formal idolatry, which is a worship of devils. And shall we look back to a religion where the devil rules, where Christ is banished, and Christianity under a pretext of Christ persecuted to death?

2. For persons: Natural men are still in the power of the devil, very slaves, because Christ is not yet entered. Sure we are, he held up his power in us all once, not one of our hearts, but was his throne: if he be not cast out, he is still in his former state. This is the forlorn estate of all of us by nature, and if we be not converted, and brought to Jesus Christ by faith and obedience to the Gospel, the devil acteth, moveth, and ruleth us at his pleasure. This shows the necessity of conversion, unless we would willingly harbor such a Dragon.

3. See we any place set open for drunkenness, whoredom, cursing, blaspheming, scorning of goodness, or of such hellish resort, where sin is maintained and upheld, and Christ with the mention of godliness barred out? Be sure Satan's throne is there, his sign is on every such door, his arms on every post, there is a house swept for the devil, at least a suburbs of hell, there is the devil present in prevailing manner with strength of temptation & absolute command over his slaves, whom he draws to the height of wickedness. As Solomon giveth counsel to go by the house of the harlot, and not to come near the door of her house. Prov. 5. 8. So let all godly men avoid all such persons, places, and practices, in which the devil sits in his chair of estate. Sundry places are permitted to Satan by God to possess, where he domineireth, and showeth himself in strange noises, & frightful apparitions, & is powerful in such houses to hurt & destroy, & he that knows the danger of such haūted places will not enter into them: But in such places as wickedness dwells, although Satan be not sensibly present, yet he is more powerful; if not more dreadful, yet more dangerous: no wise Christian that hath not a desire to be acquainted with hell beforehand, would come into houses so haunted & stuffed with young Dragons and devils incarnate: how miserable to live where Satan dwells: how difficult to serve Christ where Satan reigneth?

This also teacheth us to examine ourselves, whether the dragon be cast out, or keep his state and command in us: where consider, 1. The necessity of this trial. 2. The rules of trial.

The former appears,

1. Because the greatest part of the world, even in places where the Gospel is preached, are not brought to Jesus Christ, but are voluntary slaves to Satan, renouncing obedience to God, and profess obedience to the dragon; & what a severe, but just judgment of God is it, that they that will not be ruled nor submitted to God's will, should become slaves to the Devil, that being delivered by God's justice unto Satan, their whole course should tend to uphold the state of the dragō, with the final ruin of their own?

2. As it is not the presence of the Gospel, so neither the profession of the Gospel that puts Satan out of state. What a great Professor was Ananias, that seemed to give away all his lands to the use of the Church? and yet Satan filled his heart, Act. 5. who was a greater Professor than Judas, the steward of Christ? yet the devil kept the hold of his heart; there is much more then profession required to dispossess him, yea, muchmore than preaching of Christ, for Judas did both.

3. He is certainly concluded a wicked man, under the power of the devil, that is careless in this examination, whether Christ be in him; 2 Corinth. 13. 5. Prove yourselves, know ye not that Christ is in you, unless ye be reprobates? as also who by examination, finds not the Spirit of God, & of Christ to dwell in him, Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is none of his.

Now the rules of this trial are reduced to two heads: The former are such as demonstrate the presence of the strong man: The latter, such as show the presence of a stronger than he.

Of the former sort are five.

First, supine carelessness in religion is a sign of the dragons rule; the Apostle in Eph. 2. 2. and 12. sets it down for a note of a man in whom the Prince of the air ruleth, that he is as an heathen, or alien without God in the world, an Atheist, that cares for no religion or covenant, cares not for Christ and his grace, contemns preaching, praying, Ministry, Ministers; prefers pigs before Christ, as the Gadarenes; prefers pottage before the blessing, as Esau; this man is ruled by the Prince of the air: and much more if thou seest a despiser of religion, a scorner of goodness, one that turns his back on the Ministry, or gives it his presence, but is a son of Belial, and will not endure the yokes of God and Christ; this man is apparently under the power of the devil: and this cannot but be a sure sign, for,

1. Where Christ can have no command, the dragon must rule and command

2. Where the Scepter of Christ is resisted, which only casts out the dragon, there the dragon is not cast out: Were not he a traitor in an high degree, that should wrest the rod or Scepter out of the Kings hand, break it to pieces, and tread it under his feet, in contempt of his high authority? yet so doth every wicked man with the Word, the rod of Christ's power.

3. Where Christ is come, he makes communion with God, and a serious seeking after him; and therefore where is no seeking after God, no fellowship with him, Christ never came there.

A second note of the presence and power of the strong man is, blindness of mind in means of knowledge; so saith the Apostle; 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4. If our Gospel be now hid, it is hid to them that perish; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not; and, 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man perceiveth not the things that are of GOD, &c. When a man can discern nothing of the things of God, and seeth nothing in the Kingdom of Christ desirable or admirable, he is in the state of nature, under the power of the dragon. The reason is, because the kingdom of the dragon is a kingdom of darkness, and nothing casts out his power, but the entertainment of the light and grace of the Gospel. If a man sit in darkness till this hour, that he shuts out the light, offering to shine upon him, and contents himself with ignorance of mind, with hatred and resistance of the light, this man sets up and upholds the devils power in his own heart; and here the dragon is not cast out.

Th • third note of a man in whom the devil is not cast out, is, general disobedience; for, He ruleth in the sons of disobedience, Ephes. 2. 2. where sin reigns, the dragon reigns; He that committeth sin is of the devil, 1 John 3. 8. the devil and sin are cast out together: For as a tyrant shows his power and strength by forcing men to fulfill his laws and Edicts, so this strong man showeth and upholdeth his state, in special manner, by prevailing temptations and alluremēts, by which men fulfill the lusts & will of the flesh, and wicked men are carried, as the swine, into the lake of sin. Now the dragon stands in his state.

The fourth note of such a one, is, ripeness in sin, when men are not punies in sin, but old sinners; not bunglers, but active and nimble servants of corruption, 2 Pet. 2. 19. This ripeness discovers it self in many unhappy men, in whom the dragon bears sway, four ways;

• 1. By diligence.
• 2. Hight.
• 3. Chearfulnesse.
• 4. Constancy in sin.

1. By diligence, following sin as a trade; when a man is at all the appointments and services of sin, approving and promoting all that is naught, but disallowing and opposing all that is good, so far as he can; Diligent servants will break their sleep to do their Masters work, and so will these, Prov. 4. 16. see Chap. 1. 15.

2. By the height of sin; for as the Spirit of God draws the Saints forward in the degrees of grace, so the dragon draws wicked men to the height of wickedness, called (Rom. 1.) fullness of unrighteousness; and this without reluctance or restraint of the Spirit: Thus the devil entered into Judas, and filled his heart with mischief; whence is it that the foulest sins come not amiss to many men, but from the power of the dragon, who bids his slave resist the Gospel, as Elimas, and he must do it, commit murder upon his own brother, as Cain, scoff his own father, as Cham, swear and blaspheme as many devils incarnate, they must and will do it?

3. By cheerfulness and delight in sin; our proverb is, He must needs run whom the Devil drives; so captain-sinners make haste to evil, and set their delight on it: how do graceless persons rejoice to promote and compass sin in themselves, (eating it as bread, and a sweet morsel, Job 20. and drinking it as a fish drinks in water) and provoke others to sin, to swear, to be drunken, to gaming and plays, &c? were there a drop of grace in them, it would disallow such horrible sins, and stand against them; but the stamp of the devil is upon them who rejoiceth in evil, and draweth as many as he can into his own damnation.

4. By constancy and incorrigibleness in sin; He that is filthy will be filthy still, as the dragons and devils be; and men, as devils, are loath to be tormented before their time, by the doctrine of repentance, conversion, mortification or holy life.

This is a sure note of one, from whom the dragon is not cast out.

The fist is; strife to keep out, or cast out the Spirit of God, resisting the grace of God, fighting against good conscience in ones self and others, when men aredespisers and evil speakers of the way of God, can contend with his Saints, and haunt with wicked persons; how can this but be a sure sign of the dragons holding possession? for what other is his work in the world, but to fight against the whole kingdom and glory of God? or what is a more manifest proof of the power and state of a Prince, then to command his subjects to fight for his title in all his quarrels?

Now if these be sure notes of the state and reign of the dragon, many may discern their woeful condition, who think well enough of themselves, and will defy the Devil in word, while in deed and truth he upholds his full power in them.

1. How many Christians by profession are no better than Atheists, who love not the presence of God, neither in their thoughts, but abhor all thoughts of God, and bar them out by weeks and months, as most unpleasant; nor in their souls, which cannot endure the presence of God's Spirit in his motions, but resist and quench them; nor in God's house, the Church, which they care not for, though God be there specially present; nor in their servants and friends, who have the promise of his presence, if two or three consent in any good thing; but hate them and all that love God, or speak of his name; least of all can they abide his presence, coming to judgment.

2. How many in so great light walk in the dark, worse than the Gentiles, most of whom were more just in their dealings, more respective of their oaths, more sober, more temperate, more chaste than thousands of deboiste drunkards, filthy whore-masters, and foul swine's, whose damnation will be heavier than the heathens? it shall be easier for them than for these in the day of the Lord.

3. What a number stand out against Christ? as,

First, they that stand not with him, Matth. 12. 30. Those that gather not with him do scatter, as our neutrals, mungrils, lookers on, who think they can be of neither part; which is impossible; thou that art not the Kings friend, art his enemy: Doest thou not promote the Gospel, and therein the state and right of Jesus Christ? thou art then against it; If being called thereunto thou imployest not thy gifts to win men out of their sins, and to gain them to the faith, thou standest against Christ, and manifestly upholdest the state of the dragon.

Secondly, those that stand against him, being opposite to the Ministry, to the pure worship of God, &c. resisters of the graces of his servants, strong limbs and supporters of Antichrist, Mass-mongers, Antichristian Captains, and savage persecutors of true religion.

This is the first sort of rules.

The second is, of such as show the presence of a stronger than the dragon, which is Michael only.

One trial is repentance, only that looseth the snare of the devil, 2 Tim. 2. 26 It is true, that so long as sin is present in us, Satan shall never be cast out of all power in us; but if once sin by repentance be deposed from the reign of it, though not from all presence, then is Satan cast out of his full power, and, as sin can never get the dominion again, no more can the devil.

Another sure note is faith, which is our victory, and casts out the dragon, as also brings Christ into the soul, who dwelleth in our hearts by faith, Eph 3. 17. Get assurance of faith, and the dragon is cast out; and get increase of faith, for the Disciples of Christ could not cast out devils, Mat. 17. 20. not for want of faith, but for the weakness of it.

The third thing in the overthrow of the dragon, assigneth the place into which he was cast, namely, into the earth; and that for two reasons.

1. To manifest and clear the certainty of his overthrow, and the Churches victory; as Goliath was seen to be overthrown, when David threw him down to the ground.

2. And more specially to show, who they be whom the devil now tyrannizeth over; He was thrown out of the bounds of the true Church, & now he exerciseth his rage in the earth, that is, among reprobates, carnal, and earthly minded men; whether heathens, without the pale of the Church, or carnal Gospellers, who are within her lap, but, rejecting the power of grace, stick to earthly profits, courses, & affections; amongst all these the dragon still domineereth, and ruleth them all at his will, who reject the rule of God, and his Son Jesus Christ.

Quest. Why was he cast into the earth, and not into hell? if the Lord could do it, why did he leave his work imperfect

Answ. 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ wanted then no power, nor now doth lack might to do it, but can tread down Satan every moment to nothing: Neither did Christ leave his work imperfect, but on the Cross performed all that was required, either for the full delivery of his Chosen, or for the final victory over all his enemies; but his heavenly wisdom putteth forth this power, not all at once, but by degrees, and in some measure of time, which at length is to take full and perfect effect; for Christ must tread all his enemies under his feet, and they must become his footstool, 1 Cor. 15.

2. This place speaketh not of an absolute ejection out of the Church, for Satan was afterward let loose for a thousand years; but of a limited restraint of him;

First, to a certain time and place, that he could not oppress the young and tender Virgin of Christ, either by upholding heathenish Idolatry, or by hindering the free course of the Gospel, and religion of Jesus Christ; and,

Secondly, to a certain measure, for he was not so cast out of the Church, as that he ceased to molest and tempt the godly, or that he spared to do what he could to hinder and disgrace the Christian Religion, but he was so far cast out as that he could not exercise his whole and former power, either in violence of temptation, or recover so sovereign authority among the heathens, as a little before he had exercised.

Quest. But had it not been better for the Church, that the Lord Jesus had cast him down into hell, and confined him there?

Answ. 1. Satan is already cast into hell, and there reserved in chains of darkness to the judgment of the last day, 2 Pet. 2. and Jude 6. But that is by the general sentence of God upon him for his first Apostasy, which our Text aimeth not at, which is a special sentence and judgment in one particular. Again, that general sentence is now in execution upon him, but not fully and perfectly till the day of judgment: till which time for the revenge of the wicked world, God suffers the evil spirits to range as Lions, to the hurt of men.

2. It is not prejudicial, but profitable to the godly, that Satan is cast into the earth, and not shut up in hell.

Not prejudicial to the elect: for he prevaileth only against the wicked called here the earth, into which he is cast. It is not denied, but that he may and doth molest the godly, but his molestation hinders them not, but hasteneth them to their happiness.

It is profitable for the Church sundry ways, that God still permitteth Satan some power in the earth.

1. That we might see how strong and furious our adversary is, and what need we have of God's power to restrain him.

2. To manifest the glory of God, both in the admirable confusion of this strong enemy, and in the no less powerful defense and protection of the Elect.

3. To shake us out of pride, security and forgetfulness of ourselves and our estate, who are in daily encounter against the Dragon.

