the victory he hath gained thereby hath given such a fatal and incurable blow to the devil's kingdom, a wound to the head of this beast that can never be healed'; but now, my readers, seeing that we may be restored again into our first and most holy state, we must not then offer our sacrifices any more unto devils. Levi. xvii, 7. But unto the Lord', and his Christ who hath redeemed us by his most preciousblood. Rev. v, 9. And again, we know that Satan wilk strive to deceive us in many ways, to destroy us as he did. Job. 1, 2. But let us be like Job and hoid fast our confidence, and wait patiently till our change come and then great will be our reward. Apoc. Eccl. xci, 30. But remember again that we must not go to warfare against Satan in our own strength lest he be too much for us but we must pray that the Lord may rebuke him and then by his mercy and help he will pluck our poor souls as a brand out of the fire. Zach Mir, 2. Jude. v 9. For if we resist the devil and that by prayer to our God, then he must flee from us. James iv, 7. Therefore, my brethren, let us learn to be wise and harmless, lest for fear that Satan should get the advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices. Corin, ii, 11. See chap. iv, 4. And again, I fear, saith St. Paul, lest by any means saith he, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Chap. xi, 3. There fore beware of the subtility of Satan in your minds, and we marvel saith St. Paul, forSatan himself is transformed into an Angel of light, v 14. 14. Which appears something like in Peter; when he would have screened our Lord from suffering int Jesus was aware of this, and said unto Peter, thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but these that be of men. Mat. xv, 22, 23. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? v26. Therefore be ye aware of the deceitfulness of the heart, or sin, or Satan; and again, we see how Satan entered into Judas and for the love of money he betrayed his Lord and master. Mat. xxvi, 26. And now we see that the devil hath great power and is very subtile in deceiving the souls of men. And in another place it appears to me that St. Paul calls him the Prince of the Power of the Air, The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Ephes. ii, 2. And again, now it appears to me that there get is a more full description in the Revelation to John the Divine, concerning that old serpent the devil, then you can find in any other book of the Word of God: and it appears that he his called there Abaddon, or Apollyon, or the Great Red Dragon. Rev. ix, 11. And it is said, that there was war in Heaven; Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his Angels, and prevailed; not, neither was their place found any more inHeaven and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil. Satan, which deceiveth the whole world, he was cast out into the Earth and his Angels were cast out with him, and they overcome him by the blood of the lamb. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the devil is come down unto you, having great wroth because he knoweth that he hath but a short time, and when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child, and the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev. xii. And again, it is said, that the dragon gave power to the beast and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven, And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear let him hear. Rev. xiii. And I saw an Angel come from Heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of Heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophets are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Rev. xx, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9. And now I have pened down to your view the most or the greatest part of the passage of scripture relating to the adversary of souls. But now I find it is somewhat hard to explain the book of the Revelation exactly right, therefore I would rather say but little for fear lest I should offend my God, because I am commanded not to add any thing to this book which is wroug, neither to take away any thing from it which is right. Therefore let my words be few, but yet I understand something of the will, mercy and goodness of God, in this book and that of his most holy church and people. And this book is also very interesting and it gives us all an exhortation and an offer through Christ to take of the water of life freely. Chap. xxii, 17. Isaiah iv, 1. For we see also in this book, that we need this remedy, and the pure grace and help of God through the blood of Christ for our salvation; for in this book we see the damnable nature of this proud, wicked, lustful, sinful, Babylon, or the world of wicked and lustful, and whorish sinners, and there is no remedy for these things. But the precious blood of Christ and that by repentance and forsaking of sins and leading a now and holy life in Christ Jesus. For this book shows us the most abominable nature of sin and sinners in the sight of God upon the Earth, and their most miserable and awful and wretched state hereafter, who live and die in sin without an interest in the blood of Christ. And it also shews us the state and condition of the true church of Christ upon earth, under the power and reign of Antichrist. And the rise and reign and rage of Antichrist in the world; and it appears that this book points out to us the quiet and blessed and glorious state and condition of the true church here below, after the reign and downfall of Antichrist. But it will be a blessed coming for the righteous. See, 2, Thes. ii. Now in my serious thoughts and meditation I am got into the closet of my heart, and I find my self to be a reasonable creature, and I find myself brought into a world of great mysteries, and I find that I have a body subject to pain and death. But in this body I find a living soul, but from whence came I, for I brought not myself into this world, but still I consider that my body came forth by generation. But from whence came they, surely methinks that our first parent had no more power to bring himself into this world, than myself had to bring myself into this world. Therefore, before we was we knew it not, neither did we know that we should be, then from whence cometh our help? Surely we must then be created by that Supreme Being, which is God Almighty, who made man at the first in his own Image, pure and holy. But how is it that I find myself so far off from this state now, for I find that my fleshly heart is desperately wicked, and full of deceits, yea, it's past my finding out. Yea, and I find myself in a world of sin, and trials, and troubles, and adversity. Yea, I have fears and troubles, night and day, and am compassed about with pains, grief, and sorrows; and am subject to a thousand evils, and what is the cause of all this? THE AUTHOR'S SONG. O its thon thou enemy of souls, Which hath disturb'd my peaceful rest, Why did thou come to trouble me Why did thou come O then, Why did thou come to ruin me From that infernal den. But still O Lord I will own my faults, |