from hence which manifestly contradicts the Chiliasts or Millenaries opinion for if Christ as they say will govern at that time as earthly Monarchs do in a worldly visible and earthly glory how is his kingdom not of this world Moreover if there were such a kingdom given to our Saviour we should have heard in the Scripture of a third personal coming of Jesus Christ which we do not for the Scripture makes onely mention of two personal comings of our blessed Saviour where the first is his coming in humane weakness to make us strong against our powerfull enemies the devil the flesh and the world the second his coming in majesty and glory to give judgement to the quick and dead after their resurrection and we confess in our Creed that from thence that is heaven where Christ now is he shall come to judge the quick and the dead which is confirmed by the Athanasian and Nicene Creed to whith we must keep close as being the saith which was once delivered to the Saints And if some Millenaries will not understand that Monarchical kingdom of our Saviour personally then that kingdom fals of it self for Christ now reigneth by his Spirit in the hearts of his regenerated Subjects as they will confess with us and they reign with him for as our Text saith and they lived and reigned with Christ But further that Monarchical Kingdom of Christ cannot stand without two general corporal resurrections the one of those Saints which were dead before that personal coming of Christ at which he shall take the administration of his Monarchical kingdom the other at the end of the world at his sinal coming to judgement as they themselves acknowledge which is a thing that the Scripture makes no mention of for the Word of God makes onely mention of one general corporal resurrection at the end of the world as you may see Job 19.25 where it is said by that most patient Patriarch I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God nay Martha as you reade S. Joh. 11.24 confesseth to Christ that her brother shal rise again in the resurrection of the last day and not at the day of the administration of Christs Monarchical kingdom and you know that S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.52 saith that in a moment in the twinkling of an eye we shall rise at the last Trumpet and so in our Creed we confess the refurrection and not the resurrections of the flesh and that will not serve the Millinaries to say that in our Chapter in the 5. ver it appears clearly that there are two general resurrections of the flesh when we hear of a first resurrection which insinuates a second one for that first resurrection which is mentioned there is the resurrection not of the body but of the soul from the death of sin to the life of grace as S. Aust did well observe I know that some take that first resurrection for the glorious happiness of the soul by which she alone passeth by the death of the body into eternal life and that by the preceding words of the 1. verse which are but the rest of the dead that is the wicked and reprobate lived not again c. because they experimented in hell the first death and damnation which is of the soul alone which obligeth S. John to say in regard of the Saints departed who are opposed to the wicked this is the first resurrection and blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power for those that live with Christ in heaven in regard of their souls onely shall live with him eternally in regard of both bodies and souls in the celestial Jerusalem but although this explication be true in it self yet you must observe that it is not proper in this place of Scripture which considers the wicked and godly men not as departed from this world but as living upon the earth and so S. John considers the wicked as dead in their sins and having part in the first spiritual death and the godly men as living by grace and having part in the first spiritual resurrection I could raise many more Arguments against the doctrine which the Millenaries hold concerning that Monarchical kingdom but I will not be tedious I shall pass by the three several assensions of Christ which they hold for we know no such thing in the Scripture I shall also omit the place which some Millenaries maintain besides heaven and hell where the souls of them are who shall rise to reign with Christ a thousand years for you know that the Scripture makes onely mention of two places after death the one of which saith S. Austin in his hypognost is according to the Catholick faith the kingdom of heaven and the other according to the same faith saith this Father and Doctour of the Christian Church is hell Etenim tertium locum penitus ignoramus for we are wholly ignorant of a third place which is confirmed in his Book de precat merit cap. 28. and insinuated in the 22. artic of the Church of England I will not trouble you with the several passages of Scripture which they bring to prove that Monarchical kingdom which they will have with Christ it is enough to tell you that they put a meerly literal construction upon the Prophesies and promises of Scripture which the holy Ghost intended to be spiritually understood for if the Prophets speak concerning the kingdom of Christ the re-edifying of the Jewish Cities the pomp and magnificence of restored Israel and their large priviledges they draw those things to a gross corporal and syllabical sense which the judgement of the whole Christian Church seconded by the event hath upon good ground ever construed not of the letter but of the spirit to shew the comfortable condition great advantage of the Evangelical Church under Christ manifested in the flesh