the young Lion with the Calfe c. 6. Take heed of imprudency in choosing and imploying of instruments for the establishing the Kingdome of Christ the greatest shew and profession of zeale is not alwayes the programe of the greatest zeale As a man of a calm constitution may seeme to have more patience then another which yet is not patience but mildnesse of temper So a cholerick disposition may appear to be zeale but it is only a natural and earthly not a spirituall and heavenly fire Again he that hath most true zeal and holinesse to make him a spirituall Souldier hath not alwayes the best abilities for a temporall warre It is a great mistake and the mother of much confusion to take grace for gifts or gifts for grace A man may have great gifts and abilities which the Lord will blesse for the benefit of his people and yet have a small measure of grace for his own comfort and salvation And a man may be a very gracious man and yet no more skill to be a good Souldier then to bee a good Shooe-maker It was said of old that then it is well with Kingdomes and Common-wealths when either Philosophers reigne or they that reigne are Philosophers We may say that it is a happy thing when such men are imployed as have best gifts and grace whether it be in the time of peace or war 7. Take heed of fainting and wearying in setting up of the Kingdome of Christ the Lord hath made you instrumentall in laying the foundation ye must persevere till the head stone be brought forth with shoutings otherwise it will be said that these Kingdomes did begin to build but were not able to finish the work Sometimes weaknesse may appeare in one Army and sometimes in another out the cause is the same and with God Almighty there is no shadow of change his power is not greater one day then another for the infinitnesse of Omnipotencie admitteth of no degrees Pilate protested three times that he found no fault in Christ and endeavoured for satisfying his own naturall conscience to set him free but in end lest he should be reputed an enemy to Caesar he delivered him to be crucified Darius laboured all the day long till the setting of the Sun to deliver Daniel but overcome with opportunity he condemned him at last to the den of Lions We may change the Kingdomes of the world may change but the Cause and Truth of Christ abide the same without change throughout all generations My exhortation therefore is that you beware of selfe Respects of Indifferency of Division of Delayes of Discouragements of Imprudency and of Inconstancy and that you give your selves to Sincerity Zeal Unity Diligence Magnanimity Prudence and Perseverance that yee may be the choyce and blessed Instruments of God for the establishing of the Kingdome of his Son our Saviour in the Land The last use is for Consolation which is not repugnant to true humiliation I will not trouble you with the generall Doctrine of such benefits and comforts as we are made partakers of by the Princely office of Christ for it were long to shew how by the vertue of this his office hee applieth unto us all that he hath done and suffered that the Kingdomes of the world may be our Lords and his Christs and he reigne over them for evermore and communicates with all true beleevers this grace to be Kings with him to reigne over their own lusts which is greater then any earthly conquest He that ruleth his own spirit is better then he that winneth a Citie to reigne over the world which still lieth in wickednesse and to reign over Satan the Prince of this world and worker of all mischiefe if we find nothing of this we beleeve nothing of the Kingdome of Christ if we endeavour not the sense and experience of this communion our faith is but imagination But leaving these generals I would upon this ground give you some comfort for the Cause and work in hand and it is this First If it be the cause of Christ which we maintain Next if we be the servants and people of God seeking his honour and endevouring that his Kingdome may come why may we not be comforted in this That Christ is our King and will one way or other vanquish and subdue all our enemies I will use but two reasons for it one is from the great and glorious victories that he hath in former times obtained over so mighty-enemies for the comfort of his people if we do but remember what great things he hath done since the beginning of this warre we should deny our own experience if we doubt for afterward The other is when we consider what is said in the end of the prayer which he taught his Disciples Thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory If we pray and endeavour that his Kingdome may come if we desire the Crown to be put on his head and the Scepter in his hand we may be confident of successe Because his is the Kingdome he is bound by right to fight for to defend and to deliver his own subjects that are fighting for his Kingdome His is the power in heaven and in earth over Angels over Devils over Armies of men and over all Creatures And his is the Glory the honour of his own actions will return upon himselfe The first that he is our King teacheth us that by office he ought to save us The second that he is able to do it because power is his And the third that he will do it because it will be dishonour to this Name to suffer his Cause and People to perish and it will be his glory to save them And that not onely in this world but when we go hence The penitent Malefactor on the Crosse cried out Lord remember me when thou commest into the Kingdom we may rather with greater confidence say Lord remember us when now after victory over Satan the World and Death thou dost possesse thy Kingdome The time permitteth not to proceed to the other two branches of the Text and therefore here I cease * ⎠* FINIS
