Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A49262
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The zealovs Christian taking heaven by holy violence in severall sermons, tending to direct men how to hear with zeal, [how] to pray with importunity / preached by ... Mr. Christopher Love ...
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Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.
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1653
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Wing L3185; ESTC R31563
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89,088
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190
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live after the resurrection of Christ from whence the Gospel or Kingdom of heaven is dated should be greater then John in regard of that full knowledge and clear manifestation they should have of Christ 4 He commends him for the successefulnesse of his Ministery and that is set forth in the Text From the dayes of John the Baptist the Kingdome of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force A little for the explication of the Text. By the kingdome of heaven is not meant the glorious seat of the blessed Angels but the Evangelicall state of the Christian Church It signifies the preaching of the Gospel and propagation of the Church It notes that state and condition of the Church which is properly called Christian The Kingdome of heaven is in Scripture interpreted a breaking off from the observation of the Ceremoniall law and a publishing of the Gospel by John the Baptist and so it begun when John did first preach the Gospel And whereas Matthew tels us Matth. 3. 1. John preached saying Repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand Mark cals this The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God Mark 1. 1. And therefore it is that John is called an Evangelicall Preacher Suffereth violence Violence is not to be taken as it is in our dayes of opposition and as in the dayes of persecution as it is in our dayes in opposition to right and justice and as it was at the first comming in of the Gospel when the wicked men of the world did go about to oppose and obstruct the publishing of the Gospel but it is an holy violence whereby men presse forward to obtain the grace of this Kingdome And so it is generally taken to be an holy violence of affection or a gracious disposition that was implanted and wrought in the hearts of many men in John Baptists dayes Violence is here opposed to lukewarmnesse and moderation in Religion to that coldnesse and frozennesse that is in the hearts of men under the preaching of the Word It is called an holy violence to distinguish between them that were Christians indeed and other men to distinguish them from the Scribes and Pharisees that were cold and frozen under the Ministery of the Cospel They were so earnest after Christ in the Gospel that no difficulties or discouragements could take them off from their pursuits after Christ ' They were so greedy of Christ that no force could pluck them away but they would rather die then be drawn away from the Gospel It is a metaphor taken from warriours who force their passage into a City and take it by storm and divide the spoil The parallel phrase is Luk. 16. 16. Every man presseth into the Kingdome of God For the period of time wherein this violence was declared and expressed it was in the 15th year of Tiberius as you read Luke 3. 1. in the 29th yeare of Christ Many doctrines may be raised from these words but I shall not multiply observations The first and main doctrine is taken from the time wherein this violence was and the doctrine is this Doct. At the first promulgation of the Gospel the preaching of the Word was more successefull multitudes of men did express more holy violence and vehemency of affection towards the service and worship of God then in any age beside From the dayes of John the Baptist untill now the Kingdome of heaven suffereth violence The people were cold and frozen under the Ministery of the Scribes and Pharisees they were heated under the Ministery of John In the handling of this point two Questions must be answered 1 Whence it came to passe that people were at that time so fervent and affectionate towards the Gospel that the Gospel was so successefull then 2 Whence it comes to passe that it is no more successefull now or why that holy violence is now abated 1 What are the reasons why it was so successefull in the dayes of John the Baptist I answer divers reasons may be rendered Reson 1 1 Because of the novelty of the Gospel New things are most affecting and pleasing to mans nature This was the ground of the peoples admiration at Christ Mark 1. 27. They were all amazed saying What new Doctrine is this For with authority commandeth he the unclean spirits and they obey him We are like to the Athemans of whom it is written Act. 17. 21. They spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing While Johns Ministery was new and fresh all rejoyced in it John 5. 35. Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in hulight And so the Ministery of Paul was most successefull among the Thessalonians in the beginning of it 1 Thess 2. 1. You know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain It was Melanchthons observation that men were favourers and followers of the Gospel when it first came into a place Reson 2 Another ground of the successefulnesse of the Gospel at that time is this Because the prophecies of the Old Testament were to be accomplished both for the extension of the Church in regard of place and persons and the intention of affection 1 For the extension of the Church in regard of place and persons That was fore-spoken of in Holy Writ Isa 54. 1 2. Sing Oh barren thou that didst not bear break forth into singing and cry aloud thou that didst not travell with childe for more are the children of the desolute then the children of the married wife saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tents and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations spare not lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes c Which place is applied by Paul to the conversion of the Gentiles upon the first promulgation of the Gospel Gal 4. 27. where he cites the very words of the first verse now mentioned Another prophecy of the same nature you have Isa 2. 2. It shall come to passe in the lust dayes that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hils and all Nations shall flow unto it Which promise in the same words is repeated Micab 4. 1. Another promise of the same nature is Isa 60. 3 4 5. and in many other places which it is needlesse now to mention 2 There were promises also for the intention of the affections Isa 40. 31. They that wait upon the Lord shal renue their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles The eagle is a bird of the strongest and highest flight of any that flies in the air So 12 Zach. 8. In that day he that is feeble shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God So 110 Psal 3. It is prophesied of the first bringing in of the Gospel that Thy people shall be a
