Now at the last the holy Ghost bringeth in Jesus Christ upon the theatre of the world, as it were to play his part in this tragedy, and to help the poor weak woman, which we heard of before, against the Dragon, and the two monstrous beasts, which would have torn her in pieces, and utterly devoured her, if this Lamb Jesus Christ had not stepped in and rescued her. Well, now cometh in our Lord Jesus, and beginneth to stir in these matters, and to take upon him the protection and defence of the poor helpless woman, against both the Dragon, and the Dragons two great instruments. But some may say, What is a poor lamb to encounter with a dragon, with a ⟨p. 264⟩lion, with a leopard, and a bear? I answer, that although Christ be a lamb to his church, even the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and the Lamb that was a slain Sacrifice from the beginning for the redemption of his elect: yet to all his enemies he is a most strong and terrible lion, even the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as he is called before.1 Now this most terrible Lion, even the Lord of hosts, the Lord mighty in battle, cometh forth to protect and defend his Church against all her enemies, who is of such infinite might and puissance, that neither the old dragon, nor his young imps, not all the cursed hell-hounds that bark, and bite, and take their part, shall ever be able to stand in his hands: For, rage they never so much he shall hamper them all well enough. For though he hath given them the rein a long time, and let them alone, and suffered them to play the tyrants with the woman his spouse; yet now he will no longer put it up at their hands, but will up, and maintain the woman's cause, and bear her out against them all: nay, he will make ready his bow, that he may shoot off, and make his arrows drunk in the blood of her and his enemies, and will whet his glittering sword, that ⟨p. 265⟩he may sheath it in the heart of Antichrist and all his adherents. Therefore now let both the great beasts and their fire look to themselves; for here comes in one that will knock them all down, and lay them in the dust, that they shall never rise up again. For this cause now at length S. John in a vision seeth a Lamb stand upon mount Zion, that is, Christ present with the Church: For mount Zion was an ancient figure of the Church;
Now at the last the holy Ghost bringeth in Jesus Christ upon the theater of the world, as it were to play his part in this tragedy, and to help the poor weak woman, which we heard of before, against the Dragon, and the two monstrous beasts, which would have torn her in pieces, and utterly devoured her, if this Lambe Jesus Christ had not stept in and rescued her. Well, now cometh in our Lord Jesus, and beginneth to stirre in these matters, and to take upon him the protection and defence of the poor helplesse woman, against both the Dragon, and the Dragons two great instruments. But some may say, What is a poore lamb to encounter with a dragon, with a ⟨p. 264⟩lion, with a leopard, and a bear? I answer, that although Christ be a lamb to his church, even the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and the Lamb that was a slain Sacrifice from the beginning for the redemption of his elect: yet to all his enemies hee is a most strong and terrible lion, even the Lion of the tribe of Juda, as hee is called before.1 Now this most terrible Lion, even the Lord of hosts, the Lord mighty in ba•tell, cometh forth to protect and defend his Church against all her enemies, who is of such infinite might and puissance, that neither the old dragon, nor his young imps, not all the cursed hel-hounds that bark, and bite, and take their part, shall ever be able to stand in his hands: For, rage they never so much he shall hamper them all wel enough. For though hee hath given them the reine a long time, and let them alone, and suffered them to play the tyrants with the woman his spouse; yet now he will no longer put it up at their hands, but will up, and maintain the womans cause, and bear her out against them all: nay, he will make ready his bow, that he may shoot off, and make his arrows drunk in the bloud of her and his enemies, and wil whet his glittering sword, that ⟨p. 265⟩he may sheath it in the heart of Antichrist and all his adherents. Therefore now let both the great beasts and their fire look to themselves; for here comes in one that will knock them all down, and lay them in the dust, that they shall never rise up again. For this cause now at length S. John in a vision seeth a Lamb stand upon mount Sion, that is, Christ present with the Church: For mount Sion was an antient figure of the Church;
- 1Chap. 5.5.
