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<DATE>2009-01-19</DATE>
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<NAME>Judith Siefring</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>GOOD NEVVES
FOR ALL CHRISTIAN
<HI>SO&V;LDIERS.
OR</HI>
The way to overcome the Devill
by the bloud of the <HI>Lambe.</HI></P>
<P>As it was delivered in a Sermon
<HI>BY</HI>
JOHN EACHARD,
Pa&s;tour of <HI>Dar&s;ham</HI> in <HI>Suffolke.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>REVEL. 12. 11.</BIBL><P>They overcame them by the bloud of the Lambe.</P></Q>
<P><HI>Publi&s;hed according to Order.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON</HI>;
Printed by <HI>Matthew Simmons</HI> in <HI>Alder&s;gate-&s;treete.</HI>
1645.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>&leaf;To the Chri&s;tian Reader.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">The Que&s;tion of a Presbytery or Independent
decided; and al&s;o of Chri&s;tmas day.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_DEare Chri&s;tian Reader,</HI> bought full dearly with
the precious bloud of the Lambe; There is a Que|&s;tion
in our tottering and falling kingdome of
<HI>England, divided again&s;t it &s;elfe,</HI> and there|fore
as our Saviour te&s;tifieth, <HI>cannot &s;tand,
Mark.</HI> 3. 24. Which I conceive, if it be not ta|ken
up, will bring it to de&s;olation the &s;ooner.
And that is the Que&s;tion now in agitation;
<HI>Some for a</HI> Presbytery, <HI>and others for an</HI> Independent-<HI>Government
of the Church.</HI> &V;nto whom I an&s;wer, as our Saviour did, to the two
Sonnes of <HI>Zebedee,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 20. 20.</NOTE> de&s;iring a Petition; <HI>The one to &s;it on his right
hand, and the other on his left, in his Kingdome.</HI> Chri&s;t told them;
<HI>You know not what you aske; Are yee able to drinke of the cup,
that I &s;hall drink of, and to be baptized, with the bapti&s;me, that I
&s;hall be baptized with?</HI> And though you may; <HI>yet that &s;hall be given
of my Father, to them for whom it is prepared,</HI> Mat. 20. 20. As if
he &s;hould have &s;aid; Doe you dreame of a temporall Kingdome, wherein
you de&s;ire to be chiefe? This is but Ambition; <HI>you know not what you
aske. For my Kingdome is not of this world:</HI> Prepare your &s;elves
for the Cro&s;&s;e, and <HI>through many afflictions, to enter into the king|dome
of heaven,</HI> Act. 14. 22. You mu&s;t drink of the cup and bapti&s;me
of afflictions. And though they &s;aid, <HI>They were able;</HI> yet it was not in
their power; for they fled in his pa&s;&s;ion: <HI>yee &s;hall be baptized with the
bapti&s;me of affliction,</HI> which you cannot e&s;cape; <HI>but to fit at my right
hand, and at my left, it is not mine to give,</HI> nor wi&s;ely done of you to
aske it; <HI>for that &s;hall be given of my Father:</HI> So I &s;ay to you, <HI>Presby|ters,</HI>
and <HI>Independents;</HI> You would &s;it on the right hand, and at the
<PB REF="3">
left, in his Church, and Kingdome; I tell you, you know not what you
aske; for our Church of lukewarme <HI>Laodicea,</HI> &s;hall drink of a bitter cup
of calamities, and be baptized with great afflictions: And do you dreame
of a temporall Kingdome? Wherein you de&s;ire to be chiefe? You know not
what you aske; for the Government of a Church, mu&s;t be given of the
Father of heaven; not &s;uch as you imagine; and al&s;o to whom he plea&s;e.
What did the two brethren get, but di&s;daine of the ten? So there be ten
to two again&s;t you in heart, for your Petition, and think them&s;elves as
wi&s;e, as you, and have the di&s;daine of five to one against you; and you two
Brethren, are ready to de&s;troy each other, for the preheminence. Doe you
not know that old <HI>Axiome</HI> of Satan, and of the Je&s;uites? <HI>Divide, &amp; vince,</HI>
divide them, and overcome; it mu&s;t needs be of Satan; for God is the Au|thor
of peace, and lover of concord, and ble&s;&s;er of it, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 133. 1, 2, 3.
I de&s;ire you to love it al&s;o. Satan by his in&s;truments hath buzzed into
the phanta&s;ies of many people, that wee &s;hall have a wor&s;e Government,
for the Con&s;cience, then before; to &s;et them again&s;t the Parliament, and
one &s;ide again&s;t another; and they have to&s;&s;ed this ball, up and downe, by
many rea&s;ons in print; and they &s;trive for the live-childe; 'tis mine &s;ay the
<HI>Presbyters,</HI> and thine is dead; nay, 'tis mine, &s;ay the <HI>Independents,</HI>
and thine is dead: and many people de&s;ire a new Government, before they
be hand&s;omely rid of the old. Are not you like the couple of men, that &s;trove
for the Beares skin before &s;he was dead? And &s;hee bit them both: So this
Beare of a civill warre, will bite you both, before it end. For there is a <HI>So|lomon</HI>
that hath called for a &s;word, to divide the living Childe, as you
&s;uppo&s;e, that you &s;trive for; for thus &s;aith the Lord: <HI>Behold, that which
I have built, will I de&s;troy, and that which I have planted, will I
pluck up, even this whole Land: And &s;eeke&s;t thou great things for
thy &s;elfe?</HI> (a <HI>Presbytery,</HI> or <HI>Independent) &s;eek them not; for, be|hold,
I will bring a plague upon all fle&s;h, &s;aith the Lord; but thy
life will I give thee for a prey, in all places whither thou goe&s;t.
i.</HI> If thou de&s;ire not great things, of a <HI>Presbytery,</HI> or <HI>Independent;</HI> for
they &s;hall not have their lives for a prey, that de&s;ire great things, in &s;uch
dangerous times as the&s;e are; for others will make a prey of them; for if
man &s;eeke for great things of a <HI>Presbytery,</HI> the <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI> and <HI>Prelates,</HI>
and <HI>Independents,</HI> will &s;eeke to make a prey of them: and if men &s;eek the
great things of an <HI>Independent,</HI> all others will make a prey of them.
<HI>Therefore &s;eek them not,</HI> Jer. 45. 4. &amp; 5. Con&s;ider what the Lord
&s;aith in <HI>Hag. 2. 22, 23. I will &s;hake the heavens, and the earth, and
<PB REF="3">
I will overthrow the Thrones of Kingdomes,</HI> (beware <HI>England)
and I will de&s;troy the &s;trength of the Kingdomes of the Heathen,
and I will overthrow the Chariots (or Ships) and tho&s;e that ride
in them, and the hor&s;e, and the riders, &s;hall come downe, every
one by the &s;word of his brother. i.</HI> By a civill warre. This was &s;poken
about the time of the building of old <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and how know you, but
that it doth agree to this time, wherein the <HI>New Jeru&s;alem,</HI> &s;hall begin
to be built? and <HI>Rome</HI> &s;hall be burnt, and the <HI>Jewes</HI> called. I doe finde
that the Lord threatned the Angels of the Church of <HI>Sardis,</HI> of the <HI>Lu|therans,</HI>
for lying in the dead faith, and not watching, but &s;leeping in
&s;inne, that he would come on them, as a theefe, and they &s;hould not know
what houre he would come upon them, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 3. That is, by a plundering,
robbing, and &s;poyling civill warre, that <HI>Germany</HI> &s;hall be like an hou&s;e
robbed of theeves: as M^r <HI>Brightman</HI> prophe&s;ied, of the &s;word to come up|on
the <HI>Lutherans,</HI> &s;ixteene years before it began. Doe you thinke it were
a fit time now, for the <HI>Lutherans,</HI> and <HI>Prote&s;tants</HI> in <HI>Ireland,</HI> now the
&s;word is upon them, to quarrell one with another, for a new Church-Go|vernment,
when they know not whether they &s;hall have any or no. So Chri&s;t
is now come, as a theefe upon our lukewarme Church of <HI>Laodicea,</HI> in <HI>Eng|land;</HI>
with the judgement of a plundering, robbing, &s;poyling, &s;tealing,
civill warre; that both <HI>England,</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> &s;hall be like an hou&s;e rob|bed
of theeves; for Chri&s;t is now come, to fulfill his promi&s;e, or threat,
again&s;t the lukewarme Angels, of our Church of <HI>Laodicea,</HI> in <HI>England;
Becau&s;e thou art lukewarme, neither hot nor cold, it will come to
pa&s;&s;e, that I &s;hall &s;pue thee out of my mouth,</HI> Rev. 3. 16. Is not this
Scripture fulfilling in your eares, this day? That Chri&s;t is &s;puing out the
lukewarme Angels of <HI>England,</HI> out of his mouth. And &s;ome have a
little hope to remaine, and yet you cannot tell, whether Chri&s;t will &s;pue
them out al&s;o; they fall to &s;trife for a Church-Government, when you doe
not know, whether Chri&s;t will &s;pue out the lukewarme Church of <HI>England</HI>
out of his mouth; as well as the Angels? And you rea&s;oned &s;o faire both,
that you have divided your Citie, and Armies; as you remember lately at
<HI>Dunnington Ca&s;tle:</HI> If you goe on with this Controver&s;ie, the kite is at
hand, to catch both at &s;trife. See another place of Scripture, <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. 15.
<HI>Behold, I come as a theefe; ble&s;&s;ed is he that watcheth, and keep|eth
his garments, that he may not walke naked, and they &s;ee his
filthine&s;&s;e,</HI> I would faine know why this Scripture is not fulfilled in our
dayes. This place troubled <HI>Theodore Beza,</HI> as if it had come into a place
<PB REF="4">
unmeet: but I gather this is the Rea&s;on, that it might not be knowne,
at what time, Chri&s;t would come upon all the world, whether under the
fourth, fift, or &s;ixt Viall, and therefore you &s;ee it comes in by a parenthe|&s;is,
that it might not be knowne;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 3. 3.</NOTE> for Chri&s;t &s;aid to <HI>Sardis, he would
come on them, as a theefe, and thou &s;halt not know, what houre I
will come upon thee, as a theefe.</HI> So this generall coming of Chri&s;t as
a theefe, by a civill warre, on all the world, is &s;o brought in, that it might
not be knowne, untill he came, which now it appeares, is come upon <HI>Eng|land,</HI>
and upon all the world. For when the fourth Angel had powred out
his Viall on the Sunne, <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. 8. here in <HI>England,</HI> and it was given
him to torment men with heate of fire, and men have boyled in great heat,
and bla&s;phemed the Name of God, (<HI>i.</HI> by rayling on the truth, and the
Children of God; as <HI>Brightman</HI>) therefore <HI>behold Chri&s;t is come as a
theefe upon England,</HI> and on all the world. Now he &s;aith, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is he
that keepeth his garments,</HI> which are neither an <HI>Epi&s;copacie,</HI> nor <HI>Pre&s;|bytery,</HI>
nor <HI>Independent,</HI> but they are the <HI>white wedding garment
of Chri&s;ts righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, that is bright, and &s;hining, the righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e
of the Saints;</HI> which make us trimme and ready for our bride|groome;
which was put on at Bapti&s;me, by the Father, Sonne, and
Holy Gho&s;t, when &s;hee was baptized into Chri&s;t, and put on Chri&s;t,
<HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 27.</P>
<P><HI>And what &s;ay you to this Scripture;</HI> Sonne of man prophe&s;ie, and
&s;ay, A &s;word, a &s;word, both &s;harp, and furbu&s;hed. It is &s;harpned, to
make a &s;ore &s;laughter, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 21. 9. I will overtune, overturne,
overturne it, and it &s;hall be no more, untill he come, <HI>ver.</HI> 27. A
kingdome divided cannot &s;tand. <HI>The rea&s;on why,</HI> Becau&s;e thou re|maine&s;t
in thy filthine&s;&s;e, and wickedne&s;&s;e. Becau&s;e I would have
purged thee, and thou wa&s;t not purged, thou &s;halt not be purged
from thy filthine&s;&s;e, till I have cau&s;ed my wrath to light upon thee;
I the Lord have &s;poken it, it &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e, and I will doe it,
I will not goe back, neither will I &s;pare, neither will I repent; ac|cording
to thy wayes, and works, &s;hall they judge thee, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 24.
13, 14. <HI>But God hath purged the lukewarm Angels, and Church of</HI> Eng|land,
<HI>by Bapti&s;me, but they will not beleeve it,</HI> and I have coun&s;elled
thee, and thou wilt not be coun&s;elled, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 18. to buy of me gold,
white raiment, and eye-&s;alve, for thou wilt not beleeve, that I have
purged thee from thy &s;innes in Bapti&s;me, and clothed thee with
white raiment, that no filthine&s;&s;e of &s;inne &s;hould appeare. <HI>Ergo.</HI>
<PB REF="4">
Thou &s;halt not be purged from thy filthine&s;&s;e, till I have cau&s;ed my
wrath to &s;ei&s;e upon thee: I the Lord have &s;poken it, it &s;hall come
to pa&s;&s;e, and I will doe it, I will not goe backe, neither will I &s;pare,
neither will I repent; I will &s;pue thee out of my mouth, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 16.
<HI>And here is one cau&s;e why the lukewarme</HI> Hierarchie <HI>is &s;pued out of
Chri&s;ts mouth, and when God can lie, they &s;hall be in hope to remaine
there &s;till.</HI></P>
<P>Tell me, you that &s;trive for a <HI>Presbyteriall,</HI> or <HI>Independent</HI> garment,
whether you be &s;ure, that Chri&s;t is not come in now, to &s;ee his gue&s;ts? that
have been a bidding to the Marriage of the Kings Sonne of Heaven, by
faith, and Bapti&s;me, the&s;e 1600. yeares; for no que&s;tion <HI>tho&s;e by the
hedges, and high wayes,</HI> are the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> which were called by faith,
and Bapti&s;me, to be married to Chri&s;t. When the <HI>Jewes</HI> refu&s;ed, and
would not come (&s;aith <HI>Brightman</HI>) his &s;ervants have called the <HI>Gen|tiles</HI>
to the marriage, and the marriage is furni&s;hed with gue&s;ts, of good
and bad, <HI>Mat. 22. 10. Then the King came in to &s;ee the gue&s;ts;</HI> &s;ig|nifying
not before it was furni&s;hed with gue&s;ts; which is now accompli&s;h|ed;
For Chri&s;t <HI>is now come as a theefe,</HI> unexpected, to view all the gue&s;ts
of the Churches of Chri&s;tendome, whether they have <HI>a wedding garment</HI>
or no; not whether they have an <HI>Epi&s;copall,</HI> or a <HI>Presbyteriall,</HI> or an <HI>In|dependent;</HI>
but <HI>white raiment of the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the Saints,</HI>
which is Chri&s;ts, wherein no &s;inne appeares; &s;uch as have none, <HI>&s;hall be
bound hand and foote, and ca&s;t into hell, as</HI> Mat. 22. 13. And &s;uch
as have <HI>defiled their garments,</HI> &s;hall be &s;poyled by a civill warre, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.
3. &amp; 4. And &s;o the <HI>Jewes</HI> &s;hall be called, and that bride &s;hall make her
&s;elfe ready, and trimme, for her bridegroome, by faith, and Bapti&s;me; for
the word, <GAP DESC="foreign">, in the Parable, &s;ignifieth, that there &s;hall be two mar|riages;
the one of the <HI>Gentiles</HI> (the la&s;t called, was fir&s;t married) and
the other of the <HI>Jewes;</HI> (the fir&s;t called, &s;hall be the la&s;t married) for
there &s;hall be an <HI>Hallelujah</HI> &s;ung in heaven, for the marriage of the
Church of the <HI>Jewes</HI> unto Chri&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 6. &amp; 7. Well, Chri&s;t is come
<HI>as a theefe,</HI> by a civill warre, and to view his gue&s;ts; you mu&s;t make ac|count,
he will not returne untill he have put them all out of the marriage-chamber,
that have not on a <HI>wedding garment,</HI> and he be married to the
bride of the <HI>Jewes.</HI> Now he &s;aith, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that keepeth his gar|ments,
that he may not walke naked in &s;inne before God.</HI> That
Church, or people, is ble&s;&s;ed, and &s;hall have a Government given them of
my Father. For they keepe the word of my patience, which is the faith in
<PB REF="5">
<HI>the merits of Chri&s;ts death in bapti&s;me, and Chri&s;ts blood; there|fore
I will deliver them from the hour of tentation that is come
upon all the world, to try them that are upon the earth,</HI> Rev. 2. 10.