4. To quicken and excite our prayers, faith, watchfulness, which we would easily give over if we had no tempter or enemy.

Note from this, that the devil exerciseth no dominion, but in and among wicked men. For he is cast out of the Church into the earth, and there among earthly and carnal men holdeth his power still. Ephes. 2. 2. The Prince that ruleth in the air, worketh among the sons of disobedience. 2 Thes. 2. 9. Satan worketh in Antichrist by all deceiveableness of unrighteousness, in them that perish. 2 Cor. 4. 4. The god of this world blindeth the minds of infidels, or unbelievers.

And why? 1. Satan's reign is in the reign of sin, that is his scepter: a wicked heart, in which sin reigneth, is his chair of estate. But sin reigns not in the elect that are under grace. Rom. 6. 14.

2. Satan being the Prince of darkness, rules in the kingdom of darkness, whence wicked spirits are called rulers of the darkness of this world. Ephes. 6. 12. The devil is the father of all spiritual darkness, of lies, heresies, false doctrines, false worship, and all works of darkness. This is the world of darkness, in which he ruleth as a king in his Kingdom. But the godly are gotten out of this Egypt, out of the reach of this hellish Pharaoh, and are gotten into Goshen, the Church, where light is: Ephes. 5. 8. Ye were once darkness, but now are light in the Lord.

3. Satan is the father of sin, and sin is the mother of death, by which necessary connection appears who are his subjects, over whom he holdeth his full and absolute power, to weet, a world of dead men, dead in trespasses and sins, destitute of the life and Spirit of God, and as dead men, laid and buried in the earth: among these he ruleth. As the demoniake in our Savior's time lived among the graves and there tyrannized, so doth Satan, being cast out into the earth, which is as another Golgatha. But the godly are quickened by Christ, being formerly dead in trespasses, and live now the life of the Son of God, and have part in the first resurrection, Gal. 2. 20. And so are exempted from the power of Satan.

Which is a ground of comfort to all true hearted Christians that stand in the spiritual combat.

1. Thou fightest against a conquered and bound enemy, who is cast out of all thy Lord's dominions.

2. He is cast into the earth, and keepeth state in the world, as the god of the world: but thou art called out of the world, and brought from the earth.

Object. If he be cast out, how comes it to pass that I am so afflicted with horrible, hellish, and violent temptations?

Answ. 1. The Dragon is not cast out of all power, till he be cast into hell, but he is cast out of full power in the godly.

2. There is a reserved wrigling power of the Dragon which may assault thee, but he shall never hurt thee that art one of God's chosen, neither by his temptation, nor persecution. For first, though they may afflict and exercise thee, yet all the gates of hell cannot overcome or extinguish thy faith. Secondly, though they may trouble thee, and hinder thee in the way, as the Moabites did Israel by their wiles, yet can they not in the end of it, which is life and glory. Thirdly, though they may hinder the sense and comfort and joy of thy salvation, yet can they not the right, nor assured hope of thy happiness.

Object. I find these temptations prevai • e in me, and if the devil reign in sin, I fear he is not cast out of me.

Answ. There is the least fear of that sin that is most feared. The fear of sin keeps down the reign of it. But for the strengthening of such as are in combat, we must know, that the best have sin, but sin hath not them, the best slip and fall, but lie not in falls, the best do the acts of sin, but not habitually: they trade not, nor walk in sins, at least with delight, as men in a pleasant way: the best have flesh, but walk not according to flesh. And therefore, although thou findest sin present with thee, yet if thou canst find the power of it weakened, if thou sometimes sinnest, but art so far from tumbling and trading in sin, as that thou hatest what thou doest, all is safe, the dragon is cast out for all that.

2. Here is a rule of trial, to know our estate, whether we belong to heaven, or are yet in the earth under the dominion of Satan. If Satan uphold his power and state in sin and unrighteousness within thy heart, thou art apparently in the earth, and of the earth, Christ hath no part in thee, nor thou in him. Art thou an enemy to grace, to the doctrine of grace? Art thou a stubborn and obstinate sinner, an enemy to the persuasions of the Word and Spirit? a son of disobedience, a rebel against all thou hearest? Art thou a lover of thy sins, an hater of them that hate and discover them? Art thou of the Dragons trade, and walkest in fraud, lying, accusing, and envying God's children? Dost thou cast thyself out of the Church, and willfully excommunicate and separate thyself from God, from his house, and worship, from his Saints and people? Now this doctrine tells thee, that for these accursed qualities the devil himself was cast out by Christ's victory, and so shalt thou as an enemy of Christ: shall Christ cast him out, and keep thee in, who resemblest him? no, confounded shall ye be together, and eternally excommunicate from God and his Church.

3. This is a ground of instruction; if Satan be once cast out, to keep him out, and let him enter no more. When Christ cast out a devil he said, Go out of him, and enter into him no more. So he never recovereth his power against the Church again, being once cast into the earth. Apostasy and revolt from the truth once received, gives him a stronger and surer possession then before. For he never comes again, but he brings seven worse spirits then himself.

And now seeing that Satan is cast out of our Church into the earth, let us not turn to worldly rudiments, and that earthly religion and doctrine of Popery and Antichristian idolatry, which is from earth, set up and upheld by earthly power and policy, thrusting it self on the world by serpentine craft, lying, pretenses of miracles, martyrdom, concord of doctors, perpetual succession from the Apostles, &c. But let the Dragon rage and domineer in the earth whither he is cast, and in that fleshly doctrine which carrieth away earthly and unstable men. Let him make spoil in his own dominion, amongst Papists, and Idolaters, and hypocrites, and atheists. Let us keep that precious truth, which is committed to us, and hold fast that which Michael hath won for us; shall we run after the dragon cast into the earth?

Consider hereunto: 1. How can that be a religion of God, that openeth a wide gate to all manner of hateful and unnatural sins, by licenses, pardons, before and after, sanctuaries, &c. that exempts subjects from laws, obedience, oaths, and allegiance to Princes: that under pretence of Christ is a Catholic heresy against the whole foundation?

2. There is but one way to eternal life, by Jesus Christ: stray out of this way, and you run most assuredly to perdition.

3. Esteem the truth above wealth, peace, or life it self, because God hath magnified it above all things.

4. Consider the force of error, as the secret working of poison, and who they be that are given up to Antichristian lies and delusions. 2. Thess. 2. 10.

5. Considering the danger of the times, and the business of the limbs and agents of Antichrist, beware of three things.

1. Of false prophets, who come in sheep's clothing, and call themselves Catholic Doctors: Know them by their fruits, their seditions, wars, treasons, massacres, stabbing of Princes, powderplots, arming of subjects against their undoubted Sovereigns, &c. They are locusts, spoiling, invading, and eating up kingdoms.

2. Beware of the leaven of popery, of their impudent and lying books which they spread boldly, and busily, of curious and alluring pictures, and all false arts to deceive us.

3. Beware of conversing with such too much, out of desire to please some. Touch no pitch. In a word, Remember what ye have been taught concerning the whore of Babylon, how you have been called out of her, what destructions they have provided for us, and what plagues God hath provided for them.

This of the first point.

2. Note this, that wheresoever Jesus Christ, the great Michael, cometh, there the Dragon is thrown to the ground, and cast from his state and power. This seed of the woman breaks the serpents head. This lyon of the tribe of Judah conquers and casts down the roaring lyon, both in himself and his members. This Michael is he that sits on a white horse, and hath a bow in his hand, Revel. 6. 2. that is, the word of the Law, and Gospel, whence he shoots deadly arrows to wound his enemies, Psal. 45. 6. And to him is given a triumphant crown, being the King of glory, and he goeth out conquering that he may overcome.

The proof hereof appears, by considering the two ways of Michaels coming. He comes,

1. In person.

2. In Spirit.

1. Michael, in the days of his flesh, and infirmity in his own person encountered all the devils hand to hand, subdued all the devils he met withal, and healed all that were oppressed with the devil Yea if there were a legion in one man, he made them come running, and couching, and begging forbearance. He imposed them silence by a word, and by the same cast them out of their hold.

2. He comes in spirit, by the powerful preaching of the Gospel, by which Satan was so bound up, and cast out of his rule, that the exorcists could no longer practice their devilish arts. Act. 8. 8. when the Gospel was preached in Samaria, the great power of Simon Magus, which had madded the people, vanished and came to nothing. Act. 16. 16. The spirit of the Pythonisse was driven away at Philippi by the Gospel preached by Paul, Act. 19. 18. After the Ephesians had received the Gospel, they burnt their magical books, and had no more to do with those devilish arts. That is famous, which Soudas reporteth of the oracle of Apollo, when Augustus Caesar under whom Christ was borne, asked, who should rule after him, no answer was given but this: The Hebrew child who is King over the gods, commands me to leave this Temple, and get me to hell: now therefore go quietly from these our altars. To which we will add that of Porphyry, a deadly enemy of Christ, and a scoffer of Christian religion, who (as Eusebius cites him) hath these words: Nowadaies men marvel that our city is so many years together annoyed with the pestilence; whereas Esculapius and the other gods are far gone away from it: For since this Jesus is worshipped, we can get no benefit by the gods.

One reason of the point is taken from the end of Christ's coming, which was, to dissolve the works of the devil, 1. John. 3. 8. to shake down his kingdom, and destroy his power. All the work and office of Christ is but to cast out the Dragon. The strong man had bound all mankind hand and foot,

1. From doing good.

2. Unto punishment for doing evil.

3. From helping ourselves. Now a stronger then he cometh and looseth the prisoners that were bound: his office being, partly to preach liberty to the captives by his doctrine, and partly to open the prison doors by his merit and obedience.

Another reason is taken from the power of his person, who is God and man: as God he hath absolute power and sovereign command over all creatures, even the same joint power with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, infinite, uncreated, omnipotent. As mediator ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , God and man) he is by his office exalted at the right hand of God above all names, and principalities, to whom the Father hath committed, and by whom he executeth all power in heaven and earth: for the Father ruleth all by the Son. Hence is his title, Lord of Lord's, and King of Kings, Revel. 17. 14. The Angel said, He shall be great, Luke 1. 32. And so he was, for he is the greatest in respect,

• 1. Of his person.
• 2. Of his office.
• 3. Of his kingdom and command over all.

Hence must it follow, that the power, armory, and skill of the dragon is but impotency, folly and weakness, compared to Michael, and must be hopeless to prevail, unless he could bring also into the field divine power, and eternal majesty.

The third reason is taken from the powerful means with which Christ cometh armed, and furnished against the Dragon: and these are five,

1. A powerful death, which is of more strength than the lives of all men and Angels; Hebr. 2. 14. By death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil; John 12. 31. Now is the Prince of the world cast out; But how? by Christ's lifting up upon the Cross, for he saith, If I be lifted up. This Michael hath spoiled principalities and powers upon his Cross, That is the Chariot of triumph; there he tormented the devils, while they tormented him; there they crucified themselves more than him, and, as Haman, there they reared a Gibbet for their own execution.

2. A powerful resurrection, wherein he mightily declared himself the Son of God, Rom. 1. 4. a work passing all created power, either to do, or hinder from being done; for whereas his powerful death was properly the death of sin, wherein the dragon ruled, so his powerful resurrection overcomes the world, hell, the grave, in all which the dragon before tyrannized; for hereby he applieth that salvation, which by his death he merited; he maintaineth that salvation, which he had formerly procured, and hereby raiseth up all his members to eternal life at the last, and great day of his appearing.

3. A powerful Ministry for the conversion of persons and nations, and casting the dragon out of his holds.

I. In his own person, preaching most divine and effectual doctrine, with such authority and power, as never man spake so; For Michael carrieth a two edged sword in his mouth, so sharp as that it pierceth and cutteth Leviathan in pieces: And this doctrine was confirmed, partly with a most holy and innocent life; so as when the dragon came he found nothing in him, John 14. 30, no power, no right, no matter to fasten any temptation upon; being pure from all sin, both in nature and act; partly with most powerful miracles, evidences of his divine person, because they were performed by his own power, and such, as the dragon could neither resist, falsify or imitate.

II. In the persons of his servants, whether Prophets, Apostles, or Pastors. When the Disciples were sent out into Judea to preach, they returned to Christ rejoicing, because the devils were subdued, and Christ said, he saw Satan fall down like lightning, Luke 10. 18. How suddenly the sound of the Gospel was carried into all nations by the Apostles, and the world conquered unto Christ, appeareth in the Epistles of Paul? Then went down Paganism, Idolatry, Atheism, and the walls of hellish Jericho were soon thrown down by the sound of these rams-horns. And at this day, how do the faithful Pastors hold forth the shining light of truth, to destroy and cast out heretics, and the numberless droves of false teachers and seducers, out of the Church? for as the devils were not able to withstand one word of Christ's mouth in his flesh and infirmity, so the same word is no less powerful in the mouths of his Ministers, with whom himself is present to the end of the world.

4. He comes with a powerful Spirit, a Spirit of fortitude and unresistable strength, by which, as he upholds the whole frame of the world in the estate of nature, so also the whole frame of the Church, and the whole state of grace in the world renewed, and called out of the world: This Spirit is not powerful only in the Head, to foil the dragon, but in every member also, who cast him out, and tread him under their feet, Rom. 16. 20.

5. He comes with a powerful arm of justice, to revenge and confound all enmities spiritual and corporal; this our Joshua hath set his feet on the necks of five Kings at once, and daily casteth out the dragon by the miserable destruction of tyrants and enemies, Nero's, Domitians, Dioclesians, Trajans, Valences, &c. and at last shall make all his enemies his footstool.

