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A81219	The saints thankfull acclamation at Christs resumption of his great power and the initials of his kingdome. Delivered in a sermon at Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons, upon the day of their solemne thanksgiving unto God, for the great victory given our armie, under the command of the noble Lord Fairfax, at Selby in Yorke-shire and to other the Parliaments forces in Pembrock-shire, April 23d, 1644. By Joseph Caryl preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolnes-Inne.	Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.	1644 (1644)	Wing C787; Thomason E48_1; ESTC R7648	36,302	59

right and reliefe may not his own people expect from him no gifts can blind his eyes from giving judgment nor any greatnes stop his hand from executing it No sonnes of Zerviah are to hard for him 2 Sam. 3. 39. he will reward the doer of evill according to his wickednesse Tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill but Rom. 2. 9 10. glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good Thirdly he is meeke and lowly so the Prophet presents him as the object of Sions joy in the dayes of his humiliation Zach. 9. 9. When he came riding upon an Asse and upon a colt the foale of an Asse And so we may present him to Sion still in all the times of his exaltation raigning upon his throne or riding upon the chariot of his greatest glorie He keeps no severe distance from his people nor deterrs them from suing to him by a clouded angry brow smiles and sweetnesse sits upon his face he is Deliciae Sanctorum the delight of Saints and tendernesse it selfe to all his people Fourthly he is a peaceable Prince and more then that the very Prince of Peace He is not onely disposed for Peace but he hath peace at his dispose Kings of the earth command warre but they Treat for peace But if Christ say Peace to the Sea The winds will obey him And if Christ say peace to the sword the warre will obey him If he will give quietnesse who then can make trouble whether Ioh. 34. 29. it be for a Nation or for a man only Time would faile me to instance further in those divine heart-reioycing Characters of Sions King That which compleates and eternizes our Ioy in Christ as King is that he is King eternall who only hath immortality It clouds our 1 Tim. 1. 17. light and kils the spirit of our joy even while we enjoy excellent Princes to remember they must dye For when that snow melts from the heads of such Aged Princes as it was said of our late famous Queene Elizabeth from the feare of her good subjects and the hope of her enemies then I say we may expect a Flood Change of Kings makes often great changes in a state But in Sion there is no succession of Princes Christ is perpetuall Dictator there To have a better then he or to loose him are equally impossible We cannot mend our selves by any change nor have we any ground to feare a change And that which sets the crowne upon all our comforts yet faster is that as his person is immortall so also is his love towards his people his love is free he hath no designes upon any in loving them His love is without respect of persons he makes all his Subiects Favourites His love is everlasting none can out us of his favour We know that a false whisper into a Princes eare hath blasted all a mans hopes and withred all the Interests he had in him before But no Ziba can accuse us out of the affection of our Heavenly King Then rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion Shout O Zach. 9. 9. Daughter of Ierusalem Behold thy King That which 1 King 10. 9. the Queene of Sheba said of Solomon as the shadow is fully accomplisht in Christ who is greater then Solomon Because the Lord loved Israel therefore made he thee King to doe Iudgement and Iustice The thrones of some Princes have Hos 13. 11. bin founded in the wrath of God against a people I gave thee a King in anger But the throne of Christ is founded in the love of God yea it is all composed and built up of love The whole frame is love and such love as will never be out of frame Quest. But have we this cause of joy and thankfulnes is Christ King now or hath he taken to him his great power and raigned Answ I beleeve we have I beleeve we may see he hath 'T is true the acts and glory of this Kingdome fall not under popular observation No nor under the observation of the Princes of the Earth Wicked men will not cannot behold Isa 26. 10. the Majesty of the Lord. Every eye cannot see this King in his beauty Therefore it is spoken as a speciall priviledge of him that walkes uprightly and shuts his eyes from seeing evill Thine eyes shall see the King in his beautie The Isa 33. 15. 17. proper beauty and Majestie of Christs kingdome is spirituall When Christ came in the flesh and conversed among the Jews every day they knew him not neither do they beleeve on him to this day As therfore Christs appearance to save his Church was humility in a mysterie such as none of the Princes of this world knew For as the Apostle argues 1 Cor 2. 7. 