fulnesse for themselves only Eph. 4.7 1 Cor. 12.11 Rom. 1â— 3 But a fulnesse without measure like the fulnesse of light in the Sun or water in the Sea which hath an unsearchable sufficiency and redundancie for the whole Church Ioh. 3.34 Eph. 3.8 Mal. 4.2 So that as hee was furnished with all Spirituall Endowments of Wisedome judgment power love holinesse for the dispensation of his owne Office Esai 11.2.61.1 So from his fulnesse did there runne over a share and portion of all his graces unto his Church Ioh. 1.16 Col. 2.19 3 He did by a solemne and publike promulgation proclaime the Kingdome of Christ unto the Church and declare the decree in that heavenly voice which came unto him from the excellent glorie This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare yee him Psal. 2.7 Matth. 3.17.17.5 2 Pet. 1.17 4 Hee hath given him a Scepter of Righteousnesse hath put a sword in his mouth and a rodde of iron in his hand made him a Preacher and an Apostle to reveale the secrets of his bosome and to testifie the things which hee hath seen and heard Heb. 1.8 Revel 1.16.2.16 Psal. 2.9 Esai 16.1 Heb. 3.1 Ioh. 1.18 Ioh. 3.11 12.32 34. 5 Hee hath honoured him with many Ambassadors and servants to negotiate the affaires of his Kingdome some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministerie and for the Edifying of his Bodie 2 Cor. 5.20 Eph. 4.11 12. 6 Hee hath given him the soules and consciences of men even to the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and for the territories of his Kingdome Psal. 2.8 Ioh. 17.6 7 Hee hath given him a power concerning the Lawes of his Church A power to make Lawes the Law of Faith as S. Paul cals it Rom. 3.27 Mark 16.15 16. A power to expound Lawes as the morall Law Matt. 5. A power to abrogate Lawes as the Law of Ordinances Col. 2.14 8 Hee hath given him a power of judging and condemning enemies Ioh. 5.27 Luk. 19.27 Lastly hee hath given him a power of remitting sinnes and sealing pardons which is a roiall prerogative Matth. 9.6 Ioh. 20.23 And these things belong unto him as hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well Man as God Ioh. 5.27 For the workes of Christs mediation were of two sorts Opera ministerii workes of service and ministerie for he tooke upon himselfe the forme of a servant and was a Minister of the Circumcision Phil. 2.8 Rom. 15.8 and Opera Potestatis workes of Authoritie and government in the Church All power is given unto me in heaven and earth Matth. 28.18 The Qualitie of this Kingdome is not Temporall or Secular over the naturall lives or civill negotiations of men He came not to be ministred unto but to minister his Kingdome was not of this World he disclaimed any civill power in the distribution of lands and possessions he with-drew himselfe from the people when by force they would have made him a King and himselfe that in this point hee might give none offence payed tribute unto Cesar Matth. 20.28 Ioh. 18.36 Luk. 12.13 14. Ioh. 6.15 Matth. 17.27 But his Kingdome is Spirituall and heavenly over the soules of men to binde and loose the conscience to remit and retaine sinnes to awe and over-rule the hearts to captivate the affections to bring into obedience the thoughts to subdue and pull downe strong holds to breake in pieces his enemies with an iron rod to hew and slay them with the words of his mouth to implant fearfulnesse and astonishment in the hearts of hypocrites and to give peace securitie protection and assurance to his people The way wherby hee enters upon his Kingdome is ever by way of Conquest For though the Soules of the Elect are his yet his enemies have the first possession as Canaan was Abrahams by Promise but his seeds by Victorie Not but that Christ proclaimes peace first but because men will not come over nor submit to him without warre The strong man will not yeeld to bee utterly spoiled and crucified upon termes of peace Hence then wee may first learne the great Authoritie and Power of this King who holds his Crowne by immediate tenure from heaven and was after a more excellent manner than any other Kings therunto decreed and anointed by God himselfe Much then are they to blame who finde out wayes to diminish the Kingdome of Christ and boldly affirme that though a King hee could not but bee yet hee might have been a King without a Kingdome a King in personall right without subjects or territories to exercise his regall power in A King onely to punish enemies but not a King to governe or to feed a people But shall God give his Sonne the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and shall men withhold it shall God give men unto Christ Thine they were thou gavest them unto me Ioh. 17.6 and shall they detaine themselves from him what is it that he gives unto his Sonne but the soules the hearts the very thoughts of men to bee made obedient unto his Scepter 2 Cor. 10.5 and shall it then bee within the compasse of humane power to effect as it is in their pride to maintaine fieri posse ut nulla sit Ecclesia We know one principall part of the Kingdome and power of Christ is to cast downe imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and that not onely unto conviction but unto obedience as the Apostle shewes to send such gifts of the Spirit unto men as should benefit the very Rebellious that God might dwell amongst them Psal. 68.18 for in as much as Christ came to destroy the workes of the devill that is sinne as the Apostle shewes 1 Ioh. 3.8 Ioh. 8.41.44 and in their place to bring in the worke of God which is faith in him for so that grace is frequently stiled Ioh. 6.29 Phil. 1.29 Col. 2.12 Therfore it is requisite that none of Satans instruments and confederates such as the hearts of naturall men are should be to strong for the grace of Christ. But what then doth Christ compell men against their wills to become subiect unto him No in no wise He hath ordered to bring them in by a way of voluntarinesse and obedience And herein is the wisedome of his power seen that his grace shall mightily produce those effects in men which their hearts shall most obediently and willingly consent unto that hee is able to use the proper and genuine motions of second causes to the producing of his owne most holy wise and mercifull purposes As wee see humane wisedome can so order moderate and make use of naturall motions that by them artificiall effects shall be produced as in a clock the naturall moâ—ion of the weight or plummet causeth the artificiall distribution of houres and minutes and in a mill the
and reall conveying the blessing it selfe desired without all contradiction saith the Apostle the lesse is blessed of the greater Hebr. 7.7 and such was this of Melchisedek Benedictio obsignans a seale assurance and effectuall confirmation of the promise before made Gen. 12.2 3. Sixthly in what manner he received Tithes I answer with Calvin that he had Ius decimarum and received them as testifications of homage duty and obedience from Abraham for the Apostle useth it as argument to prove his greatnes above Abraham which could be no argument in the case of pure gift Since gifts quâ—tenus gifts though they prove not a generall inferioritie in him that receives them yet they prove that in that case there is something which may be imputed and which deserves acknowledgement But in this particular all the acknowledgements are from Abraham to Melchisedek Besides nothing was here by Abraham or Melchisedek done after an arbitrary manner but Extraordinario spiritus afflatu ex officio on both sides as learned Cameron hath observed Lastly in what sense hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. without father mother or genealogie I answer with Chrysostome that it is not meant literally and strictly but onely the Scripture takes notice of him as an extraordinary man without signifying his line beginning end or race as Tiberius said of Rufus that he was Homo ex se natus that so he might be the fitter to typifie Christs person and excellencie in whom those things were really true which are onely quoad nos spoken of the type of whose beginning end or parentage wee neither have nor can have any knowledge These things thus premised it will bee easie for you to preoccupate those observations which grow betweene the Type and the Antitype which therefore I will but cursorily propose Note first that Christs Priesthood is such as did induce a kingdome with it for Melchisedek was King of Salem and Priest of the most high God This Saint Hierom and from him Ambrose report to have been meant by the order of Melchisedek namely Regale Sacerdotium that Christ was to be a Royall Priest By way of merit purchasing a kingdome of his Father and by way of conquest recovering it to himselfe out of the hands of his enemies this mystery was obscurely intimated in the marriages allowed between the regall and sacerdotall tribes of Iuda and Levi which confusion was in the other Tribes interdicted as I have before observed Note secondly that Christ by offering up himselfe a Sacrifice unto God is become unto his people a King of Righteousnesse or the Lord our righteousnesse in which sense he is called The Prince of life Act. 3.15 that is he hath all power given him as a Prince to quicken and to justifie whom hee will Ioh. 5.20 21. And this comes from his Sacrifice and perfect obedience to us imputed and by us with faith implyed and apprehended for having fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law and justified himselfe by rising from the dead he became being thus made perfect the Author of righteousnesse and salvation to us Heb. 5.9 We had in us a whole kingdome of sin and therefore requisite there was in him that should justifie us a kingdome of Grace and righteousnesse That as sinne raigned unto death even so might Grace through righteousnesse raigne unto eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.21 and therefore wee are said to be justified by the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.21 22. that is such a righteousnesse as is ours by gift and grace not by nature Rom. 10.3 and such a righteousnesse as God himseâ—fe did performe though in the humane nature in our behalfe Act. 20.28 Phil. 2.6 7 8. And this is the ground of all our comfort the best direction in all our miseries and extremities whither to flie A King is the greatest officer amongst men and his honour and state is for the supply defence and honour of his people He is Custos Tabularum the Father and the Keeper of the Lawes If I want any of that justice and equity of which his sacred Bosome is the publike treasure I may freely beg it of him because he is an Officer to dispence righteousnesse unto his subjects so also is Christ unto his Church I finde my selfe in a miserable condition condemned by the conscience of sinne by the testimony of the Word by the accusations of Satan full of discomforts God is a God of justice and all fire my selfe a creature of sin and all stubble Satan the accuser of the brethren who labours to blow up the wrath of God against me In this case what shall I doe Surely God hath set his King on Sion and he is a King that hath life and righteousnesse to give to mee that hath grace enough to quench all sin and the envenomed darts of Satan in whom there is erected a court of peace and mercy whereunto to appeale from the severity of God from the importunity of the Devill and from the accusations and testimonies of our owne hearts And indeed he had need be a King of righteousnesse that shall justifie men for our justification is in the remission of our sins and to pardon sins and dispence with Lawes is a regall dignitie and God taketh it as his owne high and peculiar prerogative I even I am he who blotteth out thine iniquity for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Esay 43.25 No man or Angell or created power no merit no obedience no rivers of oyle nor mountaines of cattell no prayers teares or torments can wipe out the staines or remove the guilt of any sinne I onely even I and none else can doe it None but a Divine and Royall Power can subdue sinne Mica 7.18 And this is a ground of a second comfort that being a King of righteousnesse he is rich in it and hath treasures to bestow that as we have a kingdome a treasure and abundance of sin so we have a King that hath alwayes a residue of spirit and grace that hath a most redundant righteousnesse from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 A mans faith can never over-grow the righteousnesse of our King If we had all the faith that ever was in the world put into one man all that could not over-claspe the righteousnesse of Christ or be too bigge for it As if a man had a thousand eyes and they should one after another looke on the Sunne yet still the light would be revealed from eye to eye or as if a man should goe up by ten thousand steps to the top of the highest mountaine yet he could never over-looke all the earth or fix his eye beyond all visible objects but should still have more earth and heaven discovered unto him from step to step so there is an immensitie in the righteousnesse and mercy of God which cannot be exhausted by any sins or overlooked and comprehended by any faith of men As God dotâ—