Now seeing only the power of Jesus Christ can cast out the dragon, let us make much of the presence of Christ, and rejoice in it: Magicians have devised many ways of casting out devils, as Amulets, Words, Characters, but all diabolical; Papists have devised holy-bread, holy-water, salt, herbs, lights, Crosses, the word Jesus, or some part of the Gospel to charm or ex • rcise devils; of the same diabolical invention, and intention with the former; but Christ is present with no such sorceries, neither do they cast down the dragon, but hold him up: Satan is not cast out by Beelzebub, except by compact and collusion; but the Lord hath appointed the holy Ministry, and in it hath promised his presence, and in that he cometh to cast out Satan; the way to keep Satan down, is to embrace, and rejoice in an holy and powerful Ministry: This is the hammer of heresies, the sword against his temptations, the touchstone of error, the whetstone of grace, the rule of prayer, and a whole armory against all the enterprises of the dragon. He that finds the power of the Ministry casting down the dragons power in his own soul, will stick to it, as to the arm of God, nothing shall be of power to pluck him from it, being the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Every man saith, he will cleave to Christ, and the power of Christ, for he only can foil the dragon, but renouncing the Ministry, thou renouncest Christ, who hath said, He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that refuseth you, refuseth me, Luke 10. 16.

Again, note hence the reason, why the powerful preaching of God's Word is so generally resisted in the world, namely, because all wicked men (whatever they profess) are friends with the dragon, and choose to be under his power; as for the power of Christ, they renounce it, and say plainly, We will not have this man to rule over us, nor endure his yokes; as for example.

1. Why doth Satan so oppose the true preaching of the Word, but because he feels the power of Christ in it hāmering down his kingdom of darkness? he storms not at frothy and foolish preaching; only faithful Preachers bear the burden of his rage: Christ and his Apostles, and all faithful Pastors, he opposeth, he slandereth, because Christ is powerful in them against his Kingdom, and not in others,

2. What is the cause that Antichrist cannot endure the Scriptures, but disgraceth them with vile terms? or that he doth prefer fables and devises of men before them, shut them up and imprison them in Cloisters and unknown tongues, punish the reading of them in the Mother-tongue with death, &c? but because, being an enemy to the power of Christ, he finds it the weapon which hath wounded him, and must slay him, and the rod that Christuseth to smite him down; no wind can so blast herbs, as this breath of Christ blasteth him. The Ark cannot stand up, but Dagon goeth down; Christ and Antichrist cannot stand together.

3. Why do the Idolatrous countries of Spain, Italy, France, and the rest stick so fast to the support of Antichrist, and keep life in him, and cast him not out as other Countries have done, but because Christ is not come among them? they resist his power, and the rod of his power, they suffer not the breath of Christ's mouth, the preaching of the Word among them; and where do Papists increase at home, but in rude and untaught countries, where Christ is not come in the power of his Word?

4. Why do our Papists, both Recusants and Church Papists, most resist and disgrace painful and diligent Preachers? these cannot be endured, preach damnation, are authors of faction, enemies to authority, &c. but the very reason is, because these coming in the power of Christ, are the greatest enemies of Antichrist, their good father and friend; for if there be idle or corrupt Preachers, they like well, because they know these are special friends to their friend; for if the Spirit of Christ breath not in him, who stands in the room of a Minister, Antichrist may, and doth stand in full state and strength for all him.

5. Why do many formal Protestants, that say they will be saved by Christ, so directly and manifestly resist the power of Christ to salvation, and do the dragon so good service, as none more? as,

First, by spurning against wholesome doctrine, and turning the back contemptuously and professedly on the house of GOD: This man plainly speaketh, that he will not suffer the dragon to be wronged, or dispossessed out of his hold and heart; but, like an old Gadaren, he had rather have a Legion of devils nestled in him, than endure the presence of Jesus Christ.

2. By resisting the holy Ordinances of Christ, & endeavoring to cast out Christ in his Gospel; proclaiming hereby, not only that the devil is not cast out of his own soul, but that himself is an open enemy to the power of Christ; for he that would hinder or stop the breath of Christ's mouth in the mouths of his Ministers, or that furthereth not the Gospel by all his power, is an open enemy to the Kingdom and Scepter of Jesus Christ.

3. By making the Preachers of the Gospel (by whom the Lord Jesus casteth out the dragon) their Buts and marks to shoot their poisoned arrows of despite and bitterness: Well may they know, that the strong man keeps the hold of their hearts, and that Christ, a stronger than he, is not yet come to dispossess him; for therefore hate they the servants, because they hate the Master, which is the very same office that the dragon enjoins them, and the very proper work of the dragon.

This being so, let so many as would show themselves friends of Michael, submit to his power, holding it a singular privilege, that we may be employed in upholding the power of Christ's Kingdom, and the rod of it. One of the chief privileges of the Church of the Jews, was, to keep God's Oracles in the letter, Rom. 3. 2. but it will be our preeminence above them, to lock up the true sense of the word in our hearts, by which Christ's power puts forth it self in our hearts; so we shall provide for ourselves (with Mary) that good part, which, when the outward Ministry may be taken from us, or we from it, shall never be taken from us, nor we from it.

3. We learn hereby, not to despair of any man's final estate, be he never so wicked; for though the strong man have him never so fast, a stronger than he may come, and rescue him out of his hands: the Demoniacke, whom none could tame, but in his fierceness and fury brake all bands and chains, as Sampson did the green cords, yet Christ by one word tamed him, and brought him suppliant to him; so men that are possessed with lusts, as with so many devils, that break through all laws and yokes of Christ, as if they were Spiders Webs; the threats of the Word are as the flax on Samson's arms, the promises of the Gospel are tasteless and despised, as the blessing was by profane Esau; yet time may come that Christ may meet with these, his powerful Word may tame them, and bring such out of their fury and madness.

They are then impudent and shameless in their slanders and false assertions, who say, We say they are damned, or they are reprobates, &c. We say, he that is an Idolater in his heart, or is an hinderer of God's Word, a slanderer of the faithful Preachers of it, a scorner of godly persons or exercises, a defier of the duties of holy religion, a persecutor, to his power, of innocent men; this man is for the present a wicked man, and in the way of destruction, and all God's curses hang over his head, and, if he repent not, he shall be surely damned: But do we therefore exclude him from repentance? do we shorten the arm of God, or stint his mercy, that he may not recall such a one at his pleasure? may not this man, who is a Saul today, breathing out nothing but slaughter, threatening, scorn, and slander against the Saints, become a Paul tomorrow? Who can intercept Christ in his way, but he may meet with such a man, and unhorse him, and strike him down and tame him, and make his Scales fall off his eyes, and bring him to say, O Lord, what wouldest thou have me to do? Can he tame and cast out the dragons and devils, and cannot he tame and subdue wicked men at his pleasure? Far he goeth (we say) that never returneth, but we know not who it is that goeth so far.

Whosoever therefore casts such scandalous and reproachful falsehoods against godly Preachers, bewrayeth, either want of understanding of that he heareth, or desires maliciously to accuse; a fearful guiltiness of conscience, which it will be time to look unto, lest, while it accuseth it self for want of other accusers, the Lord say one day, Evil servant, out of thine own mouth thou shalt be judged.

4. As Christ, where-ever he cometh, destroyeth the work of the devil, so every Christian, where-ever he cometh, must stand with Christ in this great work, and everywhere according to his calling and gifts, cast out the works of the devil: for why?

First, every soldier must stand with his Captain and General in his wars; and our very name of Christians showeth, with whom, and under whom we must take part.

Secondly, the promise of our Baptism, and our vow openly and solemnly made, binds us to stand out against Satan; for therein we have taken our Press-money, and are led into the field.

Thirdly, we are furnished with power, and covered with the armor of God from Christ, that we might share in his victory, that as he did tread Satan under his feet, so must we.

Fourthly, we are anointed, as Kings, to maintain war, and to conquer Satan, and plant our battery against the walls of hellish Jericho.

Fifthly, the same Spirit that is in the head, is in the members, the head and members have but one spirit, Gal. 4. 6. Christ breatheth the same spirit on all his members, John. 20 22. & the same spirit worketh the same things in the head and members, being the spirit of courage and fortitude in them both.

Sixthly, we never want just cause to be at defiance with the dragon, being the greatest enemy of God, and of us, continually seeking to cast down his glory, and us from our happiness.

Now the duty being enforced by so many reasons, it will be asked, But how may we be most fruitfully conversant in this service? whereto I answer.

1. If we cast him out of our own souls.

And 2. If we destroy his works without us, in our several places, according to the power and calling that God hath given us.

Within us we shall cast him out, first, by getting Christ to come into us: for it is Christ's presence that casts out the Dragon.

And how may I get Christ into me?

Answ. 1. Hear him knocking in the ministry, attend to his words of promise, of threatening and direction, for these are his knocks (by which he knocks at many a deaf man's door) Revel. 3. 20.

2. Open the door unto him, to receive him in. We open our hearts to Christ by faith. As he dwelleth in the heart by faith, so also by faith he is received in. John. 1. 12.

3. Receive him by humility: He dwells in an humble and contrite spirit, Isaiah, 66. 2. Thou must therefore confess with that Ruler, that thou art unworthy he should come under thy roof. Mat. 8. 8.

4. By purging away sin, by sweeping and sweetening the rooms of our hearts for him. Think not now that Christ will lodge anymore among the beasts in a foul stable: Prepare him therefore a room in the Inn of thine heart.

5. By loving obedience to his Commandments: On this condition Christ comes in, as he promised, John. 14. 23. If any man love me and keep my word, my Father and I will come in and dwell with him.

Secondly, we cast the Dragon out of ourselves by proclaiming war against our own corrupt nature, and ruling over affections. We can never overcome him within us, till we have conquered ourselves. As this is the greatest, so it is the first victory, to get under feet our own unclean lusts, motions, thoughts, and actions, which are the harbours and burrowes of wicked spirits, (these serpents lie in these thickets;) to cast out envy, malice, drunkenness, uncleanness, to ruinate and batter down these holds of the dragon, and bring every thought into the subjection of Christ, that when he comes, he may find nothing in us.

Thirdly, we cast out the Dragon by careful fencing, and watching our strongest forts and faculties. The Dragon keeps hold especially in ignorance of mind, in rebellion of the will, in corruption of the conscience, and having these forts, he can command the whole man at pleasure. Now to cast him out of these our most inward and highest forts, we must deliver them up to Jesus Christ to be informed, strengthened, commanded, and defended by him. He only is able to keep what we commit unto him.

Fourthly, we shall cast out the Dragon by suffering Christ still to draw us to himself by the power of the Gospel, and to fashion us daily unto holiness, John. 12. 32 The prince of this world cannot be cast out, till Christ draw us unto himself: who as he draweth by his word which is called the arm of God, and by his spirit moving in those means, so must we give up ourselves to be ruled, and moved by his Word and Spirit. These motions and directions cast out, and keep out Satanical motions and temptations, by which he holds up his rule and state.

Without a man's self, every godly man must strive to cast down the power of Satan everywhere: both by Christian profession, and Christian conversation.

By Christian profession, manifesting it self in four main practices.

1. Upholding to his power wholesome doctrine, which is the rod and scepter of Christ, and by the zealous maintaining an holy Ministry in which Christ casteth down the Dragon. Shall Jesus Christ seek in the ministry to cast out the Dragon? then woe to those that oppose ministry. Shall Jesus Christ strive by holy and sound doctrine to subdue the power of the devil, whose kingdom stands in lies and errors? Woe then unto those unhappy men that shall seek to bring in the Dragon again, by broaching or defending false doctrine, heresy, popery, idolatry, or Antichristian delusions: who instead of the ministers of Christ would bring in the vassals of Antichrist, Priests, Jesuits, locusts, and impostors

2. In promoting piety and the reign of Christ by grace in others. For true religion practiced, promoted, encouraged, propagated, casteth out the Dragon, and only that. What unhappy men are they, and apparent limbs of the Dragon, who disgrace and discourage godliness everywhere? who plot to cast out piety, religion and all godly men? Is this to join with Michael in casting out the Dragon.

3. In forwardness in doing good, which glorifieth God, and honoreth our profession. The Dragon would set up his kingdom by pretenses of great works of mercy, charity, building of Churches, and Hospitals, &c. And Antichrist is bold to outboast all professions in such pretenses. But we must bestir ourselves, that neither papists nor hypocrites put us down in works of mercy, love, or charity: that we may honor our profession, by a readiness to every good work.

4. In readiness constantly to suffer for the truth, and fearlessly to stick to the Gospel: that, as our Lord subdued the Dragon by giving witness to the truth, so should we by maintaining the same truth to the utmost of our power, and the last drop of our blood Ler Ephraim divide his heart between two religions: let the fickle Galathian change his judgment in main points: let the Ephesian fall from his first love: let profane dogs, and swine fall back to general revolt and apostasy, 2. Pet. 2. 2. As none are more serviceable to the Dragon then these, so none give him a greater blow then constant witnesses and martyrs, none so much cast him down.

By Christian conversation also must every Christian join with Michael in casting out the Dragon: and this, partly at home, and partly abroad.

I. A man can never be good abroad, that promotes not piety at home. He that hath cast the dragon out of his heart, will also cast him out of his house: which is done,

1. By setting up the service and worship of God in his family, that he and his house may serve the Lord. He whose heart is a Temple of God, his house shall be a Church and a little Bethel: there shall be no room for swearers, drunkards, riotous persons, scorners, nor sons of Belial: for these are the brood of the Dragon.

2. By preventing and wisely resisting the special sins of the calling; all crafts and deceitful mysteries, by which the Dragon over-reacheth most men in the carrying of their special calling. A godly Christian in these will not, as others, do what others do, but what himself hath warrant to do: he will not make his calling a service of the Dragon, but subordinateth it to his general calling, wherein he acknowledgeth himself a servant to Jesus Christ.