8. had they knowne it they would not have crucified the Lord of glorie So the appearance of Christ to governe his Church is Majestie in a mysterie such as the Princes and men of the world know not for did they know it we may argue from the Apostle they would not oppose the Lord of glorie Antichrist hath usurp'd the great power of Christ and hath raigned many hundred yeares yet how many Nations and in every Nation how many persons will not beleeve it to this day His kingdome is tottering and falling and ending and yet many contend that it is not yet begun The raigne of Antichrist is a mysterie too Neither the raigne of Christ nor Antichrist is visible to all The reason why so many see not Antichrist on his throne is because they are so neare him And the reason why so many see not Christ on his throne is because they are so farre from him They who are neare Antichrist cannot see him and they only can see Christ who are neare unto him A great part of the day of Christs raigne shall neither be cleare nor darke but at evening time it shall be light Zach. 14 6. 7. He will at last cast out such rayes of glorie in the administrations of his Kingdome as every eye shall either see it or be dazel'd with it And for the present if we consult the things which we either heare or see if we leave ancient prophecies and peruse but the historie of these latter yeares What can we conclude lesse then the Initials of Christs Kingdome or at least the Prognosticks of his Raigne When Iohn the Math. 11. 3. Baptist sent two of his Disciples unto Christ And said unto him art thou he that should come or do we looke for another Iohn 10. 24 25. Christ answers from his actions goe and shew John the things which yee do heare and see the blind receive their sight and the lame walke the lepers are cleansed and the deafe heare the dead are raised up and the poore have the Gospel preached to them At another time when the Jewes came round about him and said unto him how long doest thou make us to

THE SAINTS Thankfull Acclamation AT CHRISTS RESVMPTION OF HIS GREAT POWER AND THE Initials of his Kingdome Delivered in a Sermon at Westminster before the Honourable House of Commons upon the day of their solemne Thanksgiving unto God for the great victory given our Armie under the Command of the Noble Lord Fairfax at Selby in Yorke-shire and to other the Parliaments Forces in Pembrock-shire April 23d 1644. By Joseph Caryl Preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolnes-Inne Psal 68. 1. Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered 1 Thess 5. 18. In every thing give thankes for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you LONDON Printed by G. M. for Giles Calvert at the signe of the black-spread-Eagle neare the west end of Pauls 1644. Die Martis 23 April 1644. IT is this day ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That Mr Ashe and Sr Peter Went-worth doe give thanks to Mr Pearne and Mr Caryll for the great paines they tooke in the sermons they preached this day at St Margaret Westminster at the intreaty of the House it being a day of Publicke Thanksgiving for the great Victory God hath given to the Lord Fairfax over his Enemies at Selby in Yorkshire and to the Parliaments Forces in Pembrookeshire and to desire them to print their Sermons And it is Ordered that no man shall presume their or either of their Sermons to print without he have licence under their hand writing H. Elsyng Cler. Parl. D. Com. I Appoint Giles Calvert to print my Sermon JOSEPH CARYL Errata Pag. 4. marg read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 42. l. ●8 dele the. p. 44. l 7. dele in TO THE HONOVRABLE HOVSE of COMMONS assembled in Parliament at Westminster MErcies are obligations to dutie Every Deliverance writes us Debtor and victorie over our Enemies servants to the living God It is good to receive a blessing but it is better to use it well And a thankfull heart is a greater Favour then any outward Favour for which we give thankes When the hand of providence workes gloriously with us our Tongues should render the providence of God glorious Successes and Events cannot make a bad Cause just or good But they make a good Cause beautifull and adde lustre to the Iustice of it Though God should not goe forth with our Armies as sometimes he did not with the Armies of his people but should make them turne their back upon the enemie though he should make us a reproach Psal 44. to our neighbours and a derision to them that are round about us though he should smite us into the place of Dragons and cover us with the shadow of death yet we ought not to forget his name or deale falsely in his Covenant Yea wee ought to blesse his Name and give him thankes that he hath laid our bones and powred our bloud into the Foundation of so honourable a worke It is a sinne and a shame not to honour Christ when in his work we are put to shame How shamefull then would our sinne be if we should not honour him while he gives us honour in carrying on his worke There is nothing more undutifull then for a people to humble God while God is exalting them Not to acknowledge mercies is at least an humbling if it be not an Abasing of God Wherefore Honoured Senators let your hearts be ever lifted up in the waies of God and let God be lifted up in all your hearts Let your pietie be as zealous in keeping dayes of praise and thanksgiving to record blessings as it hath bin in keeping daies of Prayer and Fasting to procure them God could tell the sraclites in the Booke of Judges how often and from what enemies by name he had delivered them Let your records be as exact in this point to the best of your observation as Gods are He knowes still when and what victories he gives he knowes by whom and over whom Chap. 10. he gives them Let your registers be as counterpanes of those reserved in heaven yea as the copies of all those volumes of love and care which God hath transcribed from that originall of his secret counsels by the visible