Now let any man &s;hew that there &s;hall come another hour of tentation,
<HI>i.</HI> a more generall judgement of a civill war upon all the world, but this,
which is now come. For my part, I look not for another; but that this
civill war begun, &s;hall la&s;t till <HI>Rome</HI> be burnt, and the <HI>Jewes</HI> called;
and therefore is it time now, to &s;trive for a <HI>Presbyterie,</HI> or <HI>Independent,</HI>
in &s;uch an hurly-burly, of a civill war? where no face of a Church &s;hall
&s;earce remain, when it is more needfull to &s;trive for a wedding garment;
<HI>for to him that overcometh, and keepeth his garments,</HI> Rev. 16. 15.
<HI>will I give,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>to &s;it with me in my Throne,</HI> Rev. 3. 21.
&s;ignifying that &s;hall be the conquering and raigning people, <HI>whom
Chri&s;t hath loved and wa&s;hed from their &s;ins in his own blood,
and made Kings and Prie&s;ts to God his Father, and they &s;hall raign
upon earth,</HI> Rev. 1. 5. and 5. 10.</P>
<P>Let <HI>England</HI> con&s;ider Chri&s;ts words; <HI>Rev. 3. 18. I coun&s;ell thee
to buy of mee gold, tried in the fire, that thou maye&s;t be made
rich;</HI> which is the lively faith, in the merits of Chri&s;ts death, in bapti&s;me
which make men rich, that were poor by <HI>Adam: and white raiment,
that thou maye&s;t be cloathed, that the filthine&s;&s;e of the wickene&s;s
of &s;in may not appeare,</HI> which is the white wedding garment of ju&s;ti|fication,
which makes a Chri&s;tian know, hee is ready for Chri&s;t, when he
hath it; <HI>and eye-&s;alve of the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t,</HI> that we may &s;ee, how
to walk by the Spirit, and in di&s;cipline of the Word; for, untill this
coun&s;ell of Chri&s;t be taken in <HI>England,</HI> both of the Angels and Church,
this war will not cea&s;e: for untill a mans wayes (or Churches wayes)
plea&s;e the Lord, he will not make all <HI>his enemies to be at peace with
him,</HI> Prov. 16. 7. And when &s;hall that be in <HI>England,</HI> think you?
when they will be guided by his coun&s;ell, <HI>i.</HI> Rev. 3. 18. he will then re|ceive
them to glory, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73. Now many men dote &s;o much about
Di&s;cipline, that they think to make a rare Church by it, but are greatly
deceived. For if a man &s;hould take a company of <HI>Vipers,</HI> to make them
<HI>Nightingals,</HI> do you think he can make them &s;uch by Di&s;cipline? all the
orders and skil, let him order them how he can, will not make them become
<HI>Nightingals;</HI> but if he can make them new creatures, they may be made
<HI>Nightingalls,</HI> as well as any other creature. There were two Phari&s;ees
which were the generation of <HI>Vipers,</HI> Matth. 3. which were made &s;weet
<PB REF="5">
<HI>Nightingals</HI> by bapti&s;me, wherein they were made new creatures, and
&s;ang &s;weetly in the night; as <HI>Nicodemus,</HI> that having learn'd the doctrine
of regeneration, of water and the Spirit in bapti&s;me, he was &s;o changed,
that in the night, when the other Phari&s;ees as <HI>Vipers,</HI> would have con|demned
Chri&s;t, &s;ang for him thus; <HI>Doth our law condemn any man
before it heare him?</HI> and hee &s;weetly buried him with &s;weet odors:
And another notorious <HI>Viper,</HI> that was a murtherer, and a bla&s;phemer,
<HI>Saul,</HI> was &s;o changed by bapti&s;me, when he did ari&s;e and was baptized,
he wa&s;hed away his &s;ins, in calling on the name of the Lord, that of a
murtherer and bla&s;phemer, he became a &s;weet Preacher of the Go&s;pel, by
night, and till the dawning of the day, and &s;ang P&s;almes in the night,
&s;o &s;weetly, that the Lord heard him, and &s;ent an earthquake, <HI>Acts</HI> 16.
Wherefore, if you would make a good Church, it mu&s;t be by faith in our
bapti&s;me into Chri&s;t, when wee were little children; and by the white
raiment of Chri&s;ts righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e applyed by faith: Di&s;cipline may or|der
a childe in good manners, but he mu&s;t have a &s;oul and body fir&s;t.
Now <HI>Bapti&s;me</HI> and the <HI>white raiment,</HI> is as the &s;oul and body of all
Chri&s;tianity, he that wants faith in this, cannot tell, whether hee be in
Chri&s;t or no: Di&s;cipline may order a Church, but cannot make one.
Truly, I never look to &s;ee a pure Di&s;cipline, untill the <HI>Jewes</HI> be called,
(which I wi&s;h all the faithfull to pray for) except the woman clothed
with the <HI>Sun,</HI> begin to make one, which hath the <HI>bright morning Star,</HI>
which are that cha&s;t and holy Congregation, as <HI>M^r. Brightman</HI> calls them,
which are the place of Gods plea&s;ures, and the hill of his delights, wherein
God taketh more delight, then in any thing of the world, as <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 17.
which Church is now ari&s;ing out of the corruption of the Church of <HI>Lao|dicea,
Corruptio unius e&s;t generatio alterius,</HI> for though he will &s;pue
the luke-warm out, yet there is a few names in <HI>Laodicea,</HI> that &s;hall &s;it
with Chri&s;t in his Throne; wherefore if you be brethren, and going to
the new <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> remember <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> words to his brethren, Fall not
out by the way for a Di&s;cipline, who &s;hall have the preeminence: <HI>Let not
him that putteth on the armour, boa&s;t as he that putteth it off;</HI> for
as victory is of the Lord, &s;o is government. If you look for government be|fore
wee have peace, <HI>the gift of God,</HI> you reckon without your hoa&s;t;
wherefore I command you from the Lord, <HI>&s;tudy to be quiet, and do your
own bu&s;ines,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 4.</NOTE> and <HI>work out your &s;alvation with fear and trembling,</HI>
and per&s;wade <HI>Euodius</HI> of the <HI>Presbyters,</HI> and be&s;eech <HI>Syntiche</HI> of the
<HI>Independents,</HI> to be of one accord in the Lord, and labour all to overcome
<PB REF="6">
the Devill by the bloud of the Lamb, as this Sermon &s;hews you, who would
&s;et you together by the ears, to kill one another, that he might get both.</P>
<P>I have writ of the mi&s;eries of <HI>England,</HI> and of the remedies of the
&s;ame, and have &s;hewen at lea&s;t forty cau&s;es, how the Bi&s;hops have brought
the &s;word upon the land, and therefore are ju&s;tly put down of the Lord
and his Parliament, which I purpo&s;e to &s;et in print, if Satan hinder it
not. Let it not be &s;aid, that the <HI>Presbyters</HI> and <HI>Independents</HI> have
&s;et di&s;&s;ention in the Parliament, and City, and in the Armies, and
brought the &s;word into their own bowells, to make the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> &s;port;
wherefore let no man &s;peak any more of any government, in the Church
of <HI>England,</HI> except by Parliament, untill the wars cea&s;e; tho&s;e that
&s;hall remain, &s;hall pray unto the Lord, to &s;hew them &s;uch a Di&s;cipline
out of Gods Word, as &s;hall be plea&s;ing unto him. Men may imagine,
that there may be a &s;miling &s;hew of peace, but they &s;hall finde, that <HI>Male
&s;arta gratia nequicquam coit,</HI> there is &s;o much blood in the morter,
that it will not daub, love will not grow within, there is &s;o much blood
without; and yet for my part, I de&s;ire, if the Lord will, and pray for the
peace of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> that peace may be within our walls, and plenteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e
within our palaces; for no peace, no plenty: for where wars and &s;e|dition
remain, wee mu&s;t look for earthquakes, famine, and pe&s;tilence,
<HI>Luke</HI> 21. 9, 10, 11. you &s;hall have little plea&s;ure in a <HI>Presbyterie,</HI> or
<HI>Independencie,</HI> before the&s;e warres cea&s;e; for there is a flood of Gods
judgements coming now on all the world; there &s;hall none e&s;cape, but
tho&s;e that get into the Ark of the faith of their bapti&s;me into Chri&s;t,
1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 21. and &s;uch as take Chri&s;ts coun&s;ell, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 18. which are
the ble&s;&s;ed people, that keep Chri&s;ts garments unto them, that their filthy
nakedne&s;&s;e may not be &s;een, <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. 15. and &s;uch as keep the word of his
patience, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 10. the&s;e &s;hall be delivered from this hour of tentation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Que&s;tion."> Now there is another Que&s;tion al&s;o, among many people; for they dote
about que&s;tions now, whether the 25<HI>^t^h</HI> day of <HI>December</HI> ought to be
kept, for Chri&s;tma&s;s day, as an holy day, in remembrance that Chri&s;t was
born on that day; for how know you, &s;ay many, that Chri&s;t was born on
that day more then another? the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> keep it ten dayes before us, and
other Churches not on our day, and they &s;ay it was the &s;horte&s;t day of the
yeere, and therefore &s;eeing it is &s;o uncertain, let it be aboli&s;hed, wee will
keep none.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;wer."> I an&s;wer, How did the <HI>Jewes</HI> know which was the right Sabbath,
<PB REF="6">
but by the <HI>Manna</HI> the day before? And how did they know by the <HI>rods,</HI>
which was cho&s;en to be Prie&s;t; but becau&s;e one budded and blo&s;&s;omed,
and brought forth ripe Almonds? So I know that <HI>England</HI> doe keep the
right day that Chri&s;t was borne on, above all the Nations in Chri&s;ten|dome,
becau&s;e we have a miracle hath often been &s;eene in <HI>England</HI> upon
that day; for we have a tree in <HI>England,</HI> called the <HI>Holy thorne,</HI> by
<HI>Gla&s;&s;enbury Abby,</HI> nigh the <HI>Bathe,</HI> which on the 25. day of <HI>Decem|ber,</HI>
which is our <HI>Chri&s;tma&s;&s;e day,</HI> hath con&s;tantly blo&s;&s;omed; which
the people of that place have received from antiquitie, that it was that
kinde of thorne, wherewith Chri&s;t was crowned: Which I have received
from credible men, that have &s;eene the thorne, that have inquired, and
tooke the te&s;timony of the &s;ub&s;tantial&s;t-men in that Countrey, which did
affirme, that if you come to that tree over-night, there appeares nothing,
but a bare thorne; but come on <HI>Chri&s;tma&s;&s;e day,</HI> and it is blo&s;&s;omed;
Many people have come, and &s;eene it, &s;o that they would cut off a piece
with their knives, that it is much whitled; and &s;ome nigh that place
have graffed &s;ome of that thorne upon others, which doe al&s;o blo&s;&s;ome on
that day. You may reade of this Miracle in many Authors, and e&s;peci|ally
in <HI>Cambdens Britannia,</HI> a Chronicler to be credited, for that mat|ter,
becau&s;e there are &s;o many eye-witne&s;&s;es of knowne credit, that have
&s;eene, and te&s;tified of the &s;ame. Wherefore &s;o long as that Thorne &s;hall
blo&s;&s;ome in <HI>England,</HI> on Chri&s;ts Nativitie day, or can be proved, that it
hath blo&s;&s;omed on that day, <HI>England</HI> &s;hall keepe that day of prai&s;ing
God, for the birth of Chri&s;t. Becau&s;e the Angels &s;ung an hymne on
that day, <HI>Glory be to God on high, peace on earth, and good will
towards men;</HI> never more need for us, to pray, and &s;ing &s;o; for peace is
taken from the earth, and there is ill will towards men. I am per&s;waded
that the <HI>Jewes</HI> &s;hall receive their Chri&s;ts Nativitie day from <HI>England,</HI>
and from our blo&s;&s;oming Thorne, rather then from any other Church in
Chri&s;tendome. I wi&s;h if there be any <HI>Jewes</HI> in <HI>England,</HI> that are incre|dulous,
in this point, that they might be &s;ent to that place, to prove the
truth of it; for what doe we know, but that &s;ome of the <HI>Jewes</HI> may be
convinced by it, to be &s;orry that they crowned Chri&s;t with Thornes, and
de&s;ired his bloud to be upon them, and their children, by who&s;e bloud we
mu&s;t overcome the Devill?</P>
<P>Brethren, we &s;ay, that <HI>Omni &amp; nulli credere, utrum&abque; nefas,</HI> for
to beleeve all the fal&s;e miracles of <HI>Papi&s;ts;</HI> as of the coming of &s;oules out
of <HI>Purgatory,</HI> which is but the delu&s;ion of the Devill, were evill;
<PB REF="7">
and for me not to beleeve this of the Thorne, were al&s;o naught. Becau&s;e
for the&s;e Rea&s;ons, I am bound to beleeve it.</P>
<P>1. Becau&s;e my Father, which dedicated me to the Mini&s;try, before I
was borne, to be for the Lord. (And the world &s;hould &s;ee I was dedica|ted
to the Lord, if they would let my Books come out.) He having &s;eene
the tree, told me the di&s;cour&s;e of it, and the blo&s;&s;oming on that day.
I pondered it in my heart, with <HI>Mary.</HI> After that my brother went to
the <HI>Bathe,</HI> and &s;aw the tree, and tooke the Te&s;timony of hone&s;t, and &s;ub|&s;tantiall
men in the Countrey, which told him, of the con&s;tant coming of
people to &s;ee it, and how that &s;ome have graffed of it, upon other thornes,
which al&s;o doe blo&s;&s;ome on <HI>Chri&s;tmas day;</HI> and how it was whitled;
cau&s;ed me further to ponder it; and then hearing it confirmed by many
that came from the <HI>Bathe,</HI> and by the te&s;timony of credible Chroniclers,
<HI>Cambden,</HI> and others, that writ &s;o of it, being a thing that hath been
&s;eene of five hundred Brethren. Now for me not to beleeve my Father, and
brother, and &s;o many hone&s;t Witne&s;&s;es, and Hi&s;toriographers, that write
&s;o of it, were to account them all lyers, which in me were a &s;inne. Well,
you &s;ee my rea&s;ons, why I am bound to beleeve it. I will al&s;o &s;hew &s;ome
rea&s;ons, why &s;uch a perpetuall miracle &s;hal remaine in the world. All
will grant thus much, that Chri&s;t was crowned with thornes; for the
Scripture is cleare, <HI>Mat.</HI> 27. 29. and that thornes and thi&s;tles were the
cur&s;e of the earth for <HI>Adams</HI> &s;inne, is plaine, <HI>Gen.</HI> 3. 18. Now it is cer|taine,
that Chri&s;t being crowned with thornes, tooke the cur&s;e upon him;
for as God the Father hath throwne upon him the iniquities of us all,
<HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53. 6. and &s;o he threw on him the cur&s;es of us all, and &s;et the cur&s;e of
the earth upon his head, in that he was crowned with thornes by the Soul|diers;
it was the determinate coun&s;ell of God, that Chri&s;t &s;hould be made
a cur&s;e for us;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 13.</NOTE> <HI>for cur&s;ed is every one that hangeth on a tree;</HI> and
that he &s;hould beare the cur&s;e of the earth al&s;o, which was impo&s;ed, as the
fruit of mans &s;inne, and therefore he did not onely <HI>beare our &s;innes in
his owne body upon the tree,</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 24. but al&s;o the cur&s;e of the
earth, which was thornes, which came for mans &s;inne. Now when &s;inne
was throwne upon everla&s;ting Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;inne mu&s;t needs be over|come,
&s;aith <HI>Luther;</HI> for Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e was infinite, and could not be
overcome; and therefore mu&s;t needs conquer &s;inne: So the cur&s;e of thornes
being &s;et upon Chri&s;ts head, which was everla&s;ting holine&s;&s;e, Chri&s;t hath
turned away the cur&s;e of that Thorne, and in token that it was &s;et upon
the head of <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>God-man,</HI> that he hath taken away the cur&s;e of
<PB REF="7">
the earth to beleevers, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 13. That Thorne by a perpetuall miracle
&s;hall blo&s;&s;ome on <HI>Chri&s;tmas day morning,</HI> to the end of the world, for
the convincing of unbeleeving <HI>Jewes</HI> and <HI>Gentiles.</HI> That Chri&s;t did
come on that day, and for the confirmation of the faith of beleevers, not
onely by the world of God, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 13. but by that miracle al&s;o, that Chri&s;t
was made a cur&s;e for us, and hath taken away the cur&s;e of thornes of the
earth to all beleevers; and being everla&s;ting ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e, hath made the
cur&s;ed thorne to become a ble&s;&s;ed thorne, and therefore called an <HI>Holy
thorne</HI> to this day; and that as the Angels &s;ung on that day, &s;o &s;hould
wee &s;ing with them that &s;ung on that day; <HI>Glory be to God on high,
peace on earth, and good will towards men.</HI> And I wi&s;h that all
faithfull Preachers of <HI>England</HI> might preach on that text, on every
Chri&s;ts nativitie day, becau&s;e the Angels have given us that text from
heaven; &s;aying, <HI>Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, that unto
you is borne this day in the Citie of David, a Saviour, which is
Chri&s;t the Lord.</HI> Therefore &s;ing and make melody in your hearts to the
Lord: <HI>Glory be to God on high, peace on earth, and good will
towards men.</HI> They which doe this in faith, that they are in him that
is true, in that his Sonne Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which is very God, and eternall
life, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 20. by Bapti&s;me into him, &s;hall finde more peace with God
in con&s;cience, and finde good will with men, that are the children of God.