3. By watching narrowly those lusts, in which the Dragon thrusts himself on to disturb and throw down God's worship in the family, as anger, and wrath, which hinder prayer; worldliness or unfruitful employments, which thrust out or engross the times of family-duties. When the Dragon had drawn David from his watches, it was easy to employ him in strange services of sin.

II. Abroad a Christian must take his Lord's part against the Dragon: Both in respect of good men, walking fruitfully, and watching good occasion in the communion of Saints, instructing some, comforting others, guiding others in the way, lovingly counseling, reproving, encouraging, &c. And in respect of evil men:

1. If corrigible, and hopeful, helping them out of the snare and power of Satan: saving some with meekness, and pulling others out of the fire.

2. If willful, or scornful, either avoid their company and all needless society with them, because the Dragon mightily prevails in infectious society: and it is an unequal yoking, 2. Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. Or if thou beest cast into their company, be undaunted in good causes, and give them no place, nor fear their forces in thy Lord's quarrel; nor basely stoop to honor ungodly persons for private ends: nor show a willing mind to repent of anything well done. This daunts the Dragon and wicked men, and brings much honor to our honorable profession,

The fourth general in this verse is, what company was cast out with the Dragon, namely his angels. By the angels of the Dragon we understand:

1. All those wicked persons by whom the devil putteth forth his power against the Church, as wicked angels, wicked tyrants, wicked teachers, and all wicked men and agents.

2. All wicked means and instruments, by which he had executed his malice against the woman, as the power of his Caesars, the policy and counsel of his prudent Senators, the sophistry of his heretical teachers, the sorcery of his idolatrous priests, and oracles. All these and the like means, by which the Dragon set up, and held up his rule in earth, were cast into the earth whence they were taken.

And by casting out of them, we mean not a total ejection from all molestation of the Church, but such a breaking of their power as they could never prevail against the salvation of any member of the Church, neither against the happy proceedings of the Christian religion in the infancy of the Church, at which age our text aimeth.

Where the Dragon is cast out, all his angels are cast out with him. 1. John. 4. 4. Little children, ye are of God and have overcome them: whom? every spirit that confesseth not Christ, every enemy of Christ.

1. If the head be cast out, how can the members think to stay? If the General of the field be cast to the earth, how can the confused and straggling army hope to prevail? When David overcame Goliath, he foiled the whole host of the Philistines, so as Israel fell upon them, and slew them: so this son of David, overthrowing the hellish Goliath, chased all his angels and forces with him.

2. The same justice layeth hold on principals and accessories. In the Dragons angels were, first the same enmity against the woman that was in the Dragon, Gen. 3. 15 I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed, as between thyself and her. Secondly, the same desert and merit: for the angels fought against the woman, as well as the Dragon, verse. 7. The messengers of Satan cease not to buffet the Saints. as Paul. Thirdly, the same sentence and execution against the angels, as against their head, the Dragon Matt 25. 41. —prepared for the devil and his angels, both issuing from the justice of God, who spares not the Angels that sinned. 2. Pet. 2. 4.

3. The perfection of Michaels power cannot but encounter and conquer as well the angels and agents of the Dragon, as the Dragon himself. The power of his God-head is a full storehouse to minister unto him all fitness and furniture to encounter all the agents and angels of the Dragon. The truth whereof we shall easily discern, if we cast our eyes upon the chief organs and instruments of the dragon, called his angels, whom our Michael hath cast out and made his footstool.

The first are heretics, and false teachers, and these angels of the dragon transform themselves as if they were Angels of light: but Michael the true Doctor of his Church casteth them out, and raiseth up Pastors according to his own heart in their stead, so that the elect shall not be seduced by them. This is a fruit of his powerful ascension, Ephes. 4. 10. 11.

The second sort of the dragons angels are tyrants and wretced persecutors of the truth, and these stoutly and incessantly fight against Michael. But Christ the true King of his Church resisteth and confoundeth them by the rod of his power, and instead of them raiseth us Kings and Princes to be nursing fathers and mothers to the Church.

Thirdly, wicked men and hypocrites are angels of the dragon, and under the name and colors of Christ fight against Christ, but cannot prevail, for Michael is the true Sampson, who with the jaw bone of his own mouth smites them down, heaps upon heaps.

Fourthly, the great angel of all under the dragon is that great Antichrist, who now sits at Rome, and hath many years furiously fought against the whole Kingdom of Christ: but our Michael is well appointed against him: for he blasteth him with the breath of his mouth, and will consume him with the brightness of his coming, and the time hasteneth wherein he shall be cast out of the Church, as dung of the earth.

4. The perfection of Michaels victory argueth all the angels of the dragon to be cast out, as well as himself. For first, otherwise the little stone had not broken to pieces all the kingdoms opposite to it self, as the prophesy is. Dan. 2. 45. But it hath broken the whole kingdom of the dragon, by setting up, and upholding a kingdom of grace, the least, lowest, and weakest of whose subjects are too strong for the whole gates of hell to prevail against. Secondly Michael had not perfected our salvation, had he not perfected his own victory in the total abolition of his enemies, and in leaving no hurtful thing in all the mountain of his holiness.

But do we not see many angels of the dragon unconquered, many false teachers, tyrants, persecutors, haters of the truth, papists, and the great Antichrist, that scarce afford the Church any good day, nor never cease her v • xation? how then are all the angels cast out with him?

I answer, 1. They are all cast out already in respect of our head, whom they cannot reach now sitting at his Fathers right hand: and as to him actually, so to us the members virtually, and potentially, who must needs partake of his victory and triumph over them all: but we must for the time rest in his most gracious ordination, who so communicateth his victory unto us, as we must receive it, first, by faith, and then by fruition, first in hope, and then by sense; first in part, and then in perfection.

2. They are all cast out already, in respect of the sentence which is past on them all; but he waits a fit time of execution, when the just and full time of the ripeness of sin and judgment is come, when he will be sure to recompense the flownesse of his coming, with weight of revenge; and if any of the dragons angels escape freer in this world than other, a greater vexation belongs unto them hereafter.

3. The Lord hath cast out all enemies, so, as may stand both with the freedom of his justice, as also with the time of his patience and connivence; both to clear his righteousness in revenging, and to make them inexcusable; the former in that he was so slow to wrath; the latter, in that they foreslowed their amendment.

4. Michael hath cast out all the dragons angels, in respect of the Church, not from vexing, but from hurting it in matter of salvation, and so as may stand with his Churches profitable exercise and excitation.

In these four regards they are all cast out, with their Head.

Here is terror for all the angels & agents of the dragon, who hence may perceive, that Jesus Christ hath already got the same victory over them, as over the dragons and devils themselves, and duly waits a fit time for full execution and manifestation: Consider what a fearful thing it is to be a wicked man, a servant of sin, an enemy of grace, a scorner of religion, or religious persons or exercises, a Sabbathbreaker, a drunkard, a vicious person, an unbeliever or impenitent person, here is an angel of the dragon, who, if he persist in this estate, is as certainly cast out into destruction by Christ, as is the dragon his head and mover; what else doth our Savior teach, Mat. 25. 41. but that the dragon and his angels are equally accursed, and wicked men sunk down in the same curse as they, all of them being equally against Christ, and Christ against them all? Our Savior, for the comfort of the Elect, saith, John 12. 26. Where I am, there shall my servant be; so in proportion, where the dragon is, there must his angels, and agents be.

Object. But I hope for salvation by Christ, I am baptized, and come to Church, and hear the Word, and love God above all, and my neighbor as myself, &c.

Answ.

Many shall come to Christ at the last day, and profess as much, or more, and yet, being angels of the dragon, are cast out with him, Mat 7. 22. Thou art not an open enemy; yea, but art thou a covered & secret enemy of Christ? No pretence or conceit of a good estate can hinder thee from being an angel of the dragon, or from being cast out with him

First, if thou discernest not the things of God, but art uncapable, unteachable, savouring the things of the flesh, not of the Spirit, and findest most sweetness and contentment in the things of this life, thou art apprently cast out as yet with the dragon, without the Kingdom of God.

Secondly, if thou hearest never so much, and blessest thyself in thine iniquity, if thou hearest for fashion, without conscience or desire after God's ways, if thou secretly loathe or fret at the Word powerfully preached, or holdest any sin against it, it is a deadly favor to thee, thou art cast out with the dragon, to whom also it is a sentence of damnation.

Thirdly, if thou avoidest the society of godly men, and in heart lovest not such as be truly religious, but hatest them, because they follow goodness, and hauntest with wicked and profane persons, and delightest in them, runnest with them, and choosest them for thy companions, thou art as yet in the same darkness with the dragon, 1 John 2. 11.

Fourthly, if thou speakest evil of the way of God, and despightest the truth, revilest such as more openly profess it, disgracest the public or private exercises of religion, or discouragest such as undertake them; thy profession keeps thee not from being cast out with the dragon; Michael hath cast thee out, having said, He that is with us, cannot lightly speak evil of us, Mark 9. 39.

2. From this glorious victory of Michael over the angels of the dragon, note the vain and bootless enterprises of the angels of the dragon against the Church: They rage, and brag, and plot, and fret, and all to cast the Church out of the earth, but cannot prevail; for,

First, themselves are cast out into the earth, their power and liberty is only to hurt earthly minded men, that prefer earth before heaven, and contemn the heavenly truth preached; but in regard of the Saints they have short horns, they can hurt none marked, sprinkled, or sealed.

Secondly, the Church cannot be cast out of the earth, unless the angels of the dragon were stronger than Michael; they may chase the Church out of one corner into another, but out of the earth they cannot, because his Kingdom is everlasting.

Thirdly, they are but angels of the dragon, and their Head being spoiled of his power, what hope have they to prevail? Did the Papists consider, that being angels of the dragon, cast out already by Michael, they are in extreme danger, it would abate something of the bragging, pride, hopes, and insolency; did they think, that the great angel of the dragon, the Antichrist of Rome, were already cast out by the sentence and power of Michael, it would abate their hopes: If it do not lessen theirs, let it raise ours, that however they may afflict some particular Church, yet shall they never obtain their purpose, as they hope and desire, but shall be cast out by Michael, as the dung of the earth.

Consider three grounds hereof.

First, that they fight against Christ the Truth, and the truth of Christ; they fight against the Lamb, but the Lamb must overcome; and against the truth of Christ, which is of that nature, that the more it is opposed and oppressed, the more it riseth and increaseth.

Secondly, consider how Michael hath already cast them out in their projects and designs; all deliverances of Christian Princes have been from this victory of Michael; our own country, and Princes abroad, are instances enough, as in 88. 1605. &c.

Thirdly, against all the angels of the dragon oppose our Archangel, described in Rev. 10. 1. &c.

1. A mighty Angel, protector of his Church.

2. Comming from heaven, in a gracious and powerful presence, to help his Church.

3. Cloathed with a Cloud, once of flesh, now of divine Majesty, as in the wilderness.

4. A Rainbow on his head, a league of grace and peace, first, with God, then from the rage of Antichristian enemies.

5. His face as the Sun, enlightening his Church, dispersing clouds and storms, bringing fair gleames of warm comfort.

6. His feet as Pillars, of power and might to sustain his Church; and of fire, to consume the enemies as Chaff and stubble.

7. In his hand a little book open, Christ opens it to the world, and holds it open, though Antichrist would shut up the truth, and did a long time.

8. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the earth, that is, now takes power and dominion upon the Continent and Islands, and raiseth Christian Emperors and Princes, by professing the truth to restore him his right detained by Antichrist.

9. He crieth with a loud voice, as when a Lyon roareth; the more that tyrants and Antichrist roar, and rage against the truth, with their Bulls, the more doth this Lyon of the Tribe of Judah put forth the mighty voice of the Gospel, and, as with rams horns, casteth down the walls of Antichristian Jericho.

10. He swears, in verse 6. that time or delay shall be no more, namely, not so miserable and mournful as they were under the six Trumpets, when Antichrist domineired, and none durst resist, who would not be presently turned to ashes; but better times should follow, both for the respiration of the Church, and the overthrow of the tyranny of Antichrist.

Lastly, the mystery of God shall be finished, namely, in the seventh Trumpet; an end shall be of the tyranny of Antichrist, and the Church shall obtain happy days.

Our Papists think not of this Time, Vial, or Prophesy; let us rejoice in the near approach of it, which shall take them, as Birds in a Nett, in the evil day.

3. Note the unspeakable happiness and comfort of the Saints, who are free from all the hurt of all the angels of the dragon; so as neither things present, nor things to come can shake them from their happy estate; for thus doth the Apostle (Rom. 8. 38.) boldly both glory and conclude from this perfect victory of Michael over all the angels of the dragon.

1. For things present; they are either within us, or without us.

Within us is a remainder of the power of the dragon, a bosom enemy, as Delilah, ever ready to betray us, our own flesh; and the dragon often ploughes with our own heifer: But as near and wily as it is, Michael hath cast it out among the dragons angels; not that it be not, but that it reign not in us: Our Michael hath destroyed the body of sin in us, and now, though there be many damnable sins in us, yet there is no condemnation to Believers; sin may cast us down, but cannot cast us off so long as Michael puts under his hand: The blood of Michael cleanseth from all sin, and is never dry.

Without us is a remainder of the dragons power, partly in evil spirits, partly in evil men, both of them cast out by Michael.