an escape from himselfe the priviledge wherof hee did afterwards in vaine lay hold on And thus will Christ deale with his enemies at the last day Here they trample upon Christ in his word in his wayes in his members They make the Saints bow downe for them to goe over and make them as the pavements on the ground They tread under foote the bloud of the covenant and the Sanctuary of the Lord and put Christ to shame here and there their owne measure shall bee returned into their owne bosome they shall bee constrained to confesse as Adonibezek as I have done so God hath requited mee Yea this they shall suffer from the meanest of Christs members whom they here insulted over They shall then as witnesses and as it were co-assessors with Christ judge the very wicked Angels and tread them under their feet They shall take them captives whose captives they were and shall rule over their oppressors All they that despised them shall bow themselves at the soles of their feete They who gathered themselves against Sion and said let her bee defiled and let our eye see it shall themselves bee gathered as sheaves into the floore and the Daughter of Sion shall arise and thresh them with hornes of iron and with hooves of brasse Then saith the Church shee that is mine enemies shall see it shame shall cover her which said unto mee Where is the Lord thy God Mine eyes shall behold her Now shall shee bee troden downe as the mire of the streetes Even so let all thine enemies perish O Lord but let them which love thee bee as the Sunne when he goeth forth in his might Lastly herin wee may note the great Power and wisedome of Christ in turning the malice and mischiefe of his enemies into his owne use and advantage and in so ordering wicked men that though they intend nothing but extirpation and ruine to his Kingdome yet they shall bee usefull unto him and against their owne wills serviceable to those glorious ends in the accomplishing wherof hee shall bee admired by all those that beleeve As in a great house there is necessary use of vessels of dishonour destinated unto fordid and meane but yet dayly services so in the great house of God wicked men are his utensils and houshold instruments as footstooles and staves and vessels wherin there is no pleasure though of them there may bee good use The Assyrian was the Rod of his anger his axe wherwith hee pruned and his Saw wherwith hee threatned his people Pharoah was a vessell fitted to shew the glory and power of his name It is necessary saith our Savior that offences come and there must bee heresâ—es saith the Apostle Because as a skilfull Physitian ordereth poysonfull and destructive ingredients unto usefull services So the Lord by his wisedome doth make use of wicked mens persons and purposes to his owne most righteous and wonderfull ends secretly and mightily directing their wicked designes to the magnifying of his owne power and providence and to the furthering of his people in faith and godlinesse VERSE 2. The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength out of Sion Rule thou in the mids of thine enemies THis Verse is a continuation of the former touching the Kingdome of Christ and it containes the forme of its spirituall administration Wherin is secretly couched another of the Offices of Christ namely his Propheticall Office For that is as it were the dispensation and execution of his regall Office in the militant Church The summe of this Administration consists in two principall things First in matters military for the subduing of enemies and for the defence and protection of his people Secondly in matters civill and judiciall for the government preservation and honor of his Kingdome And both these are in this Psalme The former in the latter part of this verse Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies The other in the third verse Thy people shall bee willing c. and the way of compassing and effecting in the former words of this verse The Lord shall send forth the Rod of thy strength out of Sion Every King hath his jura Regalia certaine roiall prerogatives and peculiar honors proper to his owne person which no man can use but with subordination unto him And if wee observe them wee shall finde many of them as exactly belong unto Christ in his Kingdome as to any secular prince in his First unto Kings doe belong Armamentaria publica the Magazins for military provision and the power and disposition of publike armes Therefore hee is said by the Apostle to Beare the sword because armes properly belong unto him and unto others under his allowance and protection So to Christ alone doth belong and in him onely is to bee found the publike armorie of a Christian man The weapons of our warfare are mighty onely through him Nay hee is himselfe the armour and panoply of a Christian and therefore wee are commanded to put on the Lord Iesus Againe via publica is via regia the high way is the Kingâ— way wherin every man walketh freely under the protection of his Soveraigne So that Law of faith and obedience under which wee are to walke which S. Paul calleth the Law of Christ is by S. Iames called Lex Regia a roiall Law and a Law of Libertie in which while any man continueth hee is under the protection of the promises and of the Angels of Christ. Againe Bona adespota seu incerti Domini Lands that are concealed and under the evident claime of no other person or Lord doe belong unto the Prince as hee that hath the supreme and universall dominion in his countries And this is most certainly true of Christ in his Kingdome if any man can once truly say Lord I am not the servant of any other Master no other King hath the rightfull dominion or peaceable possession of my heart hee may most truly from thence inferre Therefore Lord I am thy servant and therefore Lord my heart is thine True it is Lord our God that other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but now by thee onely will wee make mention of thy name Againe Vectigaliae and Census Tributes and Customes and Testifications of homage and fidelity are personall prerogatives belonging unto Princes and as the Apostle saith Due unto them for that Ministerie and Office which under God they attend upon So in Christs Kingdome there is a worship which the Psalmist saith is Due unto his name They which came unto the Temple which was a type of Christ were not to come empty handed but to bring Testimonies of their reverence and willing subjection unto that worship When Abraham met Melchisedek a figure of Christ as from him hee received a blessing so unto him hee gave an expression of a loyall heart the tenth of the spoiles When the people of Israel entred into
upon Christ. In the midst of thine enemies Some understand it of changing the hearts of his enemies and converting them as captives unto his obedience Other understand the wonderfull effect of the power of Christs kingdome that he can by his Word and Spirit hold up his Church in despight of all the enemies thereof round about The Church ever was and will be pester'd with divers kindes of adversaries heretikes and hypocrites and false brethren with profanenesse temptations persecutions spirituall wickednesses and in the midst of all these the Church of Christ groweth as a Lily amongst the thornes Now this In medio noteth two things Dominium plenum and dominium securum A perfect and full governement without mutilation without impediment the Church being amongst the wicked as a rocke in the midst of the sea or as a garrison in an enemies towne Media dominantur in urbe is an expression of such a rule as can no way be hindered or removed The Church of God is a burdensome stone they who goe about to remove it out of that place where Christ will plant it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth should gather together against it Zech. 12.3 A secure and confident governement so in the Scripture phrase In the midst notes confidence and security When the Prophet asked the Shunamite would'st thou be spoken for to the king or to the Captaine of the host she answered I dwell amongst mine owne people that is I am safe and have enough already 2 King 4.13 When they of the Synagogue would have cast Christ downe head-long from the brow of a hill it is said that he passed through the midst of them and went his way that is with much confidence safety and assurance he withdrew himselfe Luk. 4.29 30. As the Prophet was full of security and quietnesse in the midst of the Syrian siege 2 King 6 14-16 The words being thus unfolded wee may observe in them Three of Christs principall Regalities Sceptrum Solium and Imperium The Scepter the Throne and the Power or governement of his kingdome His Scepter is the Word of his Gospell animated by the Power of his holy Spirit and accompanied with the blessing and authority of God the Father who sendeth it abroad into the world His Throne from whence this his Scepter is extended Sion the Church of the Jewes His victorious plenarie and secure governement Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies First the Scepter here is the Gospell and the Spirit of Christ. Christ is a Shepheard towards his Flocke the Church Esai 40.11 A great Shepheard Heb. 13.20 that notes his Power and Majesty over them and a good Shepheard Ioh. 10.14 that notes his care and tendernesse towards his Sheepe Kings in the Scripture are called Shepheards to lead and to feed and to govern the people So David is said to have beene taken from the sheepfolds to feed Iacob and Israel Psal. 78.71 2 Sam. 5.2 and thus Christ is a Shepheard and a King I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feede them Even my servant David I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them Ezek. 34.23 24. Prophets Teachers are in the Scripture likewise called Shepherds Ier. 23.1 4. and so Christ is a Shepheard and a Bishop Ye were as sheepe going astray but now ye are returned unto the Shepheard and Bishop of your soules 1 Pet. 2.25 And therefore wee finde in the Scripture that Christ hath two pastorall staves to note his great care and double office in his Church The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want I will feare no evill for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staffe they comfort me Psal. 23.4 I tooke unto me two staves the one I called Beauty and the other I called Bands and I fed the flocke Zech. 11.7 So then the Rod of Christs strength or his strong staffe doth in these severall relations note unto us three things As it is a staffe of strength so it notes the power of Christ. As it is the Scepter of a King so it notes the majestie of Christ. As it is the staffe of a Bishop or Prophet so it notes the care and superintendencie of Christ over his Church So then this first particular of the Rod of Christs kingdome affoords unto us three observations First that Christ in his Gospell and Spirit is full of power and strength towards the Church Secondly that Christ in his Gospell and Spirit is full of Glory and Majesty towards his Church Thirdly that Christ in his Gospell and Spirit is full of care and of tendernesse towards his Church First the words of the Gospell with the spirit is full of power and strength No man will denie that Christ in his owne person is full of power And as the power of a Prince is principally seene in his lawes edicts pardons and gratious patents so is the power of Christ wonderfully magnified towards the Church in his Gospell which unto us is both a Covenant of mercy and a Law of obedience We may observe how Christ is frequently pleased to honor his Gospell with his owne titles and attributes And therefore the Apostle speakes of him and his word as of one and the same thing The word of God is quicke and powerfull a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart neither is there any Creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe That which is the word in one verse is Christ himselfe in another which hath given occasion to some learned men without any constraining reason as I conceive to take the Word there for the essentiall Word of God or the person of Christ himselfe to whom I thinke that appellation is not given by any of the sacred Writers but onely by his beloved Disciple Saint Iohn We know that Christ was crucified at Jerusalem and yet the Apostle saith that he was crucified amongst the Galatians Certainely in that he died he died but once unto sin S. Paul could not doe that himselfe which he curseth others for doing Crucifie againe the Lord of Glory So then at Jerusalem he was crucified in his person and at Galatia in the ministery of his Word One and the same crucifying was as lively set forth in Saint Pauls preaching as it was really acted upon Christs person for Christ is as really present to his Church now in the spirituall dispensation of his ordinances as hee was corporally present with the Jewes in the dayes of his flesh And therefore I say it is that we finde the same attributes given to both Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God and the Gospell else-where the Power of God and the wisdome of God in a mystery to them that are perfect Againe Christ the Lord of glory and the Gospell the Gospell of