which evidently teacheth us as I said before that Christ had onely two several kingdoms of which the one is providential and the other spiritual in which the Saints live and reign with Christ as you may see in my Text where S. John speaking of that kingdom saith and they lived and reigned with Christ But for a clear illustration of those kingdoms you must observe that the providential kingdom of Jesus Christ is his essential universal and natural kingdom which he administreth as God over all his creatures in Majesty and glory with his Father and the holy Ghost and obtaineth as the onely Son of his Father jure naturali which kingdom is mentioned in Daniel the Prophet 4.34 and 6.26 but the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ figured by the kingdom of Judah is the donative personal and oeconomical kingdom which the Son of God received from his Father as you may see in Psa 2.6 8. where
the accidents that is what you see of the consecrated bread so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this demonstrates the body of Christ sub speciebus vel accidentibus panis under the accidents of the bread for say they this Proposition this is my body is the Will and Testament of our blessed Lord where sigures are not admitted as being something obscure But first I have shewed you that this Proposition this is my body is not a proper saying but a figurative one by the nature of all the Sacraments which are the same in signification and use in the New as they were in the Old Testament as S. Paul evidently teacheth us 1 Cor. 10.23 for saith he they were all baptized in the cloud and did all eat not onely among them but also with us the same spiritual meat and so S. Austin lib. de utilit poenit saith that whosoever apprehended â— Christ in the Manna cundem quem nos cibum spiritualem comederunt did eat the same spiritual meat which we do eat which saying of Austin made such an impression on the Jesuit Maldonat that he said if S. Austin had lived in his time he had changed his opinion seeing that the interpretation of the Protestants which he calls Calvinists is almost the same Maldonat on S. Job 6.50 num 80 81. As for what they say that it is a Testament we confess it with them but we say that the expression of our blessed Saviours Will is figurative and tropical as it doth appear by what we have said and by S. Luk. 22.20 where you read after Christ had said this is my body this cup is the New Testament in my bloud which is confirmed by S. Paul 1 Cor. 11.25 for it is evident that the cup was not the testament and it will not much serve them to say that this passage hath two expressions where the first must be rendred so this is the cup the new testament in mybloud the second this cup is the new testament in my bloud because the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is is exprest in 1 Cor. 11. and omitted in S. Luk. 22. for although in the first expression the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is is taken by them properly because it was a cup that Christ presented to his disciples nevertheless they confess a sigure is in the 2d expression for they say that in that expression the cup is taken for what was in it and that the testament is that by which we have right to the Covenant but it is certain that that which they will have distinct is but the same thing and the same Proposition in that passage of S. Luke of the Corinthians to signifie that the cup or the wine in the cup is the signe of the New Testament confirmed by the bloud of Jesus Christ Concerning tropical locutions which are not admitted as they say in testaments as being something obscure I say that it is not always so seeing that they themselves use them for illustration and it is clear enough that sigures have places in testaments let them consider the testament of Jacob Gen. 49. that of Moses Deut. 33. and that of David 2 Sam. 23. and they shall with us observe them to be allegorical moreover besides the Civilians observe that in mens Testaments there are oftentimes sigurative expressions for which they have some restrictions which cause them to say that in Testaments they must not come to a proper or strict signification of words Cum plerumque abusivè loquuntur testatores seeing that the Testators oftentimes speak improperly I say if the humane Testaments should be so plain that there should be no figures it would not follow that there should be none in divine and spiritual Testaments for in a humane Testament there are nothing but Legacies and express commands which ought to be plainly understood but in a divine and spiritual Testament there are mysteries to exercise our understandings our faith hope and patience as the Learned men most judiciously observe there are some things for this life and some things for the life to come some things are clearly seen and some things darkly perceived Moreover in humane Wills men ought to speak plainly because they can speak no more when they are dead but in the spiritual Testament which is here mentioned the Testator can speak after his death as you know that he did and doth truly know it for Christ after his ascension into the glorious Palace of his Father spâ—ke unto S. Paul who was the grand Persecutour of his sacred members Act. 9.4 5. as now by his holy Spirit he speaks unto us and makes the Church understand as much as he pleaseth and as much as is necessary for the glory of his Father and her eternal salvation By this you may see that our Proposition this is my body importeth nothing else but this bread signifies or is the signe of my body and indeed if the body of Christ were corporally