THE ZEALOVS CHRISTIAN Taking Heaven BY HOLY VIOLENCE In severall SERMONS Tending to direct men How To hear with Zeal To pray with importunity Preached by that faithfull servant of JESUS CHRIST Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE Late Minister of Laurence Jury LONDON The violent take it by force Mat. 11. 12. London Printed by R. and W. Leybourn for John Rothwell at the Sun and Fountain in Pauls-Church-yard 1653. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Reader THE good acceptance which this Authors Treatises already published by us have found and the good successe they have had among the people of God together with the importunate desires of many godly persons that were 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 SERMONS have put us upon recommending them to the World The subject of those Sermons is not only Pipus but Seasonable Euery thing saith Solomon i◠beautifull in its season Eccles 3. 11. The times wherein we live are famous for a Ferm of godlinesse and no lesse infamous for the want of the Power of it Nothing is more common then for men to hear and pray and perform the outside-duties of Religion Nothing more rare then for man to do these things as becomes the Gospel Men have so inured themselves to disputes about the Circumstantials of Worship that Substantials are lost in the scuffle And therefore it is commendable in a Minister to reduce the thoughts and hearts of people from needlesse controversies to the practicals of Christianity As Socrates was commended for bringing down Philosophie from high and sublime speculation to use and practice It was the case of this Reverend Author not so much to gratifie the fancies of men as to work upon their affections and to direct them in the ordering of their conversation and that the father because he observed most men had more heat in their Brains then in their Hearts That zeal that once appeared in the Professours of this Nation is evaporated That violence that sometimes was in the people of this Nation after Sermons and all Ordinances is now abated and grown remisse nay in some the hatred wherewith they hate the Ordinances and people of God is greater then ever was the love wherewith they loved them That praying Spirit that not long ago was shed abroad in the hearts of Gods people is now as it were departed It is therefore high time to be speak this carelesse Nation or rahter the Professors of this Nation with that message which GOD sent to the Church of Ephesus Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works or else I will come against thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place And oh may these ensuing Sermons be usefull to revive those sparks of zeal and importunity that lie as it were under the ashes That was the end which the Author aimed at when he preached them to his Congregation and that is a main end that we look to and hope for in the publication of them The times wherein we live are times of much hypocrisie There are many among us that say they are Jews and are not that have a name to live and are dead yea there are many that seeme to be religious and yet not only deceive others but also deceive their own selves And therefore it is time for every man to search and trie if there be any way of wickednesse in him All is not gold that glisters nor are all Saints that so call themselves or are so called by others Here then is a Touch-stone by which you may examine your selves Here is a Balance of the Sanctuary wherein you may weigh your graces and see whether they be light or no. It is one of the vainest and most foolish things in the world for men to cheat themselves of eternall happinesse We count it folly for a man to suffer himself to be cheated in a bargain and yet what is lost in one bargain may be regained in another But here he that is cheated is cheated irrecoverably The losse of the soul is irreparable Precious is the redemption of souls and it ceaseth for ever And yet there is a strange stupidity among the sons of men whereby they are willing to be deceived and jugled out of their soul-happinesse They are willing to rest themselves upon any groundlesse presumption though it be so weak that they dare not put it to triall in their own hearts themselves being Judges O all you poor deluded souls How long will you love vanity and follow after lies When you may go a sure way why will you run a hazard Awake therefore O thou that sleepest and seriously betake thy self to this weighty necessary and profitable duty of examination and in this work we hope this Treatise will be usefull and acceptable which if it be done and the other branch not left undone the Authors desire in preaching is satisfied and our expectation in publishing answered and that both those ends may be obtained is the earnest desire of Those that seek not yours but you EDMUND CALAMY SIMEON ASHE JER WHITAKER WIL. TAYLOR MATTHEW POOL MAT THEW 11. 12. And from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force THis Text is part of the largecommendation that Christ gives of the person and Ministery of John the Baptist John was a crier in the wildernesse to publish the glory of Christ and Christ an Herauld to proclaim the praise of John And this he doth 1 For his constancy in the doctrine of Religion vers 7. What went you out to see a read shaken with the winde a light fickle and inconstant Preacher that like a reed turnes with every winde of doctrine John was no such man not like a reed to yield to the stream or blast of every winde but like the oake or cedar that stands unmoveably in the midst of the greatest stormes 2 For his holinesse and high measure of mortification vers 8. What went you out to see A man cloathed in soft raiment John was no such man He was not at all addicted to the garbe and pompe of the Court but He had a raiment of camels hair and a leathern girdle about his loines Matth. 3. 4. 3 By comparing him with the former Prophets with those Teachers that went before him vers 9. What went you out to see a Prophet Yea I say to you and more then a Prophet v. 11. Verily I say unto you Amongst them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater then John the Baptist He gives him the precedency above all his predecessours not in regard of the dignity of his office but in respect of the perspicuity of his doctrine Yet lest he might be proud himselfe or others too much admire him it is added by way of qualification in the end of the 11 verse He that is least in the Kingdome of heaven is greater then he Those Disciples and Apostles that should