Evil angels will ever be molesting the godly, because they weaken the dragons Kingdom; but to little purpose; they may pluck at us, but cannot pluck us away; they may reach at us by temptation, but Michael, that saves us not always from their tempting, saves us ever from their tyranny and dominion: We are not free from trial by them, but from the efficacy of error we are free; they may reach at us by accusation, by collusion, by delusion; they will be filching the Word from us, and sowing tares and errors among us, but by no means can hinder the salvation of the Elect, nay, they cannot but further it; for the case is not now with us, as it was in the first Adam, from which height one apostate angel could cast us down; for that happiness was in our own hand and keeping, without a Mediator; but this in the hand and keeping of a Mediator, and therefore all of them cannot cast us down from it; the gates of Hell cannot prevail: They perhaps may (because they cannot hinder us in the end) molest and vex us in the way, by witchcraft, by possession, or the like; as Paul was buffeted by a messenger of Satan, and a daughter of Abraham was vexed eighteen years, and Christ's blessed body was afflicted and transported, by the devil, from place to place; but Michael hath foiled all of them, and made this,

1. Only a bodily and external annoyance, by which he hath leave to win the wall without, not the castle of our hearts within, not the wealth of grace, not the center of good conscience.

2. A temporary chastisement to the Believer, which shall determine in death at farthest; but in wicked men it is taking of eternal possession.

3. Michael hath left a strong remedy of fasting and prayer, and covered us with the armor of God, that we may be more than Conquerors, even of this molestation.

Evil men are malignant against the Church, and raise up many a storm, and tedious persecution; but all these angels of the dragon cannot hurt or prejudice their salvation; nay, as Joseph's brethren, while they intend evil, God will turn it to good: for, while they would chase them out of the earth, they chase them to heaven, as the Egyptians did Israel to Canaan: for,

First, our Michael hath made persecution a fire burning the Bush, but not consuming it, or, as a stout General, besieging the City of God, but not taking it.

Secondly, he hath made the Church persecuted, as a bush of sweet wood, the more scorched, the more fragrant and sweet-scented.

Thirdly, he hath made the persecutors his scullions, to make bright his Vessels, his Fullers to whiten his children; his Goldsmiths, to melt his gold, and purify it, not to consume it; his Threshers, only with this flayle to beat out his Wheat from the Chaff

Fourthly, he makes the persecuted as his Worthies and Champions, placed on the Theater of the world, in whom he puts forth his own power, and makes them more than Conquerors.

Fifthly, he sets himself a companion in suffering, and they bear but the marks of Christ, & are set in the right way, in which Michael himself went to the Crown. Now because the sword cannot cut asunder the union between Christ the Head, and his members; nor the world (the dragons sworn armor-bearer) can foil their faith and graces, but, as Saul and his armor-bearer, who fell together, therefore are they also truly said to be cast out with their Prince and Captain.

2. The things to come are those quatuor novissima, death, the grave, hell, and judgment, but all these are cast out likewise.

1. Death in his nature is the devils weapon to murder all mankind; but Michael hath made him, of an enemy, a friend; of a gate to hell, a Gate to heaven, (to Believers) Death is as a Drone, who hath lost his sting; and, as a fiery serpent, seems to sting deadly, but one look to the Brazen Serpent is a ready cure. This son of David draws out this Goliath's sword, to cut off his own head; yea, out of the eater, this Sampson draws meat; he makes death determine all the battles between the spirit and the flesh, and to conjoin us nearer unto himself; so as in the dolours of death, the Saints, who only taste of death, rejoice and triumph, as Moses on his Pisgah, when he got the first sight of Canaan.

2. The grave, which is a Cave of death, and a dreadful dungeon of rottenness, and a dark vault of oblivion, is by Michael changed into a sweet bed of rest, and the darkness makes it but fitter to sleep in, in which the body lieth without sin, or sense of pain, a member of Christ, retaining forever an happy union with Christ, as well as the soul, of whom the whole believer being a member, the grave can no more hold him under forever, then it did the head himself, who having gloriously risen again, by the same power will raise the members, which raised himself the glorious head.

3. Hell in it own nature is the appointed prison of the soul, separated from God. But Michael hath shut up the mouth of it, and suffered the sorrows of it for all believers: and now it is only prepared for the dragon and his angels.

4. The last judgment is as the day, in which Pharaohs baker was hanged up, and his butler lifted up to his honor again. The judge is Michael, the Judge of all the world, the Churches husband: himself was condemned for believers, and will not condemn them for whom he shed his blood. He carried not their sins to lay them again on themselves.

Lastly, here is a ground of trial, to know whether the dragon be cast out of any man. If he be, then all his angels, and all his power is cast out in part with him. When Saul was converted, and the dragon was cast out by the voice of Christ, see how all his powers and angels were chased with him. Ignorance and blindness of mind flies away: The scales fall off his eyes. Pride of heart, and pharisaical righteousness goes after; he is struck down to the ground. Disobedience and the command of sin is gone; Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Wicked fellowship goes after; he returns no more to his companions, the Jews, but joins himself with the Apostles and believers. Likewise in the Gaolor converted, Act. 16. mark how all the dragons angels were chased out with him: Of a proud rebel he becomes an humble soul, Sirs, what shall I do to be saved? Of a despiser of the word, he hungers after the counsel of it. He that had reviled Paul and Silas, now reverenceth them. He that had inflicted stripes on them, now washeth their wounds. He that had cast them into the dungeon, brings them out into his house, there he sets meat before them, sets himself to hear the word from them, to be baptized of them, and all his carnal joy was changed into joy that himself and all his household believed; Where we see all the holds of sin demolished, all the dragons studs and posts pulled down at once; This through-change must thou find in thyself, in whom the dragon is cast out. For first, where the Lord Jesus cometh, he smites all thy sins with his great sword, as Isaiah 27. 1. He rebukes them all, casts them from their power and reign, and dissolveth all the works of the devil, not in regard of their presence, but of their rule and command. Secondly, as a Prince or General may hold a fort as well by any of his Captains, as by himself, so is it here: the dragon is not cast out where any of his angels are entertained: for as Christ said of his Ministers, He that receiveth you receiveth me, so may the dragon, of his angels, he that harboreth you harboreth me. Thirdly, our rule is, to harbor no angel of the dragon, Ephes. 4. 27. Give no place to the devil, no not in any inordinate affection, as that of anger, which is mentioned, Fourthly, thou canst not entertain one angel of the dragon, but thou invitest a number with him, everyone will bring seven spirits worse then himself, No sin can prosper alone, nor keep it self warm, but lets in a number more, even a chain of many links.

Now therefore go to the rule and note of trial. If thou hast cast out all his angels, the dragon is cast out, otherwise not.

1. If the dragon be cast out, then the tares of gross and fundamental errors and heresies are cast out with him, so are atheism, irreligion, hypocrisy: If the dragon be cast out, he leaves thee not an atheist, an hypocrite, an idolater, a contemner of godliness, a scorner of religion, a reviler of God's servants: these forts, and turrets are cast down after him. But how are all the angels of the dragon welcome among ignorant and superstitious persons, willful Recusants, open contemners of the holy exercises of religion! &c.

2. If the dragon be cast out, so is profaneness of life, and corruption of manners. If the dragon be cast out, he leaves thee not a swearer, a drunkard, a filthy person, a liar, an usurer, a railer, a worker or lover of iniquity. If thou servest any unrighteousness, the dragon still rules, and holdeth up his power in thee to destruction.

3. If the dragon be cast out, so are his temptations, that they rage not, nor prevail as formerly. It is true, the dragon will be still buffeting believers, as Paul, and will compass them with temptations, and lay many trains and stratagems for them. But Michael makes them withstand them all, and strengthens them to stand in the evil day, where others are cast down, and with every temptation openeth a door for issue. Tempted may the believer be, but not led into, nor left in temptation. The ordinary prevailing of temptation in many, argues many angels of the dragon not cast out.

4. If the dragon with all his angels be cast out there is no more sorting nor conversing with the angels of the dragon. The most apparent angels of the dragon are wizards and witches, limbs of the devil, and devils incarnate. To consult or consort with such as are in immediate confederacy with the dragon, is a mark and infallible brand of a man in whom the angels of the dragon are not cast out. An ordinary sin in those who profess good things; but for all their profession are in compact with the devil; who without a covenant with himself, and faith in that covenant on the seekers part, doth nothing.

More secret angels of the dragon are wicked men, and a note of the dragons ejection is separation from wicked society a • d company, from idolaters, from atheists, and scorners of goodness, from filthy drunkards and fornicators, from liars, and blasphemers, from gamesters and idle persons, in a word from all vile persons in whom the image of God bewrays not it self. Whom to forsake, consider.

1. The commandment of God, Prov. 23. 20, and 1. Cor. 5. 11.

2. Can we safely run among them that have plague-sores? or converse with thieves, and not be robbed one time or other?

3 Thou must either commit or consent to their sins, if not by act, by silence. Thou that canst brook all company, how is thy heart vexed at their sins, as Lots?

4. Thou dost indeed harden and countenance them in their sin, and shalt be undivided in punishment. Therefore depart from the assembly of sinful men: esteem them angels of the dragon, as they are.

Vers. 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren, is cast down, which accused them before our God night and day,

After the great battle between Michael and the dragon, the event and issue whereof was Michaels victory and the dragons ruin and his angels, now follows the song of victory and triumph: In which,

• 1. The preface.
• 2. The parts: which are two.

The first contains the joy and glory of the Church, verse 10. 11.

The second, the woe and sorrow of the enemies, verse 12. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, &c.

In the preface consider,

• 1. What voice this was.
• 2. Whose.
• 3. Why loud.

I. The holy Evangelist saw in spirit, and predicted a great and cheerful noise, not of men wishing for good, but of a multitude cheering themselves, and congratulating together, in the victory of Michael, and the ruin of the dragon. For this preface is a prophesy foretelling something to come, although delivered in time past, after the manner of Prophets.

II. Whose voice was this?

Answ. Sundry of great learning and piety hold this voice to be the joy and acclamation of angels in heaven for the happy victory of the Church, because it is said verse 12. Rejoice ye heavens, &c. But this seemeth not to be so, for two reasons in the context. First, they say, The accuser of our brethren is cast out: but the angels are not our brethren, they are our fellow-servants, Revel. 22. 9. and chap. 19 10. where the same Greek words shut out the word (one) in our English translation, which the new translation observeth. This is plain in that opposition, Heb. 2. 16. He took not the seed of Angels, but of Abraham, that he might be like his brethren, as the angels were not. Secondly, these are said to overcome by the blood of the lamb, and by the blood of their own testimony, or martyrdom, which cannot agree to angels, who can be no martyrs.

Others hold it to be the voice & joy of the Saints in heaven, who acknowledge us their brethren, and rejoice in our joy, and in the overthrow of the Churches enemies. But this being an exultatiō arising out of a particular victory, namely the first great victory of Michael against the imperial dragons, it is not so easy to conceive how the particular passages of the Churches affairs may be known or revealed to the Saints in heaven: For the brittle glass of the Trinity, blown by the Papists, is long since broken. It is out of doubt, that they do most perfectly rejoice with us in the general victory of Michael against the dragon, and in the final conquest of the Church, and ruin of all the enemies, which they know well enough, and by better experience then ourselves; But that they rejoice in the particular passages of the Church on earth, we may either doubt, ordeny it. Neither can it be cleared, why they should more see the particular comforts of the Church then her particular combats and sorrows; which if they should see and not sorrow for, how could they be in perfect charity? and if they should see and sorrow for, how could they be in heavenly happiness?

I expound it therefore to be the cheerful noise of innumerable citizens of the Church militant, provoking themselves to sound forth the majesty and praise of God, for his great mercy to his Church, and his great judgments against the dragon and his angels.

III. Why is it called a loud voice?

Answ. For four reasons.

1. For the multitude of them that join in this victoriall and gratulatory verse and voice: the consent of many is called but one voice, even all the Saints in those times were knit in one consent, all of them enjoying the benefit of the deliverance, as well as they that got the victory.

2. For the magnitude of the joy for so great a victory. It is fit the joy should be correspondent to the blessing; which indeed was an heap or bundle of blessings, both spiritual and temporal.

3. Because this victory was to be audibly proclaimed to the whole world, and not in a corner: every where shall these devout and divine notes testify, how Christ and Christians have prevailed against all profane paganism, idolatry and tyranny.

4. From the faithful and sanctified persons it was very loud, for it was beyond a voice: whereas in the slow and formal thanks of men without godliness, there is nothing be young a voice, which can scarce get without their mouths, that either God or man may hear them. But this voice was joined with faith, and feeling, and issued from fervency and love, which were as wings to lift up and mount it to heaven, and make the earth ring again▪ from which warm and stirring affection if this voice of praise did not proceed, it were still-borne, dead, without life and motion.

All the faithful whenthey see the overthrow of the enemies of the Church, must break out into the joyful praises of God. Psal. 58. 10. The just shall rejoice when they see the vengeance, and shall say; Verily there is a God that judgeth. Exod. 15. 1 When Pharaoh and his host were drowned, Moses and Miriam solemnly sung out the praises of God. So did Deborah and Barak in the overthrow of Jabin and Sisera, and appointed a song of triumph, to be publicly sung in Israel, to keep in mind and memory that honorable victory. Judge. 5. 1. And as here all the band of Michael triumph in the overthrow of the dragon and his kingdom: so was it always the use of the Church, to sing out the praises of God for the overthrow of the enemies. Thus did they sing to Saul his thousands, and to David his ten thousands; when he had slain Goliath. 1. Sam. 18. Thus in Hesters time, in testification of the praise of God and their own duty, was instituted a feast to be annually kept for the destruction of Haman, and the Jews joyful deliverance. Hest. 9. 31.

But is not this contrary to Christian and brotherly charity, which ought always to wish, desire, and delight in the salvation and prosperity of men, rather then to rejoice in their ruin and overthrow? and that hateful sin, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is condemned, as most unbeseeming Christians.

I answer: so long as it appears not to us, that any enemy of God is destinated to destruction, we ought to pray for his conversion and salvation, always attempering our prayer to the glory of God, the justice of God, and the amplifying of his kingdom. But where God hath revealed his justice, and now hope of amendment is cut off, in such persons we must rejoice that they are fallen. But with two conditions.

