Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	heaven_n	righteousness_n	scribe_n	3,417	5	11.3432	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63741	Dekas embolimaios a supplement to the Eniautos, or, Course of sermons for the whole year : being ten sermons explaining the nature of faith, and obedience, in relation to God, and the ecclesiastical and secular powers respectively : all that have been preached and published (since the Restauration) / by the Right Reverend Father in God Jeremy Lord Bishop of Down and Connor ; with his advice to the clergy of his diocess.; Eniautos. Supplement	Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.	1667 (1667)	Wing T308; ESTC R11724	252,853	230

us things greater than all our explicite Desires bigger than the thoughts of our heart then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle then we draw neer to God and by these we are enabled to do all that God requires and then he requires all that we can do more Love and more Obedience than he did of those who for want of these Helps and these Revelations and these Promises which we have but they had not were but imperfect persons and could do but little more than humane Services Christ hath taught us more and given us more and promised to us more than ever was in the world known or believed before him and by the strengths and confidence of these thrusts us forward in a holy and wise Oeconomy and plainly declares that we must serve him by the measures of a new Love do him Honour by wise and material Glorifications be united to God by a new Nature and made alive by a new Birth and fulfil all Righteousness to be humble and meek as Christ to be merciful as our heavenly Father is to be pure as God is pure to be partakers of the Divine Nature to be wholly renewed in the frame and temper of our mind to become people of a new heart a direct new Creation new Principles and a new being to do better than all the world before us ever did to love God more perfectly to despise the World more generously to contend for the Faith more earnestly for all this is but a proper and a just consequent of the great Promises which our Blessed Law-giver came to publish and effect for all the world of Believers and Disciples The matter which is here requir'd is certainly very great for it is to be more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees more holy than the Doctors of the Law than the Leaders of the Synagogue than the wise Princes of the Sanhedrim more righteous than some that were Prophets and High Priests than some that kept the Ordinances of the Law without blame men that lay in Sackcloth and fasted much and prayed more and made Religion and the Study of the Law the work of their lives This was very much but Christians must do more Nuncte marmoreum pro tempore fecimus at tu Si foetura gregem suppleverit aureus esto They did well and we must do better their houses were Marble but our roofs must be gilded and fuller of Glory * But as the matter is very great so the necessity of it is the greatest in the world It must be so or it will be much worse unless it be thus we shall never see the glorious Face of God Here it concerns us to be wise and fearful for the matter is not a question of an Oaken Garland or a Circle of Bays and a Yellow Ribband it is not a question of Money or Land nor of the vainer rewards of popular noises and the undiscerning Suffrages of the people who are contingent Judges of good and evil but it is the great stake of Life Eternal We cannot be Christians unless we be righteous by the new measures the Righteousness of the Kingdom is now the only way to enter into it for the Sentence is fix'd and the Judgment is decretory and the Judge infallible and the Decree irreversible For I say unto you said Christ unless your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Here then we have two things to consider 1. What was the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees 2. How far that is to be exceeded by the Righteousness of Christians 1. Concerning the first I will not be so nice in the Observation of these words as to take notice that Christ does not name the Sadduces but the Scribes and Pharisees though there may be something in it the Sadduces were called Caraim from Cara to read for they thought it Religion to spend one third part of their day in reading their Scriptures whose fulness they so admired they would admit of no suppletory Traditions But the Pharisees were called Thanaim that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they added to the Word of God words of their own as the Church of Rome does at this day they and these fell into an equal fate while they taught for Doctrines the Commandments of men they prevaricated the Righteousuess of God What the Church of Rome to evil purposes hath done in this particular may be demonstrated in due time and place but what false and corrupt glosses under the specious Title of the Tradition of their Fathers the Pharisees had introduc'd our Blessed Saviour reproves and are now to be represented as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that you may see that Righteousness beyond which all they must go that intend that Heaven should be their Journeys end 1. The Pharisees obeyed the Commandments in the Letter not in the Spirit They minded what God spake but not what he intended They were busie in the outward work of the hand but incurious of the affections and choice of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Justin Martyr to Tryphon the Jew Ye understand all things carnally 3 that is they rested 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen calls it in the outward work of Piety which not only Justin Martyr but St. Paul calls Carnality not meaning a carnal Appetite but a carnal Service Their errour was plainly this they never distinguish'd Duties natural from Duties relative that is whether it were commanded for it self or in order to something that was better whether it were a principal Grace or an instrumental Action So God was served in the Letter they did not much inquire into his Purpose And therefore they were curious to wash their hands but cared not to purifie the hearts They would give Alms but hate him that received it They would go to the Temple but did not revere the Glory of God that dwelt there between the Cherubins They would fast but not mortifie their Lusts They would say good Prayers but not labour for the Grace they prayed for This was just as if a man should run on his Masters errand and do no business when he came there They might easily have thought that by the Soul only a man approaches to God and draws the Body after it but that no washing or corporal Services could unite them and the Shechina together no such thing could make them like to God who is the Prince of Spirits * They did as the Dunces in Pythagoras School who when their Master had said Fabis abstineto by which he intended they should not ambitiously seek for Magistracy they thought themselves good Pythagoreans if they did not eat Beans and they would be sure to put their Right foot first into the shooe and their Left foot into the water and supposed they had done enough though if they had not been Fools they would have understood their Masters meaning to have been