men on the earth The Gospell is the Patent and Charter of a Christian all that hee hath to shew for his Salvation the treasure of his wealth and priviledges all that he hath to boast in either for this life or another the armory of a Christian all that he hath to hold up against the temptations and conflicts of his sorest enemies the only toole and instrument of a Christian all that he hath to doe any action of piety charity loyalty or sobriety withall the onely glasse of a Christian wherein he may see his owne face and so learne to deny himselfe and wherein he may see the face of God in Christ and so learne to desire and to follow him So that upon the matter for any man to be ignorant of the Gospell is to unchristian himselfe againe and to degenerate into a heathen Powre out thine indignation upon the heathen that know thee not Ignorance makes a man a very heathen This I say and testifie saith the Apostle that you henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in the vanity of their mind for you have not so learned Christ. It is not the title nor the profession which maketh a man a reall Christian and distinguisheth him from other heathen men but the learning of Christ in his Spirit and Gospell For as he who was onely outwardly and in the flesh a Jew might be uncircumcized in his heart so he who is onely in title and name a Christian may be a heathen in his heart and that more fearefully than Sodome and Gomorrah or Tyre and Sydon because he hath put from himselfe the Salvation of the Lord and judged himselfe unworthy of eternall life Lastly if there bee indeed such power in the Gospell wee should labour to beare witnesse unto the testimony which God giveth of his Word in a holy conversation It is a reproach cast upon the ordinances of God when men doe in their lives denie that vertue which God testifieth to be in them Wicked men are said to crucifie Christ againe to put him to shame to make God a liar not that these things can so really bee but because men in their evill lives carry themselves as if indeed they were so And in this sense the Gospell may bee said to bee weake too because the pride of men holds out against the saving power thereof But these men must know that the word returneth not empty unto God but accomplisheth some worke or other either it ripeneth weeds or corne There is thunder and lightning both in the word if the one breake not a heart the other will blast it if it bee not humbled by the word it will certainly bee withered and made fruitlesse Shall the clay boast it selfe against the fire because though it have power to melt wax yet it hath not power to melt clay Is it not one and the same power which hardneth the one and which softneth the other Is not the word a sweete Savor unto God as well in those that perish as in those that are saved Certainly there is as wonderfull a power in adding another death to him who was dead before which upon the matter is to kill a dead man as in multiplying and enlarging life And the Gospell is to those that perish a Savor of death unto death such a word as doth cumulate the damnation of wicked men and treasure up wrath upon wrath If it doe not convert it will certainly harden if it doe not save it will undoubtedly judge and condemne The Lord doth never cast away his Gospell hee that gave charge to gather up the broken meate of loaves and fishes that nothing might bee lost will not suffer any crumme of his spirituall manna to come to nothing Yet wee finde the Lord giveth a charge to his Prophets to preach even there where hee foretold them that their words would not bee heard Thou shalt speake all these wordes unto them but they will not hearken to thee thou shalt also call unto them but they will not answere thee Sonne of Man I send thee to the Children of Israel to a rebellions nation they are impudent Children and stiffe hearted Yet thou shalt speake my words unto them whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare for they are rebellion it selfe They will not hearken unto thee for they will not hearken unto mee For all the house of Israel are impudent and hard hearted Certainly when the Lord taketh paines by his Prophets to call those who will not heare hee doth it not in vaine they shall know at length that a Prophet hath been amongst them Therefore as the Apostle saith that the Gospell is a sweet Savour even in those that perish So wee finde those messages which have contained nothing but curses against an obstinate people have yet been as honie for sweetnesse in the mouth of those that preached them I did eate the roule saith the Prophet and it was in my mouth as honie for sweetnesse and yet there was nothing in it written but lamentations and mourning and woe Ieremie did not desire the woefull day but did heartily say Amen to the false Prophets in their predictions of safety yet in regard of his ready service unto God and of that glory which God would worke out unto himselfe in the punishment of that sinfull people the word of Prophesie which was committed unto him was the joy and rejoicing of his heart so that in all respects the Gospell of Christ is a word of power and therein wee doe and must rejoice Wee observed before that this Rod of strength is both Sceptrum Majestatis and Pedum Pastorale Both the Scepter of Christ as hee is a King and his Pastorall staffe as hee is a Bishop It denoteth the Administration of Christs Kingdome which consisteth in the dispensing of his Gospell as it is a word of Majesty and of care So then here are as I before observed two observations yet remaining to bee noted out of these words Virga Virtutis the Rod of thy strength The first that the Gospell of Christ accompanied with his Spirit is a word of great glory and Majesty For wee must ever make these concomitants wee preach the Gospell saith S. Peter with the Holy Ghost sent downe from heaven 1 Pet. 1.12 And indeed the Spirit is peculiar to the Gospell and not belonging to the Law at all if wee consider it alone by it selfe under the relation of a distinct covenant For though as it proceedeth out of Sion that is as it is an appendix and additament unto the Gospell it tend unto liberty and so cōmeth not without the Spirit yet by it selfe alone it gendreth nothing but bondage And therefore when the Apostle sheweth the excellency of the Gospell above the Law hee calleth one a ministration of death and of the letter the other a ministration of the Spirit and life To shew that properly the Spirit belongeth unto the Gospell of grace
forgiven thee There is no worldly affliction goeth closer to the life of a man than sickenesse and yet as in the midst of laughter the heart of a wicked man is sorrowfull because it is still under the guilt of sinne so in the midst of paine and sorrow the heart of a godly man may be cheerefull because his sinnes are forgiven To conclude this point we may for our better encouragement in so necessary a dutie lay together these considerations First in point of honour we should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell for the Gospell is a Christians Glorie and therefore ought to bee preserved in his heart as his chiefest priviledge The Spirit of God will not endure to have holy things profaned as if they were common or uncleane Belshazzer converted the consecrated vessels of the Temple into instruments of luxurie and intemperance but the Lord temper'd his wine with dregges and made them prove unto him as cups of trembling and astonishment Herod polluted the sepulchers of the Saints with a sacrilegious search of treasures presum'd to have beene there hidden and God made fire rise out of the earth to devoure the over-busie searchers Antiochus ransack'd the Temple of the Lord Heliodorus emptied the treasures of their consecrated monies Pompey defiled the Sabbath and the Sanctuarie Crassus robb'd the house of God of ten thousand talents But inquire into the event of these insolencies and we shall finde that true then of which latter ages have given many examples and are still likely to give more that stollen bread hath gravell in it to choake those that devoure it that ruine is ever the childe of sacrilege that mischiefe setteth a period to the lives and designes of prophane men Now then if the Lord were thus jealous for the types of his Gospell how thinke wee can he endure to see the Gospell it selfe dishonoured by an unsuteable profession or the bloud of the Covenant trampled under foot as if it were a common or uncleane thing In the contempt of the Gospell there is more dishonour done unto every person of the blessed Trinity than can be by any other sinne An undervaluing of the Fathers wisdome that great mysterie and counsell of redemption which was hidden from former ages and what an indignity is it unto him for a man to shut out the light of the sunne that so hee may enjoy that pittifull benefit of darkenesse to gaze upon the false glistering of rotten wood or of earthly slime the deceit wherof would bee by the true light discovered And undervaluing of his wonderfull love as if he had put himselfe unto a needlesse compassion and might have kept it still in his owne bosome A scorne unto the Sonne of God when wee suffer him to stand at our doores with his locks wet with the dew of heaven to put his finger into the hole of the locke as if he desired to steale an entrance upon the soule to emptie to humble to denie himselfe to suffer the wrongs of men and the wrath of God and after all this to have that pretious bloud which was squeezed out with such woefull agonies counted no other than the bloud of a common malefactor nor that sacred body which was thus broken discerned from the bodies of the theeves which were crucified with him An indignitie beyond all apprehension to the spirit of Grace when wee suffer him to waite daily at our Bethesda our houses of mercy and all in vaine to spend his sacred breath in the ministerie of reconciliation in doubling and redoubling his requests unto our soules that we would be contented to bee saved and we shall harden our hearts and stop our eares and set up the pride and stoutnesse of our owne reasonings till wee doe even wearie him and chide him away from us Now this is a certaine rule God will not lose any honour by mens sinnes if they refuse to give him the glory of his mercy he will shew the glory of his Power and justice in treading downe the proud enemies of Christ under his feet As they that honour him shall be honoured so they who cast any disgrace upon his truth and covenant shall be sure to meet with shame and dishonour at the last