in the Sacrament under the accidents it should there be passible that is subject to alteration and sufferings or impassible that is not subject to any alterations or sufferings but the body of Christ cannot be there passible or subject to any alteration for if it were so he should be there with all his dimensions in order to a certain place otherwise he could not suffer as they will confess with us and so the body of Christ could be divided which they will not grant in the Sacrament saying that it is totum in tota hostia totum in qualibet parte hostiae wholly in the host and wholly in every part of it and although Pope Nicholas forced Berengarius to recant in those words I Berengarius assirm that Christs slesh is sensually handled and broken by the Priests hands in the Sacrament and grinded by the teeth of the saithfull nevertheless they will not admit of that expression and confess it is not so insomuch that the gloss on the Canon de Consecr distinct 2. cap. Ego Berengarius affirms it to be a worse heresie then that of Berengarius unless it be soberly understood for generally they hold that Christs body is in the Sacrament sub speciebus panis impassibly which yet cannot be for if it were so his body had been a glorious body before his resurrection impassibility being one of the chief qualities of a glorious body as they confess with us for you know that Christ did celebrate the holy Sacrament before his death moreover if the body of Christ were impassible under the accidents in the Sacrament I would ask them the Apostles having consecrated at his death whether Christs body had been alive or no in the Sacrament I suppose they will not say that it had been alive for in the same time it had been alive in the Sacrament under the accidents and dead in the grave which is a manifest contradiction nor dead I hope for that should be contrary to their assertion of Christ
agrees not with the Scripture which shews us the ascension of Christ into heaven to be after his death nor can I conceive that it was every where in the state of his exaltation from the very instant of his resurrection or that of his session at the right hand of his Father for if it were so such an alteration in humane nature could not have been without a wonderfull signe as being so prodigious that it cannot be conceived without the destruction of Christs body indeed it is impossible to apprehend a thing circumscribed in a place when it is not in a certain place fully contained but every where in all the places of the superiour and inferiour world which is the manner of being in a place that is attributed unto God privatively to all others for in all the School-Divinity in the old Philosophy and in nature there are but three natural proper waies of being in a place circumscriptivè desinitivè repletivè where you must observe that all corporal substances are circumscriptively in a place all the spiritual but finite substances as angels and souls of men separated from their bodies definitively and God alone is repletively in many places for it is that manner of being in a place by which God is distinguished from his creatures because God not his creatures nec loco includitur nec loco excluditur nec loco circumscribitur nec loco definitur is neither included in a place nor excluded from any Indeed I cannot imagine how it came to pass that the body of Christ which was before in order to a certain place circumscriptively should be now every where and made ex finito non finitum from finite not sinite besides you must know that Christs body is not every where because it is a glorified body for if it were so all glorified bodies would be every where nor because the humane nature is united with the divine to the person of the Son of God for it was so from the very instant of his conception which teacheth us that the body of Christ is not in the bread with the bread and under the bread but if you instance and say then follows the separation of the two natures of Christ I answer that such a thing doth not follow for although the humane nature of Christ be not every where yet the divine nature is and therefore it cannot be separate from the humane nature then it remains that this is my body is nothing else but this bread is the signe and sacrament of my body Now it may be that you will say by all what you have said we cannot well gather how Christ is present in the Sacrament but rather it seems that you deny the presence of our Lord in it To which I answer and say that Christ is present in the Sacrament but you must observe that by the Sacrament I understand the Sacramental action in concreto comprehending the signe and the thing signified according to which sense our Learned Doctours use to say that Christ is not present in the bread but in the Sacrament because in the Sacramental action the thing signified Christ our blessed Saviour is given together with the signe to the beleever but observe that Christ is present in the holy Sacrament not locally but sacramentally significativè spiritualiter virtualiter signisicatively spiritually and virtually for you must know that besides the local presence of a thing of which we have spoken and which we have said was threefold there are also presences of 3. several sorts which are of another nature for there is a symbolical and significative presence which is when a thing is present unto us by some mark or signe as our brother and sister is present unto us by their picture the second presence is a spiritual presence which is when by faith things that are not present locally are made present spiritually as the day of Christ was present to Abraham