hand and pen of providence in the actions of these latter dayes They that retaine the memorie of mercies seldome loose the fight of mercies and God never breaks off for evill from doing them good who speake good of his name How many successes what victories have been given you since you paid this debt of praise You and we have had joy upon joy then add Thankfulnes to Thankfulnesse till yours and our joyes be full This filling up the Nation joy is and Christ assisting shall be the great desire and earnest prayer of Your Servant in the work of the Lord Ioseph Caryl A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honourable House of COMMONS at Westminster upon the 23. of Aprill 1644. being a day appointed for solemn Thanksgiving unto God for the late successes and victories attained by our Armies in York-shire and Pembrock-shire REVEL 11. v. 16 17. Ver. 16. And the foure and twenty Elders which sate before God on their seates fell upon their faces and worshipped God 17. Saying we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned THis Chapter may be well entitled the compendium or Breviat of all the Prophecies contained in this booke concerning the state of the Church whether sadly gro●ning under or gloriously triumphing over Antichristian Tyrannie God hath ever even in times of thickest errour and grossest Apostasie reserved a remnant to himself for the asserting of his Truth These are called by way of excellency his Witnesses These being small in number are express'd by the smallest number Two Witnesses These being thus few are yet enow to give a compleat Testimonie For in the mouth of Mat. 18. 16. two or three Witnesses every word may be established The worke of these Witnesses in the nature of it is very spirituall and divine therefore called prophesying I will give power to my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie v. 3. The continuance of their worke is very long so long That it is shorten'd in words by a figure reducing a year to a day A Thousand two hundred and threescore daies Propheticall daies every yeare being as short in words as a day and every day as long in sence as a yeare A Ezek. 4. 6. day for a yeare So Ezekiel was taught to count and so are we The outward condition wherin they prophesied was such as might have caused them to reckon every day a yeare and yet the inward comfort and assistance was such as might make them reckon every yeare but as a day To be cloathed in sack-cloth is to be cloathed with sorrow to be wrapt about with affliction The habit of these Witnesses was an Embleme of actuall mourning They prophesied cloathed in sack-cloth v. 3.

man abuses God everytime he gives him thanks at the best he doth but bungle and make uncomely worke of it The beautifull garment of praise put upon such is as beauty upon a woman without discretion a jewell of gold in a Swines snout Prov. 11. 22. A second consideration importing the fitnesse of the Elders for this duty is their ability for the duty They are most able yea they only are able to performe this duty Without Christ we can doe nothing Beasts and stones can praise God analogically in a manner Hypocrites and prophane men can praise God formally after their manner Elders and Saints only can praise God properly after his manner Praise is worship and worship is the sole worke of Saints yea praise is the most spirituall part of worship it is the spirit of worship the highest and noblest act of worship 't is Heaven-worship Heaven-worke all the worke and worship that is reserved for Heaven It requires more then a state of regeneration even a state of perfection Grace is not sufficient it cals for the strength of glory to praise the Lord. Here we can complaine over our wants and blubber over our sinnes and sufficiently cry over our troubles But how short and low-hearted are we at best in rejoycing over our mercies in singing the loving kindnesse and crying up the glory of our God God will be above our praises when we are above how much is he then above them while we are below And if the Lord be above the praises of the holiest who are below in the state of grace how infinitely is he above their praises who are below in the state of nature Thirdly The Elders are fittest in respect of the Lords acceptation Praise doth not please God brought by every hand The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Prov. 15. ● the Lord Prayer is sacrifice and so is praise this is so abominable that it is abomination when presented by the wicked From them though never so curiously flourisht in words it is but like the offering of Swines flesh and the Isa 66. 3. cutting off of a doggs necke Some great Princes have forbid all to draw their pictures in colours or cut their statues in stone but some speciall Artists of their own appointment they would not accept this service from any others Grace only hath art enough to limbe out to the life the excellencies of God no creature can do God right but others do him wrong His Saints cannot reach him yet they please him Others doe not only come short of but blot the name of God with the pensil of their most studied praises These things laid together clear the first Reason why praise is the Elders duty they are fittest for this service it becomes them best they are best enabled for it and accepted in it Againe the Elders have most cause to praise the Lord. Second Reason For first their mercies are greater then the mercies of others All creatures have cause to praise the Lord for their being Psal 148. All