Book IV. THE D E V 1 L A D R A G 0 N. D E V I L A D R A G 0 N. And the great Dragon was cafl down, that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan, &c. Rev. xii. 7· AS the Devil is compared to a Lion, fo likewife to a Dragon. Some are ready to que£hon, whether there be any fuch Creature or no; b•it it is without any jull: ground, fince the holy Stripture !peaks of them in fo many Places: Befides, we have approved Hrftones an~ Hrll:onans, whrch treat of them, as Alliamu, Ariftotle, Pliny, Mantuan, Gefner, Ovtd, &c. P A R A L L E L S. .I. THE Dragon is a flying Serpent, he is defcribed with Wings very voluble, and fpreading themfelves wide according to the Q8antity or Largenefs of the Dra– gon's Body; which caufed Lucan the Poet to write in this Manner: Pos quoq; qui cunflis innoxia numina terris Serpitis, aurato nitidi fulgore Dracones, Pejliferos ardens facit Africa; ducit is altum .Aera cum Pennis, &c.--- You !hining Dragons, creeping on the Earth, Which fiery Africk holds, with Skins like Gold, Yet pell:ilent by hot infecting Breath, Mounted with Wings in th' Air we do behold. The Devil is G1id to have Wings, to denote his Swiftnefs in purfoing his Prey. He is like to a fmious flying Dragon. No Man can get out of the reach of Satan; let them climb up never fo high in Grace and Virtue, Satan hath Wings, and can purfue them with his poifonous Breath of Temptations. I!. Naturalifts obferve, that Dragons fddom hurt in the Day-time, but in the dark Night they come out of their Holes, and deep Cav_es : So the Devil does the greatell: Hurt in the Night of Ignorance; he hates the Light, like his curled Children; his Kingdom is the Darknefs of this World. lll. Naturalifts fay, Dragons have cruel Teeth, and that they have a treble Row of them in their Mouths, and that their Bite is very dangerous. Teeth, faith Gla.f!ius, de– note Virulence, and an ho!lile Power, becaufe Beafts, when they fight, ufe them as offenf1ve Weapons. The Wounds the Devil gives to poor Sinners by his prevailing Power, are venomous and monal. IV. Dragons are mortal Enemies to Mankind, and Multitudes have been deftroyed by them; in this they fitly refemble the Devil. V. Dragons have a cruel infectious Breath: Thofe in Phrygia, when they are hungry, turn themfelves towards rhe Weft, and gaping wide, with the Force of their Breath, faith my Author*, they draw the Birds that Ay over their H eads into their Mouths; which fame attribute to the infetliom Nature of their Breath: Alia they kill with their Tails; nay, fame fay, the Strokes of their Tails are more deadly than the biting of their Teeth. The Devil, like the Dragon, has many Ways to wound and dt!hoy Mankind. Sin is like the biting of Dragons, ar.d falfe Doctrine in Scripture is called Dragon's Poifon, it is the Poi!on of this old Dragon : '!'heir Wine is as the Po jo11 f Dragons, and the crttel Venom of Ajps, Deut. xxxrt. 33· V!. They will fight terribly, and are, as Naruralilts note, always in War with the Elephant, and with divers mher Bea!ts, both wild and tame, for he is the cruel E,,emy of them all: So the Devil makes War with the Lamb, and with all his Followers: '!'here was W.zr in Heaven ; Michael, .and his Angels, fought againjl the Dragon; and the Dragon fought, aud his Angels, and prevailed not, Rev. xii. 7, 8. The Lord Jefus is too hard for this old Dragon. • 'l'•pfol, P· 706. 10 y VII. There
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