although it came to pass long after him above 2000 years after as we reade S. Joh. 8.36 where Christ saith unto the Jews Abraham rejoyced to see my day whether it was his birth or his death upon the Cross it matters not he saw it by saith and was glad as now we see and touch Christ for as S. Ambrose de Sacrament lib. 5. c. 4. saith fide langâ—ur side videtur non langitur corpore non oculis comprehenditur Christ the bread of life is toucht by saith and seen by faith and that spiritually not corporally which is consirmed by Christ himself S. Joh. 6. where you may observe against Bellarmin and others of the Church of Rome that Christ speaks de re Sacramenti of the thing signified in the Sacrament the slesh and bloud of Christ which we receive by saith not de ipsis signis of the external signes of it which we corporally and materially receive the third presence is a presence of vertue which is when a thing which is far from a place is nevertheless present by its vertue as you may see in the Sun which being far distant from the Earth yet is present unto it by its vertue Now you must know that all these presences are to be found in the holy Sacrament for Christ with his body and bloud is there present first symbolically and significatively for he is represented unto us by the external signes of bread and wine secondly spiritually because in the spiritual reception of the Sacrament we apply unto our selves the body and bloud of Jesus Christ by faith and so we are united unto him and spiritually nourished with his body and bloud thirdly Christ is present in the Sacrament with his body and bloud virtually for in the worthy participation of the Sacrament we receive the fruit and vertue of his death and passion but observe that the first presence of Christ which is symbolical is given to the wicked but the spiritual and virtual presence to the faithfull although then the body of Jesus Christ is as far from us as heaven is from the earth yet the real Sacramental presence remains for you may know that presentia alicujus rei non opponitur distantiaesed absentiae the presence of a thing is not opposed to distance but absence and so you may see that these presences do not contradict our assertion but do rather confirm it and oblige us to say that this is my body signifies nothing else but this bread is the signe and Sacrament of my body Now let us conclude with Application and learn from thence the great and exceeding affection of our Lord towards us who would not expire upon the Cross before he had given us the precious token of our redemption was it not enough for our blessed Saviour to assume our humane nature to manifest in it his Father unto the corrupted world and propose by it his sacred counsel to sinners Was it not enough for our blessed Saviour to be made flesh with the weaknesses and infirmities
of a sensitive life which makes us subject to hunger thirst sorrow and death to redeem those who by their sins were made a sinfull flesh was it not enough for our blessed Saviour to accomplish the law for the elected sinners dye for their sins and rise for their assurance yea we must truly say that it is enough to make us confess the insinite love of our God towards us and exclaim every one of us as the grand Apostle S. Paul Rom. 8. with a great affection towards him who loved us I am perswaded that neither death nor lise nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor beight nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nevertheless our blessed Redeemer knowing that since the fall of Adam in which we have been all corrupted our nature is so weak with its faculties that we cannot well remember those things which concern our salvation hath shewed us another effect of his sacred love he gave us his Word that we may have continually before our eyes Jesus Christ and him crucisied and left us the holy Sacraments and specially that of the Lords Supper to seal unto our souls the great mystery of our redemption that we might remember what Christ did for us upon the Cross for as Christ himself saith S. Luk. 23.19 this doin remembrance of me and S. Paul 1 Cor. 11.26 as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he comes remember then dear brethren that great and sublime mystery of our redemption that in the reception of the holy Sacraments your souls may be sealed with the sacred seal of the holy Ghost for your eternal salvation But before you come to the sacred banquet of our Lord where his body and bloud is served for our celestial meat and spiritual drink prepare your selves examine your life and consider your inward and outward actions to abhor the sins and corruptions of them that coming with a strong resolution to leave sin and embrace that noble daughter of heaven vertue you may worthily participate of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Jesus Christ for as S Paul saith 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself not his neighbour as many pretended Saints do and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Remember that you go unto that sacred banquet with reverence and in the consideration of your sins go with humility for Christ takes a singular pleasure to dwell in the house of an humble Christian if he comes unto Zacheus his house Zacheus must come down first as you read S. Luk. 19.5 Zacheus make haste and come down for to day I must abide at thy house and so S. Jam. 4.6 saith that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace unto the humble Let us come by faith for it is the sacred mouth and spiritual hand with which we apprehend the body and bloud of Jesus Christ as by faith