Secondly to avoid Scandall The Gospell is the light of a nation And sinnes in the light as they are committed with more impudence so likewise with more offence An offence or scandall tending unto sinne in misguiding the weake in heartening and confirming the obdurate in opening the mouthes of adversaries to revile our holy profession and a scandall tending unto sorrow in wounding the hearts of the godly and vexing their righteous spirits with a filthy conversation Thirdly wee should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell even in respect to the state for the Gospell is the foundation of true peace and tranquility in a common-weale and those who shew forth the power thereof are as it were Lions about the Throne of their King By righteousnesse the Throne is established but sinne is a reproch unto any people One Ioseph in Egypt is a store-house to all the kingdome one Elisha an armie of chariots and of horsemen unto Israel one Moses a fence to keepe out an â—oundation of wrath which was breaking in upon the people one Paul an haven an anchor a deliverance to all that were in the ship with him And now Si stellae cadunt venti sequentur If the starres fall we must needes looke for tempests to ensue if the salt be infatuated we cannot looke that any thing should be long preserved If Christians live as if they had no Gospell or as if they had another Gospell what can wee expect but that God should either plague us or forsake us either send his judgements or curse his blessings Lastly the Gospell makes sinne more filthy if it doe not purge it as a taper in the hand of a Ghost makes him seeme more gastly than he was before Sweet ointment causeth ranke and strong bodies to smell worse than they did before So the sweet savour of the Gospell maketh the sinnes of men more noisome and odious in the nostrils of the Almightie And therefore wee see what a fearefull doome the Apostle pronounceth against those who having tasted of the good Spirit of God and been illightened and in some sort affected with his grace doe yet afterwardâ— fall away even an impossibilitie of repentance or renovation From which place perversly wrested though the Novatians of old did gather a desperate and uncomfortable conclusion that sinne committed after regeneration was absolutely unpardonable to avoide the danger of which damnable and damning doctrine some have boldly questioned both the Author and authenticalnesse of that Epistle yet all these inferences being denied wee learne from thence this plaine observation That precedent Illumination from the Gospell of Christ doth tend much to the aggravation of those sinnes which are committed against it And therefore in all
Wee have a Holy Catholick Church gathered together by the Scepter of his Kingdome and holding in the parts thereof a blessed and beautifull Communion of Saints The Lord shall send forth the Rod of thy strength out of Sion Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse from the wombe of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth Wee have the last Iudgment for all his enemies must bee put under his feete which is the Apostles argument to prove the end of all things 1 Cor. 15.25 and there is the day of his wrath wherein he shall accomplish that judgment over the heathen and that victorie over the Kings of the earth who take counsell and bandie themselves against him which he doth here in his word beginne We have the Remission of sinnes comprised in his Priesthood for hee was to offer Sacrifice for the remission of sinnes and to put away sinne by the Sacrifice of himselfe Eph. 1.7 He. 9.26 Wee have the Resurrection of the Bodie because he must subdue all his enemies under his feete and the last enemie to bee subdued is death as the Apostle argues out of this Psalme 1 Cor. 15.25 26. And lastly wee haue life everlasting in the everlasting merit and vertue of his Priesthood Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek and in his sitting at the right hand of God whither he is gone as our forerunner and to prepare a place for us Heb. 6.20 Ioh. 14.2 and therefore the Apostle from his sitting there and living ever inferreth the perfection and certaintie of our salvation Rom. 6.8.11 Rom. 8.17 Eph. 2.6 Col. 3.1 2 3 4. 1 Cor. 15.49 Phil. 3.20 21. 1 Thess. 4.14 Heb. 7 25. 1 Ioh. 3.2 The Summe then of the whole Psalme without any curious or artificiall Analysis wherein every man according to his owne conceite and method will varie from other is this The Ordination of Christ unto his Kingdome together with the dignitie and vertue thereof v. 1. The Scepter or Instrument of that Kingly power v. 2. The strength and successe of both in recovering maugre all the malice of enemies a Kingdome of willing subjects and those in multitudes unto himselfe v. 2 3. The Consecration of him unto that everlasting Priesthood by the vertue merit whereof he purchased this Kingdome to himselfe v. 4. The Conquest over all his strongest and most numerous adversaries v. 5 6. The proofe of all and the way of effecting it in his sufferings and exaltation Hee shall gather a Church and hee shall confound his enemies because for that end he hath finished broken through all the sufferings which hee was to drinke of and hath lifted up his head againe Vers. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Here the Holy Ghost beginnes with the Kingdome of Christ which hee describeth and magnifieth â— By his unction and obsignation thereunto The Word or Decree of his Father The Lord said 2 By the Greatnesse of his person in himselfe and yet neernesse in bloud and nature unto us My Lord. 3 By the Glorie power and heavenlinesse of this his Kingdome for in the administration thereof he sitteth at the right hand of his Father Sit thou at my right hand 4 By the Continuance and Victories thereof Vntill I make thy foes thy footstoole The Lord said Some read it certainly or assuredly said by reason of the affinity which the originall word hath with Amen from which it differs onely in the transposition of the same radicall letters Which would afford this observation by the way That all which Gods saies of or to his Sonne is very faithfull true For which cause the Gospell is by speciall Emphasis called The Word of Truth Eph. 1.13 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A faithfull saying worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1.15 Or most worthy to be beleeved and embraced For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being applied unto the Gospell signifie Ioh. 1.12 Ioh. 3.33 Act. 17.11 Being opposite unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13.46 But the principall thing here to bee noted is The Decree appointment Sanctification and sealing of Christ unto his Regall Office For the Word of God in the Scripture signifies his Blessing Power Pâ—easure Ordination Man liveth not by bread alone but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Matth. 4.4 That is by that command which the creatures have received from God to nourish by that Benediction and Sanctification which maketh every Creature of God good unto us 1 Tim. 4.5 Gods saying is ever doing something his words are operative and carry an unction and authoritie along with them Whence we may note That Christs Kingdome belongs to him not by usurpation intrusion or violence but legally by order decree investiture from his Father All Kings raigne by Gods providence but not alwayes by his approbation They have set up Kings but not by mee they have made Princes and I knew it not Amos 8.4 But Christ is a King both by the providence and by the Good will and immediate Consecration of his Father He loveth him hath given all things into his hand Ioh. 3.35 He judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to his Sonne Ioh. 5.22 That is hath entrusted him with the oeconomie and actuall administration of that power in the Church which originally belonged unto himselfe He hath made him to be Lord and Christ Act. 2.36 Hee hath ordained him to bee Iudge of quicke and dead Act. 10.42 Hee hath appointed him over his owne house Heb. 3.2.6 He hath crowned him put all things in subjection under his feete Heb. 2.7 8. Hee hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2.9 Therefore hee calleth him My King set up by him upon his owne holy hill and that in the vertue of a solemne decree Psal. 2.6 7. But wee must here distinguish betweene Regnum naturale Christs naturall Kingdom which belongeth unto him as God coessentiall and coeternall with his Father and Regnum oeconomicum his Dispensatory Kingdom as he is Christ the Mediator which was his not by Nature but by Donation and unction from his Father that hee might be the Head of his Church a Prince of Peace a King of Righteousnesse unto his people In which respect he had conferr'd upon him all such meete qualifications as might fit him for the dispensation of this Kingdome 1 God prepared him a Bodie or a Humane nature Heb. 10.5 and by the grace of personall and Hypostaticaâ—l union caused the Godhead to dwell Bodily in him Col. 2.9 2 He anointed him with a fulnesse of his Spirit not such a fulnesse as Iohn Baptist and Stephen had Luk. 1.15 Act. 7.55 which was still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulnesse of a measure or vessel a
those men who stand at defiance with the power of Christ speaking in his servants The Apostle saith there is no escape left for those who neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 And yet this is the constant folly and cry of naturall men We will not have this man to raigne over us Let us breake their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us But First Every man must be subject to some King either Christ or sinne for they two divide the world and their Kingdomes will not consist And the subjects of sinne are all slaves and servants no liberty amongst them Ioh. 8.34 Whereas Christ makes all his subjects Kings like himselfe Revel 1.6 and his is a Kingdome of Righteousnesse peace and joy Rom. 14.17 Secondly If men by being the subjects of sinne could keepe quite out from the judgment and Scepter of Christ it were something but all men must one way or other be subdued unto him either as sonnes or as captives either under his grace or under his wrath As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to mee Rom. 14.10 11. Hee must bee either a savor of life or of death either for the rising or the fall of many in Israel either for a sanctuary or for a stumbling block All must either bee saved by him or judged by him There is no refuge nor shelter of escape in any Angle of the World for his Kingdome reacheth to the uttermost corners of the earth and will finde out and fetch in all his enemies Thirdly the matter were not great if a man could hold out in the opposition But can thine heart endure or thine hands bee strong saith the Lord in the day that I shall deale with thee Ezek. 22.14 What will yee doe in the desolation which shall come from farre when you are spoiled what will yee doe where will you leave your glory what will become of the King whom you served before It may bee thy mony is thine idol and thou art held in thraldome under thine owne possessions But what will remaine of a mans silver and gold to carry him through the wrath to come but onely the rust thereof to joyne in judgment against him It may bee thou servest the times and fashions of the world rejoyceth in thy youth in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes But thou must not rise out of thy grave in thy best cloaths nor appeare before Christ like Agag gorgeously apparelled Thou must not rise to play but to be judged It may bee thou servest thine owne lust and anothers beautie but what pleasure willt there be in the fire of lust when it shall bee turned into the fire of Hell or what beauty wilt thou finde on the left hand of Christ where the characters of every mans hellish conscience shall bee written in his face Thou servest thine owne vainglorie and affectations but what good will it bee to bee admired by thy fellow prisoners and condemned by thy Judge In one word thou servest any of thine owne evill desires foolish man here they command thee and there they will condemne thee they are here thy Gods and they will bee there thy devils The Second particular in the description of Christs Kingdome is the greatnesse and neernesse of his person unto David My Lord. David calleth him my Lord upon a double reason by a Spirit of Prophesie as foreseeing his incarnation and nativitie out of the tribe of Iuda and stock of Iesse and so hee was Davids Sonne and by a Spirit of Faith as beleeving him to be his redeemer and salvation and so hee was Davids Lord. A virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne there we see his incarnation and descent from David and shall call his name Immanuel God with us there wee see his Dominion over David As man so he was his Sonne and as Mediator so he was his Lord. As Man so he was subject unto Mary his Mother and as Mediator so hee was the Lord and Savior of his Mother Luk. 2.51 Luk. 1.46 47. As Man hee was made for a little while lower than the Angels that hee might suffer death but as Mediator God and Man in one person so he was made much better than the Angels all the Angels of God were his subjects to worship him and his Ministers to waite upon him Heb. 2.7.9 Heb. 1.4.6.7 So then the pronoune Mine leads us to the Consideration of Christs Consanguinity with David as he was his Sonne and of his Dignity above David as hee was his Lord. From hence wee learne That though Christ was Man yet hee was more than a bare man For jure naturae no Sonne is Lord to his Father Domination doth never ascend There must be something above nature in him to make him his Fathers Soveraigne as our Savior himselfe argueth from these words Matth. 