a main difference the flock under their charge is dealt with by them not by way of command or compulsion but by moving intreating and perswading them to receive the commandements of Christ They are therefore no other then fire-brands and instruments of division that would raise jealousies of this kind betwixt these two kinds of government both which are appointed of God to serve for the good of the people of God each in its own way Whatsoever hath been or can be spoken against Church-government may as wel be spoken against the Gospel and Kingdome of Christ and the contest is not properly betwixt the Magistracy and the Ministery or betwixt Civill and Ecclesiasticall authority but betwixt the Kingdomes of this world and the Kingdome of Christ which is a great unhappinesse and the cause of a world of miseries unto the Kingdomes of this world wherein the ambition of Church-men transforming the Kingdome of Christ into an earthly Kingdome and cloathing the Church with the pomp of the world beareth a great part of the guiltinesse if both were kept within the just limits and moved within their own spheares their motions and influences might be comfortable to the souls and lives of the children of men I come now to the third use which is Correction against such as say with those Citizens Luke 19.14 We will not have this man to reigne over us There be many divers sorts of enemies in the kingdom of Christ that say so some open professed enemies such as are Pagans Jews Turks some more secret dissembled enemies who under the pretence of the doctrine of Christ oppose him and his Kingdom such as have been false Christs and are this day Antichrist with all his members and followers Hereticks Schismaticks Politicks and all worldly meer naturall men And there be many sundry causes that draw them into by-parhs and make them run into errors greater or lesser but it may be coafidently a vouched that the main cause by which Satan prevaileth upon the corrupt heart of man to make him an enemy to Christ and his Kingdome is the dislike he hath of this principle and fundamentall of Christian Religion That the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world All men naturally love the world and the things of the world which are the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life and finding that the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world nor doth promise unto them the things of this world but that it is a spirituall Kingdome binding up their spirits and interdicting their hearts the love of the world it must of necessity follow unlesse the light and power of the Spirit of Christ shine in their minds and work upon their hearts that either in profession or in hear or both either more or lesse they prove enemies unto Christ especially in that which would break the bond that tieth them fast to the world If men might be pleased to examine themselves narrowly and descend into their own hearts they would find that their hearts deceive them and while they seem to others to themselves to be despisers of the world they are either by covetousnesse or vaing-lory or love of carnall liberty or some other such tie intangled and keeped fast by the world and are either directly or indirectly drawn to oppose the Kingdome of Christ He that will consider the grounds of Paganisme Judaisme and Turcisme and for what reason they doe not receive Christ when he is offered unto them shall find this to be a principall cause He that will search into the histories of particular heresies and schismes wil often meet with this and find the world in the bottome of the hearts of men I do not speak of the simple seduced people but of the wisest and learnedest of their seducers and of the great wits of the world which make the world their Idoll and bow down before it But leaving this I come to the fourth use for instruction in such duties as are required of us all at this time and after a speciall manner of those that are in high places First of all seeing the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world but is a spirituall Kingdome it is a necessary duty to study the nature and search into the mysteries and secrets of this Kingdom The kingdome of Satan and Sin have many deeps and secrets the Kingdomes of the world have their secrets of policie and government and the Kingdom of Christ hath greater secrets and more hid mysteries Great ones in the world know many things of the mystery of Iniquity and of the secrets of Kingdoms and States of the world but the truth is many of them are ignorant of the mysteries of the Kingdome of Christ The Princes of this world whether Princes for knowledge as the Philosophers were or for power and greatnes as the Nobles and great ones be do not know those mysteries for had they known them they would not have crucified the