I &s;peake not this, that I would have a carnall <HI>Chri&s;tmas</HI> kept, in pro|phanene&s;&s;e,
as it hath been much abu&s;ed, but a &s;pirituall day, in duties of
piety and charitie to the poore, to &s;hew our &s;elves Chri&s;tians, by honour|ing
Chri&s;t in his birth day.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thine in the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,
J. E.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="8">
<HEAD>&para;The Contents of the Doctrines, Rea&s;ons,
and U&s;es, handled in this in&s;uing Treati&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>_GOod Newes for Souldiers, or the way to overcome
the Devill, by the bloud of the Lamb, <HI>Rev.</HI> 12. 11.
The Expo&s;ition from the 7. ver&s;e, to the 12. to
make entrance.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Doctrine,</HI> That all faithfull Souldiers, that love not
their lives to the death, &s;hall overcome the Devill by
the bloud of the Lambe: <HI>and the proofes.</HI><LIST>
<ITEM>Three things requi&s;ite for to make a man able to
overcome the Devill, and all his enemies.<LIST>
<ITEM>1. He mu&s;t have the golden faith of his Bapti&s;me for his
Regeneration.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. He mu&s;t have a lively faith in the white raiment of
Chri&s;ts Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>And 3. Eye-&s;alve of the Spirit of Chri&s;t.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Six Rea&s;ons.<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> When Satan tempts to &s;inne, or de&s;paire, &s;hew
him the bloud of the Lambe.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> When he &s;hews to Con&s;cience the cur&s;e of the
Law, &s;hew him the bloud of Chri&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> When he fights again&s;t Con&s;cience with the
feare of death, &s;ay, <HI>O death, where is thy &s;ting?</HI> here is
the bloud of the Lambe.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> When he fights again&s;t Con&s;cience with the
feare of hell, &s;hew him the bloud of the Lambe, &s;aying,
<HI>O Hell, where is thy victory?</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> For by the bloud of the Lambe wee are Conque|rours
already.</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB REF="8">
6. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> For by the bloud of the Lambe, wee are more
then Conquerours. And that in foure Re&s;pects.
U&s;es how to di&s;arme Satan.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Objection. <HI>I am not afraid of the Devill, but I am
afraid of the</HI> Papi&s;ts, <HI>and</HI> Rebels <HI>of</HI> Ireland, <HI>to cut my
throat.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>An&s;wer.</HI> If thou ha&s;t prevailed over the God of this
world, thou &s;halt prevaile with men.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Object.</HI> They are wonderfull &s;trong; They have great
Iron and Bra&s;&s;e Ordnance.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>An&s;.</HI> So had the <HI>Canaanites</HI> Chariots of Iron.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Doctrine,</HI> That all that fight again&s;t the Devill, with
the &s;hield of Faith, of the bloud of the Lambe, and
the word of their te&s;timony, &s;hall &s;urely over|come
him; for they by it quench all his fiery darts.<LIST>
<ITEM><LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e by the word of our te&s;timony, wee
give God the glory of his holine&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e by it, wee give him the glory of his
wi&s;dome.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> We give him the glory of his truth.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> We give him the glory of his power.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> We give him the glory of his mercy.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> We give unto God the glory of his Ju&s;tice, in
three points of Ju&s;tice.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Foure &s;leights of Satan, to take this &s;hield of faith out of
thine hand.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>U&s;e.</HI> If Souldiers will give God the glory of his holines,
then they mu&s;t beware of whoredome, and keepe their bo|dies
cha&s;te, and pure, Temples for the Holy Gho&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>U&s;e.</HI> If you give God the glory of his wi&s;edome; then
aske coun&s;ell of the Lord for every battell; as <HI>David</HI>
did; and you &s;hall prevaile, as he did.</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB REF="9">
3. <HI>U&s;e.</HI> If you give glory to the truth of God; then Soul|diers
mu&s;t &s;peake and practi&s;e truth; accu&s;e none fal&s;ly,
and then plunder them.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>U&s;e.</HI> If you give glory to the power of God; &s;prinkle the
bloud of the Lambe well, and you &s;hall be &s;hot-free; how|&s;oever,
Devill-free.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>U&s;e.</HI> If you give glory to the mercy of God; you mu&s;t be
mercifull, as your Father is mercifull; not cruell: and to
whom Ju&s;tice.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6. <HI>U&s;e.</HI> If you give God the glory of his Ju&s;tice; you mu&s;t
practi&s;e Ju&s;tice towards men in three poynts.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Again&s;t the <HI>Anabapti&s;ts,</HI> which would not have the Law
Preached.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The&s;e things may doe good to many Chri&s;tian Soul|diers.
Let none &s;top them from the Pre&s;&s;e.</P>
<BYLINE>Written by <HI>J. E.</HI></BYLINE>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="9">
<HEAD>GOOD NEVVES
FOR ALL CHRISTIAN
SOULDIERS.</HEAD>
<P>_DEare Chri&s;tians, in &s;tead of complementing
Eloquence, I &s;hall endeavour to &s;hew you,
that love not your lives unto the death,
how to overcome the Devill, by the bloud
of the Lambe, and by that word of your
te&s;timony. <HI>Revel.</HI> 12. 11. In the 7^t^h ver&s;e,
wee heare there was a battell in Heaven,
<HI>i.</HI> in the Church, &s;aith <HI>Brightman;</HI> and &s;o
there is now; <HI>Michael, and his Angels fought&punc;
Michael,</HI> which is by interpretation, <HI>Quis &s;icut Deus,</HI> he was &s;ent
to de&s;troy his enemies, that ro&s;e up again&s;t his Church, when it
lay in the Wilderne&s;&s;e; for the wrath of the Dragon, as it doth
now lie in warre by the wrath of the Dragon the Devill, and the
Bea&s;t, and fal&s;e Prophet. <HI>Michael,</HI> the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, then
whom none is &s;tronger in heaven or earth. <HI>For who is like our God</HI>
(as <HI>Meyer</HI> noteth) <HI>in heaven? i.</HI> in the ju&s;tified Church, which is
rightly called <HI>heaven;</HI> as, <HI>Gal. 4. 26. Jeru&s;alem which is above, is the
mother of us all;</HI> is the holy Catholick Church (&s;aith <HI>Luther</HI>) out
of which Satan was ca&s;t, which led the people to dumb Idolls,
<HI>Eph.</HI> 2. 2. And &s;o he &s;hall in this battell; for <HI>Michael,</HI> and his An|gels,
will fight for you, which is called the great Prince, for the
people of God, <HI>Dan. 10. 21. i.</HI> Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who&s;e Angels are (as
<HI>Bullenger</HI> noteth) tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ed mini&s;tring Spirits, and all faithfull
Chri&s;tians, which &s;erve the Lord Je&s;us, to fight again&s;t Antichri&s;t,
and his in&s;truments.</P>
<P><PB N="2" REF="10">
<HI>And the Dragon, and his Angels fought, i.</HI> all evill &s;pirits, and all
evill men, as the wi&s;e and rich of this world, that fight again&s;t the
Go&s;pel, and again&s;t a reformation: who&s;e power, and &s;ubtiltie,
are their armour, to fight again&s;t the Church; again&s;t whom you
mu&s;t fight with &s;pirituall armour, <HI>Eph.</HI> 6. 13. For you have <HI>Mi|chael</HI>
your Prince, that will give you the crowne of victory, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2.
10. <HI>Marlorat.</HI></P>
<P><HI>A great battell;</HI> fir&s;t, in re&s;pect of the Souldiers, all beleevers on
the one part, and all unbeleevers on the other part.</P>
<P>Secondly, In re&s;pect of the time; the <HI>Enmitie between the &s;eed of
the woman, and the &s;eed of the Serpent,</HI> is the cau&s;e of it; and <HI>there|fore
as the &s;eed of the bond-woman per&s;ecuted the &s;eed of the free-woman,</HI>
&s;o it is now, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4. 29. that now reached to you, and will be
to po&s;teritie.</P>
<P>Thirdly, The manner of the Battell; all beleevers fight by the
bloud of the Lambe, and by the word of their te&s;timonie, which
are invincible. But the adver&s;aries fight with infidelitie, and armed
with lies: the ju&s;tified mu&s;t fight by faith in the bloud of the
Lamb, that <HI>he hath loved you, and wa&s;hed you from your &s;innes in his
own bloud, to make you without &s;pot, or wrinkle, or any &s;uch thing,</HI> Eph.
5. 26. and <HI>made you Kings and Prie&s;ts to God his Father;</HI> and prove
it by the Word, <HI>Rev. 1. 5. Col.</HI> 1. 22. That he hath throwne upon
Chri&s;t the iniquities of us all, <HI>i. e.</HI> guilt and puni&s;hment. The other
fight by infidelitie, which doe not beleeve this, but by hatred, lies,
and &s;word, per&s;ecute them that beleeve &s;o; <HI>for the Devill was a lyer
from the beginning, and a murtherer,</HI> as his children are.</P>
<P>Ver. 8. <HI>But they prevailed not.</HI> Here is comfort for all you faith|full
Souldiers, they &s;hall not prevaile again&s;t you; for <HI>the gates of
bell &s;hall not prevaile again&s;t the faith</HI> of your free ju&s;tification by
Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.</P>
<P><HI>His place was no more found in heaven. i.</HI> The Devill was ca&s;t out
of heaven, that <HI>accu&s;ed the Saints before God day and night,</HI> by the
victory of Chri&s;t upon the Cro&s;&s;e, (&s;aith <HI>Elton.</HI>) And the Heathen
Emperour, a Dragon, was ca&s;t out of the heaven of the Church,
by <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Brightman;</HI> and the Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Pro|phet
mu&s;t be ca&s;t out of the heaven of the Church, by our <HI>Mi|chael.</HI>
i. Chri&s;t, and his Souldiers, which all you are, that are faith|full;
For by our <HI>Michael,</HI> he is ca&s;t out of the hearts of the Elect;
<PB N="3" REF="10">
as the Apo&s;tles &s;aw <HI>Satan fall like lightening from heaven,</HI> Luk. 10.
18. as <HI>Meyer.</HI> For now is the Judgement of this world, now &s;hall
the Prince of this world be ca&s;t out; &s;o now &s;hall Antichri&s;t be
ca&s;t out of the Church of <HI>England;</HI> not &s;o much for the &s;word, as
by the Word preached. For where the death of Chri&s;t is preached,
and by faith received, (<HI>that he bare all our &s;innes in his body upon the
tree,</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 24. <HI>That we being dead to &s;inne, &s;hould live in righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e,
by who&s;e &s;tripes yee were healed</HI>) the Devill mu&s;t needs be ca&s;t
out, &s;aith <HI>Marlorat.</HI> So that here is the cau&s;e why Satan dwells in
the hearts of the wicked, they beleeve not, that the bloud of the
Lamb hath purged their hearts from all &s;inne; therefore Satan
an uncleane &s;pirit will dwell in that heart that is not wa&s;hed by
faith in the bloud of the Lambe. But where the heart is wa&s;hed
by faith in that bloud, Chri&s;t dwells there, as <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 17. For
where Chri&s;t is received into the heart, for Idolatry and &s;uper|&s;tition,
true Religion and piety comes in; for carnall rea&s;on,
the Spirit of God comes in, which illuminates the minde, and
changeth the will to God, from uncleanne&s;&s;e, to &s;anctitie; as
<HI>Marlorat.</HI></P>
<P>Ver. 9. <HI>And the great Dragon, the old Serpent, &amp;c.</HI> The Devill is
called <HI>the old Serpent</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Pignetius</HI>) becau&s;e he hath alwayes
deadly poy&s;on, prepared to infect men.</P>
<P>Secondly, He is the &s;ame that labours by all meanes, to hinder
you from Paradi&s;e, as he cau&s;ed our fir&s;t parents to be ca&s;t out,
and therefore &s;o much the rather to be taken heed of, in his pra|cti&s;e,
to bring thee to &s;inne; for if he did thus to our fir&s;t parents,
when they were pure from all &s;pot of inherent &s;innes, what will
he doe again&s;t thee that art inherently uncleane by &s;inne, if thou
ha&s;t not the bloud of the Lambe?</P>
<P><HI>Which is called the Devill,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, i. <HI>Calumniator,</HI> a <HI>Caviller,</HI> or
an <HI>Accu&s;er;</HI> &s;o that you &s;ee, that cavillers again&s;t the faithfull, and
accu&s;ers of the Brethren, for the true faith in Chri&s;ts bloud, and
righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, change names with the Devill, called <HI>Satanas,</HI> i. <HI>ad|ver&s;arius,</HI>
an adver&s;ary. <HI>i.</HI> becau&s;e he is &s;uch an enemie, as his chil|dren
are, and adver&s;ary to the profe&s;&s;ors of free Ju&s;tification, that
by the bloud of Chri&s;t, and his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, men &s;hould be &s;aved
and be made without &s;pot, before the Throne of God, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 5.
Satan cannot abide that doctrine.</P>
<P><PB N="4" REF="11">
<HI>Which deceiveth all the world;</HI> Becau&s;e he per&s;wadeth men, con|trary
to the Word of God (as <HI>Bullenger</HI> and <HI>Mu&s;culus.</HI> i. the Re|probate)
by his fallacies, and lies, (as <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith) to feare, le&s;t as
Satan &s;educed <HI>Eve,</HI> &s;o your minds &s;hould be corrupted from the
&s;implicitie that is in Chri&s;t, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 3. He was ca&s;t downe to the
Earth, even to be troden under foote of men; as <HI>P&s;al. 91. 13. Thou
&s;halt goe upon the Lion, and the A&s;pe; the young Lion, and the Dragon,
&s;halt thou tread under thy feet;</HI> as <HI>Luk.</HI> 10. 19.</P>
<P><HI>He is ca&s;t downe to the earth.</HI> i. to hurt earthly minded men one|ly;
for <HI>woe to the inhabitants of the earth, and of the &s;ea, becau&s;e the
Devill is come down amongst you, that hath great wrath, becau&s;e his time
is but &s;hort:</HI> So you &s;hall finde that the&s;e warres &s;hall be wofull to
the Inhabitants of the earth, and Sea, by the Devils meanes; but
it &s;hall not hurt the true Church. For Satan departing from them
that are faithfull, and overcoming him by the bloud of the Lambe,
he &s;hall hurt onely earthly-minded men, that preferre earthly
things before heavenly, and contemne the truth, as <HI>Era&s;mus.</HI> And
they are ca&s;t into the earth, in re&s;pect of any power to doe hurt to
you the children of God, but &s;hall hurt earthly men by Sea and
Land.</P>
<P><HI>Ver. 10. Then I heard a loud voyce in heaven.</HI> For the faithfull
cannot but prai&s;e God for the confu&s;ion of Satan, their deadly ene|my,
&s;aith <HI>Pignetius. Hic ergo</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, a &s;ong of triumph, of the
Church triumphing over the Devill that is overcome; which
&s;hews the cau&s;e why many men doe not prai&s;e the Lord with a
loud voyce, they beleeve not the Devill is overcome, therefore they
are afraid of him.</P>
<P><HI>In Heaven.</HI> i. In the Church, which dwels in the large heaven of
remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, and in the kingdome of heaven, which is righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e,
and peace, and joy in the Holy Gho&s;t, as <HI>Luther.</HI> And
hath her <HI>conver&s;ation in heaven,</HI> Phil. 3. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</P>
<P><HI>Now is &s;alvation;</HI> For where &s;inne reigned, there perdition had
a place; but where the Go&s;pel reignes, <HI>i.</HI> the glad tydings, that
Chri&s;t hath purged your &s;innes in his own per&s;on, and <HI>is &s;et downe
at the right hand of God,</HI> Heb. 1. 3. there is life and &s;alvation.</P>
<P><HI>And &s;trength;</HI> Not of men, but of God; for the right hand of the
Lord hath the preheminence, and therefore he will give his Church
the victory.</P>
<P><PB N="5" REF="11">
<HI>And the Kingdome of our God,</HI> wherein the Devill reigned (&s;aith
<HI>Mu&s;culus</HI>) by Idolatry.</P>
<P><HI>And the power of his Chri&s;t:</HI> for his power appeares e&s;pecially
in converting men to his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>For the accu&s;er of the Brethren is ca&s;t down;</HI> for this is the pro|perty
of the Devill and his In&s;truments, and if he can, to lay open
to damnation, tho&s;e that he &s;u&s;pects &s;hall be heirs of heaven, and
a&s;cend to that place from which hee fell, which he doth mo&s;t
commonly by Scripture,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 3.</NOTE> as to Chri&s;t; wherefore I have laboured
in the&s;e fourteen differences, to di&s;arm Satan (again&s;t the con|&s;ciences
of all true believers) of his &s;trong holds to accu&s;e the con|&s;cience,
and to &s;hew you a mo&s;t certain victory by Chri&s;ts blood,
as you may &s;ee: but they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,
<HI>i.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 11.</NOTE> they got victory, not by their own &s;trength or merits, but by the
free grace and favour of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, they overcame the power
of the Devill, as <HI>Meyer.</HI></P>
<P><HI>By the blood of the Lamb,</HI> i. By faith in the death of Chri&s;t, which
makes men conquerers (as <HI>Marlorat</HI>) over all enemies; for we
are to under&s;tand, that Chri&s;t hath not only got victory over the
Devill in his per&s;on, but hath left power to his ju&s;tified children,
to get victory al&s;o over him in our per&s;on, and in our con&s;ciences,
and that is, <HI>by the blood of the Lamb.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doctr."><HI>Hence I gather,</HI> That all faithfull &s;ouldiers, that love not their lives
unto the death, &s;hall overcome the Devill by the blood of the Lamb, and
the word of their te&s;timony.</P>
<P>All you that truly believe, that the blood of the Lamb hath
purged you from all &s;ins, &s;hall get victory over the Devill; this
is not only plain by the Text, which &s;aith, <HI>They overcame him by
the blood of the Lamb,</HI> &amp;c. the word of their te&s;timony, but al&s;o by
the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul, that giveth thanks for the victory through our Lord
Je&s;us Chri&s;t, 1 Cor.</HI> 15. And what victory is that, but even over &s;in,
death, and the Devill? for Chri&s;t by his blo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">d on the Cro&s;&s;e,
&s;poiled Principalities, and Powers, and de&s;troyed him that had the
power of death, the Devill, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 15. for he took away the &s;ting
of death, which is &s;in: <HI>By his blood,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>and the &s;trength of &s;in, which
is the law,</HI> which was by that blood blotted out, <HI>Col.</HI> 2. 14. And
therefore we &s;ay, <HI>Thanks be to God, which hath given us victory through
our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> that is, to our faith, and hath given you
<PB N="6" REF="12">
power to get victory over the Devill to your &s;elves and con&s;cien|ces,
<HI>by the blood of the Lamb;</HI> for that mu&s;t needs be fulfilled in the
members, that is fulfilled already in the Head, &s;aith <HI>Meyer.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd proof is 1 <HI>John 4. 4. Little Children, yee are of God,
and have overcome them; for greater is hee that is in you, then he
that is in the world.</HI> For where Chri&s;ts blood dwells he dwells:
in <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 3. he &s;aith, <HI>that every &s;pirit that confe&s;&s;eth not that Je&s;us Chri&s;t
is come in the fle&s;h, is not of God;</HI> but <HI>this is the &s;pirit of</HI> Antichri&s;t.