22.42 45. Christ then is a Lord to his people he had Dominion and was the salvation of his owne fore-fathers A Lord. First By right of the Creation For hee is before all things and by him all things consist Col. 1.17 which the Apostle makes the argument of his Soveraignitie To us there is but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and wee by him 1 Cor. 8.6 Secondly By a right of Sonship and Primogeniture as the chiefe the first borne the Heire of all things Hee is not in the House as Moses was a Servant but a Sonne over his owne House Heb. 3.5 6. That is hee was not a Servant but Lord in the Church as the Apostle else where gives us the same distinction We preach Christ Iesus the Lord and our selves Servants 2 Cor. 4.5 For in the Scripture phrase the first borne notes Principality Excellencie and Dominion I will make him saith God my first borne higher than the Kings of the earth Psal. 89.27 So in Iob The first borne of death is the same with the King of terrors Iob 18.13 14. and so the Apostle saith That the Heire is the Lord of all Gal. 4.1 and therefore from his primogeniture and designation to the inheritance of all things he inferreth his preeminence and honor even above the Angels Col. 1.18 Heb. 1.2.4 Thirdly By the right of his Vnction Office and mediatorship unto which he was designed by his Father He was to have in all things the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1. 18 19. Where by fulnesse either wee must understand fulnesse of the God head bodily as the Apostle speakes Col. 2.9 Or fulnesse of the Spirit of Grace which S. Iohn speakes of Iob. 1.16 Ioh. 3.34 And in both respects he is a Lord over all in one by the Dignity of his Hypostaticall union in the other by the grace of his heavenly unction and in both as Mediator and head in the Church Therefore the Apostle saith That God hath made him Lord and Christ Act. 2.36 and by the accomplishment of his office
his graces unto it Psalm 42.3 105.4 2 Cor. 5.2 2 Tim. 4.8 Phil. 1.23 Cant. 3.1 2. Cant. 5 6-8 Gen. 49.18 Psal. 119.131 Cant. 1.4 2.4 Cant. 7.5 Ion. 14 21-23 Revel 3.20 Having thus by occasion of the enemies of Christ spoken something of the true and false Love which is in the world towards him we now proceed to the particulars mentioned before And the first is the terme of Duration or measure of time in the Text Vntill It hath a double relation in the words unto Christs Kingdome and unto his Enemies As it looks to the kingdome of Christ it denotes both the Continuance and the Limitation of his kingdome The continuance of it in his owne person for it is there fixed and intransient He is a King without successours as being subject to no mortality nor defect which might be by them supplied The kingdome of Christ as I observed is either Naturall as he is God or Dispensatory and by Donation from the Father as he is Mediator and not onely of the former but even of this likewise the Scripture affirmes that it is Eternall It is a kingdome set up by the God of heaven and yet it shall never be destroyed but stand for ever Dan. 2.44 I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion that notes the unction and donation Psalm 2.6 and in mount Sion where God hath set him hee shall reigne from henceforth even for ever Mic. 4.7 Though hee be a childe borne and a sonne given yet of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and justice from henceforth for ever and ever Esay 9.6 7. unto the Sonne hee saith Thy throne O God is for ever and ever Heb. 1.8 And here wee must distinguish betweene the substance of Christs kingdome and the forme or manner of administring and dispencing it In the former respect it is absolutely eternall Christ shall bee a head and rewarder of his members an everlasting Father a Prince of peace unto them for ever In the latter respect it shall be Eternall according to some acception that is it shall remaine untill the consummation of all things as long as there is a Church of God upon the earth there shall be no new way of spirituall and essentiall government prescribed unto it no other Vicar Successour Monarch or Vsurper upon his office by God allowed but he onely by his Spirit in the dispensation of his ordinances shall order and over-rule the consciences of his people and subdue their enemies yet he shall so reigne till then as that hee shall then cease to rule in such manner as now hee doth when the end comes hee shall deliver up the kingdome to God the Father and when all things shall be subdued unto him he also himselfe shall be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15 24-28 He shall so returne it unto God as God did conferre and as it were appropriate it unto him namely in regard of judiciary dispensation and execution in which respect our Saviour saith that as touching the present administration of the Church The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement and hath given authority to execute it unto his Sonne Ioh. 4.22 27. Now Christ governeth his Church by the ministery of his Word and Sacraments and by the effusion of his Spirit in measure and degrees upon his members by his mightie though secret power he fighteth with his enemies and so shall doe till the resurrection of the dead when death the last enemie shal be overcome and then in these respects his kingdome shall cease for he shall no more exercise the offices of a Mediator in compassionating defending interceding for his Church but yet he shall still sit and reigne for ever as God coequall with his Father and shall ever be the Head of the Church his body Thus we see though Christs kingdome in regard of the manner of dispensation and present execution thereof it be limited by the consummation of all things yet in it selfe it is a kingdom which hath neither within the seeds of mortality nor without the danger of a concussion but in the substance is immortall though in regard of the commission and power which Christ had as Mediator to administer it alone by himselfe and by the fulnesse of his Spirit it be at last voluntarily resigned into the hands of the Father and Christ as a part of that great Church become subject to the Father that God may bee all in all Now the grounds of the Constancy of Christs government over his Church and by consequence of the Church it selfe which is his kingdome are amongst others these First the Decree and promise of God sealed by an oath which made it an adamantine and unbended purpose which the Lord would never repent of nor reverse All Gods Counsels are immutable though he may alter his workes yet he doth never change his will but when he sealeth his Decree with an oath that makes their immutability past question or suspition In that case it is impossible for God to change because it is impossible for God to lye or deny himselfe Hebr. 6.18 Now upon such a Decree is the Kingdome of Heaven established Once have I sworne by my Holinesse that I will not lye unto David saith the Lord Psal. 89.35 Once that notes the constancie and fixednesse of Gods promise By my Holinesse that notes the inviolablenesse of his promise as if he should have said Let me no longer be esteemed an Holy God than I keepe immutably that Covenant which I have sworne unto David in my truth Secondly the free gift of God unto his Sonne Christ whereby he committed all power and judgement unto him And Power is a strong argument to prove the Stability of a kingdome especially if it bee on either side supported with wisedome and righteousnesse as the power of Christ is And therefore from his power hee argues for the perpetuitie of his Church to the end of the world All power is given mee in heaven and earth Goe yee therefore and preach the Gospell to all nations and loe I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Matth. 28 18-20 And the argument is very strong and emphaticall for though kingdomes of great power have beene and may be subdued yet the reason is because much power hath still remained in the adverse side or if they have beene too vast for any smaller people to root out yet having not either wisdome enough to actuate so huge a frame or righteousnesse to prevent or purge out those vitious humours of emulation sedition luxury injustice violence and impietie which like strong diseases in a body are in states the preparations and seminaries of mortalitie they have sunke under their owne weight and beene inwardly corrupted by their
when the day is come wherein he will bee patient towards them no longer The Prophet giveth three excellent reasons hereof in one verse Esai 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King hee will save us Hee is our Judge and therefore certainely when the day of triall is come hee will plead our cause against our adversaries and will condemne them Mich. 7.9 But a Judge cannot doe what pleaseth himselfe but is bound to his rule and proceedeth according to establish'd lawes Therefore he is our Lawgiver likewise and therefore hee may himselfe appoint Lawes according to his owne will but when the Will of the Judge and the Rule of the Law doe both consent in the punishing of offendors yet then still the King hath a liberty of mercy and hee may pardon those whom the Law and the Judge have condemned But Christ who shall judge the enemies of his Church according to the Law which himselfe hath made is himselfe the King and therefore when he revengeth there is none besides nor above him to pardon So at that day there shall bee a full manifestation of the Kingdome of Christ none of his enemies shall moue the wing or open the mouth or peepe against him The second thing formerly proposed in this latter part of the verse was The Author of subduing Christs enemies under his feet I the Lord. Wicked men will never submit themselves to Christs Kingdome but stand out in opposition against him in his Word and wayes When Gods hand is lifted up in the dispensation of his Word and threatnings against sin men will not see Esai 26.11 And therefore he saith My spirit shall not alwayes strive with men to note that men would of themselves alwayes strive with the spirit and never yeeld nor submit to Christ. Though the patience and goodnesse of God should lead them to repentance and forewarne them to flye from the wrath to come yet they after their hardnesse and impenitent heart do hereby treasure up against themselves the more wrath and because judgement is not speedily executed their heart is wholly set in them to doe mischiefe Let favour saith the Prophet be shewed unto a wicked man yet will he not learne righteousnesse in the land of uprightnesse will he deale unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Certainely if a wicked man could bee rescued out of hell it selfe and brought backe into the possibilities of mercie againe yet would he in a second life flie out against God and while he