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A51845 A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer by ... Thomas Manton. Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677. 1684 (1684) Wing M532; ESTC R30512 305,803 534

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thy self to him and then come and offer thy Gift It is not said if any have ought against thee but if thou hast ought against any one I confess in some Cases it is enough to lay it aside before the Lord. But at other times we are to seek reconciliation with the Party which hath wronged us But this Case is mightily to be guided by Spiritual Prudence As for God's Example God is Superior bound to none he acts freely it is his Mercy that pardons any and yet God gives us a Heart to repent of his good Pleasure he begins with a Sinner But this is nothing to our Case who are under Law who are bound to forgive others III. The Person to whom we Pray Our Heavenly Father The Note is That God doth alone forgive Sin There is a double forgiveness of Sin In Heaven and in a Man 's own Conscience and therefore sometimes compared to the blotting out of something out of a Book sometimes to the blotting out of a Cloud To the blotting out of a Book Isa. 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins That it may be no more remembred or charged upon us To the blotting out of a Cloud Isa. 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy Transgressions and as a Cloud thy Sins As the Sun when it breaketh forth in its Strength dispelleth the Mists and Clouds Sin interposeth as a Cloud hindring the Light of God's Countenance from shining forth upon us Both these are God's Work to blot the Book and to blot out the Cloud 1. Pardoning of Sin in the Court of Heaven it belongeth to God peculiarly Dan. 9. 9. To the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgivenesses c. 'T is God alone can do it for two Reasons 1. He is the wronged Party 2. He is the Supream Judg. 1. He is the wronged Party against whom the Offence is committed Psal. 51. 4. Against thee against thee only have I sinned He had sinned against Bathsheba against Vriah whose Death he projected How is it said against thee only There may be wrong and hurt done to a Creature but the Sin is against God as 't is a breach of his Law and a despising of his Sovereign Authority the Injury done to the Creature is nothing in Comparison of the Offence done to God against so many Obligations wherein we stand bound to him Amongst Men we distinguish between the Crime and the Wrong And a Criminal Action is one thing and an Action of Wrong and Trespass is another If a Man steal from another 't is not enough to make him Restitution but he must satisfy the Law 2. He is the Supream Judg. Father Son and Holy Ghost as one God are the Judg of all the Earth to whom they must be accountable for the Offence Gen. 18. 25. Shall not the Iudg of all the Earth do right But in the Mystery of Redemption the Father as first in order of the Persons is represented as the Judg to whom the Satisfaction is tendred and who doth Authoritatively pass a Sentence of Absolution And therefore 't is said 1 Joh. 2. 1. We have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous He is to deal with him as the Supream Judg and 'T is God that justifieth Rom. 8. 33. The whole Business of our Acquitment is carried on by the Father who is to receive the Satisfaction and our humble Addresses for Pardon But to answer some Objections that may arise Object 1. 'T is said Mat. 9. 6. The Son of Man hath power on Earth to forgive Sins I answer That is brought there as an Argument of his God-Head He that was the Son of Man was also very God And therefore upon Earth in the time of his Humiliation he had power to forgive Sins for he ceased not to be God when Incarnate And it became him to discover himself as by his Divine Power in the work of Miracles so his Divine Authority in the Forgiveness of Sins Object 2. Is taken from the Text Forgive us our Debts as we forgive those that trespass against us I answer In Sin there is the Obliquity or Fault in it and the Hurt or Detriment that redounds to Man by it As it is a Breach of the Law of God or an Offence to his Infinite Majesty God can only pardon it or dispense with it As it is an hurt to us so restitution is to be made to Man and Man can pardon or forgive it Object 3. 'T is said Joh. 20. 23. Whosesoever Sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever Sins ye retain they are retained So that it seemeth Man hath a power to remit Sins I answer They do it Declaratively and by Commission from God The Officers of the Church have the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to them the Key of Knowledg or Doctrine and the Key of Order and Discipline Accordingly this Power is called The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 16. 19. And the use of them is to open or shut the Doors of God's House and to bind or loose as the Expression is Mat. 18. 18. That is to pronounce Guilty and liable to Judgment or to absolve and set free declaratively and in God's Name or as it is litterally expressed in the place alledged To remit or retain The Key of Doctrine is exercised about all Sin as Sin were it never so secret and inward and the Key of Order and Discipline about Sin only as 't is Scandalous and Infectious Now what they act Ministerially according to their Commission 't is ratified in Heaven for it is a Declaration or Intimation of the Sentence already passed there So that a Declarative and Ministerial Power is given to the Church but the Authoritative Power of forgiving Sins that God hath reserved to himself Man can remit doctrinally and by way of Judicial Procedure but that is only by way of Commission and Ministerial Deputation Such as are Penitent and feel the Bonds of their Sins they do declaratively absolve and loose them or take off the Censure Judicially inflicted for their scandalous Carriage This Ministerial forgiving however Carnal Hearts may slight it both in Doctrine and Discipline yet being according to the Rules of the Word is owned by God and the Penitent shall feel it to their Encouragement and the Obstinate to their Terror 2. As he pardoneth Sin in the Conscience and there God alone can forgive Sin or speak Peace to the Soul upon a double Account 1. Because of his Authority 2. Because of his Power 1. Because of his Authority Conscience is God's Deputy and till God be pacified Conscience is not pacified upon sound and solid Terms Therefore 't is said where Conscience doth its Office 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. If our Hearts condemn us God is greater than our Hearts and knoweth all things if our Hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards
their trust in him 3. Submit to his Providence without Murmuring When we can speak well of him tho he seem to deal most hardly as the Bethshemites when there was such a Slaughter made among them fifty thousand slain They do not say murmuringly who can stand before this severe cruel God but before this Holy God They own his Holiness in the Dispensation tho it were so dreadful 1 Sam. 7. 20. It is a great Glory to God when you own him as just in all his ways when he deals most hardly Whatsoever be our Lot and Portion yet he is a Holy God But to cavil and murmur it is to tax and blemish God before the World 4. Live to publick Ends that is to draw God into Request with others Let this be the aim of your Conversation not only to get Holiness enough to bring you to Heaven but to allure others and recommend God to them that by the Purity and Strictness of your Conversation you might gain upon others and bring them to be in love with God and acquainted with him And Lastly be sensible when God's Name is dishonoured by your selves and others not enduring the least prophanation of it Thy Kingdom come THE first Petition concerneth the End the rest the means Now among all the Means none hath such a near and immediate respect to the Glory of God as Christ's Kingdom for here there is more of God discovered more of his infinite Grace Justice Wisdom and Power than possibly can be elsewhere All other things are for the Church and the Church for Christ as Head and King and Christ for God 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. So that Christ's Kingdom is the primary Means of advancing God's Glory and therefore among all the Means it must be sought in the first place Mat. 6. 33. Seek first the Kingdom of God First not above the Glory of God it doth not come in competition with that but above all other things whatsoever before Pardon and Grace In the Words observe three things 1. We grant a Kingdom 2. By way of Distinction and Appropriation we say Thy Kingdom 3. By way of Supplication we beg of God that it may Come The Concession the Distinction the Supplication are the three things to be opened First The Concession of a Kingdom which our heavenly Father hath A Kingdom in the general signifieth the Government of a People under one Head or Governour and therefore the Term may be fitly applied to God who alone is Supream and we are all under his Dominion Now God's Kingdom is twofold 1. Universal 2. More Particular and Special First There 's a Universal Kingdom over all Things over Angels and Devils over Men Elect and Reprobate over Beasts and Living Creatures and over inanimate Things Sun Moon and Stars This is spoken of 1 Chron. 29. 11. Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as Head above all And again Psal. 103. 19. The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all There is no such Monarch as God is for largeness of Empire for absoluteness of Power and Sublimity of his Throne This is not principally understood here but is implied as a Foundation and Ground of Faith whereupon we may deal with God about that Kingdom which is specially intended in this Request Secondly More Particularly and Especially God hath a Kingdom over a certain Order and Estate of Men. Of this especial Kingdom there are two notable Branches and Considerations One is that Administration which belongeth to the present Life and is called the Kingdom of Grace and the other belongeth to the Life to come and is called the Kingdom of Glory 1. The Kingdom of Grace is spoken of in many places specially that Luk. 17. 20 21. When he was demanded of the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God should come he answered them and said The Kingdom of God cometh not with Observation Neither shall they say Lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you or among you He speaks of a Kingdom of God that was already come among them in the dispensation of his Grace by Christ. And then the other belongeth to the Life to come called the Kingdom of Glory Mat. 25. 34. Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World 1 Cor. 15. 50. Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God Now the Kingdom of Grace may be considered two ways as Externally administred and as internally received 1. As Externally administred in the Ordinances and Means of Grace as the Word and Seals and Censures and the like In this Sence it is said Mat. 21. 43. The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the Fruits thereof The Gospel or Means of Grace administred in the visible Face of the Church they are called God's Kingdom upon Earth and a very great Priviledg they are when they are bestowed upon any People Surely when Christ saith The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you he doth not mean it of the inward Kingdom that they had not that cannot be lost but of the outward and external Means 2. As internally received and then by it is meant the Grace of God which rules in the Hearts of the Elect and causeth their Souls to submit and subject themselves unto the Obedience of Christ and unto his Scepter and to his Word and Spirit and this is that Kingdom properly which is within us This is the Kingdom of God which consisteth in Righteousness Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And this differeth from the Kingdom of Glory not so much in Nature as in Degree Well then That by the Kingdom of God is here meant not his general Empire over all the World and all the things of the World tho that be not wholly excluded but his special Kingdom which he doth administer by Christ And that either as externally managed by Ordinances and visible means of Grace or as internally received and administred in the Hearts of the Elect This is that Kingdom we beg that it may flourish and get ground more and more 2. Then for the Kingdom of Glory it is either begun and inchoate or else consummate and perfect 1. 'T is begun and inchoate upon our Translation to Heaven in the very moment of Death In which Christ reigns in the other World in the Spirits of just Men made perfect that is being perfectly freed from Sin and admitted into the clear and immediate Vision and Fruition of God tho our Bodies abide in the Grave expecting full Redemption and Deliverance That there is such a Kingdom carried on many Scriptures intimate Phil. 1. 23. I desire to depart and to be with Christ. As soon as the Saints are loosed from the Body they are with Christ under his Government Luk. 23. 43. This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise As soon as Christ died