men have cause to praise the Lord for the excellencie of their being The worst of men have cause to praise God that they are no worse and the most miserable men on earth because they are not more miserable even arrested with the miseries of hell yea some affirm that the most miserable in hel have reason to praise God because their hell is not more miserable All these have cause to blesse God but the Saints have more they have right-handed mercies full-handed mercies greater mercies and better mercies both qualitie and quantitie commends them they have choice mercies and a Benjamins messe Now as where God sows there he looks to reap so where he sows much he looks to reap much and where he sows most he looks to reape most None receive so much mercy as the Elders and none bound to pay so much praise as they Secondly the Elders have prayed and dealt with God most for the obtaining of publike mercies They have often gone forth weeping in daies of humiliation bearing precious seed of prayer and therefore they shall as a priviledge and they ought as a duty come againe with rejoycing bringing their sheaves of praise with them Psal 126. 6. They that sow in teares shall reape in joy that 's the promise of God and they ought to rejoyce when they reape that 's the duty of man The Elders falling upon their faces in praier had wrestled for obtained these mercies and now they fall upon their faces to praise the Lord for these mercies Further the Elders have bin active in their severall stations to serve the providence of God for the procuring of these mercies Prayer makes them industrious They pray as if God were to doe all and they endeavour as if themselves were to doe all They pray as knowing they can doe nothing without God and they labour as knowing that usually God will doe nothing without them This engages them to praise God when they see through his concurrent blessing the fruits of their counsels and watchings when they eate the labours of their hands Lastly none have such cause as they for the vowes of God are upon them Praise is the paiment of vowes Thy Psal 56. 12. vowes are upon me O Lord saith David I will render praises Psal 65. 1. unto thee And againe when he had said Praise waiteth for thee O God in Sion presently followes and unto thee shall the vow be performed Praying daies are vowing-daies and praising-daies are vow-performing-daies Vowes are the dedication of our mercies to God before we receive them and praise is the dedication of our mercies to God after we have received them When Hannah was in bitternesse Sem 1. 10 11 of soule and prayed unto the Lord for a child she vowed a vow and said O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt indeed looke upon the affliction of thy hand-maid and remember me and not forget thine hand-maid but wilt give unto thine hand-maid a man child then I will give him unto the Lord all the dayes of his life Her prayer was heard she hath a sonne In the same Chapter her praise-offering is upon record and the paiment of her vow She brings her child to the High-Priest 1 Sam. 1. 26 27 28. and said O my Lord as thy soule liveth my Lord I am the woman that stood by thee here prayeng unto the Lord For this child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my Petition which I asked of him therefore also I have lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth The holy Elders may name most of their mercies Samuels that is asked of God yea and vowed to God This causeth them to come with praise-offerings and say in the great Congregation for this mercie we prayed unto the Lord and the Lord hath given us our petition therefore also we have lent this and our selves to the Lord as long as we live Whatsoever good

it that when we have a God who can easily doe great things we should be a people that can hardly beleeve small things How doth it misbecome that Christ should be invested with great power and Christians should give cause to be rebuk'd with O ye Mat. 8. 26. of little faith Doct. 3 Thirdly from these words observe in briefe That Sometime Christ seemes to put his power out of his owne hand Thou hast taken to thee thy great power Christ cals it in surely then it was abroad Christ goes in the opinion of the world for weake when his Church is weake as he takes himself for persecuted when any member of his Church is smitten Christ gives power not only into the hands of his friends but into the hands of his enemies to try what Dic mibi tu fueris si leo qualis cris they will doe with it to see what worke they will make with it Men know not what they would be nor what they would doe till they have opportunity Much wickednesse lies hid in the heart till there be strength in the hand to draw it forth Little did Hazael thinke that so much cruelty lodg'd in his breast till he had a throne to act upon Nature vex'd and Nature arm'd discovers it selfe 2 King 8. 