1. With holy affections, not as they are our enemies, but as they are God's enemies, not rejoicing in the evil that hath overtaken their persons, but in the good that befalls the Church by the overthrow of their state, power, & courses, which were directly set against God.

2. With mixed affections; consider them as men, so humanity bids us sorrow in their ruin; consider them as men in whom the will and justice of God is revealed, and now piety steps in, and makes us rejoice in the righteousness of it

Object. 2. Oh but it is said in Prov. 24. 17. Be not glad when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart rejoice when he stumbleth; how will this stand with this doctrine?

Answ. The answer will be plain, if we consider the enemies, and the affection here meant.

1. Solomon speaketh here of private enemies, (thine enemy) such as have done wrong to us: We may not rejoice in any evil befalling our enemies, as ours: But our Text and doctrine speaks of God's and his Churches enemies, public enemies, who through us, wound God's glory.

2. There is a twofold joy: Some riseth of private affection, by which men are glad their injuries are revenged by God; and this is an unwarrantable affection: The other riseth out of public affection, and zeal for the glory of God; and this is free from troublesome passions, and affections of private hatred, impatience, wrath, and private revenge; and this the godly do, and may exercise, when they see God's revenge upon the wicked, still retaining the graces of meekness patience, charity, and the like Christian virtues: This joy ariseth out of spiritual causes, as the other out of fleshly; and these causes are especially three.

1. The manifestation of God's glory, which seemed to be obscured in the oppression of the Saints.

2. The manifestation of his justice upon uncurable enemies, whose conversion rather they had desired.

3. The deliverance of the Church, arising from, and joined with the destruction of the enemies; and the former is the proper matter of their joy, not the destruction it self properly and simply.

Having now cleared the point by this explication, we come to the confirmation of it by sundry Reasons.

1. The Lord, who needeth no praise from us, being eternally happy in himself, yet bindeth his Church and people straightly to the duty of thankfulness for taking their part against the dragon: For

First, it is the condition on which he conferreth this mercy, Psal. 50. 15. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Secondly, he will have us to acknowledge no merit, no desert, or power in ourselves to help ourselves, that all our rejoicing, dependence, and glory, may be in his love and mercy.

Thirdly, it is his rent and tribute, due from us for all his mercies and deliverances: It is the only recompense we can repay, to give him the honor and glory of his mercy, who can give him nothing else. In what estate soever we be, the Lord expects a sacrifice from us: if we be in affliction, and under any oppression: now the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart is above all sacrifices, Psal 51. 17. If in prosperity, now he expects the sacrifice of praises to wait for him in Zion.

Fourthly, it becomes the just to be thankful, who feel the benefit sweet and comfortable, which ungodly men, and they that are without, pass by and taste not; so as if the Church should not praise God, he should lose all his honor. Thus the Lord expects it from them, not from the other.

2. The godly must most excite themselves to joyful praises where they see God's glory most manifested; but the overthrow of the dragons kingdom is a work wherein the Lord's glory shineth out above the other ordinary works of his providence, especially in the manifestation of his two Attributes, justice, and mercy: His powerful justice is seen in breaking Satan's power to pieces; he makes himself known, by executing justice, and by getting himself a name upon such dragons as Pharaoh, Nero, Haman, Julian, &c. his mercy is magnified in his Church.

First, in that the overthrow of his and her enemies, is a sign of his presence and good favor toward her, who now rejoiceth in the light of his countenance.

Secondly, it is a fruit of his everlasting Covenant, made with his people, whereof he now showeth himself mindful.

Thirdly, it is an effect of his special grace, hearing the sighs and prayers of his people, under their enemies oppressions; whereby he is now excited & risen up for their seasonable salvation.

Fourthly, the taking part with his people against the dragon, argueth his sympathy and near affection, who is troubled in all their troubles, and undertaketh their cause as his own, and feeleth after a sort, & accounteth their sufferings as his own; In thy great glory thou hast overthrown thē that rose up against thee; that is, the Egyptians, who rose against Israel, and accounted of God as risers up against himself.

3. The overthrow of the dragon, and thrusting down the power of wicked men, carrieth in it abundant matter of joy, to kindle the hearts of the Saints unto zealous and abundant praises: for, as Solomon saith, (Pro. 29. 2.) When the wicked bear rule, the people sigh; but when the righteous are in authority, people rejoice: and there is great cause in both; for,

1. When the wicked bear rule, God's worship is trodden underfoot, and the Kingdom of Christ is hindered: Now contrarily, when wicked men are foiled, and good men come in their places, the true worship of GOD is erected, which is the soul and life of the world; Christ is declared King, ruling in the midst of his enemies, and the bounds of his Kingdom are enlarged: these will know their duty out of the Word; these will do their duty according to the Word; these will uphold the Ark and glory of God, will encourage his servants, and rule in the fear of God.

2. When wicked Rulers are in place, civil justice is neglected, as, Judges 5. 6. in the days of Shamger and Jael, the highwayes and towns were unoccupied; there was nothing but danger and spoil to him that went out and in, for robbers & oppressors; Wicked men, like themselves, may do what they list, but when religious men are advanced, civil justice and peace, which is the main stay and life of the world, is maintained; the sword is not suffered to rust in the sheath, but is drawn out to the terror of evil men, and suffers not every man to do as he list, as Israel did, being without a King.

3. When wicked men bear rule, there is abundance of all high sins against moral and civil laws, and increase of sinners, which, like weeds and vermines, can scarce, by greatest iudustry, be destroyed or kept under; but when good men bear rule, they will compel men to the keeping of the commandments of God, they will seek and take up to just correction, drunkards, that lie swilling and swearing, and dicing, and carding, by days and nights; they will gather up such as lie and wallow, like swine, in the streets, who, had they not better help than their own, would be buried alive in the mire. Under such government, as wicked men would be nipped and kept under, so would righteous men increase, as under a fair gleame of encouragement, Pro. 28. 28.

4. Where wicked men bear rule, as all sins are suffered, so is God's justice let-in in all kinds of plagues, public and personal: They bring evil on the place; sometimes infamy and disgrace, sometimes poverty, and want, and a general curse upon men's callings and estates, for want of reforming open abuses; sometimes the fire of contentions, quarrels and frivolous suites, like that which came out from Abimelech and consumed Shechem, and from Shechem and consumed Abimelech; sometimes by driving away the light, and removing the Candlestick from an unhappy and unworthy people to some that will bring forth better fruit: whereas, where godly men are exalted in their stead, God's plagues are removed, and turned into all kinds of blessing.

The custom of the Church is every private Christians instructiō; we must therefore provoke ourselves to rejoice in the overthrow of the dragons kingdom, & that both in respect of ourselves, and others.

First, when in ourselves we see our spiritual enemies thrown down by the power of the Word. None of us but professeth his part in that great victory of Michael from those dreadful enemies, sin, Satan, hell, death, and damnation: as this is the highest raised mercy that ever God gave us, so ought it chiefly to raise our spiritual joy, to sing the Song of Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the Lamb, as it is penned and pricked for us, Revel. 15. 3. Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, O King of Saints. Are we delivered from the leprosy of sin? let us not forget to go back, as the nine Lepers, to give praise; but challenge our own dullness, who can as soon forget such good turns, as Pharaohs butler did the good turn of Joseph. Gen. 40 23.

So likewise when we see our temporal enemies, who want no will nor malice to do us mischief, but are muzzled, hampred and fall before us; now we ought to lift up the voice of thanksgiving, as Psal. 9. 1, 2, 3. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart: I will be glad, rejoice and sing to thy name, for that mine enemies are turned back, and thou hast maintained my right. Psalm. 22. Save me from the mouth of the lions, and I will declare thy name to my brethren. But with this pure affection; only as they are enemies to God's Kingdom, and so far resist us as we seek to uphold the same.

Secondly, without ourselves we must break forth into praises, when we see the powers of the dragon cast down in others whether spiritual or temporal.

When we see the holds of ignorance, error, wickedness, overthrown by the preaching of the Gospel: when we see the walls of hellish Jericho battered by the sound of the rams horns of the Gospel: when we see countries or persons converted, and yield up themselves to the obedience of the word: Here is matter of joy and praise, that the tents and curtains of the Church are spread out and enlarged, and the kingdom of Christ prevails against the power of the dragon Thus the seventy Disciples, having been sent out, return to Christ with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subdued unto us: nay our Lord himself rejoiceth, that Satan fell down like lightening from heaven.

Or if we see the temporal enemies of the Church overthrown: if we see Amalec stricken down before Israel, Haman's devise broken, Antichrists power weakened and lessened, Popish forces repulsed: Do we see Pharaohs chariots and his hosts cast into the sea, and his captains drowned in the red sea? Exod. 15. 4. Do we see the winds blow, and the sea cover them, that they sink as lead in the mighty waters, as our enemies did in 88? Do we see hellish powder-plots, digged as doepe as hell, prevented, and the diggers falling into their own pits? How should we now take up the songs of praise and triumph, that the Lord hath done so great things for us whereof we rejoice! Psal. 126. 4.

Now for the better performance of our duty herein, consider three things,

• 1. The conditions of this praise.
• 2. Means to attain it.
• 3. Motives to it.

I. For rules of direction, our text hath four conditions.

1. That all the praise & honor of victory belongs to God, as in the next verse. For God only can overthrow the devils kingdom: he only hath power above the dragon: the Churches victory is the work of his finger, as the Church acknowledgeth, Exod. 15.

1. I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously. Judge. 5. 3. I will sing unto the Lord, I will sing unto the Lord God of Israel. Salvation is the Lord's, Psalm. 3. 8.

2. So soon as we see the victory, so soon should we sing out the Lord's praises, as the Church here. We must not put off our vows, nor suffer the blessing to grow stale before we have performed them. Israel on the shore, seeing the Egyptians dead on the sea bank, Then sang Israel, Exod. 15. 1. So soon as the Jews had obtained victory over their enemies, they consecrate the very next day after the victory to the public praise of God; so while the sense of mercy affects us, and while our hearts are warm with it, we must praise the Lord.

3. As here is a loud voice for this great victory, so according to the greatness of the benefit our praises must be. A great victory calls for a great voice of many. The blessing conferred upon any part of the Church is the blessing of the whole, and the whole must joy. In so common mercy none must sit out, none must say, what is it to me?

4. As the Church here, so must we sing out the majesty of God's name, not with a cold affection, but with a mighty fervency and ardor of spirit, to stir up and kindle in others the fear and love of God. For this hearty and spiritual fervency is the lowdnesse of the voice which God requireth, and how can he kindle or inflame another, who himself is not warm or kindled?

II. Means to help us in this duty are these.

1. Earnestly to affect the prosperity and welfare of the Church, as feeling members and sharers of her joys and sorrows; preferring the joy of Jerusalem before thy chief joy. Sound affection will imprinta sound notice of blessings, which else pass away as nothing concerning ourselves

3 Not to forget but remember God's merciful deliverances. Psalm. 103. 1. My soul praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits, as if he had said, If thou forget thou canst not praise, and if thou praise not, thou wilt forget them. To this end write and register them: make a day-book of the noble acts of the Lord. Psalm 102. 18. Let it be written for the generation to come, that the people not yet borne may praise the Lord; and that thyself, looking back upon one, mayest find out and espy many other.

3. Often speak of them, and raise monuments of them in thy heart: as the stones in Gilgal, the setting up of Altars, and imposition of names in the Old Testament. Tell the children of the acts of God, that they they may tell their children. The Passover was instituted among other ends for this, that the children in times to come might know how God destroyed the Egyptians, and passed over Israel. Exod. 12. 26. So must we tell our children of 88, Of the powder-treason, and other deliverances, and make much of their monuments, to the perpetual glory of God, shame of Papists, and comfort and instruction of the Church.

4. Often recount the great benefits redounding to the Church by God's execution of judgment upon the wicked enemies of it. For,

1. By these overthrows the most desperate enemies are daunted for a time, and by the terror of judgments discouraged from their mischievous enterprises against the Church. Did not God's plagues on the Egyptians stop their unreasonable violence against Israel? yea, however the kings heart was hardened to destruction, yet the people were overcome, so as to do them all the good they could, leaving themselves bare and naked, to adorn and enrich them with their Jewels. And how hath the heavy hand of God, felt by our enemies, made them less bold to attempt the like mischiefs, yea rather inclined them to be at a kind of peace with us?

2. By the dreadful overthrows of wicked men the Lord sets up his Church, and makes even the enemies themselves submit and stoop to her. Psalm. 18. 44. When David's sword prevails in the Lord's battles, strangers shall be in subjection, though dissemblingly. The proud Aramites were forced to submit themselves wiih halters about their necks, to the King of Israel, 1. King. 20. 31. 2. Chron. 32. 22.

When that memorable judgment was executed against the King of Assur and his proud army, many are said to bring offerings to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah, who was magnified thenceforth of all nations. So by the fearful hand of God against proud Herod, the Lord made his word to prosper, and believers to multiply. Act. 12, 23. 24.

3. By the judgments of God poured out upon wicked men, they themselves are convinced in their consciences, and forced to acknowledge themselves in a wrong course, and that the state of the godly whom they persecute, is far more happy then their own. If Balaam in his prosperity wished himself in the number of God's people, what did he when the sword came against him in the slaughter of the Midianites? Numb. 31. 8. And when the Egyptians were hurled among the waves, did they not wish themselves in the state of the meanest Israelites? And shall not all wicked enemies, who now brave it out against the Saints, do so also, when the waters of God's wrath arise, and begin to return forcibly upon them?