Judgment when the Angels of wrath snatch their abused People into everlasting Torments For will God bless them or pardon them by whom so many Souls perish Shall they reign with Christ who evacuate the death of Christ and make it useless to dear Souls Shall they partake of Christs Glories by whom it comes to pass that there is less joy in Heaven it self even because sinners are not converted and God is not glorified and the people is not instructed and the Kingdom of God is not filled Oh no the curses of a false Prophet will fall upon them and the reward of the evil Steward will be their portion and they who destroyed the Sheep or neglected them shall have their portion with Goats for ever and ever in everlasting burnings in which it is impossible for a man to dwell Can any thing be beyond this beyond damnation Surely a man would think not And yet I remember a severe saying of S. Gregory Scire debent Prelati quod tot mortibus digni sunt quot perditionis exempla ad subditos extenderunt One damnation is not enough for an evil Shepherd but for every Soul who dies by his evil example or pernicious carelesness he deserves a new death a new damnation Let us therefore be wise and faithful walk warily and watch carefully and rule diligently and pray assiduously for God is more propense to rewards then to punishments and the good Steward that is wise and faithful in his dispensation shall be greatly blessed But how He shall be made ruler over the houshold What is that for he is so already True but he shall be much more Ex dispensatore faciet procuratorem God will treat him as Joseph was treated by his Master he was first a Steward and then a Procurator one that ruled his Goods without account and without restraint Our Ministry shall pass into Empire our Labour into Rest our Watchfulness into Fruition and our Bishoprick to a Kingdom In the mean time our Bishopricks are a great and weighty Care and in a spiritual sence our Dominion is founded in Grace and our Rule is in the hearts of the people and our Strengths are the Powers of the Holy Ghost and the Weapons of our warfare are Spiritual and the Eye of God watches over us curiously to see if we watch over our Flocks by day and by night And though the Primitive Church as the the Ecclesiastick Histories observe when they deposed a Bishop from his Office ever concealed his Crime and made no Record of it yet remember this that God does and will call us to a strict and severe account Take heed that you may never hear that fearful Sentence I was hungry and ye gave me no meat If you suffer Christs little ones to starve it will be required severely at your hands And know this that the time will quickly come in which God shall say unto thee in the words of the Prophet Where is the Flock that was given thee thy beautiful Flock What wilt thou say when he shall visit thee God of his mercy grant unto us all to be so faithful and so wise as to convert Souls and to be so blessed and so assisted that we may give an account of our Charges with joy to the glory of God to the edification and security of our Flocks and the salvation of our own Souls in that day when the great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls shall come to Judgment even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory Love and Obedience now and for evermore Amen FINIS Thursday May 9. ORdered That the Speaker do give the Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Down the Thanks of this House for his yesterdays pains and that he desire him to Print his Sermon John Keating Cler. Parl. 11 die Maii 1661. ORdered That Sir Theophilus Jones Knight Marcus Trever Esq Sir William Domvile Knight His Majesties Attorney General and Richard Kirle Esq be and are hereby appointed a Committee to return Thanks unto the Lord Bishop of Down for his Sermon Preached on Wednesday last unto the Lords Justices and Lords Spiritual and Temporal whereunto the House of Commons were invited and that they desire his Lordship from this House to cause the same to be forthwith printed and published Copia Vera. Ex. per Philip Ferneley Cler. Dom. Com. A SERMON Preached at the Opening of the PARLIAMENT OF IRELAND May 8. 1661. Before the Right Honourable the Lords Justices and the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons BY Jeremy Lord Bishop of Down and Connor Salus in multitudine consulentium LONDON Printed for R. Royston Bookseller to the Kings most Excellent Majesty 1666. To the Right Honourable The Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons of Ireland Assembled in PARLIAMENT My Lords and Gentlemen I Ought not to dispute Your Commands for the printing my Sermon of Obedience left my Sermon should be protestatio contra factum here I Know my Example would be the best Vse to this Doctrine and I am sure to find no inconveniency so great as that of Disobedience neither can I be confident that I am wise in any thing but when I obey for then I have the Wisdom of my Superior for my warrant or my excuse I remember the saying of Aurelius the Emperor Aequius est me tot talium amicorum consilium quam tot tales meam unius voluntatem sequi I could easily have pretended excuses but that day I had taught others the contrary and I would not shed that Chalice which my own hands had newly filled with Waters issuing from the Fountains of Salvation My eyes are almost grown old with seeing the horrid mischiefs which came from Rebellion and Disobedience and I would willingly now be blessed with observation of Peace and Righteousness Plenty and Religion which do already and I hope shall for ever attend upon Obedience to the best KING and the best CHVRCH in the World I see no objection against my hopes but that which ought least of all in this case to be pretended Men pretend Conscience against Obedience expresly against S. Paul's Doctrine teaching us to obey for conscience sake but to disobey for Conscience in a thing indifferent is never to be found in the Books of our Religion It is very hard when the Prince is forc'd to say to his rebellious Subject as God did to his stubborn People Quid faciam tibi I have tried all the ways I can to bring thee home and what shall I now do unto thee The Subject should rather say Quid me vis facere What will thou have me to do This Question is the best end of Disputations Corrumpitur atque dissolvitur Imperantis officium si quis ad id quod facere jussus est non obsequio debito sed consilio non considerato respondeat said one in A. Gellius When a Subject is commanded to obey and he