13. And because Christ will have the thoughts of mens hearts discern'd and their spirits turn'd outwards therefore he lets men rule and carry it in the world while himselfe as it were stands by and looks on Doct. 4 Fourthly note hence Christ can resume his power when he pleases and will resume it when his owne promise and the Churches profit call him to it The appearing weakenesse of Christ is voluntary and elected He is weake only upon consultation and designe and therefore upon consultation and designe at his owne will and election he can be strong againe Men sometime are put to feare those whom they trust with their power They trust out more power in the hands of others then they see is well-used and yet they know not how to recall or take it backe into their owne hands Christ can recall all his Commissions and take to himselfe his great power without asking any mans leave or fearing any mans displeasure He can recrew't his as the world accounts them broken Troops and scattered Armies without the counsell or contributions of any creature Doct. 5 Observe fiftly As soone as ever Christ takes his power he raignes presently Thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast raigned This was the very beginning and commencement of Christs kingdome in the glorie of it and yet it is spoken of as if he had fully accomplish'd it If he will worke none can let him Man may quickly overweene Isa 43. 23. 1 Kin. 20. 11. his owne power but Christ cannot Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himselfe as he that putteth it off saith Ahab to Benhadad But as soone as Christ begins to gird on his harnesse he may boast as if he were putting it off There is nothing left to hazard there is no fortune in his Deut. 32. 41. warre He may sing victoria before the battell If he doth but whet his glittering sword whetting is but preparatory to smiting and his hand take hold on judgment he wil render vengeance 1 Sam. 3. 12. to his enemies and will reward them that hate him When he begins he will also make an end whether in wrath upon his adversaries or in loving kindnes to his people Thou hast raigned I have but toucht at these points because though they lie plainly in the words as they are a Proposition yet they are not the scope of propounding them which in this place is only to give a reason or ground of the Elders joy thankfulnes expressed in the former parts of the Text. As taken strictly under this consideration they teach us three points First That it is a ground of abundant praise and comfort to Three Doctrines from the words as they hold forth the reason why the Elders gave thankes all the Saints when Christ appeares resuming his power and setting up his kingdome It is well for all the world that Christ raignes How soone would the frame of every kingdome dissolve or be out of course if he did not beare up their pillars and over-rule all their rulers Men could not live by men if the world were left meerly to the power of man Hence the Psalmist cals all to rejoyce in Christ the King The Lord raigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of Psal 97. 1. Isles many and great Isles be glad thereof yet the Saints who have an interest in Christ above others are glad of the raigne of Christ above others he is a King over others but he is a King for them therefore it followes v. 8th Sion heard thereof and was glad The rest are called to rejoyce but Sion doth rejoyce her eare affects her heart Sion heard therof Isa 52. 7. and was glad This is news enough to be told in Sion how beautifull are his feet that brings this good tidings that saith unto Sion thy God raigneth In this one report all her mercies are reported at once And she reades the history of all her hopes in her first experiencies of that ancient prophecie Q. But what matter of joy or thankfulnes is it for Saints that Christ raigneth A. We use to say A friend at Court is better then a pennie in our purse we count it matter of joy if we have a friend about the King What is it then to have the King our Friend or to hear that Our Friend is King But the qualification of a King is better to us then his relation All kingly qualifications meet in the person of Christ First he is so wise that he is called Wisdom so wise that in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom so wise that he needs none to counsell him he is the Counsellour and feares none who counsell against him for there is no counsell against the Lord. It hath beene said That Common-wealths should then be happie when either Philosophers were Kings or Kings were Philosophers How happy then must Sion be in her King who is not only a lover of wisdome but wisdome Secondly he is a just King The true Melchizedec King of Iustice When Christ takes his great power and raignes we know power is then in a good hand and the Crowne upon a righteous head Christ never did nor ever will doe wrong to any no not to the devill with his power Though his will be his law and the breast of this Commander the reason of his commands yet no man no not the worst of men his greatest and most professed studied enemies shall ever have cause to complaine of rigour or injustice He will indeed punish all wicked men but he will not oppresse or injure any one Now if his power shall never wrong his enemies what

of the creature Yet sometimes he hides his power or appeares not in it He had hornes comming out of his hand saith the Prophet and there Habak 3. 4. was the hiding of his power His people doe not alwayes see nor enemies feele what he can doe None can cut the lock where the strength of our Sampson lyes When he seemes weake as other men or weaker then other men so that man prevailes it is because he pleases it should be so His not acting his power is all his not having of power His hand is omnipotent only he keeps it in his bosome Hence the Church prayes Plucke thy hand out of thy bosome His power is hidden in his will And as his Saints are said to lacke or be without that grace which through negligence 2 Pet. 1 9. they do not vse so Christ is said to be without that power which through providence he doth not use And therfore this phrase of Taking his great power imports no more Accipere potestatem est excrere potestatem Deus conni●ēdo ad hostium surores videbatur potentiam magnam i e. omni potentiam non habere Par. in loc but the exerting and exercising of his power or the raising up and awakening of his power which lying still seemed to be a sleepe To which sence those cries of his people Awake Lord why sleepest thou often used in Scripture doe referre And for the raigne of Christ whether over his enemies to destroy them or over his Churches to direct them whether as King of Nations or King of Saints We may say as the Apostle John doth of our Sonship Beloved we are now the sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be 1 Jo. 3. 