III Motives to this duty are these,

1. The end proposed by the Lord, of all his actions, is the setting up of his glory, but especially, when in overthrowing the dragon he showeth forth all his glorious attributes of power, justice, hatred of sin, revenge of sin, as also of mercy, care and love of his Church, the over-mastering of her enemies, for the terror of all proud adversaries, and the encouraging and confirming the faith of the Saints.

2. As this is the Lord's end, so we cannot disappoint him of this end without our own great prejudice. For as thankful praises for old mercies, invite new, so ingratitude being a bundle of many sins, hinders the course and current of God's blessings unto us. If we would continue & perpetuate mercies to ourselvs we must not deprive the Lord of his due praises.

3. The Lord hath manifested his pleasure, and that he is well pleased to have the mindefulnesse of his mercies towards his people to dwell with his Church, to beget in them more love of himself, and a greater desire of promoting his kingdom. Hence himself pleased to be the institutor of feasts, & special services for perpetual memory of mercies & deliverāces: as the Paslover to perpetuate the memory of the Angels passing over the Israelites houses, in slaying the first born of Egypt, & saving thē frō the revenging Angel. And in their entering into the land of Canaan he appointed the feast of Tabernacles, in remembrance of all that providence and preservation of them and theirs from all enemies, while they dwelt not in walled towns, but in Tabernacles forty years in the wilderness.

4. The very Heathens themselves after their victories would institute public solemnities to their gods in way of thankfulness, and dedicate days and temples to them for remembrance: and shall Christians come behind them, and (as the manner is) after victories eat and drink, and brag, and swear, in the mean time forget their songs to the Lord?

5. We cannot better, or liker to our life of heaven, exercise ourselves on earth when all the Saints shall solemnly and tryumphantly sing and sound out the glory of God for their final deliverance from the Dragon and all his Angels by Jesus Christ, when the Angels, Saints, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and all the blessed company of heaven shall join in the song of Moses and the Lamb: Now the Saints on earth must resemble and begin this life of heaven, and seeing all other services and spiritual duties shall cease, and only this shall remain in heaven, our care must be, that it cease not upon earth.

This doctrine casts out of the society of the Church, such as grieve and repine at her prosperity and happy victories; for he cannot be a member of the Church, who rejoiceth not in her joy, nor a son of this mother, who is not glad in her prosperity: Is it a note of a righteous man, to rejoice when he seeth the vengeance? Psalm. 58. 10. what is he then that pineth when he seeth God's revenge poured on the heads of his adversaries?

1. Such as grieve when Antichrists kingdom is shaken, when they hear any news of defeating his forces, and cannot contain or conceal themselves, but, by magnifying the Catholic Captains, and contemptuous discourses against the Protestants forces, bewray what they are, and on what part they stand; good subjects must they needs be while they bewray such sure affections to the enemies of GOD, our religion, our Country, our King, and our Kings Children; and good soldiers to Christ, and trusty, who are sorry when their General gets a victory: I cannot tell whether to impute their boldness more to want of grace in disclaiming the truth, or want of wit in such discovery of themselves.

2. Such as rage and storm against the power of the Word, which discovers the nakedness of Popery: So shameless and foolish are some ignorant sots, and so earnestly set for their Popish Dagon, that if they hear anything against the doting doctrines of Popery, they are ready to tumult, as the Ephesians, for their Diana: It is nothing with them to revile the Ministers, and give them all the lie, and charge them with ignorance or falsification: But what need clearer evidence to cast them for treachery against Christ his truth, and holy religion, established by the laws, in regard of which, if folly it self did not lead them, they would forbear?

3. Such as cannor endure our solemnities, and days of public joy for our deliverances against the bloody Papists, but as Vipers, swell with poison and grief, that their mother hath any cause of joy, and that the Church and Kingdom was lifted up by God from such destruction, as never came into the heads of any wretches, but Papists or devils. The barbarous heathens could not express their joy sufficiently in their triumphs & gratulatory rites to their gods for the deliverance of their Countries and commonwealths from danger; but many among us (who yet must go for good subjects, else all is marred) rather express the contrary in the miraculous deliverances of their Prince and Country, and cannot be brought to share in the joy of sound-hearted and loyal subjects.

4. Such as will not endure the sound application of doctrine, which casts down the strong lusts, and advanced sins of men; they would blunt the edge of the sword of Christ's mouth, or wrest it out of the hand of his valiant Captains; they will break the Scepter of Christ, rather than it shall get any victory against the sins of men; and no man shall stand up to build Jerusalem, but they are grieved, as was Sanballet and Tobiah, against Nehemiah, that such a man was come, who wished the prosperity of Jerusalem, Neh. 2. 10. but these that-will not endure this powerful voice of Christ, shall hear another, uttered by himself, Those mine enemies, who would not suffer me to reign over them, bring them hither that I may destroy them.

After the Preface, we come to the parts of this triumphant song, which are two; The former contains the joy of the Church, verse. 10. 11. the latter, the woeful condition of the enemies, verse, 12. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea, &c.

The joy of the Church singeth out,

1. The praises of God, the giver of all victory.

2. The praises of Michael the General, verse. 10.

3. The praises and due commendation of the army, the angels of Michael, who had valiantly and courageously demeaned themselves in the conquering of the dragon and his angels, verse. 11.

In singing forth the praises of God, are,

• 1. The matter.
• 2. The reason.

The matter of praise is the ascribing,

1. To God, salvation, strength, and Kingdom.

2. To Christ, Power.

The reason, For the accuser, &c.

All these Attributes ascribed to God and Christ, are amplified by the circumstances,

• 1. Of time, now.
• 2. Of place, in heaven.

Of the first Attribute, Now is salvation in heaven.

By heaven is meant the Church militant, whose conversation is in heaven, and which is the heavenly part upon earth: So the Word is used through the whole Chapter.

By salvation is meant two things in Scripture:

1. The happy deliverance of Believers from the state of perdition, and eternal damnation; called therefore the heirs of salvation, Heb. 1. 14. this is spiritual and eternal.

2. The safety and external security of God's people, by their deliverance from cruel tyrants, who sought the overthrow and destruction of their bodies; so, Exod. 14. 13. Behold the salvation of the Lord, that is, the deliverance from Pharaohs Army. This latter, a fruit of the former, is here especially meant.

The particle (now) hath great light in it to clear the Text; for it may be objected, Was not salvation and power God's before? or were they not in heaven, that is, seen in many singular victories of the Church before

Ans. As these Attributes were never wanting in God, so the Church never failed of needful salvation: but we must know,

1. That the Scripture useth to say, a thing is done when it is manifested so to be, as, John 17. 5. Glorify thy Son with the glory I had before, &c. so now salvation is declared and manifested in this victory against the first assault of the Imperial dragons: Before, while the heathen Emperors raged against Christian religion, for the upholding of Paganism and heathenish Idolatry, iniquity reigned unto death of souls, and tyranny to the destruction of bodies, by thousands and ten thousands: But now salvation is wrought in heaven, Christian Emperors have brought in the Prince of peace, instead of those tyrants, the Gospel of peace, a word of salvation, received by faith, the end of which is salvation; and the peace of the Gospel, by which the force of the tyrants is abated, themselves confounded, and happy safety procured.

2. Whereas before the Lord put forth his salvatiō for his Church, his praise seemed suppressed, or by a few, in silence and in corners confessed, now is salvation his, the praise of salvation is with a loud voice openly admired and extolled, in the public congregation of all the faithful, & by the overthrow of the dragon shineth as the bright beams of the Sun in all eyes. Now is salvation manifested by God, magnified by God's people.

God is the sole Author and worker of salvation to his Church and members; for this is the voice and song of the Church here; Which words seem to be taken out of the mouth of the Church elsewhere, on the like occasion: This was the foot of David's song of deliverance, Psal. 3. 9. Salvation is the Lord's; and of Jonah's Psalm of praise for his miraculous preservation, Chap. 2. 10. Salvation is of the Lord; and of the Churches song, Exod. 15. 2. The Lord is become my salvation; and of Habakkuks song, Ch. 3. 13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; where the Lord, as a powerful General, is said to make an expedition against the enemies of the Church: And to show that there is no Savior besides him, the deliverance of the Church, by way of appropriation, is called God's salvation, Exod. 14. 13.

1. God alone hath promised it, and he alone can perform it; his promise is in Isaiah 46. 13. I will give salvation to Zion, and my glory unto Israel; and he alone can perform it: for,

First, the Church cannot save her self, such is her impotency and weakness, no more than a flock of sheep can fence themselves from the droves of Lions, Wolves, Foxes or dogs.

Secondly, neither can other men help her, Es. 59. 16. and 63. 5. there was none to help, none to uphold, therefore his arm did save it, and his righteousness did sustain it.

Thirdly, no other creature can save her, for it is only his privilege that made her, to save her, Esa. 44. 24. Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer, that formed thee from the womb; and Chap. 45. 18. 21. He that created heaven, and formed earth, proveth himself thence to be the only just God and Savior, and commands his people, Look unto me all the ends of the earth, and ye shall be saved, verse. 22.

2. God is only Savior of his Church, by reason of that affection and relation which is between him and his people: for,

First, they are his flock, and he, as a good shepherd, will save them, as David did his sheep from the Lyon and the Bear.

Secondly, they are his Children, and as a mother carrieth her child in her arms, to save it from knocks and dangers, so doth the Lord his first-borne. Both these are expressed in Exod. 15. 13. by two Hebrew words, nacha, and nahal, the one taken from the tender care of a shepherd, the other from the indulgent care of a parent.

Thirdly, the Church is his inheritance, his choice, his habitation, in which he hath promised to dwell forever; which how could he do if he should suffer Tyrants either to destroy it or throw him out of possession?

Fourthly, the Church is his kingdom, which must have no end; but if he should not save it, the enemies would soon bring it to an end.

3. It is a part of God's glory, which cannot pass in any other, to be the Savior of his Church; because,

First, he alone will be known the only GOD that heareth prayer, to whom all flesh must resort, Psal. 65. 2.

Secondly, he to whom the glory of the greater belongs, to him belongs the glory of the lesser; but he only hath the glory of saving his people from spiritual, hellish, and eternal danger by Christ, and he only will perfect his salvation by adding temporal and external.

Thirdly, for his glories sake he will be seen the only Savior in such times and manner, as none else can save, as in many miraculous deliverances, which all the world must ascribe only to his hand. Israel must be saved out of Egypt by an Outcast, drawn out of the waters; and the sea must make them a way, and become a wall to them, and a Well to Pharaoh & his followers; To bring them along, Jordan must run back; To feed them and save them from starving, heaven must afford them a daily harvest, and a rock must yield them water forty years; To save them from their enemies in battle, the Sun must stand still, and the Moon stay her course, as in the days of Joshua; in which all the world must behold the Lord fighting for Israel. How miraculously was Jonah saved, when he was buried in a double grave?

Twofold instruction ariseth hence to the Church and people of God.

First, we learn in the greatest dangers and needs to wait for the Lord's salvation; in the depth of danger, if we be beset as Israel at the sea side, or if we be chased into the bottom of sea, now to stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord, Exod. 14.

Quest. How may we wait aright for the Lord's salvation?

Answ. 1. Become Believers, members of the Church; for it is said, The Lord will save Zion: stablish thy faith in this promise, give God the glory of truth, and when thou art beset with sorrows, pains, perils, when thou art in the valley of death, in the hands of death, in the house of death, now say, Salvation is the Lord's, and as Job, If the Lord kill me, yet will I trust in him.

2. Beware of sin; for that which thrusteth thee from the Lord, thrusteth away the Lord's salvation from thee; but sin separates between God and us, and may suspend his salvation from his Saints longer than is for their ease: Bewaile thy sin, remove by repentance that partition, which thou hast thrust between God and thee; salvation is far from the wicked, because they are far from God, Psalm 119. 155. It is never so far from the godly; yet often not so near them as they desire, because they are not got so near God by faith, repentance, and invocation, as he desireth; Dan. 9. 12. All Israel have sinned, and therefore the curse is poured out against all Israel; and, Josh. 7. 11. 12. Israel hath sinned a sin, and cannot stand before their enemies; If we would have the Lord to put forth his salvation, we must put away our sin, which makes him seem sometimes as if he could not save his people.

3. Fixe the eye of thy soul directly upon the Lord, and look not a squint at men or means, nor think all lost if they set not in for thy help; for,

First, the Lord (whose salvation is) needs them not to work by.

Secondly, all means are put in his hand, and by his appointment are what they are; and if he do use any men or means, as in this Text he did the Christian Emperors, yet the Church must sing, as here, salvation is the Lord's.

Thirdly, no means may share in his glory, nor obscure or darken it.

Secondly, it teacheth to ascribe all honor of salvation to the Lord, as here the Church doth: for,

First, there is great reason that he who is our salvation should be our song: the Church here makes the author of her salvation, the matter of her song: so, Exod. 15. 2. gnozzi vezimrath Yah, The Lord is my strength and song. It is equal that the honor of salvation be returned to the Author of it.

Secondly, the office of the Church is, to give knowledge to the world, by whom, and by what means she is delivered, that after-ages may repair in like dangers to the same hand, in which only salvation is; see Psalm 102. 18. and Esa. 38. 19.

Thirdly, for ourselves, we above all people have just cause to sing unto the Lord our salvation, and say, Now is salvation the Lord's.

Time was in the days of the fathers, when our nation lay in darkness, in Idolatry, in the midst of Images, and teachers of lies, worshipping blocks, and stones, and crusts of bread: The blindness and darkness was palpable, like that of Egypt, wherein no man could stir out of the place where his ignorance had set him; But God in his due time took pity upon us, and took possession of us, as his people, possessed our Kingdom, our Princes and people with light, truth, and the blessed Gospel of salvation; now was Antichrist detected, darkness dispelled, Idols displaced, Mass-mongers and god-makers cast out; now was salvation the Lord's, when he swept out that Antichristian vermin, frighted away those unclean birds, pulled down their Cages over their heads, and made the happy restoring of the Gospel as a birth-day to our Country, and this English Nation.