Some may object the Devill, and the Pope confe&s;&s;e &s;o much, there|fore
to the word <HI>come in the fle&s;h</HI> you mu&s;t under&s;tand, And
wa&s;hed us from our &s;ins in his own blood, and made us Kings and
Prie&s;ts to God his Father, and that the blood of the Lamb hath
made us clean from all &s;in, before the Throne of God, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 5.
That neither the Devil nor the Pope believe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 1. 7.</NOTE> for he hath invented a
Purgatory to purge them from &s;in after death; for he believes not
the blood of the Lamb hath purged them from all &s;in in this life.
<HI>But little children, yee are of God (i.</HI> all you true Believers, that have
faith that the blood of Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath purged your &s;ins) and
<HI>have overcome them, i. Satan, Antichri&s;t,</HI> and all his &s;ervants; for
&s;eeing Chri&s;t hath given you victory over the Devill, certainly you
have victory over his &s;ervants, &s;aith <HI>Aug. Marlorat; for greater is he
that is in you, then he that is in world;</HI> for Chri&s;t dwels in your
hearts; where his blood dwels by faith, that is greater then the
Devill that dwels in the hearts of all unbelievers, where the blood
of the Lamb is not &s;prinkled by faith. And therefore wee over|come
not by our own power, but by the &s;trength of Chri&s;t; for
we mu&s;t needs be overcome, if we tru&s;t to our own &s;trength, &s;aith
<HI>Calvin:</HI> as to the arme of fle&s;h, or great ordnance, ammuniti|on,
&amp;c. which he will cau&s;e them &s;ometime to lo&s;e, to cau&s;e them
know, that their victory mu&s;t be by the blood of the Lamb.</P>
<P>Now there be three things requi&s;ite to make a man able to over|come
the Devill, and all his enemies.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, hee mu&s;t be born anew in Chri&s;t, <HI>of water, and the holy
Gho&s;t,</HI> as 1 <HI>John</HI> 5. 4. for &s;o by regeneration, hee is freed from the
bondage of &s;in, death, the Devill, and Hell: hee mu&s;t believe his
Bapti&s;me, that he is new born of God, which is the foundation of
our victory over the Devill; as the Virgin &s;aid to the Devill, temp|ting
her, <HI>I am a Chri&s;tian, and am baptized,</HI> and the Devill fled.
<PB N="7" REF="12">
This is that gold of a lively faith, in the merit of Chri&s;ts death in
Bapti&s;me,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 3. 18.</NOTE> in our infancy, when wee knew not what Chri&s;t did
for us; as <HI>John</HI> 13. 7. but do know it after that we are there
buried with Chri&s;t, and new born, and &s;o were made capable
to overcome the Devill by the blood of the Lamb, when wee
&s;hould have faith in the &s;ame afterward. If we do not for&s;ake our
fir&s;t bapti&s;me to take a &s;econd, for that is to depart from the faith;
for if God have but one bapti&s;me, the &s;econd is of the Devil, and all
that are baptized again &s;hall be overcome of the Devill, which
do not believe Chri&s;ts words, that he that is wa&s;hed, <HI>i.</HI> in bapti&s;me,
if elect, is clean every whit, needeth not &s;ave to wa&s;h his feet, <HI>i.</HI> his
con&s;cience and conver&s;ation in the blood of the Lamb, in the other
Sacrament, but like fools, will have their hands and head wa&s;hed
again, which is a thing abhorred of God, and of all his true
Churches, that ever have been &s;ince the Apo&s;tles time.</P>
<P>Secondly, hee mu&s;t have true faith in the vertue of Chri&s;ts re|&s;urrection;
that hee is ri&s;en again for our ju&s;tification; that hee
hath clothed you with the white raiment of his own righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e,
that your filthy nakedne&s;&s;e &s;hould not appeare: as <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 18.
for if any &s;in be imputed before God, the Devill will be too hard
for thee; for thou that believe&s;t not, that the blood of the Lamb
hath wa&s;hed away all thy fins before God, and that the white rai|ment
of Chri&s;ts righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e hath not covered all thy &s;ins,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 32. 1.</NOTE> thou
art not fit to be a Captain, or &s;ouldier, for the Devill &amp; the World
will overcome thee; for by this, a man denies him&s;elf, to be all in
Chri&s;t, and in his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: for who&s;oever is clothed with
the garment of &s;alvation, he &s;hall be &s;aved, and overcome the De|vill
and the World; but by faith in the white raiment, we believe
we are clothed with the garment of &s;alvation, <HI>E&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> 61. 10. there|fore
wee &s;hall overcome. Thus, when a man will be nothing in
him&s;elf, or in his own righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, or &s;anctification, but to be
altogether in him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 5. 4.</NOTE> <HI>Phil.</HI> 3. 9. therefore S^t. <HI>John</HI> &s;aith in the &s;ame
place, <HI>this is our victory which overcometh the world, even our faith;</HI>
What faith is that?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 20.</NOTE> he tels you in 20^t^h ver&s;e, <HI>that wee are in him
that is true: in that his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the &s;ame is very God, and
eternall life:</HI> for when a man is in Chri&s;t by bapti&s;me, for his per|&s;on,
and in his white raiment by faith to his con&s;cience, hee is
made partaker of Chri&s;ts victory upon the Cro&s;&s;e, over &s;in, death,
<PB N="8" REF="13">
the Devill, and Hell; for by faith in the white raiment, that Chri&s;t
is ri&s;en again for our ju&s;tification, and hath ju&s;tified us, we receive
power to &s;ubdue &s;in, the world and the Devill, which are all over|come
by faith in our fir&s;t re&s;urrection, which is to our per&s;ons and
bapti&s;me, when our bodies are wa&s;hed with pure water, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 23.
but the fir&s;t re&s;urrection to our con&s;ciences, is when wee are con|verted,
and believe the white raiment is ours, that clotheth us, that
our filthy nakedne&s;&s;e &s;hould not appear, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 18. wherein wee
&s;hew we are ri&s;en with Chri&s;t, <HI>Col.</HI> 3. v. 1. for all that appeared to
bring tidings of Chri&s;ts re&s;urrection, appeared in white, or &s;hining
raiment, to &s;hew, that no man can tell of his fir&s;t re&s;urrection, un|till
he can tell of his white raiment: as <HI>Matth. 28. 3. Mar.</HI> 16. 5.
<HI>Luke 24. 4. Jo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 21. 12. all in white;</HI> &s;o mu&s;t you, if you be ri&s;en
with Chri&s;t, you mu&s;t appear in white, or el&s;e no victory over
the Devill.</P>
<P>Thirdly, hee that would overcome the Devill, and all his In|&s;truments
of the world, hee mu&s;t not be a blind &s;ouldier, as many
are that fight for money, and by ends, but get the Devill into their
hearts by covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e and cheating &s;ouldiers, as <HI>Judas</HI> did, and
the Devill gets them, as he did him; you mu&s;t therefore buy of
Chri&s;t, eye-&s;alve of his Spirit, <HI>i.</HI> to walk by the Spirit, to fight by
the Spirit, <HI>i.</HI> by the directions of the Oracle of Gods Word: for
men ought not to fight any battell, before they have asked coun&s;el
at the Oracle of Gods Word, as <HI>David</HI> did, to know whether God
do approve of that war or no; and eye-&s;alve to di&s;cern the true
Religion from the fal&s;e, for el&s;e he may fight for the fal&s;e Reli|gion,
for <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and not for Chri&s;t; and al&s;o for eye-&s;alve of
the Spirit, hee may keep him&s;elf from all wickedne&s;&s;e when hee
goes forth with the ho&s;t, <HI>Deut.</HI> 23. 9. to keep a good con&s;cience be|fore
God and before men; for he that will plunder, rob, &s;poil, and
&s;teal, and whore, and do wickedly, &s;hall not overcome the Devill,
but is overcome of him. Thus mu&s;t a true Chri&s;tian &s;ouldier &s;tand
out in life and death, again&s;t all adver&s;arie power what&s;oever.</P>
<P>Now, being thus prepared by Chri&s;ts coun&s;ell, to fight again&s;t
the World, and the Devill, I will &s;hew you, how you &s;hall over|come
the Devill by the blood of the Lamb, by divers Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on "> The fir&s;t Rea&s;on, why the be&s;t way to overcome the Devill, is
by the blood of the Lamb, becau&s;e you know the Devill fights
<PB N="9" REF="13">
again&s;t all men by &s;in, either tempting men to &s;in, or to de&s;paire
for &s;in committed. Now when a Chri&s;tian, tempted to commit &s;in,
&s;hews unto Satan the bloud of the Lambe, (as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> &s;aid) <HI>How
can I doe this evill,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 39. 9.</NOTE> <HI>and &s;in again&s;t God?</HI> So &s;ay thou, <HI>How can I doe
this evill, and &s;in again&s;t the bloud of the Lamb?</HI> Thou &s;halt overcome
him, as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> did. Or if Satan tempt thee to de&s;paire, as he did
<HI>Judas;</HI> if thou &s;hew him the bloud of the Lamb, he mu&s;t needs be
conquered; for by that, thou wilt te&s;tifie thy redemption, and the
murder of Satan, that thou ha&s;t redemption through the bloud of
the Lamb, the forgivene&s;&s;e of thy &s;ins; but the Devill hath not;
for this bloud of the Lamb te&s;tifies that Satan was a murderer from
the beginning, to our fir&s;t parents, to the fir&s;t <HI>Adam,</HI> and that he
hath &s;laine the &s;econd <HI>Adam,</HI> the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; here is the
bloud of the Lamb, that thou ha&s;t &s;hed; for, who put into the heart
of <HI>Judas,</HI> to betray him, and into the hearts of the <HI>Jewes</HI> to crucifie
him, but thou Satan? Therefore this bloud of the Lamb te&s;tifies
the remi&s;&s;ion of my &s;ins, and it te&s;tifies that thou art a murderer;
and thus the red colours of Chri&s;ts bloud, being di&s;played, Satan
cannot indure the field, but will flie like a beaten Souldier; for
hereby the Devill is redargued to be the &s;inner, and mu&s;t de|&s;paire.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on "> A &s;econd Rea&s;on, why you &s;hall overcome the Devill by the
bloud of the Lamb, becau&s;e Satan fights again&s;t men by the cur&s;e
of the Law, to &s;hew them how cur&s;ed they are by it; but by the
bloud of the Lamb, you &s;hall &s;hew unto him, that Chri&s;t by his
bloud hath redeemed you from the cur&s;e of that law, was made a
cur&s;e for you; for, <HI>cur&s;ed is every one that hangeth on a tree;</HI> that we
might obtaine the ble&s;&s;ing of <HI>Abraham.</HI> And this te&s;tifies my ble&s;|&s;edne&s;&s;e,
that <HI>Chri&s;t hath blotted out the hand-writing of the Law,</HI>
that made us cur&s;ed, <HI>by his owne bloud,</HI> Col. 2. 14. Thus by the bloud
of the Lamb, thou &s;halt te&s;tifie again&s;t the Devill, that thou art
freed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 8. 36.</NOTE> and <HI>if the Sonne hath made thee free, thou art free indeed,</HI> Joh. 8.
But this bloud of the Lamb te&s;tifies, Satan is a murderer, and &s;o
a tran&s;gre&s;&s;our of the Law, and therefore cur&s;ed. Now as men
that have committed murder, and they &s;ee 'tis di&s;covered, will pre|&s;ently
run away; &s;o Satan, &s;eeing men fighting again&s;t him, by the
bloud of the Lamb, that te&s;tifies their freedome from the cur&s;e of
the Law; and how they &s;tand fulfillers of the Law; and al&s;o te&s;ti|fying
<PB N="10" REF="14">
how the Devill is a tran&s;gre&s;&s;our, a murderer, and &s;o cur&s;ed
by it; he will not indure the field, 'tis time for him to run.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;on "> A third Rea&s;on, why thou &s;halt overcome him by the bloud of
the Lamb, becau&s;e Satan fights again&s;t all men, by the feare of
death. Now when thou &s;hewe&s;t unto Satan the bloud of the
Lamb, thou doe&s;t thereby te&s;tifie the victory of Chri&s;t over death,
&s;aying, <HI>Thanks be unto God, that hath given us victory over death, by
Chri&s;ts bloud;</HI> &s;o that death is unto me advantage; and by the
bloud of the Lamb te&s;tifie&s;t to Satan, that he is guiltie of the bloud
of thy husband. Now what murderer among&s;t men, will indure,
when he &s;hall heare a faithfull wife making an out-cry again&s;t
him, thus; O this man hath murdered my faithfull deare husband,
here is his bloud, that this man hath &s;hed, Murder, murder, mur|der,
make hue and cry after him, lay hold of him, carry him to
pri&s;on, to the barre, and to the Gallowes; &s;o when Satan heares
the faithfull &s;ay, O thou art guiltie of the bloud of my deare and
faithfull husband, the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, here is his bloud, carry
him to the pri&s;on of hell. Now as Satan is like his children, that
are murderers, he mu&s;t run, and be fearfull, as murderers are
afraid, and flee when none pur&s;ue them; &s;o is Satan the mo&s;t fear|full
coward in the world, that will flee fa&s;t enough, if you &s;hew
him the bloud of the Lamb; <HI>Re&s;i&s;t the Devill</HI> by it, <HI>and he &s;hall flee
from you,</HI> Jam. 4. 7.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Rea&s;on "> A fourth Rea&s;on, Becau&s;e when Satan fights again&s;t you, by the
feare of hell; &s;aying, O thou ha&s;t &s;inned &s;o many thou&s;and times;
when I &s;inned but once, I was ca&s;t out of heaven, and throwne
downe to hell, and re&s;erved in chaines of darkne&s;&s;e; but thou ha&s;t
de&s;erved hell many thou&s;and times, why &s;houlde&s;t not thou goe
to hell? thou mu&s;t &s;hew Satan the bloud of the Lamb, and in that,
thy victory over hell; and &s;ay with <HI>Paul, O hell, where is thy victo|ry?</HI>
thou ha&s;t no victory over me; for here is my di&s;charge, and
victory in the bloud of the Lamb; hell is for murderers; it is for
thee Satan, that wa&s;t a murderer from the beginning, and there|fore
hell hath victory over thee; for hell is prepared for the De|vill,
and his Angels; but heaven for you that overcome by the
bloud of the Lamb; <HI>For to him that overcometh, will I give to &s;it with
me in my Throne; as I overcame, and &s;it with my Father in his Throne,
Revel.</HI> 3. 21.</P>
<P><PB N="11" REF="14"><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Rea&s;on ">
A fift Rea&s;on, Becau&s;e Chri&s;ts bloud makes men conquerers al|ready,
over the world, the fle&s;h, and the Devill; for Chri&s;ts victo|ry
is ours; for he that can &s;ay, by faith, <HI>Thankes be unto God, that
hath given us victory,</HI> is a conquerer already. But all true beleevers
can &s;ay &s;o, 1 <HI>Cor. 15. Ergo,</HI> they are conquerers already.</P>
<P>Againe, All that are &s;aved already, by the bloud of the Lamb,
are conquerers already.</P>
<P>But all true beleevers are &s;aved already, as <HI>Eph. 2. 8. &amp; 2 Tim.</HI> 1.