King of glory But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him which the Apostle speaketh of the Kingdome of grace in this world 1 Cor. 2.8 9. Natural reason calleth for fit instruments for every work and the matter well prepared to work upon but the Apostles were neither noble nor learned but poor and simples and the world altogether indisposed to receive them being at that time as much as at any time before or since full of learning of power and of policie yet they went on subduing conquering and bringing all unto the obedience of the Gospel of Jesus Christ The laws of this kingdome were in stead of revenge Love your enemies in stead of lust Look not on a woman to lust after her in stead of covetousnesse Forsake all instead of ambition Deny your selves And yet the supernaturall lawes by the Spirit and power of the great Law-giver were setled and written in the tables of mens hearts The promises of reward were not worldly pleasures or ease but let every man take up his crosse and follow me All things in this kingdome were above the reach of naturall reason yet the spiritual man by a new faculty created of God knoweth the deep things of God and judgeth all things Some Divines have observed seven things in the passion of Christ altogether contrary to the judgement of the naurall man the greatest impotency and weaknesse in him who was omnipotent the greatest suffering in that was impassible the greatest foolishnes according to the judgement of men in the deepest wisdome greatest poverty in the God of all riches greatest shame in the greatest glory and majesty greatest dereliction and forsaking in the most perfect union and great severity of the Father against his Son in the greatest love of the Father to the Son in the very time of his suffering Many more might be
instruments of so good a work especially such as remove impediments out of the way shall against all envy and aemulation have their own testimony and honour according to the Hebrew Sentence Nisi ipse elevasset lapidem non fuisset inventa sub eo haec margarita if the stone had not been lifted the pearle had not been found under it Die Mercurii 28. Maii. 1645. IT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament that Mr. HENDERSON who preached this day before the LORDS in Parliament is hereby thanked for the great paines he tooke in his Sermon And is desired by their Lordships to print and publish the same which his not to be printed or reprinted by any but by Authority under his own hand Jo Browne Cler Parliament ERRATA PAge 5. line 10. read forth p. 10. l. 9. for indure r. obdure p. 22. l. 26. r. naturall l. 28. r. him p. 25. l. 11. r. clownishnes A SERMON PREACHED Before the Right Honorable House of LORDS JOHN 18. 36 Jesus answered My Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Iewes But now is my Kingdome not from hence 37 Pilate therefore said unto him Art thou a King then Iesus answered thou sayest that I am a King To this end was I borne and for this cause came I unto the world that I should beare witnesse of the truth every one that is of the truth heareth my voice IT is acknowledged and universally confessed that Justice or Righteousnesse is a noble and most excellent vertue When the diâ—pute was betwixt Justice and Fortitude Righteousnesse and Courage whether of the two should have the first place both of them being most noble Vertues Justice was preferred because Courage without Justice is of nouse but if all men were just there should be no need of Courage or Fortitude This Justice is a constant and perpetuall will of giving unto every one his due it rendreth to the inferiour what is due to him to the equall what he ought to have and to the superiour but most of all to God and to his Sonne Jesus Christ who are supream what belongeth to them There be in these dayes many complaints of the want of military skill and courage for the truth and cause of God but the complaint of the want of Justice is more just For if all men were just the former complaint would be silenced And there be many complaints of inferiors of equals and of superiors that they receive not that which belongeth unto them but the Sonne of God who is supream and soveraigne above all may more justly complaine that he getteth not his right which is the greatest injustice in the world and the cause of so great injustice amongst men And therefore the cause of the great wrath of God which to deprecate and to turn away we are humbled before God and doe afflict our souls this day Oh that the conclusion might be a resolution in all according to their places and callings to render unto Christ his own right This parcell of Scripture containing the answer of Jesus Christ unto Pilate before whom hee witnessed a good confession holdeth forth his right for being accused by Pilate of the highest degree of ambition sedition and rebellion and indeed of no lesse then laese-Majestie he desendeth himselfe by discovering the causes of these Tragedies and by revealing the mysteries of his Kingdome confessing that he was indeed a King but withall shewing that his Kingdome needed not to be formidable either to Pilate to his master Tiberius or to any in authority because his Kingdome was not of this world This he maketh manifest from the common condition and manner of earthly Kingdomes and Kings which have their Souldiers and Guards that fight for them and defend them from violence but he maketh not use of any this being the end of his Kingdome that the truth of the Gospel may prevail and reigne in the hearts and lives of men against the tyranny of darknesse and lies Nor should it seeme any thing strange that hee hath so many adversaries and his Kingdom findeth so great opposition in the world there being so few whether of the Church or State that submit themselves to be captived and ruled by the truth none are subjects of his Kingdome to obey his voyce but such as by regeneration are the children of the truth which is parallell to what he saith Matth. 