In the year 1588. when that invincible Navy, as they termed it, advanced it self with a Catholic strength to swallow up our Nation at one morsel, they wanted not his Holiness help, to curse and excommunicate our Prince and people; they wanted no Engines of torture and cruelty, no cut-throats to exercise them; they brought over heirs for our Lands, were provided of choice men designed to Bishoppricks, our Baronries, our dignities, our livings, our Offices of Council and State, all was their own: But no sooner they appeared in our Coasts, but now salvation was the Lord's, who would show the Romish and Babylon's Balaam, that there is no sorcery nor cursing against Jacob, and make his Ambassadors know, that there is neither power nor counsel against the Lord, and that he had no pleasure in such cursed cruelty and covetousness. The Sun, the Moon, the Elements, fire, water, and winds fought against proud Sisera; but salvation was the Lord's. In the mean time, what did we but look on, while the God of our salvation made the confusion of that Armado the stupor and admiration of the whole world?

Add to this the hellish Powder-plot, when the neck of our King and all his three kingdoms was upon the block, and the stroke lifted up on high for the terrible blow, when the fire was a giving to their diabolical Engine; then was salvation the Lord's; now was the Lord seen our strong Savior: for although our salvation was then sent us in a royal vessel, yet then was salvation the Lord's.

At this day, other Countries (few or no Protestant Countries excepted) sit in the dust, nay, in goareblood; there lamentable spectacles are fire, sword, blood in streams, and rivers shed like water in the streets, in the fields, in the houses; here meets them death of Parents, of husbands, of brethren; there overtakes them orbity of Children▪ deflowering of wives and daughters, with shameful villainies and cruelties, beseeming Popish forces. Their noises are frightful alarms, roaring of great Ordinances, tumbling down of Towers, towns, and houses over their heads, unhappy tidings of burning, spoil and slaughter: But we enjoy peace, plenty, the Gospel of peace, safety and happy Protection under our own Vines and figtrees: our noises are sermons, Psalms, songs of triumph for many miraculous deliverances. At this our happiness Papists chafe, & fume, & plot, and curse that there is no sorcery against Jacob, and are enraged that no plot succeeds, but falls upon the heads that devise them: and whence is all this, but that salvation is the Lord's? And, were it not for our sins, salvation would be the Lord's still for us; all the power of Antichrist, nor all Popish forces, nor all the devils in hell could drive Christ out of his place, if our sins did not grieve him, and drive him away from us.

2. This is a reproof both of Churches and persons.

1. This doctrine casteth out the Church of Rome from being the true Church of God; which I prove thus: The true Church singeth salvation only to the Lord; the Romish Church singeth not salvation only to the Lord; therefore, the Romish Church is not the true Church. The latter part, or assumption, I prove thus; That Church which seeketh or assigneth salvation to anything within themselves, or without themselves, singeth not salvation only to the Lord; but, the Church of Rome seeketh and assigneth salvation, both to things within, and without themselves, besides the Lord; ergo.

Within themselves they seek and assign salvation to the merit of their own works. The Rhemists, on Heb. 6. 10. say, that our works are meritorious, and the very cause of salvation, so far, as God should be unjust if he rendered not heaven for the same. Andradius saith, that heaven is not given freely, but is due to our works, and that God hath set forth heaven to sale for our works; and it is as due as a penny for a penny-worth. Suarez also saith, A supernatural work from grace, within it self, and of it own nature, hath a proportion with the reward, and a sufficient value to be worth the same. The reward is not given for Christ's merit (saith he) the merit of Christ cannot be made our merit, neither can our merits have the power of meriting from Christ's merit, or anymore worthiness than they be ordained to have of themselves; yea, our merits are true merits, and have an inward worthiness, proportionable to the reward; in the same manner as if we conceived a man to be just without the merits of Christ, as many think of the Angels, and Adam in innocence. So Suarez, a Pillar of that Church, Tom. 1. in Thom. 3.

1. Here is a Church built upon another rock and foundation than Christ.

2 Here are Christ's merits thrust under board, reward is not given for them.

3. Here is salvation affirmed without Christ, as the Angels, and Adam in innocence.

4. Here are our own merits, without all power or merit from Christ's.

5. Here God crowns man's merit, not his own gift, contrary to Augustine de grat. & lib. arb. c. 6.

6. Here merit is magnified, and grace quite excluded, contrary to Paul, If it be of grace, then no more of works.

7. Here our own performances, which are all due, debt, sinful, damnable, and, when we have done all we can, unprofitable, (Luke 17. 10.) yet are more profitable, more honorable and beneficial than all Christ's.

Away henceforth with S. Paul's doctrine, that eternal life is either a gift of God, or a free gift: No, far be it from us (saith the Dean of Lovaine) that we should look for eternal life, as a poor man doth for his alms, but as the Garland, which by our labor we have deserved.

Here is every man a Jesus in himself, without respect of the death or merits of Jesus: in a word, here is a damnable abrogating of the whole Gospel, a new establishing the Covenant of works: Here is no longer a Christian faith, nor a Christian Church; cleave to it who will or dare; in this faith is no salvation; they are abolished from grace, and cut off from Christ Shall we after such light suffer ourselves to be led away from the truth to an heresy that leads us from Christ, & salvation merited by him? Let them say, salvation is not the Lord's, and seek it in themselves, their own merits, meanings, and observances; let their own arm save them; let them disclaim the Churches acclamation, who sing, that salvation is the Lord's, in whole, and in part, for beginning and perfection: But let us disclaim ourselves; for, why should thistles boast of figs? and let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord.

Without themselves they seek and sing salvation to many things; I refer them to two.

First the Host of heaven.

Secondly, the host in earth.

1. The Popish Idolaters run to the help of Angels; Everyone hath his special Angel, to whose protection he must daily commit himself, and all his affairs; yea, and we are bound to invocate the Angels for help and salvation; so say the Rhemists, on Col. 2. 18. because they are our advocates for mercy; and on 1 John 2. 1. contrary to the very words; We have but one Advocate with the father, because we have but one Head, and one that can plead his own justice for mercy.

2. They run to the Saints departed, as their tutelary patrons, and defenders of themselves and their Cities, whō they invocate to help & save thē, not as Mediators only (which were too much) but as meriters and bestowers of mercy. It were tedious to show, how every country, City, family, every man, every state of men, every art, every disease, every beast have their peculiar Saint and Savior. Some Saints rule the Sea, some the Land, some the Countries, some the Cities, some the Elements, some the arts, some the trades, some the beasts, some the birds, and every Saint knows his charge. The Student must pray to Saint Gregory, the Sayler to S Nicolas, the Painter to S. Luke, the Physician to S Cosmas, the Lawyer to Saint Juno; so Smiths, Tailors, Hunters, horsemen to S. George; the very harlots have S. Afra, and Magdalene; nay every beast and bird hath a saint to pray unto, geese Gallus, sheep Wendelin, horse Eulogius, hogs Anthony, &c. Oh abominable sink of Romish Idolatry! the true Church doth not sing salvatiō to Saints, living or dead, but saith of Abraham & Jacob, They know us not, Es. 63. 16. & here, Salvation is the Lord's; this the Church of Rome doth not, therefore it is not the true Church: But,

3. Above all their hateful Idolatry, they exceed themselves and all other Idolaters, in worshipping the Queen of heaven, and depending on their Lady; and where the true Church sing salvation to the Lord, they sing salvation to the Lady. The Psalter of Bonaventure, which they call the Ladies Psalter, is a witness beyond exception or credit; where in every Psalm, whatsoever is sung to the Lord, they change into the Lady; Psalm 3. 1. O Lady, why do they increase that trouble me? Psal 6. 1. O Lady, correct me not in thy fury; so in all the rest, all prayers, all confessions, all the praises of God's salvation are turned wholly upon her. Add to this, that they turned Athanasius Creed into our Ladies Creed, Whosoever will be saved, must above all things believe firmly concerning Mary, which, whosoever holdeth not firmly, cannot be saved; and so on; and concludes, This is the faith of our Virgin Mary, which whosoever, &c. They have, and do sing to her the Song of Simeon, Now let thy servant of Mary depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen the salvation of Mary, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light, &c. They sing to her the Song of Zacharias, Luke 1. 68. Blessed be the Lady, and the Mother of my God of Israel, who by thee hath visited and redeemed his people, and raised up an horn of salvation: And Mary's own Song, My soul doth magnify my Lady; and the Song of Ambrose, We praise thee Lady, we acknowledge thee to be the Lady, &c. The same Bonaventure in his Ladies Psalter, lately imprinted, prayeth to her thus, Coge illum peccatoribus misereri, Enforce Christ to have mercy upon sinners; and in his Treatise called corona B. Mariae Virginis, Iure matris impera tuo dilectissimo filio; Command thy well-beloved son, in the right of a mother, to turn our hearts from the love of earthly things unto heavenly: And in their Mariall, the name of the Lady is a strong tower, the sinner flieth unto her and is saved, as is said of God, Prov 18. 10. Is not this to sing salvation to their Lady, not to the Lord?

Biel upon his Exposition of the Canon of the Mass, saith, We fly principally to the Queen of heaven; for it is signified in Ester the Queen, who coming to appease King Ahasuerus, had this grant, It shall be given thee, though thou ask half of my Kingdom; so God the Father, having his justice and mercy, as the chiefest goods of his Kingdom, keeps his justice to himself, and surrenders his mercy to the Virgin Mary, and so makes her (as Bonaventure calls her) the chief corner stone.

Bernard de Busti, in his Marial tells us, Velocior est nonnunquam salus, memorato nomine Mariae, quàm invocato nomine Jesus filij ejus; A man may be sooner saved by mentioning the name of Mary, than by calling upon the name of Christ her son. How then is salvation the Lord's? Christ saith, I have trodden the winepress alone, and there was no man with me, Esa. 63. 3. but (saith he) there was one woman, &c.

Bozius de signis Ecclesiae, saith, By the two Cherubims covering the Ark, are signified Christ and Mary, through whom God is merciful, and heareth our prayers; and as Hevah was the mother of the living that filled earth, so Mary was the mother that bare all men to heaven.

That vision, believed of thē above the Canonical Scripture (of the two Ladders set up, the red Ladder, on the top of which Christ stood, the Friars of Francis could not get up by; but the white Ladder, on the top of which the Virgin Mary stood, by that they easily gat up) shows, to whom that heretical Church sings their salvation.

The heathens would rend their garments, and pull their hair off their head, to hear such blasphemies against their so reputed gods; and we Christians can comport with such hateful, blasphemous, Idolatrous people. No marvel if the Gospel take her to her wings, when such vile seducers are taken into our bosoms, and such Preachers as withstand them, cast out of all request.

But Papists expect not salvation only from the Host of heaven, but from the host in earth. (Not troubling you with their Crosses, Relickes, Images, all which they invocate for help, with most religious devotion:) They all expect the very same salvation from the broaden god, as from Christ himself the very God; for it is very Christ's body, blood, bones, flesh, Boots, and spurs, and all. Their detestable prayers to their breaden god, are infinite in number and sacrilege; I will not stir that sink now. But can we sufficiently detest, or be too opposite to a religion, whose god may be stolen away, as Laban's, (Why hast thou stolen my gods? where Chrysostom saith, Art thou not ashamed of the speech? what, can they be stolen and be gods too?) whose god may be burned in the fire, as the bread even after consecration; whose god may be eaten by dogs, mice, worms, yea, by his worshipper. Avernoes, after his long travel and experience of many religions, detested, as worst and fondest of all, the Christian Religion, because (said he) they tear him with their teeth, whom they worship as a god.

Can we be too far from that religion, whose god may poison him that eats him, as in many instances I could show in their host? and whose god may be broken to pieces, and some of them reserved for relics? shall we be so senseless as they, to expect salvation from that, which cannot save it self from worms?

The second reproof (after Churches) lighteth on many persons that seek and expect salvation, not from the Lord, but from the devil, seeking to Witches and sorcerers; a common sin even of hearers of the Word. Consider some reasons, showing the wickedness of it.

1. It is against God's Commandment, Levite. 19. 26, • 1. Ye shall use no enchantment, the soul that turneth after such I will set my face against, and cut off. God by his Law pronounceth death on the Witch, and the seeker to him; see, Deut. 18. 10.

2. All commerce with the devil, directly or indirectly, mediately or immediately, is condemned.

First, the open compact with Satan by the Wisard, who openly invocates the devil, and for his help renounceth his Creator, his Baptism, Jesus Christ, and his redemption, worships the devil, executes his commands, &c. It is absolutely wicked, to require this of them which they cannot do without their own destruction, and wraps themselves in the sin; for, not principals only, but accessories are worthy of death Rom. 1. 32.

Secondly, for the secret compact on thy part thou seekest them; for thou gettest no cure, but by faith in that diabolical means, nor farther than thou bewrayest distrust, infidelity, contempt, and rebellion against God, as Elijah said to Ahaziah, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou goest to Baalzebub the god of Ekron? 2 Kings 1. 3.

3. It is a sign of a man or woman in a woeful estate, that seeketh to witches.

First, he is an unbeliever; if the word had prevailed to heal his infidelity, he would not seek to Witches; faith makes no such haste.

Secondly, he is one that carelessly or maliciously rejects the Gospel, and therefore God gives him over to manifest and open contempt of him. Pharaoh despising the Word, is given over to be deluded by Sorcerers; Saul, for disobedience to the Word, is given over to seek to Witches; he did it not before God was gone from him, see 2 Thess.