9. They are conquerers already. <HI>i.</HI> to faith, though not to feeling;
for you are conquerers over the world by faith; as, 1 <HI>Joh. 5. For
this is our victory, that overcometh the world, even our faith.</HI> And you
are conquerers over the fle&s;h, by &s;elf-deniall, and mortification;
for he that &s;o conquereth him&s;elfe, <HI>is better then he that winneth a
Citie;</HI> and you are conquerers over the Devill, by the bloud of the
Lamb; as the Text.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Rea&s;on "> A &s;ixt Rea&s;on, why, Becau&s;e faith in the bloud of the Lamb
makes you more then conquerers; as <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 37.</P>
<P>How can that be, may &s;ome &s;ay? Can a man get more then the
victory?</P>
<P>I an&s;wer, By faith in the bloud of the Lamb, if thou wilt be|leeve,
thou art wa&s;hed in it by Bapti&s;me, it makes thee &s;uch a fa|mous,
renowned conquerer, that thou &s;halt be a noble triumpher
for ever in Chri&s;t, which is more then a conquerer; for as con|cerning
conquerers of this world, they may have victory to day,
and lo&s;e it to morrow; as <HI>Saul</HI> did; and many conquerers in the
world, as <HI>Alexander</HI> when he had conquered the world, he was
conquered of his own lu&s;t, <HI>Gladio vicit, vitiis victus,</HI> he overcame
by the &s;word, but was overcome of vice; but he that gets victory
by the bloud of the Lamb, is more then a conquerer; becau&s;e he
is a conquerer over &s;inne, the world, and Devill, through Chri&s;t
for ever.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Objection."><HI>Objection.</HI> How can this be? Doth not the Devill ca&s;t &s;ome in|to
pri&s;on, and per&s;ecute &s;ome to death; how are they then con|querers
over him?</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;wer."> I an&s;wer; 'Tis true, Satan &s;hall ca&s;t &s;ome of you into pri&s;on,
that you may be tryed ten dayes, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 9. 'Tis but for a triall of
your faith, in the bloud of the Lamb&punc; God will deliver you, as he
did <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> out of pri&s;on; and though Satan per&s;ecute &s;ome to
<PB N="12" REF="15">
death, yet &s;hall you be more then conquerers, even triumphers
in heaven; for as the Martyrs were more then conquerers in foure
re&s;pects, &s;o &s;hall you be.</P>
<P>1. In regard of the torments; they put the Martyrs to death,
to make them deny the bloud of Chri&s;t, they rejoyced in tribula|tion;
as the Di&s;ciples when whipped, rejoyced that they were
counted worthy to &s;uffer any thing for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, they were
more then conquerers by the joy which they have in &s;uffering;
but conquerers of men or Cities, when they have got the greate&s;t
victories, may &s;it downe, and weepe; as <HI>Titus Ve&s;pa&s;ianus,</HI> when he
had conquered, and &s;aw the de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> wept to &s;ee
the greatne&s;&s;e of the mi&s;ery of his enemies; &s;aying, <HI>This is not I,
but the hand of God for their &s;innes;</HI> but triumphant joy belongs to
the conquerers by Chri&s;ts bloud; as <HI>Haukes</HI> in the <HI>Acts</HI> and <HI>Mo|numents,</HI>
pag. 1447. in token of triumphant victory, to give a figne
to his friends, when his eyes were burnt out, and his hands on a
flaming fire, yet lifted up both the &s;tumps of his hands, and clap|ped
them over his head, declaring he was more then a conque|rer.</P>
<P>2. They are more then conquerers, in re&s;pect of the tormen|tors;
for they &s;trive to make them deny the bloud of Chri&s;t; but
the true beleevers, for all their torments, confe&s;&s;e Chri&s;t &s;o much
the more; the one fumes and chafes, that he hath not his will,
and is overcome; but the Chri&s;tian rejoyceth, and goes away with
the victory; as the tormentors of <HI>Blandina</HI> confe&s;&s;ed that &s;hee over|came
them.</P>
<P>3. They are more then conquerers, in regard of the unconver|ted;
for they put them to death, that they may convert no more;
but as <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> &s;lew more <HI>Phili&s;tims</HI> at his death, then he did in all
his life; &s;o doe the Martyrs often convert more at their death,
then they did in any time before; for when men &s;eek to conquer
Chri&s;tianitie, it conquers them (&s;aith <HI>Ju&s;tin Martyr:</HI>) as the Pa|pi&s;ts
confe&s;&s;ed in the <HI>Marian</HI> dayes, it was in vaine to burne any
more Hereticks, as they called them; for the more they burnt, the
more they increa&s;ed; and the converted were the more confirmed
by the patient &s;ufferings of the Martyrs; becau&s;e they would &s;uffer
for it, they beleeved it was the truth.</P>
<P>4. We are more then conquerers; becau&s;e we &s;lay our enemies
<PB N="13" REF="15">
with their own &s;word; <HI>Bis perimitur qui &s;uo gladio interimitur,</HI> he
is double &s;laine that is killed with his own &s;word; for true belee|vers
take the &s;word out of their own hands, and kill them with it;
as <HI>David</HI> did <HI>Goliah</HI> with his owne &s;word; &s;o &s;aid the Martyrs;
<HI>Thou &s;itte&s;t here to judge me, but I &s;hall judge thee one day; thou by kil|ling
my body, crowne&s;t me with life, but kille&s;t thy &s;elfe with eternall
death;</HI> as 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 15. Thus the &s;word, which the wicked have
drawne, &s;hall goe through their owne bowels.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> Well, is it &s;o, Satan fights again&s;t thee with &s;inne, the cur&s;e of
the Law, with death, and hell; Learne thou to di&s;arme the Devill;
as it is a &s;peciall poynt of policie in warre, to di&s;arme their ene|mies,
for &s;o they &s;hall deale with them as they li&s;t; &s;o &s;eeing Sa|tan
is the &s;trong man armed with &s;inne, and the re&s;t; but as Chri&s;t
di&s;armed him of all the&s;e by his death, &s;o &s;halt thou by the bloud
of the Lambe di&s;arme Satan of all his armour.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, for &s;inne; Doth Satan tell thee, thou art a great &s;inner?
di&s;play the red colours of Chri&s;ts bloud, tell him, 'tis true, I con|fe&s;&s;e,
I am by <HI>Adam</HI> a great &s;inner, and if I were not a &s;inner, I
&s;hould not need the bloud of the Lamb; <HI>for he came not to call the
righteous, but &s;inners to repentance;</HI> therefore I repent, and the bloud
of the Lamb by faith purgeth me from all &s;inne. I have read in
<HI>Luthers every dayes Sacrifice,</HI> p. 59. who reporteth of a poore man
in <HI>Friburge</HI> in <HI>Mi&s;nia,</HI> being di&s;tre&s;&s;ed for his &s;innes, and crying
out of the greatne&s;&s;e of his &s;innes; the Devill appeared unto him
with a writers Inkhorne, and bad him he &s;hould repeate all his
&s;innes, and he would write them down for him; the man percei|ving
it was the Devill, bad him write, <HI>The &s;eed of the woman &s;hall
cru&s;h the Serpents head;</HI> and with that, the Devill fled, and left &s;uch
a &s;tinke, as if he would have choaked them all; &s;o if thou &s;halt tell
Satan of the bloud of the Lamb, thou doe&s;t thereby declare, that
the &s;eed of the woman hath broken his head, he will flee.</P>
<P>Secondly, Doth he tell thee of the cur&s;e of the Law, and come
again&s;t thee with that armour? take this &s;word of the bloud of
the Lamb; you may reade of <HI>David,</HI> when he asked for the &s;word
of <HI>Ahimelech,</HI> they told him there was none but the &s;word of <HI>Go|liah;
O &s;aid David, there is none to that;</HI> &s;o if thou de&s;ire a &s;word
to goe di&s;arme the Devill with, take the bloud of the Lamb, 'tis like
the &s;word of <HI>Goliah,</HI> for his head was cut off with it; &s;o take the
<PB N="14" REF="16">
bloud of the Lamb, for the Devils head was broken with it; doth
he ca&s;t the cur&s;es of the Law upon thee? ca&s;t on him the bloud of
the Lambe.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Doth Satan fight again&s;t thee with the feare of death,
and hell? &s;hew unto him the bloud of the Lamb, bid him read,
Here's thy victory, O Death, O Hell; I have victory by the bloud
of the Lamb; I have an eternall redemption, through his bloud,
the forgivene&s;&s;e of my &s;innes, and I am a conquerer over death and
hell. But as we reade of men, that have committed wilfull mur|der,
the bloud of the &s;laine will hang upon them, that although
they rub and wipe, yet &s;till the bloud will hang upon them, and
di&s;cover them, they cannot get it off, e&s;pecially not from their con|&s;ciences,
that tels them of death and hell; &s;o when thou doe&s;t tell
Satan of the bloud of the Lamb, thy faithfull deare husband, he
cannot wipe nor rub off the cry of that innocent bloud, it will
hang about him, e&s;pecially upon his con&s;cience, and tell him of
death, and hell. Now when Satan heares thee te&s;tifie the great|ne&s;&s;e
of his &s;innes by the bloud of the Lamb, he will be gone; for
he is like a meere civill hone&s;t man, that can be content to heare of
any thing rather then his owne &s;innes; he can be content to heare
of other mens &s;innes, and laugh at them; <HI>for fooles make a &s;port of
&s;inne;</HI> they rejoyce at other mens &s;innes, e&s;pecially of profe&s;&s;ors; if
they fall but once, the Devill, and all civilians, will rejoyce at it;
but tell them of their owne &s;innes, and they will be gone; and &s;o
will Satan not indure to &s;ee the terriblene&s;&s;e of his &s;innes in the
bloud of the Lambe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> Is it &s;o that by the bloud of the Lamb you are conquerers alrea|dy,<NOTE PLACE="marg"> 1 Cor. 15.</NOTE>
becau&s;e you have victory already given unto you, and are &s;a|ved
already? &s;ee <HI>Deut. 33. 29. Ble&s;&s;ed art thou, O I&s;rael, who is like
unto thee, O people! &s;aved by the Lord; the &s;hield of thine help, and which
is the &s;word of thy glory; therefore thine enemies &s;hall be in &s;ubjection
unto thee, and thou &s;halt tread upon their high places.</HI> Here is admira|ble
comfort for you that are the faithfull Souldiers of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,
to incourage you to the warre, again&s;t all your &s;pirituall enemies,
becau&s;e you are &s;ure of victory; for what is the rea&s;on that many
are &s;o loath to goe to warre? becau&s;e they know not whether they
&s;hall have victory, or no; but if you could a&s;&s;ure every one of victo|ry,
of a crowne, and of a kingdome, you &s;hould have Souldiers
<PB N="15" REF="16">
enough; I tell thee that art a faithfull Souldier of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,
fight valiantly with the bloud of the Lambe till death, again&s;t the
world, the fle&s;h, and the Devill, and thou &s;halt be &s;ure of victory;
for Chri&s;t having overcome already, his victory is thine; <HI>Be thou
faithfull unto the death, and I will give thee a crowne of life,</HI> Rev. 2. 10.
<HI>And feare not little flocke, (i.</HI> that fight by the bloud of the Lamb)
<HI>for it is your Fathers plea&s;ure to give you a kingdome,</HI> Luk. 12. You have
conquered the world by faith, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 4. conquer your &s;elves, for
&s;o &s;hall you be wi&s;er then he that conquers a Citie; be an enemy
to the world, be an enemy to the Devill, but e&s;pecially to thine
owne fle&s;h; as a Martyr wrote to his wife, fight by the bloud of the
Lambe, and feare none of the&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."><HI>Object.</HI> O may, &s;ome &s;ay, I am not afraid of the Devill, but I
am afraid of the Papi&s;ts, and Rebels of <HI>Ireland,</HI> that they will cut
our throats, and take all; they are Devils incarnate; they do more
harme then the Devils to the Prote&s;tants.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;."><HI>An&s;.</HI> I an&s;wer, as the Lord &s;aid to <HI>Jacob, Thou ha&s;t prevailed with
God, thou &s;halt al&s;o prevaile with men;</HI> though his brother <HI>E&s;au</HI> came
again&s;t him with foure hundred men; &s;o I &s;ay to thee, thou ha&s;t
prevailed with the bloud of the Lamb, over the God of this world
the Devill, thou &s;halt al&s;o by the bloud of the Lamb prevaile with
men. <HI>Therefore feare not thou Jacob my &s;ervant, and I&s;rael whom I have
cho&s;en. Thus &s;aith the Lord, that redeemed thee, feare not, he will helpe
thee;</HI> as <HI>I&s;a. 44. 1, 2. &amp;</HI> 44. Thou ha&s;t overcome the Devill, the
Prince of the world, &s;houlde&s;t thou feare men?</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."><HI>Object.</HI> O they are wonderfull &s;trong, for they have great bra&s;&s;e
and iron Ordnance.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;."><HI>An&s;.</HI> I an&s;wer thee, as <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> did the Children of <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> when
they objected that the <HI>Canaanites</HI> had chariots of iron; <HI>He &s;aid un|to
the hou&s;e of Jo&s;eph, Thou art a great people, and ha&s;t great power, and
thou &s;halt ca&s;t out the Canaanites,</HI> though they have chariots of iron,
and be &s;trong, <HI>Thou &s;halt not have one lot. Therefore the mountaine
&s;hall be thine, for it is a wood, and thou &s;halt cut it downe, and the ends
of it &s;hall be thine, and thou &s;halt ca&s;t out the Canaanites,</HI> Jo&s;h. 17. 18.