we have a sacred union with our blessed Saviour let us not be Capernaical but Apostolical prepare not your teeth beleeve and thou hast eaten it saith S. Austin do you not say how shall I send my hands and arms to heaven send your faith Moreover remember that you come with a sincere and not hypocritical repentance that you may not be like unto Judas who kissed his Master to betray him for you know that it is by that noble but sorrowfull vertue repentance that we must come unto that sacred banquet of the lamb slain for our sins for we do not come unto that sacred banquet as innocent unto the goodness of our God but as repenting sinners unto his grace but brethren you must be void of envy hatred and malice lest you should take the holy Sacrament to your own condemnation you know that it is a Sacrament of our union nor onely with Christ but also amongst our selves for as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 10 We who are many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread do ye not absent your selves from that sacred banquet lest you entertain communion with the god of this world and conserve in your selves hatred and malice to your own destruction indeed the more you absent your selves from the Sacrament the more will the devil keep you from it so that at last ye will despise the holy Sacrament and procure to your selves a kinde of hardness to sin But further give me leave to beseech you to look upon the meat and drink of that blessed and sacred banquet Christ himself whose body and bloud is precious meat and drink Christ the heavenly bread from whom we draw the spiritual water of wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption for as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctisication and redemption Consider those that serve at that mystical Table the holy Angels they serve but they eat not the meat of that sacred Table is not for them it is onely for repenting sinners which things if you seriously look upon I am sure that you will endeavour with the grace of our God to prepare your selves for a worthy reception of the Lords Supper that you may be partakers not onely of the external signes and Sacramental bread but also of Christ the thing signified by them the heavenly bread who will preserve you from eternal death and bring you into the glorious kingdom of his Father to enjoy after the sacred banquet of grace the glorious banquet of glory Amen TO THE Right Worshipfull Right Vertuous and truly Religious my much Honoured Friend WILLIAM ADAMS Esq Felicity and Peace Sir THE Merit and high Repute of your Civility is as a Voice that is heard not onely in all the places where you have been but in many others also which were not honoured by your Presence Fama volat and indeed wheresoever I come I hear great Commendations of your Worship The world saith and that with Justice that your Piety and Modesty is incomparable and an Example to the Nobility that lives far and near that Temple of Honour where you have your Noble Habitation But Sir give me leave to say that your Learning is not obscure and though you be young in years yet you are old in Prudence Nay I must confess that your Worship is indued with such rare and eminent Qualities that there be few among Persons of Eminency who do enjoy them It is not then without Designe that I am sollicitous to present the Spiritual Kingdom of our Saviour against the Monarchical Reign of our Chiliastes to your most piercing sight for having its Review and Approbation by so clear a Judgement I shall not fear what Eye it may be exposed to for its Censure I hope Sir that you will receive this Sermon although not worthy of your Acceptance the which indeed I dare
not question being fully perswaded of your Affection towards me which I shall ever acknowledge and highly esteem remaining unto death Sir Your Worships most humble and obliged Servant James Le Franc. Christ's and the Saints Reign OR The Millenaries Confuted Delivered in a Sermon Preached at S. Andrews in Norwich REV. 20.4 And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years IF any matter hath ever required attention I am perswaded that you will confess that this doth require it for the learned Interpreters have so variously expounded it that it is difficult to determine our selves upon this Subject Indeed I had not medled with it if I had not perceived the errour of some of the common people which follow some blinde leaders whose ambition is to extoll themselves and break asunder the Church of God to have some followers for amongst the Sectaries you see so many of them blinded by their ignorance that they will rather choose a worldly reign then a Spiritual Kingdom earth for heaven and temporal delights for eternal pleasures but leaving them for a while upon their earthly Throne give me leave to tell you that this Chapter contains three principal parts The first of which regards the space of a thousand years under which Christ with his Saints shall reign upon the earth The second includes the short time in which Satan after the expiration of the thousand years shall be loosed out of his prison from whence you may consider what will be the condition of the world when in that time you shall see it embroiled with dissentions wars and seductions as you may see by the 8. and 9. ver of our Chapter The third part teacheth us the general Judgement of the Universe where the wicked shall be condemned to eternal punishment and the godly declared the heirs of eternal felicity and glory But as our Text is under the first part of our Chapter let me tell you that S. John in the beginning of it brings in an