had time take his fill of lusts againe We see Clay will but grow harder by the fire and that metall which melted in the Fornace being taken thence will returne to its wonted solidity When Pharaoh saw that the raine and the haile and the thunders were ceased though in the time of them he was like melted metall and did acknowledge the righteousnesse of God and his owne sinne and make strong promises that Israel should goe yet then he sinned more and hardened his heart he and his servants and would not let the children of Israel goe Doe wee not see men sometimes cast on a bed of sickenesse brought to the very brinke of hell and to the smell of that sulphurie lake when by Gods wonderfull patience they are snatch'd like a brand out of the fire and have recover'd a little strength to provoke the Lord againe when they should now set themselves to make good those hypocriticall resolutions of amendement of life wherewith in their extremity they flattered God and deceived themselves suddenly breake forth into more filthinesse than before as if they meant now to be revenged of God and to fetch backe that time which sickenesse tooke from them by an extremity of sinning as if they had made a Covenant with hell to doe it more service if they might then be spared All the favours and methods which God useth are not enough to bring wicked men home unto him of their owne wils Though I redeemed them saith the Lord yet have they spoken lyes against me they have not cryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of hosts So many judgements did the Lord send upon Israel in the necke of one another and yet still the burden of the Prophet is Yet have you not returned unto me saith the Lord. Damme up the passage of a river and use all the Art that may be to over-rule it yet you can never carry it backward in its owne channell you may cut it out into other courses and diverticles but no Art can drive it unto a contrary motion and make it retire into its owne fountaine So though wicked men may haply by divers reasons which their lusts will admit be so farre wrought upon as to change their courses yet it is impossible to change themselves or to turne them quite out of their owne way into the way of Christ. There is but a bivium in the world a way of life and a way of death and the Lord in the Ministery of the Word gives us our option I have set before you this day life and death blessing and cursing and hee that beleeveth shall be saved hee that beleeveth not shall be damned To the former he invites beseecheth enticeth us with promises with oathes with engagements with prevention of any just objection which might be made We beseech you saith the Apostle in Christs stead that you be reconciled unto God From the other he deterres us by forewarning us of the wrath to come and of the period which death will put to our lusts with our lives And as Tertullian once spake of the Oath of God so may I of his entreaties and threatnings O blessed men whom the Lord himselfe is pleased to sollicite and entice unto happinesse but O miserable men they who will not beleeve nor accept of Gods owne entreaties And yet thus miserable are we all by nature There is in men so much atheisme infidelity and distrust of Gods Word so close an adherencie of lust unto the soule that it rather chooseth to runne the hazzard and to goe to hell entire than to goe halt and maimed unto heaven yea to make God a liar to blesse themselves in their sinnes when he curseth and to judge of him by themselves as if he tooke no notice of their wayes It is not therefore without just cause that God so often threatneth to remember all the sinnes of wicked men and to doe against them whatsoever he hath spoken Wee see then that men will never submit themselves unto the Scepter of Christ nor prevent the wrath to come by a voluntary subjection It remaines therefore that God take the worke into his owne hands and put them perforce under Christs feete They will not submit to his kingdome of grace and mercy they will not
not Chariots nor multitudes of weapons yet he hath a Rod a Branch an Angell of Gods presence which can open the Sea and give an issue to the greatest dangers which can turne the enemies rage into his owne ruine There is no enemie so close so dangerous so unavoidable as our owne lusts Now the Lord promiseth to deale with the sinnes of his people as he did with the Aegyptians wee know their tyranny he subdued with many plagues their first-born the strength and flower of the Land he slew before and those who afterwards joyned themselves against his people he drowned in the bottome of the Sea so saith the Prophet He will subdue our iniquities he will purge them away the power and strength of them he will abate by his Spirit and as for those remainders thereof which are yet behinde and rebell against his grace hee will cast all of them into the depths of the Sea that is hee will remove them utterly away from us he will drowne them in everlasting forgetfulnesse he will not only blot them out that they may not be but he will not remember them neither which is in some sort to make them even not to have beene And which yet makes the assurance of all this the stronger the ground of it all is onely in God himselfe his Covenant and Mercy Now though our condition alters yet his mercy is still the same If the root of the Covenant were in us then as we change that also would vary too but the root is in Gods owne grace whose mercy is therefore without repentance in himselfe because it is without reason or merit in us Now lastly this Foot-stoole under Christs feet in regard of his enemies noteth unto us foure things First The extreme shame and confusion which they shall everlastingly suffer the utter abasing and bringing downe of all that exalteth it selfe against Christ. In victories amongst men the part conquered goes many times off upon some honourable termes at the very worst when they are led captives yet they goe like men still but to be made a stoole for the Conquerour to insult over to licke the dust like a serpent and move out of holes like the wormes of the earth to be so low as not to have any further degree of calamity or dishonour left unto which a man may be debased this is the extremitie of shame It is noted for the greatest indignity which Bajazet the grand Signior ever suffered when Tamerlane his adversary trampled upon his necke and of Valerian that cruell persecutour of the Church that he was trod under foot by Sapores the Persian King and after stayed like a beast It notes the extremest degree of revenge which hath no mixture of mercy or compassion in it So that by this we see the enemies of Christ and his kingdome shall be put to utter and everlasting shame That as the faithfull in that great day of their redemption shall lift up their heads and have boldnesse in the presence of the Lambe so the wicked shall fall flat upon their faces and cleave unto the dust when the bookes shall be unseal'd and the consciences of men opened and the witnesses produced and the secrets of uncleannesse reveal'd on the house-top and the mouthes of the wicked who here for a little while dispute against the waies of Christ and cavill at his commands shall be everlastingly stopped when men shall be like a deprehended theefe as the Prophet speakes then shall their faces be as a flame full of trembling confusion and astonishment The very best that are finde shame enough in sinne how much they who give themselves over unto vile and dishonourable affections Secondly hereby is noted the Burden which wicked men must beare The foot-stoole beareth the weight of the body so must the enemies of Christ beare the weight of his heavie and everlasting wrath upon their soules Sin in the committing seemes very light no bigger than the cloud which the Prophet shewed his servant but at last it gathers into such a tempest as if the soule make not haste it will be swept away and overwhelmed by it weighty bodies doe with much difference affect the sense according to the difference of places wherein they are That vessell or peece of timber which when it is on the water may be easily drawne with the hand of man on the land cannot be stirred with much greater strength So is it with sin upon the conscience in the time of committing it nothing more easie but in the time of judging it nothing more unsupportable A wilde Asse in the time of her lusting traverseth her wayes with much petulancie and snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure no man can turne her but in her moneth that is when she is burdened with her foale shee then feeleth the event of her former lustfulnesse and will easily be overtaken so the wicked in sinne however for the time they may beare it out with much mirth and cheere up their hearts in the daies of their pleasure yet when sin is come to the birth and so fully finished that it is now ready to bring forth death unto the soule they shall then finde that it is but like the roll which the Prophet swallowed sweet to the palat but bitter in the belly like a cup of deadly poison pleasant in the mouth but torment in the bowels On whomsoever the Sonne of man shall fall with the weight of his heavie displeasure hee will grinde him to powder That must needs bee a heavie burden which men would most joyfully exchange for the weight of rockes and mountaines to lye everlastingly upon their backes And yet the wicked at that great day shall all in vaine begge of the mountaines and rockes to fall upon them and to hide them from the wrath of the Lambe shall rather choose to live eternally under the weight of the heaviest creature in the world than under the fury of him that sitteth upon the Throne Thirdly herein likewise is noted the relation of a just and equall Recompence unto ungodly men The Lord useth often to fit punishments to the quality and measure of the sinnes committed Hee that on the earth denied a crumb of bread in hell was denied a drop of water Man who being in honor would needs affect to bee as God was thereby debased to become like the beasts that perish Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire and perished by strange fire from the Lord. Sodome and Gomorra burnt in unnaturall lusts and they were drowned in an unnaturall tempest of fire That Apostate in S. Cyprian who opened his mouth against Christ in blasphemie was immediatly smitten with dumbnesse that he could not open it unto Christ for mercy Eutropius the Eunuch when hee perswaded the Emperor to take from malefactors the benefit of refuge at the Altars did therein prevent his owne mercy and beg away the advantage of