11.19 But wisdome is justified of her children There be four principall points aimed at in the Text First the dominion and soveraignty of Christ My Kingdome Secondly the condition and quality of the Kingdome of Christ negatively expressed as best serving his present intention My Kingdome is not of this world Thirdly the end and use of his Kingdome that the truth may have place among the children of men for their salvation and eternall happinesse To this end was Iborn and for this cause came I unto the world that I should be are witnesse unto the truth Fourthly the subjects of the Kingdome of Christ such as heare the voyce of Christ and obey his will Every one that is of the truth heareth my voyce The knowledge of the first is necessary that the Son of God may have his due and we may be humbled for not rendring it unto him The knowledge of the second is necessary that Kings Princes and great ones in the world may have what is due unto them lest from their unjust suspitions and evill grounded jealousies they become enemies to the Kingdome of Christ and that they may be humbled for lodging any such thoughts or fears in their hearts The third is necessary to be knowne that we may have the benefit intended for us in the Gospel and be humbled that we have not endeavoured as we ought to find the comfort and power of the truth in our hearts and lives And the fourth is necessary that wee may henceforth shew ourselves to be the children of truth and willing subjects of the Kingdome of the Sonne of God That Jesus Christ is not onely our Prophet revealing unto us the whole will of God by the Law discovering unto us our sinne and wretchednesse and by the Gospel righteousnesse and life and our Priest by himselfe offered in a sacrifice purging us from sin and arraying us with long garments clean and white which is the righteousnesse of the Saints but that as our supream Lord and King by his mighty power and soveraignty he ruleth in us and over us conserveth and maintaineth our blessed estate thus revealed and purchased against all enemies is a truth as necessary for us to know but never enough acknowledged so very much insisted on in Scripture as may appeare First by the Titles of honour and dignity put upon him A Commander a Captain a Ruler of Governour a Prince Michael the great Prince a King the Prince of the Kings of the earth the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Lord of all By these Titles is he known in the way of eminencie What is most eminent in Rulers Princes or Kings all their excellencies and flowers of perfection are most eminently and egregiously found in him in the way of negation all their errors infirmities and imperfections which are many and too many are farre from him and in the way of causation as they speak for with him is the originall and prime cause of all that is excellent in them Secondly by the many great and glorious promises and prophesies of the Kingdome of Christ which cannot be reckoned up so many are they in this shortnesse of time and are to every one that readeth the Prophesies of the old Testament so obvious Thirdly the same is manifest by the administration and execution of his office in giving lawes unto his people and executing them in giving gifts unto his servants for the good of his people in ruling his people by his Word and Spirit in defending and delivering them from their enemies and in subduing and destroying their enemies in the end Fourthly the same is evident also by the homage and honour which the whole Church militant and triumphant give unto him And I beheld and I heard the voyce of many Angels round about the Throne and the living Creatures and the Elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a lowd voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are of the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Rev. 5.11 12 13. It requireth an heart ready to indite and a tongue as the pen of a ready Writer to set forth the praises of this King Psal 45.1 Only three things I would say from the descriptions which we have in Scripture One is that the Kingdome of Christ was first made known to the Church when the promise was made to our first parents The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent Gen. 3.15 The second is that since that time till this day he hath been reigning in the midst of his enemies not onely after his coming in our flesh but before the times of the Patriarcks and Prophets and ever was known to the subjects of his Kingdome The third is that his Kingdome hath been sometimes more obscure and under a cloud as in the times of the old Testament howsoever even then his hand was stretched out in delivering his people out of Egypt in leading them through the wildernesse and possessing them in the land of promise And at the time of his suffering howsoever the beames of his bringhtnesse did shine through the dark cloud at other times the lustre and brightnesse thereof hath been more apparant as at the time of his exaltation Thou art my Sonne this day this day of thy glorious resurrection have I begotten thee fulfilled the decree and declared thee to be the Sonne of God A Commentary whereof we have Phil. 2.9 10 11. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earch and things under the earth And that every tongne should confesse that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father And Ephes 4.8 When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men These were his servants who were sent forth to preach and proclaim him to be King And although men ought to be sparing in determining the manner the measure the time and indurance of a greater glory of the Kingdome of Christ on earth to come yet have we reason to hope for great things at the bringing in of the ancient people of God but ought so to hope for it that for the present we may behold Christ reigning in his spiritual Kingdome and to take heed that the expectation of that which is future be not a prejudice to that which is present and is come to passe in our dayes more then in former times Some perhaps may think that this is no great matter or deep mystery since no man can acknowledge Christ to be the eternall Sonne of God but he must also confesse that he is King and Lord and that all honour and Titles of honour are due unto him To which I answer first that there be many whatsoever for their credit they may professe to the contrary who do not in their hearts beleeve that the Lord God as a great King ruleth the world for they fight against the light of Nature and abuse their power and policie no lesse then if they could rule the world without God God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 Secondly a man may know that God is King and Ruler and yet be ignorant that Christ God and Man is King Nature which teacheth that there is a Godhead leadeth also to a providence but the other is a grand mystery which cannot be conceived but supernaturally Thirdly we are to understand that Christ hath a twofold right unto his Kingdome one by nature as he is God the other by donation as he is Man To me is given all power in heaven and in earth so that the man Jesus Christ which is a great mystery and which the world beleeveth not hath prerogative and power above all creatures in earth and in heaven above all Nobles Princes and Kings and which is more above all Angels Principalities and Powers Having thus shewed that Christ hath a Kingdome which made him to say My Kingdome I would now make some use of this point but that I conceive it to be more convenient first to speak of the quality of the Kingdome of Christ and having joyned both together That he is a King and that his Kingdome is not of this world to give the uses of both at once The quality then of the Kingdome of Christ negatively is this That his Kingdome is not of this world it is not an earthly or worldly Kingdome and therefore by consequence must be a spirituall and heavenly Kingdome As it is a Kingdome it hath many things common with the Kingdomes of the world both the one and the other are of God both for God and his glory both for the good of the people This being a perpetual difference between a Tyrant a King that a Tyrant conceiveth the people to be for him and his ends but a King knoweth that he is set over the people for their good both have their Lawes and rule by them both have their enemies which oppose and disturb their peace But this is the great
produced by another power whether of the body or of the soule as by the Understanding at the commandment of the Wll For the Will may command the Mind or Understanding quoad exercitium although not quoad specificationem The Magistrate hath actum elicitum as his proper operation about civill matters as his proper object but in spirituall things not so He may neither preach nor minister the Sacraments nor exercise discipline yet hath he actum imperatum he may and ought by his place to command Ministers to do all these duties And if he be negligent in this he sinneth against God Upon the other part the Minister may not judge civill or criminall causes nor performe the proper offices of the civill power yet as the Minister hath actum elicitum for performing of spirituall duties so hath he although not actum imperatum yet actum excitatum for exciting and in the name of Christ exhorting and charging the Civill Powers to the performance of their duty This generall use of Doctrine may be brought neerer home by the following use which is for reproof of two main errors which at this time make a great deal of trouble in the Christian world and which being once removed there might be greater peace and quietnesse in Churches and Common-wealths The one is of the most unjust tyrannous claim made by the Pope of temporall dominion over the whole world or at least to intermeddle with the affaires of Princes and Kingdomes in reference to the