angel which is Christ coming down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit with a great chain in his hand to binde with it the dragon which is the devil Satan a thousand years shut him up into the bottomless pit with a seal upon him to stay his power and hinder his tyrannical Empire over the humane kinde that he may deceive the nations no more where in the golden age of Satans chaining you may consider the condition of the faithfull and godly men and see their conquests triumphs and victories over their enemies in their very punishments death for the promulgation of the Gospel and the advancing of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ for in the 4. ver the beloved Disciple of our Saviour S. John saith that he saw thrones and they that is the Martyrs sate upon them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God which had not worshipped the Antichristian beast neither his image nor bad received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands adding and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years which are the words which I have chosen to entertain you with by the special assistance of the blessed Spirit but for a clear intelligence of them I shall divide my Text into two parts where in the first I shall speak of the life and reign of the Saints with Christ in these words and they lived and reigned with Christ and in the second part I shall shew you the duration of it a thousand years and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years The first Part. If we consider the holy Scripture we may evidently see that our Saviour hath onely two several Kingdoms the one providential which is that universal Soveraignty by which Christ manageth the affairs of all the whole world both in heaven and earth the other spiritual which is that royal but celestial authority which he exerciseth over his people the elect which is that kingdom in which the Saints or faithfull live and reign with Christ as you may see in Revel 5.10 where it is said that Christ hath made us unto our God kings and priests that we may reign on the earth or and we shall reign on the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that in a spiritual manner so in Rom. 5.12 we reade that if by one mans offence death reigneth by one much more they which receive abundance of grace shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ and in our Text and they lived and reigned with Christ Which makes me wonder at the Chiliasts or Millenaries opinion which gives our Saviour in this place of Scripture as in many others a third Kingdom which they call Monarchical wherein Christ when he enters upon it will govern as earthly Monarchs do universally over the world in a visible and earthly glory and splendour which is the personal reign which they give to our blessed Lord and which I observe to be diversly understood by its assertors For the Jews perswade themselves that at the possession of that Kingdom Jerusalem shall be most splendidly reedified with the Temple which according to them will be the third Sacrifices offered unto the God of Israel Marriages amongst themselves most gloriously celebrated and all prosperity and happiness without any molestation or hindrance of their enemies enjoyed so that they understand that reign of Jesus Christ both carnal and spiritual Some ancient Doctours of the Christian Primitive Church as Justin dialog contra Tryphon Lactantius ille Firmianus Tertullian against Marcion lib. 2. and others were of that opinion that the Monarchical Kingdom of Jesus Christ should be administred in a spiritual manner without any bloudy sacrifice or libation without marriages or sensual pleasures for as Justin Martyr after his discourse about the day of judgement which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith to Trypho the Jew at that time we shall immolate true and spiritual sacrifices and offer praises and thanks-givings unto our God without any bloudy sacrifice upon an altar Some hereticks as Cerinthius and Apollinaris understood that Monarchical Kingdom of Jesus Christ in a fleshly manner saying that the Saints should reign with Christ upon the earth in all manner of voluptuous pleasures gulae luxuriae of gluttony and wantonness which perhaps may be the sense of some of our Sectaries although they pretend to interpret it of a visible and earthly Monarchy without any fleshly and sinfull volupty as one Archer a London-Divine expresseth it But I will not stay so long upon that Monarchical Kingdom for we do not know such a kingdom in the holy Scripture attributed unto Christ nor to the Saints although you reade in my Text and they lived and reigned with Christ and indeed it is evident that the Scripture denies it for we read S. Joh. 18.36 that Christ said to Pilate my Kingdom is not of this world nor