For the ble&s;&s;ing of <HI>Jo&s;hua,</HI> and his telling them of victory, made
them valiant in battell; &s;o when the Prote&s;tants under&s;tand what
the Lord &s;aith to them in that place of <HI>Jo&s;hua,</HI> and in the 25. of
<HI>Numbers, 17. &amp;</HI> 18. and learne to fight again&s;t them by the bloud
<PB N="16" REF="17">
of the Lamb; they &s;hall vex tho&s;e <HI>Midianities,</HI> and <HI>Canaanites,</HI> and
&s;mite them that have beguiled them with their wiles, concerning
Idolatry, and as concerning their &s;i&s;ter <HI>Cozbi,</HI> the daughter of a
Prince of <HI>Midian.</HI> By the&s;e two wiles, are <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland</HI> be|guiled,
and the plague is come of a civill warre, you &s;hall overcome
them by the bloud of the Lamb.</P>
<P>It followeth; <HI>And by that word of their te&s;timony.</HI> This is added,
&s;aith <HI>Meyer,</HI> that we &s;hould know that the bloud of Je&s;us Chri&s;t
&s;hall not be profitable to us, except we beleeve it, and give te&s;timo|ny
of it. Many will boa&s;t that they are redeemed by the bloud of
Chri&s;t, when in the meane time, they refu&s;e the Go&s;pel. <HI>i.</HI> they re|fu&s;e
to beleeve the bloud of Je&s;us Chri&s;t clean&s;eth them from all &s;in
before God. And when men have lo&s;t this, how many inventions
doe men deceive them&s;elves with, to take away their &s;innes? Some
hope to take them away by pilgrimages; &s;ome by the Popes par|dons,
or by <HI>Purgatory;</HI> &s;ome by their holy walking, almes-deeds,
or repentance a little before they die, or good meaning; but &s;uch
are deceived, becau&s;e as Chri&s;t hath &s;anctified his Church &amp; clean|&s;ed
it by the wa&s;hing of water, through the Word; &s;o the way to
overcome &s;inne, and the Devill, is by the bloud of the Lamb, and
by that word of their te&s;timony. Hence wee gather this Do|ctrine,</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."><HI>That all that would overcome the Devill, by the bloud of the Lambe,</HI>
mu&s;t fight with the word of their te&s;timony. i. mu&s;t not onely have the
&s;hield of faith in the bloud of the Lambe, but the &s;word of the Spi|rit,
the word of God, whereby we give te&s;timony, or te&s;tifie of the
bloud of the Lamb. <HI>i.</HI> wee mu&s;t &s;hew our true faith by the word of
our te&s;timony. <HI>Ephe&s;. 6. 6. Above all, take the &s;hield of faith, where|with
yee &s;hall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked;</HI> for he
that can quench all his fiery darts, &s;hall &s;urely overcome him. This
&s;hield of faith that quencheth, is the bloud of the Lambe. <HI>Above all,</HI>
&s;ignifying that this is the mo&s;t &s;peciall thing, of greate&s;t weight,
to overcome the Devill by, which is called <HI>the wicked;</HI> and when
the children of the wicked &s;hoote fiery bullets, the be&s;t way to
quench them, is by faith in the bloud of the Lambe. Now you
know, if a man had &s;uch a &s;hield, as would &s;top, and quench, and
fence all the fiery bullets of the enemies in warre, what man would
goe to warre without it? &s;o when you know that the bloud of the
<PB N="17" REF="17">
Lambe will quench all the fiery darts of the Devill, who would goe
to warre without it? When the enemies &s;hoote wild-fire into a
Towne, you Souldiers know, milke will pre&s;ently quench it, though
it be &s;hot upon thatched hou&s;es, though it be the fierce&s;t fire; for
'tis a &s;ecret in nature, for milke to quench wild-fire. Now wee are
all in re&s;pect of the fiery darts of the Devill, like unto thatched
hou&s;es, ready to fire pre&s;ently, by rea&s;on of originall &s;inne, dwel|ling
in us. That if the Devill &s;hoote his fiery dart of lu&s;t, wee are
ready to flie on fire, as <HI>David</HI> did by looking on <HI>Bath&s;heba;</HI> we mu&s;t
quench it by the bloud of the Lambe. If he &s;hoote his fiery dart
of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, we are ready to burne, as <HI>A<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">han,</HI> if wee have not
the bloud of the Lambe, that quencheth covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. If he &s;hoote
the fiery dart of anger, and wrath, and revenge, wee are ready to
burne, as <HI>Joah;</HI> powre on the bloud of the Lambe, and it will quench
it. If he &s;hoote the fiery dart of de&s;paire, as to <HI>Caine,</HI> and <HI>Judas,</HI>
we are ready to flame, as they did; quench it with the bloud of the
Lambe, for the Apo&s;tle &s;ayes directly, <HI>by the &s;hield of faith yee may
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked;</HI> then if you doe not take it,
thanke your &s;elves, if you burne, for here is a &s;ecret in divinitie,
that the bloud of the Lambe will quench all the fiery darts of the
Devill; therefore, <HI>above all, take the &s;hield of faith,</HI> &s;ignifying that
this is the mo&s;t &s;peciall thing for a Souldier, and of greate&s;t nece&s;|&s;itie,
to be &s;ure he <HI>take the &s;hield of faith,</HI> in the bloud of the Lamb,
<HI>the helmet of &s;alvation, and the bre&s;tplate of Chri&s;ts righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and
the girdle of veritie, &amp; be &s;hod with the preparation of the Go&s;pel of peace;</HI>
yet Satan may &s;hoot &s;uch a fiery dart into thy heart, as may &s;et
thee on fire; therefore above all the&s;e, <HI>take the &s;hield of faith,</HI> where|by
yee may quench Satans fiery darts.</P>
<P>Things in Scripture that have the &s;pecialle&s;t <HI>Item,</HI> are of mo&s;t
&s;peciall u&s;e; as when he &s;aith, <HI>Doe good to all, e&s;pecially to the hou&s;e|hold
of faith. i.</HI> that are knowne to be the true Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t;
that are the children of the marriage chamber; &s;o the Apo&s;tle &s;ays,
<HI>The Elders that rule well, are worthy of double honour, e&s;pecially, they
that labour in the word and doctrine,</HI> 1 Tim. 5. 17. So above all
pieces of &s;pirituall armour, e&s;pecially <HI>take the &s;hield of faith,</HI> of the
bloud of the Lamb, to overcome the Devill by, to <HI>quench his fiery
darts.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="18" REF="18">
<HI>And by the word of their Te&s;timony.</HI> i. by that word which te&s;tifies
of the bloud of the Lamb we overcome him.</P>
<P>In <HI>Johns</HI> te&s;timonie of Chri&s;t, wee reade that he called Chri&s;t
<HI>the Lamb of God, that which taketh away the &s;innes of the world.</HI> i. he
was come to take them away. But now the Apo&s;tles and faithfull
Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, that are greater then <HI>John,</HI> for they beare a
greater te&s;timonie; for they te&s;tifie by the word, that the bloud
of the Lamb hath wa&s;hed away our &s;innes; for &s;o it is written in
the word, and wee te&s;tifie of it, <HI>Rev. 1. 5. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Col.</HI> 1. 14.
That <HI>he hath loved us, and wa&s;hed us from our &s;innes, in his own bloud,
and in whom we have redemption, through his bloud, the forgivene&s;&s;e of
our &s;innes.</HI> Marke, he te&s;tifieth <HI>we have,</HI> not <HI>we &s;hall have,</HI> and <HI>he
hath loved us,</HI> not <HI>he will.</HI> Now there be &s;ix Rea&s;ons, why the De|vill
is overcome, or a Chri&s;tian overcomes the Devill by the bloud
of the Lamb, and the word of that te&s;timony.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t Rea&s;on, Becau&s;e by our te&s;timony of that bloud, we give
unto God the glory of his holine&s;&s;e, again&s;t the Devill, and &s;ight,
and feeling; for when Satan &s;ays, Thou art an uncleane &s;inner,
and unholy, how &s;houlde&s;t thou come neare &s;o pure and &s;o holy
a God? &s;eeing thou art &s;o uncleane, and filthy by &s;inne, and &s;ight,
and feeling, will help Satan to condemne a mans own con&s;cience.
Now fir&s;t we mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e it; <HI>For if wee confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes, he is
faithfull and ju&s;t to forgive us our &s;innes, and to clean&s;e us from all un|righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI>
1 John. 1. 9. By confe&s;&s;ing the truth, wee &s;hame the
Devill; for we well know, wee are defiled with &s;inne by <HI>Adam;</HI>
but by the word of our te&s;timony of the bloud of the Lambe, that
hath purged us from all &s;inne, and <HI>having our garments wa&s;hed white
in the bloud of the Lamb,</HI> Rev. 7. 14. He <HI>hath made us holy, and un|blameable,
and without fault in his &s;ight,</HI> Col. 1. 22. and we are made
<HI>the Temple of God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 3. 17.</NOTE> that is holy, which are yee; that &s;o wee may ap|peare
beautifull in the fight of God. And by this manner of ap|pearing
before God, by the bloud of the holy Lamb, we acknow|ledge
God to be &s;o perfectly holy, that he cannot indure the &s;ight
of any uncleane thing. And thus wee give God the glory of his
holine&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 1. 13.</NOTE> and overcome the Devill, and &s;ight, and rea&s;on, that we
are made holy in the holy bloud of the Lambe, and of the holy
Catholick Church. For &s;hould the bloud of <HI>Adam</HI> make us un|holy,
<PB N="19" REF="18">
and &s;hould not the bloud of the Lamb make us holy? when
God &s;aith, <HI>we are holy;</HI> and tels us, how he hath made us holy;
<HI>for Je&s;us, that he might &s;anctifie the people with his own bloud, &s;uffered
without the gate,</HI> Heb. 13. 12. Thus by our word of te&s;timony of
the bloud of the Lambe, God hath the glory of his holine&s;&s;e, the
Devill and rea&s;on are redargued, and overcome, and our &s;oules
comforted by beleeving.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on."> A &s;econd Rea&s;on, Why, becau&s;e by the word of our te&s;timony
of the bloud of the Lamb, we give glory to the wi&s;dome of God,
and give him the glory of his wi&s;dome; for whereas 'tis the pra|cti&s;e
of the Devill to tempt men to bla&s;pheme God, by counting
him unwi&s;e, as to count preaching of the Go&s;pel <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e,</HI> and
the bringing Infants to holy Bapti&s;me a fooli&s;h thing, as an Ana|bapti&s;t
&s;aid, and by counting him unwi&s;e in his providence, as all
doe, that are di&s;contented with their e&s;tates; Now the word of
our te&s;timony of the bloud of the Lamb, per&s;wadeth us to beleeve
that God is wi&s;e&s;t, and be&s;t knoweth how to &s;ave Infants by Bap|ti&s;me,
as 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 21. and therefore commandeth them to be brought
to him, as all true Churches have done. And he knoweth by his
wi&s;edome to &s;ave them that beleeve, by preaching the Go&s;pel,
which the world calls fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e. Al&s;o this faith per&s;wadeth us
to beleeve, God is wi&s;e&s;t, and be&s;t knoweth what e&s;tate is be&s;t for
us; that &s;o again&s;t the Devill, &s;en&s;e, and rea&s;on, we wholly re&s;igne
our &s;elves unto his wi&s;e providence, and in that re&s;pect to be thank|full,
in all e&s;tates, as <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. 5. As thus the faithfull &s;ay in all
e&s;tates, health, or &s;ickne&s;&s;e, wealth, or povertie; <HI>&V;nto him that hath
loved us, and wa&s;hed us from our &s;innes in his owne bloud, &amp;c. he glory
and wi&s;dome.</HI> And thus <HI>Job</HI> overcame the Devill, that would have
had <HI>Job</HI> charge God fooli&s;hly, as if he had been unwi&s;e in his pro|vidence.
No;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 1.</NOTE> <HI>The Lord hath given,</HI> (health, wealth, and children)
<HI>and the Lord hath taken away; Ble&s;&s;ed be the Name of the Lord.</HI> As if
he &s;hould &s;ay, Ble&s;&s;ed be his wi&s;dome, I am his, let him deale with
me according to his wi&s;dome. Many men would have cryed out,
I am undone; I &s;hall &s;tarve; have I &s;erved God for this? Ile &s;erve
him no more; Ile goe &s;erve the Queene of Heaven, as the <HI>Jewes</HI>
&s;aid, <HI>Jer.</HI> 44. 17. No, but he &s;ays, <HI>the Lord hath given, and the Lord
hath taken, ble&s;&s;ed be the Name of the Lord;</HI> He is wi&s;e&s;t, ble&s;&s;ed be his
wi&s;dome; Ile &s;erve him &s;till, <HI>though he kill me, yet will I tru&s;t in him,</HI>
<PB N="20" REF="19">
Job 13. 15. So when we &s;ee and feele &s;inne rebelling in us, and &s;ee
our hou&s;es burnt, and all we have taken away, and our bodies &s;ick
and &s;ore, then to give glory to the wi&s;dome of God, that God hath
throwne on Chri&s;t the iniquities of us all; the &s;innes I &s;ee and feele,
and weep for, and mortifie, Chri&s;t hath borne them all in his own
body on the tree; he is wi&s;e enough to let &s;inne remaine in me, to
my feeling, and yet by the bloud of the Lambe to make me with|out
fault before his throne. Thus the Devill, and &s;en&s;e and rea&s;on
are overcome, and all the glory given to Gods wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;on."> A third Rea&s;on, Why we overcome him by the word of our te|&s;timony
of the bloud of the Lamb, becau&s;e wee give God thereby
the glory of his truth; for this is the practi&s;e of Satan, to make men
count God a lyer; as to <HI>Eve,</HI> that <HI>&s;hee &s;hould not die at all;</HI> and all
that beleeve not, make him a lyer, becau&s;e he beleveeth not the te|&s;timony
that God hath given of his Sonne, namely, that <HI>the bloud
of Je&s;us Chri&s;t clean&s;eth us from all &s;inne;</HI> but he that beleeveth this,
<HI>hath &s;ealed that God is true,</HI> Joh. 3. 33. he hath &s;et to his &s;eale, that
the bloud of the Lamb hath made him cleane from all &s;inne; for
what maketh a man beleeve, but that they judge him faithfull and
true? Faith then in this bloud, is the acknowledging of Gods
truth, which is an high honour given to God; for he maketh a
great reckoning and account of this truth. Thus faith in the bloud
of the Lamb, gets victory over the Devill, when he per&s;wades men
not to beleeve, but maketh God fal&s;e; but faith in the word of our
te&s;timony of the bloud of the Lamb, te&s;tifieth that <HI>the &s;eed of the
woman hath broke the Serpents head;</HI> and &s;o the Devill and infideli|tie
are overcome.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Rea&s;on."> A fourth Rea&s;on, Why, for this faith gives glory to God, in ac|knowledging
his Almightie power; for this is the practi&s;e of Sa|tan,
to per&s;wade men again&s;t the power of God, that it was impo&s;|&s;ible;
as he per&s;waded <HI>Cain, his &s;innes were greater then could be for|given
him.</HI> Many of the promi&s;es of God to his children, are of
things which &s;eeme impo&s;&s;ible, yet faith gives a&s;&s;ent thereunto,
and te&s;tifieth that God is Almightie; as <HI>Abraham</HI> when he heard
that he &s;hould have a &s;onne by <HI>Sarah,</HI> when &s;hee was barren, and
when it cea&s;ed to be with her after the manner of women; here
was a battell of faith again&s;t &s;ight and rea&s;on, and above <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ope,
yet he beleeved under hope, and gave glory unto God, that he
<PB N="21" REF="19">
which had promi&s;ed, was able to do it, and got victory. So it is
again&s;t &s;ight and rea&s;on, that the ju&s;tified &s;hould have &s;in dwelling
in them as long as they live, and rebelling; and yet the blood of
the Lamb &s;hould take away their &s;ins before the Throne of God;
this cannot be, &s;aid <HI>Bildad,</HI> again&s;t <HI>Job</HI> 25. For how &s;hould a man
be clean that is born of a woman? and therefore reproved of
God for it, <HI>Job</HI> 42. 7. but faith in the word of our te&s;timony in
Chri&s;ts blood, teacheth us to believe the Almighty power of the
blood of the Lamb, that it is able to do it again&s;t &s;ight and rea&s;on,
and per&s;wa&s;ion of the Devill, and gives glory to the Lamb, that his
blood was able to do it, that promi&s;ed that the new covenant was
&s;ealed in his blood, <HI>i.</HI> that our &s;ins and iniquities &s;hould be re|membred
no more, and thus the Devill and rea&s;on are overcome.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Rea&s;on."> A fifth Rea&s;on, why we overcome him by the word of our te&s;ti|mony
in that blood, becau&s;e &s;o we give glory to the mercy of God,
which is the proper object of Faith: For, when Satan per&s;wades a
poor &s;inner, that there is no mercy for him, but anger, and wrath
by our te&s;timony of the blood of the Lamb; wee are per&s;waded
that God is rich, yea infinitely abundant in mercie; and therefore
believeth the pardon of his &s;ins from the rich price of Chri&s;ts
blood, that was more worth then all the world; for while men are
per&s;waded by Satan, that God is poor in mercie; or that he hath
mercy for <HI>Abraham</HI> and the Righteous, and for others, but not
for them that are great &s;inners; therefore they de&s;pair, and do not
believe the pardon of their &s;ins. But by faith in the blood of the
Lamb, we give God the glory of the riches of his mercy; for had
he not been rich in mercy, he would never have given &s;uch a rich
price as the blood of Chri&s;t, which is more worth then all the
world; and by it, wee prove God is rich in mercy, and the Devill
is overcome, that per&s;wades us that God is poor in mercy, or hath
no mercy for us.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Rea&s;on."> A &s;ixth Rea&s;on, Why we overcome him by faith, in the te&s;ti|mony
of the blood of the Lamb, becau&s;e thereby we give glory to
the ju&s;tice of God: for when Satan objects, that God is a ju&s;t
God, infinite in ju&s;tice, and therefore mu&s;t needs puni&s;h &s;in; thou
ha&s;t &s;inned, and therefore &s;halt thou be puni&s;hed; but by the
blood of Chri&s;t, wee give God the glory of his ju&s;tice, by be|lieving,
that God is perfectly ju&s;t, that without expiation and &s;a|tisfaction
<PB N="22" REF="20">
for &s;in, there can be no hope of mercy. But now by the
blood of Chri&s;t, that was of infinite value, wee te&s;tifie that &s;ati&s;|faction
is made to Gods ju&s;tice; and therefore we believe that
Gods ju&s;tice will not exact that of us, for which Chri&s;t hath &s;a|tisfied
with his own blood, but will manife&s;t his mercy and fa|vour,
which is purcha&s;ed for us with the blood of God, <HI>Act.</HI> 20. 28.