that is from all affection to it is supposed in the Christians life denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and being cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and having escaped from all corruption that is in the world through lust this is not so much commanded as supposed without this nothing can be done nothing can be hoped this is but the foundation of the Christian who is intended to be a habitation of God a member of Christ a temple of the holy Spirit of God the building follows 2. All Christians must acquire all the graces of the holy Spirit of God S. Peter gives the Catalogue Faith and Vertue and Knowledge and Temperance and Patience and Godliness and Brotherly kindness and Charity and that you may see what is the spirit of a Christian what an activity and brisk principle is required to the acquisition of these things the Apostle gives this percept that for the acquiring these things we should give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all diligence no lazy worker is a good Christian he must be diligent and not every diligence nor every degree of good diligence but it must be all omnem omniuo diligentiam give all diligence 3. There is yet another degree to be added here too It is not enough for a Christian to be free from corruption and to have these graces and g. to be diligent very diligent to obtain them but they must be in us and abound N. B. they must be in us these graces and this righteousness must be inherent it is not enough for us that Christ had them for us for it is true if he had not had them we should never have received those or any thing else that is good but he had them that we might have them and follow his steps who knew no sin and fulfilled all righteousness They must be in us saith S. Peter and not only so they must also abound in us that 's the end of Christ's death that 's the fruit of his Spirit they must be plentiful like a full Vintage or like Euphrates in the time of ripe Fruits they must swell over the banks for when they are but in gradu virtutis in the lowest step of sincerity they may fall from the tree like unripe fruit and be fit for nothing but for Prodigals and Swine they must be in their season and period great and excellent and eminent they must take up all our faculties fill up all our time spend all our powers satisfie the will and be adequate to all the powers of our choice that is as S. Peter adds they must be so that we make our calling and election sure so as that we shall never any more depart from God well thus far you see how severe and sacred a thing it is to be a Christian. 4. But there are yet three steps more beyond this God requires of us perseverance a thrusting all this forward even unto the end without peace and holiness no man shall see God saith the Author to the Hebrews but that 's not all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow after peace and holiness with all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which peace but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which following of peace and holiness that is unless we endure all contradiction of sinners and objections without following it close and home to the utmost issue to the end of all righteousness tending even to comprehension to consummation and perfection no man shall see God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is good and great to dwell in holiness but that 's not enough it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too we must still pursue it and that unto the end for he that endureth unto the end shall be saved 5. And what more yes there is something yet For besides this extension of duration there must be intensio graduum for nondum comprehendimus nondum perfecti sumus we have not yet comprehended we are not yet made perfect but that must be aimed at Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect be ye meek as Christ is be ye holy as God is holy pure as your Father in Heaven is pure and who can be so no man can be so in degree but so in kind every man must desire and every man must contend to be and g. it is possible else it had never been required 6. And now after all this one thing more is to be done you must be so for your selves and you must be so for others you must be so as to please God and you must be so to edifie your Brethren Let your light so shine before men that they may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven let it be so eminent and conspicuous that all that see your conversation and all that come into your Congregations may be convinced and falling down and worshipping may say of a truth the Spirit of the Lord is in you And g. our Blessed Saviour in his Sermon upon the Mount which is the summary of a Christians life at the end of the eight beatitudes tells all his Followers and Disciples ye are the salt of the world ye are the light of the world and g. the Kingdom of Heaven or the Gospel is compared to a woman that hid in three measures of meal the Jews the Turks the Heathen Idolaters her Leaven till all was leavened our Light must be so shining our Conversation so exemplar as to draw all the world after us that they that will not may be ashamed and they that wil lmay be allured by the beauty of the flame These are the proportions and measures of every Christian for from the days of John the Baptist the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force that although John the Baptist was the greatest that ever was born of woman yet he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven the meanest of the Laity may be greater than he This is a great height and these things I have premised not only to describe the duty of all that are here present even of all Christians whatsoever that you may not depart without your portion of a blessing but also as a foundation of the ensuing periods which I shall address to you my Brethren of the Clergy the Fathers of the people for I speak in a School of the Prophets Prophets and Prophets Sons to you who are or intend to be so For God hath made a separation of you even beyond this separation he hath separated you yet again he hath put you anew into the Chrysoble he hath made you to pass through the fire seven times more For it is true that the whole community of the People is the Church Ecclesia sancta est communio sanctorum the holy Catholick Church is the communion of Saints but yet by the voice and consent of all Christendom you are the Church by way of propriety and