meat so have our souls their growing unto a perfect man in our Saviour and receive their strength against all temptations by the spiritual meat But if the spiritual meat hath some resemblance with the corporal meat give me leave to tell you that there is something in the spiritual meat which is not to be found in the corporal for the corporal meat must be given to those that enjoy a corporal life otherwise it cannot help all our dead bodies but the spiritual meat which is the nourishment of our souls that proceeds from God when it is given to those that are spiritually dead restores them unto a celestial and spiritual life moreover the corporal meat can for a time keep our natural and temporal life but it cannot preserve us from death but the incorruptible meat of the Word of God and above all the living bread which cometh down from heaven gives an everlasting life to our souls and preserves them from eternal death And further you must observe that after this life all corporall nourishments shall cease but never the spiritual nourishment of our souls for the blessed of 〈◊〉 God the Father shall ever sit at the table of their master to eat with him of the sacred bread of God and drink the new wine of the kingdom of heaven with him that saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to sinish his work where by these words you may easily see that in this place the word meat is taken in a spiritual sence but For the better explication of this meat let us observe that the spiritual meat hath some properties and effects that presuppose some imperfections in our souls when the spiritual meat is an aliment and medicine for them which cannot agree with our blessed Saviour nay more then that those qualities ought not to be ascribed or adapted unto him who is all perfect Christ our Redeemer who is a lamb without blemish and without spot and you will confess that Christ who gives life to the world needs not its entertainment nor restoration of any strength but behold there is something in the spiritual meat which will very well agree with our blessed Saviour delectation and pleasure for you must know that as the material and corporal meat when it is present and taken by a man of a good appetite doth recreate and generate pleasure and delectation and if it be absent causeth a great desire so doth the spiritual meat for when it is present and taken by our souls that seek after it it recreates them and gives the souls a great but spiritual pleasure and delectation And after this manner the eating and drinking is taken often in the Scripture for the possession and enjoying of very acceptable and pleasant things for the celestial and spiritual pleasures which we in this life and after it shall enjoy in the Lord as you may see Psal 19.10 where the Psalmist speaking of Gods Commandments celebrates them as more to be desired then gold and sweeter then honey and in many other places of the same book as Psa 42.3 Psa 63.1 5. the royal Prophet expresseth his most fervent desires for God by hunger and thirst and his greater pleasures by the fulness of marrow and fatness saying My soul thirsteth for God for the living God and then with delectation My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips moreover Christ speaking unto his Disciples of the sacred pleasures which we shall enjoy in the possession of the spiritual blessings in the Celestial Jerusalem saith Luke 22.30 I appoint unto you a kingdom that ye may eat and drink at my table In this sence Christ calls his Fathers will and work his meat saying My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work because it was all his pleasure all his delight and all his desire as if Christ should say unto his Disciples who presented him meat that he might eat of I am not touched now with an appetite to corporal meat even after my weariness which forces me to rest my self on Jacobs well as I am desirous to accomplish Gods work and the will of him that sent me and indeed the care of that great and sublime work makes me forget to eat any thing for the refection of my body where you must observe that there are two things which make men forget to eat and drink a great sadness and a great pleasure for you know that sometimes a great sadness will so feed an afflicted man that he will forget himself and leave his meat and drink as it doth appear by our royal but afflicted Prophet Psa 102.4 saying My heart is smitten and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread and Psa 42.3 he saith My tears have been my meat day and night while they continually say unto me where is thy God But if sadness makes us forget our meat and drink much more doth pleasure on which a proverb is framed where it is said he takes there so much pleasure that he loseth his meat and drink and you know that to be true for oftentimes a profound meditation on some agreeable things or a pleasant exercise will make us forget the time of our refection as it appears in our blessed Saviour who saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work for Christ refuseth the meat which his Disciples presented him because all his pleasure and his delight was in the salvation of men and conversion of those who were to come to meet him as you may see in the 40. verse of our Chapter he would not then feed upon his Disciples corporal meat but upon the conversion of men his spiritual meat and delicious banquet I know that our Saviour did eat many times to shew the truth of his humane nature and make the Jews and others know that he was a true man but he did leave his meat when necessity of mens salvation did require it to manifest himself the Saviour of the world indeed he used the corporal meat with the common but the salvation of men was his proper meat for you know that amongst all the provisions which God gives us for our nourishment some there are which we taste of with greater pleasure then others as you may see in Isaac whose singular meat was venison Gen. 27.3 and so every one saith speaking of the meat which he singularly loves this is my meat as Christ in this place speaking of the meat which he loved above all saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Indeed being question of mens salvation he had a singular reason to say that it was his meat because no angels nor men could deliver us from the hands of the prince of darkness none but God manifested in the flesh for Christ alone God manifested in