Church or as the Papists expresse themselves in ordine ad spiritualia For the Pope not contenting himselfe with the transcendency of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction over the whole Church though he hath no warrant for it in his boundlesse and endlesse ambition did climb yet higher and partly by the favour or foolishnesse rather of Christian Princes and partly by his own fraudulent and violent dealing as the son of him who hath been a murtherer a lier from the beginning hath set himselfe up first amongst and next over the greatest Princes and mightiest Emperours to dispose of their Crownes and Dignities at his pleasure which is the mark and character of him who is spoken of by the Apostle 2 Thess 2.4 Who sitteth in the Temple of God as God shewing himself that he is God and opposing and exalting himselfe above all that is called God As the Text sheweth that Christ was no earthly King that he left no Regal power to Peter and therefore the Pope can have no temporall power as the Vice-gerent of Christ so the supream power to dispose of Kingdomes and temporall things in reference to things spirituall and the lawfulnesse of civill dominion which the Pope claimeth by the donation of Princes are overturned by the grounds laid in the Text The Kingdome of Christ is not of this world About this point there be three things which may astonish our hearts and indeed are matters of admiration one is the wonderfull patience of God suffering that man of sin so long to rage and to be drunk with the blood of the Saints which should make us to say with the Spirit and Bride Come Lord Jesus come quickly the sins of that Sea are long since at the height Lord why tarriest thou Never since the beginning of the world was there such an example of divine patience Learned men have applied themselves to search into the causes of the so long continuance of the Sect of Mahomet and conceive that the detestation of Idolatry and of persecution of the Gospel are two principall causes thereof the contrary whereof is found in the Church of Rome which makes the patience of God so much the more admirable A second is that he who calleth himself the servant of servants doth make himself the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and yet the Kings and Lords of the earth do still give their strength and power unto the Beast and lie under his yoke drunk with the wine of his fornications nor will they yet awake after so full a discovery of that mystery of iniquity which is from the spirit of slumber in the justice of God possessing their spirits And the third is that such Kings and Kingdomes as are begun to hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked doe suffer themselves by whatsoever tentations or worldly respects to be divided or retarded in accomplishing the work And here we have just reason to lament that the work of God maketh so slow progresse in this Land And it may be unto us this day just cause of deep humiliation that our sins in former times and since the beginning of this work of Reformation are such as make obstruction unto it The Lord I confesse hath done much already especially in removing the Prelats and other members of that Popish Hierarchy who had transformed the Kingdome of Christ in this Island into a wordly Kingdom very conform unto the Pope the head of the Hierarchy In this England hath as great cause to rejoyce as any Nation under heaven because never any nation hath felt more of Popish and Prelaticall tyranny then England and that both of old and of late witnesse your own Histories There is also another error to be reproved which is upon the other hand and may be called a new Papacy the former error is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Court-parasites politicians and such other enemies to the Kingdome of Christ would introduce into the reformed Churches ascribing to the highest civill authority or to the supream Magistrate the same place in the reformed Church within his dominion that the Pope hath in the Roman Church and making him head of the Church by which the Pope is changed but not the Papacy the Dominator but not the Domination Nor is there any difference but 1. that this opinion maketh as many Popes as supream Magistrates which would cease if Caesars or Emperours as of old did rule the world 2. That it will be acknowledged that such civill Popes are subject to error which is no great difference for the chiefest Doctors in the Roman Church do admit that the Pope may erre and for this cause will have him subject to generall Councels For clearing of this great difficulty and that we may give to Caesar what is Caesars unto Christ and his Ministers what belongeth to them we are to observe these three distinctions 1. We are to distinguish times in the times before the Law the Civill and Ecclesiasticall power might be in one person as in Melchisedeck Job c. not so after the Law when the Republick and Church of Israel were once constitute and setled The Lord that maketh Summer to succeed after Winter the day after the night and youth after infancy would have it to be so The saying of the wise Physitian Vindiceanus quia ego non jussi belongeth to God in matters of this kind August Epist 5. 2. We are to distinguish between cases in extraordinary cases