Thus ju&s;tice and mercy are met together in the blood of the Lamb,
the ju&s;tice of God is &s;atisfied by throwing upon him the iniquities
of us all, by &s;hedding his blood, and mercy is &s;hewed unto us, that
he &s;uffered for us, <HI>the ju&s;t for the unju&s;t to bring us to God,</HI> 1 Pet. 3. 18.</P>
<P>For there are three points of Ju&s;tice:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, to require &s;atisfaction for a tre&s;pa&s;&s;e committed.</P>
<P>Secondly, to remit that for which &s;atisfaction is made.</P>
<P>Thirdly, to be&s;tow that which is merited and purcha&s;ed.</P>
<P>Now, faith in the te&s;timony of the blood of the Lamb, gives
glory to the ju&s;tice of God in all the&s;e: For,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, it giveth te&s;timony, that God hath required &s;atisfaction
for all our &s;ins in his Sons blood, when he bare all our &s;ins in his
own body upon the tree, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 24.</P>
<P>Secondly, faith knowes ju&s;tice hath forgiven that, for which &s;a|tisfaction
is made by the blood of the Lamb.</P>
<P>Thirdly, it believeth that that &s;hall be be&s;towed, that Chri&s;t
hath purcha&s;ed and merited by his blood, <HI>i.</HI> life and eternall glo|ry;
thus by our te&s;timony of the blood of the Lamb, wee magnifie
the ju&s;tice of God, as well as his mercy, and &s;o the Devill is over|come.
I have &s;tood the longer, to &s;hew you how to get the victo|ry
over Satan, becau&s;e hee that can conquer and prevail over the
god of the world, &s;hall prevail and overcome the world.</P>
<P>Now, for as much as Satan knowes, that faith in the blood of
the Lamb will overcome him, marke his wiles and &s;leights to wre&s;t
the &s;hield of faith out of thine hand; for you mu&s;t not think to
go away conquerers without a combate: for hee a&s;&s;aulted <HI>Eve,
Gen.</HI> 1. and Chri&s;t him&s;elf, <HI>Matth.</HI> 4. 3. and <HI>Mo&s;es, Numb.</HI> 20. 12.
and <HI>Peter, Luke</HI> 22. 32. and the <HI>The&s;&s;alonians,</HI> 1. 3. 5.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Sleight."> The fir&s;t &s;leight that Satan u&s;eth again&s;t naturall men, that have
no a&s;&s;urance of &s;alvation, to per&s;wade them that no man can have
a&s;&s;urance of &s;alvation; and becau&s;e he hath none, hee is ready to
believe it: for &s;ay the doctrine of Devils, Can any be a&s;&s;ured by
<PB N="23" REF="20">
faith, that the blood of Chri&s;t is his? who&s;oever hath any &s;uch
conceit, 'tis but pre&s;umption, &s;ay the Papi&s;ts.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> To let pa&s;&s;e how this point of Popery confutes the reall pre|&s;ence
of the &s;ame body and blood of Chri&s;t, that was conceived
in the virgins womb, if when they have received it, they cannot be
a&s;&s;ured that the blood of Chri&s;t is theirs, I an&s;wer, That the a&s;|&s;urance
of faith in Chri&s;ts blood is no pre&s;umption; for thus
they differ:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, becau&s;e when a man hath &s;een him&s;elf wounded by &s;in,
both per&s;on and actions, his own righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and &s;anctificati|on,
all unclean, and an horrible &s;inner, by the cur&s;e of the Law,
then faith in the blood of the Lamb driveth a man out of him|&s;elf,
to ca&s;t him&s;elf wholly upon Chri&s;t (as <HI>E&s;ther</HI> did upon the
Kings mercy) as upon the precious blood of the Lamb undefiled
and without &s;pot, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 19. But pre&s;umption finds &s;ome good
heart or meaning, &s;ome righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, as he calls it, to tru&s;t to.</P>
<P>Secondly, faith in the te&s;timony of Chri&s;ts blood, re&s;teth on
a &s;ure foundation, which is Gods Word, that both commandeth
us to believe, and promi&s;eth to perform that which we do believe:
as 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 23. and <HI>Joh.</HI> 16. 24. but pre&s;umption relieth upon
phanta&s;ie, to do as well as others.</P>
<P>Thirdly, true faith delighteth in the blood of the Lamb, and
can never heare too much of it, and u&s;eth the means whereby it
was fir&s;t bred; as <HI>David</HI> &s;aid, <HI>I will never forget thy promi&s;e, for by it
thou ha&s;t quickned me,</HI> P&s;al. 119. &s;o faith will never forget the
blood of the Lamb, for by it thou ha&s;t clean&s;ed me; they will not
be weary to hear of it. But pre&s;umption hateth that doctrine, and
the profe&s;&s;ors of it, and &s;uch as preach mo&s;t of it, and mo&s;t pure|ly,
&s;hall have &s;ome gro&s;&s;e name or other.</P>
<P>Fourthly, true faith increa&s;eth by degrees, from faith to faith,
from a weak to a &s;trong: as,</P>
<P>1. To know the vertue of it.</P>
<P>2. To grieve for the want of it.</P>
<P>3. To hunger and thir&s;t after it, and &s;et an high price of it.
Pre&s;umption is a &s;udden fla&s;h, and &s;o continues, it had no a&s;&s;urance
forty yeers ago, and no more it hath yet.</P>
<P>Fiftly, true faith in the te&s;timony of the blood of the Lamb,
maketh a man truly valiant; for he that believeth, the blood of
<PB N="24" REF="21">
the Lamb hath clean&s;ed him from all &s;in before God, and is a
childe of God by his Bapti&s;me, as <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 26, 27. What need hee
feare? hee doth not fear to go to heaven, and therefore he doth
not feare death, the Devill or man; for the righteous are bold as a
Lion, <HI>Prov.</HI> 26. 1. but pre&s;umption, though it be fool-hardy at fir&s;t,
yet will flie at the la&s;t, where no fear is.</P>
<P>Sixthly, true faith in that te&s;timony, maketh a man depart from
all iniquity, and keep a good con&s;cience before God and men, in
hope of the re&s;urrection. But pre&s;umption hath an evill con|&s;cience
before both, by rea&s;on of &s;in.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Sleight."> The &s;econd &s;leight; that true faith in the blood of the Lamb
is wonderfull hard; where is there one of a thou&s;and that ob|taine
it? Therefore will Satan per&s;wade, 'tis in vain for thee to
&s;eek it; as he per&s;wades many never to begin to learn to read, be|cau&s;e
it is &s;o hard, that they &s;hall never obtain it, &s;uch are beguiled
of the Devill to neglect to learne, though they &s;ee a childe of four
yeers old can.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> Though faith be hard to the carnall &s;en&s;e, not yet in&s;pired; yet
it is ea&s;ie to the mind inlightened; for, as <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Know|ledge
is ea&s;ie to him that will under&s;tand,</HI> Prov. 14. 6. <HI>i.</HI> if he be wil|ling,
and love it: &s;o faith is ea&s;ie to him that will believe, not that
it is in mans power, but where the Spirit of God works a de&s;ire to
ask, &s;eek and knock, Wi&s;dome will open the door; <HI>for, none that
come unto me put I away,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Que&s;t."><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> What is the rea&s;on then, that &s;o many never get faith
for the a&s;&s;urance of &s;alvation?</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they ask ami&s;&s;e, not in faith of the blood
of the Lamb, that hee hath wa&s;hed them from their &s;ins in his
owne blood (in Bapti&s;me) <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. 5. If they mi&s;&s;e this mark, they
&s;hoot wide of the a&s;&s;urance of &s;alvation; <HI>For if I wa&s;h thee not, thou
ha&s;t no part in me,</HI> Joh. 13. 8.</P>
<P>Secondly, becau&s;e they &s;eek faith in them&s;elves, carnall rea|&s;on,
fle&s;hly devices by wit of mans phanta&s;ie, and not in the
blood of the Lamb; the god of this world blindeth their minds,
that the glorious Go&s;pel of the blood of the Lamb and his white
raiment &s;hould not &s;hine to them.</P>
<P>Thirdly, becau&s;e they oppo&s;e the doctrine of free ju&s;tification
by Chri&s;ts blood and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and wink at it, and imbrace
<PB N="25" REF="21">
not the purity of that doctrine, but count it an errour, and re|ceive
not the love of the truth, they are given over to believe an er|ror
and fal&s;ities, which can give thee no a&s;&s;urance of &s;alvation.</P>
<P>Fourthly, becau&s;e they turn to the greate&s;t multitude which &s;coff
at, and per&s;ecute the truth; God gives them over to walk in blind|ne&s;&s;e
as the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> did.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Sleight."> The third &s;leight; that faith is needle&s;&s;e, there is more need of
works; many prate of faith, but let me &s;ee good works; a good
hope is enough with good works.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> I an&s;wer, that there is great need of faith; for works &s;evered from
faith, are abominable before God, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 6. And if a good hope
were enough; why did the Apo&s;tles pray, <HI>Lord increa&s;e our faith,</HI> Luk.
17. 5. and <HI>Mark.</HI> 9. 24. For, as <HI>all things are po&s;&s;ible to him that believ|eth;</HI>
&s;o all things are impo&s;&s;ible to him that believeth not, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 6.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Sleight."> The 4^t^h &s;leight; Thy faith is not &s;ound, but counterfeit, &amp; thou an
hypocrite, thy faith is mixed with imperfections, &s;ins, &amp; wavering.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> I an&s;wer; I prove my faith by the cau&s;es: for he hath given us
a mind to know him which is true, and we are in him, that is true,
in that his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the &s;ame is very God, and eternall
life, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 20. And this is the true Je&s;us that came by water and
blood, not by water (of bapti&s;me) only, but by water and blood,
and it is the Spirit that beareth witne&s;&s;e (<HI>i.</HI> to my &s;pirit, that
I am a child of God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 16.) <HI>and that Spirit is truth, 1 Joh.</HI> 5. 6.
therefore having my heart &s;prinkled (with the blood of the Lamb)
from an evill con&s;cience, and my body wa&s;hed with pure water, <HI>i.</HI> in
bapti&s;me, I may keep my profe&s;&s;ion without wavering, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 23.
This faith worketh by love, and a de&s;ire to live hone&s;tly, <HI>Heb.</HI> 13. 18.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="&V;&s;e."> Is it &s;o, that the faithfull overcome the Devill by the blood
of the Lamb, and the word of their te&s;timony? You &s;ee, Chri&s;ti|an
&s;ouldiers, that love not your lives unto the death; and therefore
you that give up your bodies and &s;ouls living, and acceptable &s;acri|fices
unto God, which is your rea&s;onable &s;ervice of God, and lay
down your lives for the brethren, and for the Go&s;pel, are to be ho|noured
as martyrs. You &s;ee that by true faith in the blood of the
Lamb, you &s;hall overcome the Devill, becau&s;e you give te&s;timony
to the holine&s;&s;e of God. Let this move all you that are &s;ouldiers
of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, to give glory to the holine&s;&s;e of God, in keeping
your bodies cha&s;t and pure, and Temples for the Holy Gho&s;t, to
dwell in, <HI>for the Temple of God is holy, which are yee, 1 Cor.</HI> 3. 17.
<PB N="26" REF="22">
If you &s;ay you give glory to the holine&s;&s;e of God, give him glory
in keeping your &s;elves holy Temples of God. But, <HI>if any man de|&s;troy
the Temple of God, him &s;hall God de&s;troy.</HI> Hee that de&s;troyes it
by whoredom, for thereby thou become&s;t one fle&s;h with an whore,
<HI>Latrina Diaboli,</HI> for as the Temple of God was de&s;troyed when it
was made a Jakes, &s;o is the Temple of God de&s;troyed when it is
made the devils Jakes; for he that is made one fle&s;h with an whore,
which is the Devils Jakes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6. 16.</NOTE> is thereby made the Devils Jakes; but all
whoremongers are made one fle&s;h with his whore; that is the devils
jakes, <HI>Ergo,</HI> they are made the devils jakes, and &s;o the Temple of God
is de&s;troyed, and therefore their de&s;tiny is to be de&s;troyed, that do
not repent; for, <HI>Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge,</HI> Heb. 13. 4.
he will de&s;troy &s;uch as de&s;troy the Temple of God; therefore you
may perceive &s;uch to prove cowards, for fearfulne&s;s goes before de|&s;truction,
and an high mind before a fall. There is a conceit among
&s;ouldiers, that Wine will make men valiant, but it is fal&s;e; for <HI>whore|dome,
wine, and new wine take away the heart, i.</HI> whoredom &amp; drunken|ne&s;s
make men arrant cowards, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 4. 11. For whoredome &amp; drun|kenne&s;s
make an evill con&s;cience, and an evill con&s;cience make men
fearfull, and <HI>flee where no fear is,</HI> Prov. 28. 1. For an evill con&s;cience,
and the cur&s;e of God runs after him, and will overtake him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="&V;&s;e."> Is it &s;o, that by the word of your te&s;timony of the blood of the
Lamb, you overcome the Devill, by giving glory to the wi&s;dome of
God? then let this faith guide you, to follow his wi&s;dome, and deny
your own, as the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Thou &s;halt guide me by thy coun&s;ell, and
afterward receive me to glory,</HI> P&s;al. 73. 24. And therefore, as <HI>David</HI> did,
&s;o do you, ask coun&s;ell of the Lord for every battell, at the Oracle
of Gods Word, <HI>i.</HI> whether God doth allow it or no, as <HI>Jeho&s;aphat</HI>
&s;aid, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 22. 5. Ask coun&s;ell, I pray thee of the Lord of day;
for there can be no war or battell lawfull, but that wee may finde
&s;ome warrant out of the Word of God, that doth warrant it to be
lawfull; &s;o &s;hall you be &s;ure, both to overcome your &s;pirituall ene|my
the Devill, by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of your
te&s;timony, and al&s;o your temporall enemies, by faith in that blood,
and by the word of your te&s;timony; for &s;hould not a people in|quire
at their God? &s;ignifying yes, they &s;hould, <HI>to the Law and to
the te&s;timony, if they &s;peak,</HI> or fight not, <HI>according to this word, it is,
becau&s;e there is no light in them,</HI> I&s;a. 8. 20. So &s;hall you &s;ay, <HI>Thou ha&s;t
made me wi&s;er then mine enemies by thy commandments, for they are ever
with me,</HI> P&s;al. 119. 98, my delight and coun&s;els.</P>
<P><PB N="27" REF="22"><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="&V;&s;e.">
Is it &s;o, that by the word of your te&s;timony of the blood of the
Lamb you overcome the Devill, becau&s;e you give God the glory of
his truth? then look you &s;hew your &s;elves to be the children of the
God of truth, by delighting in the truth; for it is a common pra|ctice
of evill &s;ouldiers, to accu&s;e men fal&s;ly; and therefore <HI>John</HI> the
Bapti&s;t gave you this caveat: that as you would be true &s;ouldiers of
Je&s;us Chri&s;t, &s;o you mu&s;t practi&s;e to &s;peak the truth, and accu&s;e no
man fal&s;ly, and then plunder them; for what &s;hal it profit you, to &s;ay
God is a true God, if you in the mean time be liers? you declare that
the God of truth is none of your God; there are &s;o many lies flie
among men, that the hone&s;t cannot tell what to believe. Now you
that have received his te&s;timony, that the blood of Je&s;us Chri&s;t
hath clean&s;ed you from all &s;in before God, and that the righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e
of Chri&s;t hath made you everla&s;tingly righteous, <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. 5. you
have &s;ealed that God is true. Let the power of this grace teach
you to love to &s;peak the truth, and to &s;hame the Devill. For, as he
that telleth lies &s;hall not tarry in Gods &s;ight, becau&s;e he credits the
Devill, that was a lier from the beginning, but hee that &s;peaks the
truth overcoms Satan with his tongue, as he that believes the truth
hath overcome the Devill in his heart, &amp; he that fights for the truth
&s;hal overcome the enemy w^t^h his hand, for the God of truth wil up|hold
his children that fight for the truth, by the blood of the Lamb.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="&V;&s;e."> Is it &s;o, that they overcame the Devill by the blood of the
Lamb, and the word of their te&s;timony, becau&s;e they give glory to
the power of God? Then con&s;ider how the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> overcame the
De&s;troyer, that &s;lew all the fir&s;t-born of <HI>Egypt;</HI> by faith they &s;lew
the Pa&s;chal Lamb, and the effu&s;ion of blood, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. le&s;t he that de|&s;troy'd
the fir&s;t-born &s;hould touch them, they &s;prinkled the two &s;ide
po&s;ts, and the upper door po&s;t, with the blood of the Lamb, with a
bunch of Hy&s;op, and they overcame the De&s;troyer by faith, that he
could not hurt them, for they gave God the glory of his Wi&s;dome
and Power, that he was able to deliver them: &s;o &s;eeing Chri&s;t your
Pa&s;&s;eover is &s;acrificed for you, look that your two door po&s;ts of
your life, body and &s;oul, and the upper door po&s;t of your &s;pirit be
&s;prinkled with the blood of the Lamb; 1 <HI>The&s;. 5. 23. Now the very
God of peace, &s;anctifie you throughout, that your whole &s;pirit, and &s;oul, and
body, may be kept blamele&s;s unto the coming of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> and
how are they &s;anctified? even by the blood of Chri&s;t: for, <HI>Je&s;us,
that he might &s;anctifie the people with his own blood, &s;uffered without the
<PB N="28" REF="23">
gate,</HI> Heb. 13. 12. Now &s;hould they overcome the de&s;troying Angel,
that he could not hurt them, when by faith they &s;prinkled the two
door po&s;ts, and the lintell, with the blood of the Lamb, with a
bunch of Hy&s;op, and the De&s;troyer pa&s;&s;ed over all their hou&s;es, and
could do them no hurt, when he de&s;troy'd all the fir&s;t-born of <HI>Egypt,</HI>
both of man and bea&s;t: So you Chri&s;tian &s;ouldiers, that fight un|der
the banners of the Go&s;pel, the blood of the Lamb, and the
white raiment of Chri&s;ts righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, which you &s;hall find to be
the conquering banner: <HI>For, if the blood of Bulls, and Goats, and A&s;hes
of an Heifer &s;prinkling them that are unclean, &s;anctifieth concerning the
purifying of the fle&s;h; how much more &s;hall the blood of Chri&s;t, which
through the eternall Spirit offered him&s;elf without fault to God, purge
<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">our con&s;ciences from dead works?</HI> Look the blood of the Lamb begin
there fir&s;t, to purge your con&s;ciences from &s;in: confe&s;&s;e your &s;elves
to be wretched, mi&s;erable poor and damnable &s;inners by <HI>Adam</HI>
and originall &s;in, the tree evill, and the fruit evill, and by the Law
accur&s;ed, in debt ten thou&s;and talents of &s;in; <HI>For if we confe&s;&s;e our
&s;ins, he is faithfull and ju&s;t to forgive us our &s;ins, and to clean&s;e us from
all unrighte<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI>u&s;ne&s;&s;e 1 Joh. 1. 9. then confe&s;&s;e that the blood of the
Lamb is able to wa&s;h away all your &s;ins from your con&s;ciences, and
relie upon it, take the Sacrament upon it, that when you take the
cup of the new Te&s;tament in Chri&s;ts blood, and drink of it, the
warme blood of the Lamb will te&s;tifie in thy con&s;cience, the remi&s;|&s;ion
of all thy &s;ins, and that God is become my father, and I am one
of his children, and my &s;ins and iniquities &s;hall be remembred no
more: and wee may conclude as <HI>Paul,</HI> for, <HI>if the blood of Bulls and
Goats,</HI> &amp;c. If the blood of the Lamb &s;prinkled, did deliver from the
De&s;troyer that &s;lew the <HI>Egyptians;</HI> how much more &s;hall the blood
of the Lamb of God, being &s;prinkled by faith on your bodies and
&s;ouls, and &s;pirits, deliver you from the de&s;troying bullets that are
&s;ent to de&s;troy your fir&s;t-born, all the true believers of the Go&s;pel.