2. we have alwaies the priviledg of Sons but not always the glory of Sons So Christ is alwaies King but it doth not alwaies appear how glorious a King he is or what he shall be Christ hath power Kingdome and glory he retains the power of his Kingdom when he doth not shine in the glory of his Kingdom The Lord reigneth saith the Psalme but clouds and Psal 97. 1● darknes are round about him When he breakes through these Cloudes and scatters this Darknes When not only Iudgement and righteousnes which ever are but Majesty and glory which ever do not appeare the habitation of his Throne then in the sense of the Text Christ raigneth He raigns rounded with Cloudes when his enemies are upon his Throane But he shall raigne as incompassed and cloathed with light making all his enemies his Foot-stoole Christ will recover nations and new Kingdomes out of the hand of Satan from Paganish and Turkish Tyranny He will make such changes and alterations not only in Antichristian but in Kingdomes truly called Christian That even these shall be as if they had not bin Christs till then He will make the place of his feet so glorious in all Kingdomes as if Isa 60. 13. he had had no Kingdome till then That which was glorious shall have no glory in this respect by reason of the glory which shall excell This is the raigne of Christ the beginnings whereof these Elders celebrate We give the thanks O Lord c. Because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast raigned Hence Observe Doct. 1 First That Power is Christs peculiar And that Christ hath a peculiar power Thy power All power is his Mat. 2● 1● and he hath some power which none else can have Christ is Pleni-potentiarius The proprietary of power and the distributer of power Much of his power he deposites in the hands of Men and some of his power is usurpt by Men. This latter he recovers back from all and for the former all with whom it is trusted must account Then they who have power had need consider whether it be such as Christ hath given them or such as they have taken from Christ He will take back all his peculiars and vindicate the prerogatives of his Crowne from all sacrilegious Antichristian usurpations And they who have power by due commission from Christ had need consider what they doe with it and how they improve it It is almost as dangerous to misuse a power received from Christ as to use a power not received from Christ May I not doe what I will with mine owne said that Master in the Parable Math. 20. 15. yes that thou mayest good reason too And by the same reason no man may doe what he will with power for it is not his owne If a mans tongue were his owne as they bragg'd Psal 124. he might speake what he list without controule But because his tongue is not his own therefore he must give an account of every idle word So if a mans power Mat. 12. 36. were his owne he might doe with it what he list but because it is not his owne but Christs therefore he must give an account to Christ of every unjust act or administration of that power Power is a Talent they sinne who hide it in a Napkin and will not use it for Christ What then doe they who use it against Christ And oppose heaven by that which originally comes from heaven He that acts a meere Politician with his power is well compared to a man standing upon his head he trusts his wit and kicking as such do at heaven with their feet His actions are heaven oppositions Such abusers of power Christ will at last tread under his feet as mire in the streets and breake Psal 2. them to peeces as a Potters vessel with the iron rod of his angred power Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed yee that are Iudges of the Earth Serve the Lord in all your power with feare Doct. 2 Secondly observe The power of Christ is a great power Thou hast taken to thee thy great power His power is great extensivè being over All All places All persons at all times And his power is great Intensivè being over all in all degrees This positive is superlative Christs great power is the greatest power Then Christ can doe great things yea he can doe great Animo magno nihil magmum things as easily as small A great mind counts nothing great and it makes every thing little when it is arm'd with great power The Lord in a holy scorne bafl'd the great mountaine of old Babel before great Zerubbabel with Zech. 4. 8. Who art thou O great Mountaine c. yet then the promise was Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the ver 7. Lord of Hostes And shall not the Elders in a like scorne bafle the great mountaines of new Babel and say Who art thou O great Babylon O Babylon the great before Iesus Christ Revel 17. 5. taking to himselfe his great power and raigning thou shalt surely fall Againe if Christs be a great power then let our's be a great faith How unsutable is