present and things to come all are yours saith the Apostle Death it selfe and persecutions are amongst the legacies of Christ unto the Church and a portion of all that goodnesse with which in the Gospell shee is endowed It containes the glory of Gods power and strength for it is the Power of God unto salvation as hath beene declared It containeth the glory of Gods grace The grace of his favour towards us and the grace of his Spirit in us The Law was given by Moses but grace came by Christ that is favour in stead of Gods fury and strength in stead of mans infirmitie for because man was unable to fulfill the Law therefore the Law came with wrath and curses against man but in the Gospell of Christ there is abundance even a whole kingdome of grace the Apostle saith that by Iesus Christ grace raigned there is grace to remove the curse of the Law by Gods favour towards us so that on all sides the Law is weake unable by reason of mans sinne to save and unable by reason of Gods favour to condemne and there is grace to remove the weaknesse of man by Gods Spirit in us for though our owne spirit lust unto envie or set it selfe proudly against the Law of God yet hee giveth more grace that is strength enough to overcome the counterlustings of the flesh against his will and to enable us in sincerity and evangelicall perfection to fulfill the commands of the Law Lastly it containeth in some sort the glory of Gods heavenly kingdome in that therein are let in the glimpses and first fruits the seales and assurances thereof unto the soule by the promises testimonies and comforts of the Spirit And therefore it is frequently called the Gospell of the kingdome and the mysteries of the kingdome of God namely that kingdome which beginneth here but shall never end As if a man borne in Ireland bee afterwards transplanted into England though he change his countrey he doth not change his King or his Law but is still under the same government so when a Christian is translated from earth to heaven he is still in the same kingdome in heaven it is the kingdome of glory mended much by the different excellencie of the place and preferment of the person in earth it is the same kingdome though in a lesse amene and comfortable climate the kingdome of the Gospell These and many other the like things are the glorious matters which the Gospell containeth Here then wee see how and wherein we are to looke upon God so as that wee may abide his glory and bee comforted by it wee must not looke upon him in his owne immediate brightnesse and essence nor by our sawcie curiosities prie into the secrets of his unrevealed glory for he is a consuming fire an invisible and unapprochable light we may see his back-parts in the proclaiming of his mercy and wee may see the hornes or bright beames of his hands in the publishing of his Law but yet all this was under a cloud or under the biding of his Power His face no man can see and live Wee must not looke upon him onely in our selves Though wee might at first have seene him in our owne nature for we were created after his Image in righteousnesse and true holinesse yet now that Image is utterly obliterated and we have by nature the Image onely of Satan and the old Adam in us we must not looke upon him onely in mount Sinai in his Law lest the fire devoure us and the dart strike us thorow we can finde nothing of him there but rigour inexorablenesse wrath and vengeance But we must acquaint our selves with him in his Sonne wee must know him and whom he hath sent together there is no fellowship with the Father except it be with the Sonne too we may have the knowledge of his Hand that is of his workes and of his punishments without Christ but we cannot have the knowledge of his bosome that is of his counsels and of his compassions nor the knowledge of his Image that is of his holinesse grace and righteousnesse nor the knowledge of his presence that is of his comforts here and his glory hereafter but onely in and by Christ we may know God in the World for in the Creation is manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may bee knowne of him namely his eternall power and God-head But this is a barren and fruitlesse knowledge which will not keepe downe unrighteousnesse for the wise men of the world when they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vaine in their imaginations and held that truth of him which was in the Creation revealed in unrighteousnesse Wee may know him in his Law too and that in exceeding great glory when God came from Teman and the Holy One from mount Paran whereabout the Law was the second time repeated by Moses his glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise his brightnesse was as the light c. But this is a killing knowledge a knowledge which makes us flie from God and hide our selves out of his presence and fight against him as our sorest enemies and come short of his glory therefore the Law is called a firy Law or a fire of Law to shew not onely the originall thereof for it was spoken out of the middest of the fire but the nature and operation of it too which of it selfe is to heap fire and curses upon the soule and therefore it is called the ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3.7 But now to know the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ is both a fruitfull and a comfortable knowledge wee know the patterne we must walke by we know the life we must live by we know the treasure wee must be supplied by we know whom wee have beleeved wee know whom wee may be bold with in all straits and distresses wee know God in Christ full of love full of compassion full of eares to heare us full of eyes to watch over us full of hands to fight for us full of tongues to commune with us full of power to preserve us full grace to transforme us full of fidelity to keepe covenant with us full of wisdome to conduct us full of redemption to save us full of glory to reward us Let us therefore put our selves into this Rocke that Gods goodnesse may passe before us that he may communicate the mysteries of his kingdom and of his glory unto us that by him our persons may be accepted our prayers admitted our services regarded our acquaintance and fellowship with the Lord increased by that blessed Spirit which is from them both shed abroad in his Gospell upon us Now lastly the Gospell of Christ is glorious in those ends effects or purposes for which it serveth And in this respect principally doth the Apostle so often magnifie the glory of the Gospell above
and to compose those differences thereabouts which doe so much perplex the world Secondly for those places which in their meaning are easie to be understood but in their excellent and high nature hard to be beleeved as all Articles of faith and things of absolute necessitie are in their termes perspicuous but in their heavenly nature unevident unto humane reason the office of the Church is not to binde mens consciences to beleeve these truths upon her authoritie for wee have not dominion over the faith of men neither are we lords in Christs flock and how shal any scrupulous minde which is desirous to boult things to the bran be secure of the power which the Church in this case arrogates or have any certaintie that this society of men must be beleeved in their religion who will allow the same honor to no society of men but thēselves But in this case the office of the Church is both to labour by al good means to evidence the credibility of the things which are to be beleeved to discover unto men those essentiall and intimate beauties of the Gospel which to spirituall mindes and hearts raised to such a proportionable pitch of capacitie as are suteable to the excellency of their natures are apt to evidence and notifie themselves and also to labour to take men off from dependance on their owne reason or corrupted judgement to worke in their heart an experience of the Spirit of grace and an obedience to those holy truths which they already assent unto with which preparations and perswasions the heart being possessed will in due time come to observe more cleerely by that spirituall eye the evidence of those things which were at first so difficult so then the Act of the Church is in matters of faith an act of introduction and guidance but that which begetteth the infallible and unquestionable assent of faith is that spirituall taste relish and experience of the heavenly sweetnesse of divine doctrine which by the ministery of the Church accompanied with the speciall concurrence of almighty God therewithall is wrought in the heart for it is only the Spirit of God which writeth the Law in mens hearts which searcheth the things of God and which maketh us to know them Thirdly for those places which are difficult rather to be obeyed than to be understood The worke of the Church is to enforce upon the conscience the necessitie of them to perswade rebuke exhort encourage with all authority Which should teach us all to love the Church of Christ and to pray for the peace and prosperity of the walls of Sion for the purity spiritualnesse power and countenance of the Word therein which is able to hold up its owne honour in the minds of men if it be but faithfully published we should therefore studie to maintaine to credit to promote the Gospell to encourage truth discountenance errour to stand in the gap against all the stratagems and advantages of the enemies thereof and to hold the candlestick fast amongst us to buy the truth and sell it not betray it not forsake it not temper it not misguize it not This is to be a pillar to put the shoulder under the Gospell of Christ. And surely though the Papists boast of the word and name of the Church as none more apt to justifie and brag of their sobrietie than those whom the wine hath overtaken yet the plaine truth is they have farre lesse of the nature thereof than any other Churches because farre lesse of the pure service and ministration thereof for in stead of holding forth the Word of life they pull it downe denying unto the people of Christ the use of his Gospell dimidiating the use of his Sacrament breeding them up in an ignorant worship to begge they know not what in all points disgracing the Word of truth and robbing it of its certaintie sufficiencie perspicuitie authoritie purity energie in the minds of men And this is certain the more any set themselves against the light and generall knowledge of the Word of truth the lesse of the nature of the Church they have in them what-ever ostentations they may make of the name thereof The last thing observed in this second verse amongst the regalities of Christ was Imperium his rule and government in his Church by his holy Word maugre all the attempts and machinations of the enemies thereof against it Rule thou in the middest of thine enemies that is Thou shalt rule safely securely undisturbedly without danger feare or hazard from the enemies round about their counsels shall be infatuated their purposes shall vanish their decrees shall not stand their persecutions shall but sow the bloud of Christ and the ashes of Christians the thicker they shall see it and gnash with their teeth and gnaw their tongues and be horribly amazed at the emulation and triumph of a Christians sufferings over the malice and wrath of men The kingdome of Christ is two-fold His kingdome of glory of which there shall be no end when hee shall rule over his enemies and tread them under his feet and his kingdome of grace whereby hee ruleth amongst his enemies by the scepter of his Word And this is the kingdome here spoken of noting unto us that Christ will have a Church and people gathered unto him by the preaching of his Gospell on the earth maugre all the malice power or policie of all his enemies Never was Satan so loose never heresie and darknesse so thicke never persecution so prevalent never the taile of the Dragon so long as to sweepe away all the Starres of heaven or to devoure the remnant of the womans seed The gates of hell all the policie power and machinations of the kingdome of darknesse shall never root out the Vine which the Father hath planted nor prevaile against the body of Christ. His Gospell must be preached till the worlds end and till then he will be with it to give it successe Though the Kings of the earth stand up and the Rulers gather together against the Lord and his Christ yet they imagine but a vaine thing and hee that sitteth in heaven shall laugh them to scorne The grounds of the certainetie and perpetuitie of Christs Evangelicall Kingdome is not the nature of the Church in it selfe consider'd either in the whole or parts for Adam and Evah were a Church at first a people that were under the law of obedience and worship of God and yet they fell away from that excellent condition And the Prophet tels us that except the Lord had left a very small remnant the Church had beene all as Sodom and like to Gomorrah But the grounds hereof are First The Decree ordination and appointment of God Psal. 2.7 Acts 10.42 Hebr. 3.2 and wee know what ever men project the counsell of the Lord must stand Secondly Gods Gift unto Christ Aske of mee and I wil give thee the heathen for thine inheritance c. Ps. 2.8
