Revelation 12:13-17

(13) And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. (14) And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (15) And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. (16) And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. (17) 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.

At this verse, if I am correct, may be dated the rise of heresy in the professing Church, after the Empire became what is called Christian. When the dragon found, that the Emperor and his court acknowledged Christianity, and the idols had tottered and fallen, being cast out of the palace and city, as an unclean devil, he thought it best to come in a clean devil. Hence, he himself in his angels or messengers professed Christianity. But, by a masterpiece of subtilty, he took up the profession of a new faith, and robbed Christ of his Godhead. To use the words of our Lord, as long as he had been the strong man armed, and the Empire continued sunk in the darkness of paganism and idolatry, his goods and his captives were at peace. But, when the stronger than he came upon him, and overcame him, his armor of idolatry was over. Hence, he saith I will return into my house, (still his house, in every instance where there is no change of heart by regeneration), from whence I came out. And when he is come, he findeth it swept, and garnished of all the idols he had once set up there. But now returning with all the various heresies, the human mind untaught of God is capable of receiving, he enters in and dwells there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Matthew 12:43

The flight of the Church into the wilderness, from the persecution raised against her in the city, is a striking but just figure of those wilderness exercises, the Lord's people sustain under persecution. To every child of God, truly regenerated by the Spirit of God, and who from that regeneration and teaching of the Holy Ghost, knows Christ in his Godhead, and Person, and offices, and character, the present day is a wilderness day, into which the soul is brought. He cannot but find wilderness dispensation, while he hears the blasphemy. Hence, like David, his language is, Rivers of tears run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy laws, (Christ) Psalms 119:136

The serpent casting out of his mouth water, as a flood after the Church, very plainly means to show, the flood of heresy, which the devil about this time raised up in the Church. Not the heresy of Popery or Mahometanism, for neither of those Anti-Christian powers were as yet in being. But the flood of heresy was that of Arius, who denied the Godhead of Christ. And another famous, or rather infamous heretic by this time had appeared, Pelagius, who denied original sin, and by insisting upon man's purity by nature, and an holiness of will to obey God, he totally set aside among all his followers, the necessity of redemption by Christ's blood. There were also the Nestorian heresy, and the Macedonian at this time, and followed not by a few. The former divided the Person of Christ, and the latter would admit neither of the Person nor Godhead of the Holy Ghost. These were among the great torrents of schism, with which the Church of Christ was then beset, beside some lesser sweeping streams, to annoy her in the purity of her worship.

By the earth helping the woman, just as an opening made in the earth, comes seasonably to swallow up a flood, is probably meant, that men of no religion, displeased with the cruelties exercised upon the real godly, in those times (of which profane history is full with the account), put a stop at them, not unfrequently. The providence of God so overruled things, that when the wrath of man, instigated by the devil, was very great, the Lord made it to praise him, by inducing the very reverse the enemy intended. And when that wrath was more than ministered ultimately to the Lord's glory, the Lord restrained it, Psalms 76:10. Oh! how often may the people of God set their seal to this great truth. Very frequently their enemies are led by the Lord to do the very reverse of what they design, and become the unconscious ministers of producing good, where they intend evil. When the Jews crucified Jesus, what did they design? In Christ's death, what did they accomplish? When hell pursued the Church with error, what was the object? But from those heresies the devil stirred up, God's taught children, through the Lord's teaching, have learnt the greater blessedness and preciousness of the truth. Oh! the depths of divine wisdom! Oh! the unsearchableness of divine love!