There is a &s;trong delu&s;ion that goes among ill &s;ouldiers, that Amu|lets
or Charms, or inchantment will make them &s;hot-free, but I will
warrant them, they are not Devill free, for by &s;uch means they have
made them&s;elves an abomination to the Lord, <HI>Deut.</HI> 18. 10, 11, 12.
and the Devill will de&s;troy them, they &s;hall not e&s;cape the Devills
&s;hot, but he that &s;hall fight again&s;t his enemies by faith in the blood
of the Lamb, and in his lawfull calling, asking coun&s;el of the Lord
for every battel at the Oracle of Gods Word, whether God doth
<PB N="29" REF="23">
approve of the war or no? he &s;hall not only be Devil-free, but &s;hot|free
al&s;o;<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 91. 11.</NOTE> for, <HI>he &s;hall give his Angels a charge over thee to keep thee in
all thy ways; and they &s;hall bear thee up in their hands, that thou da&s;h not
thy foot again&s;t a &s;tone;</HI> keep thy calling, and the Angels &s;hall keep
thee, but if thou keep not thy calling, the Angels will not keep
thee; take heed to keep thy generall calling, to be a faithfull Chri|&s;tian,
and keep thee from all wickedne&s;&s;e, <HI>Deut.</HI> 23. 9. And keep
thy particular calling, and the Angels &s;hall keep thee.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="&V;&s;e."> Is it &s;o, faith by the te&s;timony of the bloud of the Lambe, gets
victory over the Devill, becau&s;e it gives glory to the mercy of God,
that as thou &s;aye&s;t thou give&s;t him the glory of his mercy, it mu&s;t
cau&s;e thee &s;hew mercy, <HI>as your heavenly Father is mercifull;</HI> for what
though your heavenly Father be mercifull? if you be cruell, you
&s;hall be of your father in Hell; <HI>for his works you will doe, he was a
murderer from the beginning;</HI> and if you be cruell murderers, you
&s;hall be of him; therefore if you give God the glory of his mercy,
give him glory in the practi&s;e of mercie; to be mercifull as your
heavenly Father is mercifull, even to your enemies.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Que&s;t."> What &s;hall we &s;pare all, and put none of our enemies to death,
when we have conquered them?</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> I an&s;wer; He that &s;pareth Gods enemies, when God hath deli|vered
them into your hands, as <HI>Ahab</HI> did <HI>Benhadad</HI> to be &s;laine,
<HI>thy life &s;hall goe for his life, thy people for his people.</HI> By &s;paring <HI>Ben|hadad,</HI>
he was cruell to the <HI>I&s;raelites;</HI> for he was the cau&s;e of the
death of all tho&s;e <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> that <HI>Benhadad</HI> &s;lew afterward, whom
if he had &s;laine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">If the King be in the battell, you mu&s;t &s;ight flying, to &s;ave his per&s;on; as <HI>David;</HI> but if the <HI>Phil<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tims</HI> be&s;iege <HI>K<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="4 letters">,</HI> you &s;hal over|come by the bloud of the Lambe.</NOTE> he had &s;hewed mercy to <HI>I&s;rael.</HI> So concerning the
Rebels of <HI>Ireland,</HI> that have cut the throats of your brethren in
<HI>Ireland,</HI> and are come over to doe the like here; &s;eeing the &s;word
is put into your hands, by the Parliament, &s;end an Herauld or
Trumpetter before every battell unto your enemie, or &s;end men
through all the Armie, or Shire, &s;aying, What wickedne&s;&s;e is this
that is committed of the Rebels, Je&s;uites, and Papi&s;ts of <HI>Ireland?</HI>
Now therefore deliver us tho&s;e wicked men, which are in your
Armie, or Citie, that wee may put them to death for their villa|nie,
and put away evill from <HI>England,</HI> Judg. 20. 12. <HI>&amp;</HI> 13. If they
refu&s;e to deliver them, they &s;hall maintaine murtherers, and you
&s;hall overcome them by the bloud of the Lambe; Proclaime free
quarter for all true Prote&s;tants, which are forced to fight again&s;t
you; &s;hew your &s;elves unto them; &s;aying, <HI>Sirs, wee are brethren,
<PB N="30" REF="24">
why doe wee wrong one another,</HI> Act. 7. 26? Send me&s;&s;engers unto
them; &s;aying, <HI>What have wee to doe to fight with thee, thou King of
Judah? wee come not again&s;t thee this day, but again&s;t the hou&s;e of our
enemie; and God hath commanded us to make ha&s;te; leave off to come
again&s;t God, which is with us, le&s;t he de&s;troy you;</HI> &s;ee 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 35. 21.
And when God gives them into your hands, &s;ay unto <HI>Zebah</HI> and
<HI>Salmana,</HI> What manner of men were they, whom yee &s;lew at <HI>Ta|bor,</HI>
in <HI>Ireland,</HI> or <HI>England?</HI> As thou art (a Prote&s;tant) &s;o were they;
every one was like the children of a King; &s;ay, They were my bre|thren,
even my mother (Churches) children; <HI>As the Lord liveth,
if yee had &s;aved their lives, I would not &s;lay you,</HI> Judg. 7. 18, 19. &s;ignify|ing,
if you had &s;hewed mercy, you &s;hould have found mercy, but
you have been mercile&s;&s;e enemies to my brethren, therefore I will
&s;lay you; as your &s;word hath made women childle&s;&s;e, &s;o &s;hall your
mother be childle&s;&s;e among other women; with <HI>Samuel, I will hew
you in pieces before the Lord,</HI> 1 Sam. 15. 33. for though you come plea|&s;antly,
and &s;ay truly, <HI>the bitterne&s;&s;e of death is pa&s;&s;ed,</HI> by a pacificati|on,
yet you &s;hall not e&s;cape the &s;word; <HI>for he that &s;heddeth mans
bloud, by man &s;hall his bloud be &s;hed,</HI> Gen. 9. 6. Therefore &s;hew mercy
unto your brethren, by &s;laying of tho&s;e that have and will &s;lay more
of your brethren; for <HI>if any lead into captivitie, he &s;hall go into capti|vitie,
if any kill with the &s;word, be mu&s;t be killed by a &s;word; true is the pa|tience
and faith of the Saints,</HI> Rev. 13. 10. that is, to kill them with the
&s;word, that have killed their brethren with the &s;word, as <HI>Gideon</HI> did.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="&V;&s;e."> Is it &s;o, that by the te&s;timony of the bloud of the Lamb, you give
glory to the ju&s;tice of God? by te&s;tifying Gods ju&s;tice is &s;atisfied by
the bloud of the Lamb; <HI>ju&s;tice and mercy are met together</HI> in the bloud
of Chri&s;t, his ju&s;tice hath full &s;atisfaction, and his mercy is &s;hewed
to us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;aiah 53. 6.</NOTE> in <HI>throwing upon him the iniquities of us all;</HI> and <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e
and peace have ki&s;&s;ed each other.</HI> i. Chri&s;ts righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e is ours, and
therefore wee have peace with God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 1. Now can you give
God the glory of his ju&s;tice, and then practi&s;e no ju&s;tice to your
brethren, but plunder, and rob, and &s;poyle, and &s;teale? be it farre
from you; can you be children of the ju&s;t God of heaven and earth,
and practi&s;e &s;uch unju&s;tice to your brethren? for how can you &s;ay,
there is &s;atisfaction made to Gods ju&s;tice, for thy tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, by the
bloud of the Lamb, but that mu&s;t move thee to give &s;atisfaction for
the tre&s;pa&s;&s;es you have done to your brethren. And &s;econdly, doth
his ju&s;tice require that, that &s;hould be remitted, for which &s;atisfa|ction
<PB N="31" REF="24">
is made by the bloud of the Lamb? &s;o doth ju&s;tice require,
that they &s;hould be plundered, which have made &s;atisfaction by
their weekly pay? &s;hould not a faithfull Souldier be content with
his wages? Yes, &s;aith the Souldier, if he could get it.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Will you wrong yor brethren, and plunder, and &s;poyle
them, becau&s;e &s;ome deceive you of your wages? enquire who have
received it, and that true &s;atisfaction may be made; be not unju&s;t
to others, becau&s;e others are unju&s;t to you; for <HI>the unju&s;t &s;hall not
enter into the kingdome of heaven,</HI> 1 Cor. 6. 9. Lo&s;e not your &s;ouls for
a little pay. And thirdly, doth Ju&s;tice require that that &s;hould be
injoyed, that is purcha&s;ed by the bloud of the Lambe, as remi&s;&s;ion
of &s;innes, and an inheritance in heaven? let the power of this grace
move all Souldiers to &s;uffer the fatherle&s;s and the widow, injoy that
which is purcha&s;ed for them, and not to de&s;troy your brethren,
and their inheritance. The &s;heep and the oxen made an ill &s;ound
in <HI>Samuels</HI> eares, though they were brought for a good intent to do
&s;acrifice, but they made a wor&s;e &s;ound in Gods eares, which made
<HI>Saul</HI> lo&s;e his kingdome for di&s;obedience. What an ill &s;ound doe all
the &s;heep and oxen make in the eares of God, from all armies that
are taken, with an ill intent, to doe mi&s;chiefe to the poore and nee|dy?
the tears of the oppre&s;&s;ed cry in the eares of the Lord of ho&s;ts;
<HI>Wo unto him that increa&s;eth that which is not his;</HI> and <HI>wo unto him that
covereth an evill covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> Hab. 2. 6. <HI>&amp; 9. Woe unto you that &s;poyle, and
thou <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;t not &s;poyled; for when thou &s;halt cea&s;e to &s;poyle, thou &s;halt be &s;poy|led:</HI>
I<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> you magnifie the ju&s;tice of the great God of heaven and earth,
practi&s;e ju&s;tice to your brethren, or he will practi&s;e ju&s;tice toward
you. Remember the coun&s;ell of the Lord often in <HI>Deut. 23. 9. When
thou goe&s;t out with the Ho&s;t again&s;t thine enemies, keep thee then from all
wickedne&s;&s;e;</HI> for thou art in danger to be &s;laine every houre, and a
good con&s;cience by the bloud of the Lamb is a continuall fea&s;t; it is
<HI>murus aheneus nil con&s;cire &s;ibi, null apalle&s;cere culpa.</HI> i. 'tis a brazen wall
to have a good con&s;cience, the Devill cannot &s;hoot through that;
and the de&s;troyers that are &s;ent by fire out of the mouths of guns,
&s;hall pa&s;&s;e over the hou&s;es where &s;uch an <HI>I&s;raelite</HI> is within, namely,
a good con&s;cience, &s;prinkled with the bloud of the Lambe. Cau&s;e
the Law, and the Go&s;pel to be preached powerfully in your armies.
There be &s;ome Anabapti&s;ts, that would not have the law preached.
I met with an Anabapti&s;t lately that heard me preach the Law, and
the Go&s;pel, and he told me to my face after the Sermon, that he had
<PB N="32" REF="25">
been oftentimes &s;cared by the Law; he would have heard none of
the Law, but onely the Go&s;pel; and to &s;peak &s;o much of Bapti&s;me
was an offence to him. Herein are two Doctrines of Devils; 1. To
forbid the Law to be preached: 2. To forbid children to be married
to Chri&s;t.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4. 1.</NOTE> Now the Spirit &s;peaketh evidently, <HI>that in the later times,</HI>
(which are now) <HI>&s;ome &s;hall depart from the faith.</HI> i. of their Bapti&s;me,
and <HI>counteth the bloud of the Covenant, as an unholy thing,</HI> wherewith
he was &s;anctified in Bapti&s;me, <HI>and doth de&s;pight to the Spirit of Grace.
i.</HI> in de&s;pight of the Spirit, that &s;aith, <HI>he that is wa&s;hed. i.</HI> in Bapti&s;me,
in Chri&s;ts bloud, <HI>is cleane every whit, needeth not &s;ave to wa&s;h his feet.
i.</HI> his con&s;cience and conver&s;ation in the bloud of the Lamb, but will
have <HI>their hands and their head wa&s;hed againe,</HI> contrary to Chri&s;ts
coun&s;ell, <HI>Joh.</HI> 13. For my part I beleeve, <HI>one God, one faith,</HI> and <HI>one
Bapti&s;me,</HI> Eph. 4. 5. The fir&s;t is of God; the &s;econd mu&s;t needs be of
the Devill, that deny little children to come to Chri&s;t, which can
come no other way to him, but by Bapti&s;me, either of them&s;elves,
or of their parents; for Bapti&s;me is the Arke, for the parents, and
their hou&s;hold, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 21. and then withdraw them&s;elves from the
children of God to perdition, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 39. Now the Law hath mo&s;t
need to be thundred out in the mo&s;t killing manner that can be, in
the Armies, to make them flee, and &s;tand a far off from inju&s;tice, and
all &s;inne; for although the Law is not given to the righteous man,
who are freed from the condemnation, accu&s;ation, malediction, &amp;
coaction of the Law, as they are in Chri&s;t; <HI>but it is given to the law|le&s;&s;e,
and di&s;obedient, to the ungodly, and to &s;inners, to the unholy, and to
the prophane, and to the murtherers of fathers and mothers, to man&s;layers,
to whoremongers, to buggerers, to men&s;tealers, to lyers, to the perjured, and
to what&s;oever is contrary to whole&s;ome doctrine,</HI> 1 Tim. 1. 9, 10. And
therefore it mu&s;t be preached to them; you mu&s;t hold out to them,
fir&s;t the gla&s;&s;e of the Law, to &s;ee their faces how foule they are, they
may goe wa&s;h their hearts in the bloud of the Lamb; and then &s;hew
them the gla&s;&s;e of the Go&s;pel. Thus did Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat.</HI> 5. Thus did <HI>Pe|ter,</HI>
when he converted three thou&s;and, he &s;hewed them by the law,
what betrayers and murtherers they were of the Lord of glory; and
then be preached bapti&s;me unto them, for &s;alvation, and &s;hewed the
<HI>promi&s;es were made to them, and to their children, and as many as the Lord
&s;hall call.</HI> i. to beleeve that Bapti&s;me belongs to them; and all the
true Churches of Chri&s;t have ever &s;o under&s;tood it.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