in sincerity as hypocrites some not so much as in externall conformity as evill workers The heretike corrupteth Christ the schismatike divideth him the hypocrite mocketh him the prophane person dishonoreth him and all deny him Let us then learne to look unto our hearts for we may slatter Christ when we doe not love him we may inquire and seeke early after him and yet have no desire to finde him wee may come unto his schoole as untoward children not for love of his Doctrine but for feare of his rod we may call him husband and yet bee wedded to our owne lusts we may be baptized in his name so was Simon Magus we may preach him so did the false brethren we may flocke after him so did the multitude who followed him not for his words or miracles but for the loaves we may bow unto him so did his crucifiers wee may call upon his name so did the hypocrites that said Lord Lord and yet did not enter into the kingdome of heaven we may confesse and beleeve him so doe the very divels in hell we may give him our lips our eyes our tongues our knees our hands and yet still our kingdome our throne our hearts may bee Satans And all this is to make him but a mock-mock-king as the Jewes did when indeed we crucifie him Note thirdly Christs Word and Spirit are stronger than all adverse opposition This is his Glory that his kingdome commeth in unto him by way of Conquest as Canaan unto Israel Therefore at the very first erecting of his kingdome when in all presumption it might most easily have beene crushed he suffer'd his enemies to vent their utmost malice and to glut themselves with the bloud of his people that so it might appeare that though they did fight against him they could not prevaile against him but that his counsell should still stand and flourish and should consume and breake in pieces all the kingdomes which set themselves against it that they all should be affraid of the Ensigne of the Gospell and should fly from it This jealousie of God for his Church may be seene in frustrating the attempts and pulling off the wheeles on which the projects which are cast against his Church doe move as hee dealt with Pharaoh Hee can dissolve the confederacies shatter the counsels cast a spirit of treachery unfaithfulnesse and mutinous affections into the hearts of his enemies as hee did into the Midianites and into the children of Ammon Moab and Edom when they gathered together against his people He can infatuate their counsels and make them the contrivers and artificers of their owne ruine as we see in the consultation of Rehoboam with his young men and of Ieroboam in his idolatrous policy and of Haman in his gallowes He can defeat their expectations and disannull their decrees and make his owne Counsell alone to stand But when all this is done this is onely to rule in spight of his enemies But besides this his Kingdome fetcheth his enemies under and in some sort ruleth over their consciences and striketh them to the ground maketh the divels in hell the stoutest of all sinners to tremble breaketh the rockes asunder affrighteth judgeth sealeth hardeneth thresheth revengeth the pride of men and maketh them before-hand to taste the bitternesse of that damnation which waketh over them and commeth swiftly against them Let us take heed then of being Christs enemies in opposing the power and progresse of his word the evidence and purity of his Spirit in the lives of men It is but to make a combination to pull the Sunne out of heaven or for a wave to contend with a rocke for as the ruines of a house are broken on the things upon which they fall so are the enemies of Christ which gather together against his Church and fall upon the rocke at length ruined by their owne malice Sampsons foxes were themselves burnt amongst the corne which they fired The land brought forth corne the next yeere againe and it may be more plentifully by reason of that fire but the foxes never came up any more Even so can the Lord deale with those enemies which waste and depopulate his Church make them the authors of their owne utter confusion and bring forth his Church with shouting and with doubled graces Who then is the man that desireth tranquillitie of life and securitie against all evill Let him become a subject in this conquering kingdome and cast himselfe under the banner and protection of Christ and he cannot miscarrie He that walketh uprightly walketh surely The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous flieth unto it and is safe The Lord is a Sunne and a shield a Fountaine of all good Grace and Glorie will hee give and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that walke uprightly and a protection against all evill I will not be affraid of ten thousand of men saith the Prophet David that compasse me about When there is no light nor issue nor in nature possibility of escape he can open a doore of deliverance to relieve his Church As a man in the kings high-way is under the kings protection so in Christs way we are under his protection Let us then never repine at the miscarriages of the world nor murmure against the wise proceedings of God in the severall dispensation towaâ—ds his Church on earth when he punisheth he doth it in measure lesse than our sinnes deserved and when we search and try our wayes and returne unto him hee knoweth how to worke his owne glory in our deliverance Those stones which are appointed for a glorious building are first under the saw and the hammer to be hewed and squared and those Christians in whom the Lord will take most delight he usually thereunto fitteth by trials and extremities Hee that is brought to tremble in himselfe may with most confidence expect to rejoyce in God Note fourthly this is the honour of Christs kingdome to be a peaceable quiet and secure kingdome not onely after the victory but in the midst of enemies This man saith the Prophet of Christ shall be the peace when the Assyrian the enemie is in the land Wee have peace in him when wee have tribulation in the world Christ saith of himselfe I came not to send peace but a sword and yet the Apostle saith That hee came and preached peace to those which were afarre off and to them which were neere How shall these things be reconcil'd Surely as a man may say of a Rocke Nothing more quiet because it is never stirr'd and yet nothing more unquiet because it is ever assaulted so wee may say of the Church Nothing more peaceable because it is established upon a Rocke and yet nothing more unpeaceable because that rocke is in the midst of seas windes enemies persecutions But yet still the Prophets Conclusion is certaine The worke of righteousnesse is
for themselves The Lord is not at our left hand to succor us in our idlenesse and negligence but at our working hand to give successe to our honest endeavors The sword of the Lord doth not fight without the sword of Gedeon Iudg. 7.18 In the miracles of Christ when hee fed and feasted men hee never created wine or bread of nothing but blessed and so changed or multiplied that which was by humane industry prepared before Our Savior had fish and bread of his owne and yet hee would have his Disciples put in their net and catch and bring of their owne to note unto us that Gods power and providence must not exclude but encourage mans industry Ioh. 21.9 10. Hee protecteth us in viis nostris non in praecipitiis in our wayes not in our precipices or presumptions Psal. 91.11 So long then as the Church is valiant and constant in withstanding the enemies of her peace prosperity God is undoubtedly with her to blesse that courage and to strengthen that right hand so long as Moses held up his hand God fought for Israel There was Ioshuas sword and Moses his hand or prayer and upon those Gods blessing Exod. 17.12 13. And they were all to concurre If the sword should cease the Prayer would doe no good for God will not bee tempted If the Prayer faint the sword is in vaine for God will not bee neglected As in a curious Clock stopp any wheele and you hinder the whole motion If God promise to bee present Ioshua must promise to bee couragious Iosh. 1.5.6.9 Secondly to note unto us the care and militarie wisedome of Christ our Captaine to meete with and to prevent our enemies and to intercept their blowes against us for wee may observe in the Scripture that Satan plieth the right hand of the Church laboureth to weaken and assault us where there is most danger towards him Let Satan stand at his right hand Psal. 109.6 That is either give him over to the rage of Satan that hee may bee hurried to execute his will or set Satan to hinder him in his mischievous intents Thus Satan stood at the right hand of Ioshua the high Priest to resist him Zech. 3.1 Noting the assiduous and indefatigable endeavors of Satan to resist disappoint and overthrow the workes of the worthies in Gods Church I would have come unto you even I Paul once and againe but Satan hindered us 1 Thess. 2.18 And to divert the strength of men upon his service And therefore to rebuke him and to shew to the Church that our strength is from him and due unto him hee also stands there to outvie the temptations and impulsions of Satan These are the two expositions which are given of these words The Lord at thy right hand Now though of all places of Scripture there is indeed but one literall sense yet when two are given which both tend unto the same generall scope and are suteable not onely to the analogie of faith but to the meaning mainely aimed at by the Holy Ghost in the place and when there is no apparant evidence in the face of the Text for preferring one before the other I thinke it is not unfit to embrace both and so something I shall touch upon both senses Shall strike through or wound or make gore bloudie Kings in the day of his wrath The word is Hath stricken through Kings It is a Prophesie of things future spoken as of things to bee done To strike thorow notes a complete victory and full confusion of the enemie an in curable wound that they may stagger and fall and rise up no more and that affliction may not arise a second time Nahum 1.9 1 Sam. 26.8 The onely difficulty is what is meant by Kings for which wee must note that the Kingdome of Christ is spirituall and his warre spirituall and therefore his enemies for the most part spirituall Therefore I take it wee are hereby to understand the most potent enemies of Christ whether spirituall wee wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse in high places Ephes. 6.12 2 Cor. 10.4 Or Carnall as heathen and wicked men Psal. 2.8 9. The fat and the strong enemies of the Church Ezek. 34.16 Our spirituall enemies in Scripture are called Kings Satan the Prince of this world the God of this world the Prince of the power of the aire The King of the locusts c. Sinne and originall concupiscence is a King Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies And the Earthly enemies of Christ are called Kings The ten Hornes that is ten Kings make warre with the Lambe The Kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and his Christ and Death which is the last enemie is a King The King of Terrors that raigneth over men Aâ—d over all these Kings doe the victories of Christ reach Some by Kings understand the Romane emperors who are called Kings 1 Pet. 2.13.17 And their overthrow for persecuting the Church But since all sorts of Christs enemies are called Kings in Scripture and all of them doe push at his Kingdome in the Church I see no ground why wee may not by Kings understand them all with their subjects armies and associates As in great victories the Lords and principall men are said to be overcome when the servants and souldiers are routed and slaine In the Day of his wrath That is when time hath ripened the insolency and malice of the enemie when his fury is fully stirred up and provoked when the just and full time of his glory is come That it may appeare that they are overcome not by time or chance or humane power or secular concurrence but onely by the power of his wrath hee will doe it Christ is never destitute of power but in wisedome hee hath ordered the times of his Church when to have his Church suffer and beare witnesse to him and when to triumph in his deliverances So the meaning of this clause is this when the day of recompence is come when the sinnes and provocations of his enemie is ripe when the utmost period of his patience is expired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fixed and unmoveable day which hee hath set bee the probabilities never so poore preparations never so small the expectations never so low the meanes in humane view never so impossible yet then by his wrath hee will utterly and incurably wound his enemies both spirituall and temporall that they shall not rise a second time He shall judge amongst the Heathen The word judgement noteth both Government and Punishment The Lord shall judge his people and repent himselfe for his servants when hee seeth that their power is gone Deut. 32.36 There to judge noteth government The Lord standeth up to plead and to judge his people Esai 3.13 That nation whom they serve will I judge Gen. 15.14 There to judge noteth punishment Here it is taken