of the Day of Christ. The first Day of the Week which is in Scripture called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Day Rev. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day This is the Day wherein that Jesus who died for our Offences arose again for our Justification This is the Day wherein he was let out of Prison as one that had fully discharged the Debt we owed for which he as Surety was arrested and clap'd up This is the Day whereon he finished the work of our Redemption and gloriously Triumphed over Death and Hell all the Enemies of our Salvation This was the Day whereon he was declared to be the Son of God with Power This is the Day which the Lord hath made and separated from the rest of the Days This is the Day which the Apostles and Primitive Christians observed and met upon for Divine Worship and Christ did honour those their Meetings with his Personal Appearance among them This is that Day which is now to be particularly remembred and kept holy by us Read what God saith Ezek. 20.12 I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them And again v. 20. Hallow my Sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. What God there speaks concerning the Iewish Sabbaths is true and to be affirmed of the Christian Sabbath It is a sign between Christ and us and by our keeping of that we own him for our Lord-Redeemer for our Prince and Saviour a polluting of that Day is a practical renouncing of Christ. And it hath been and always will be found that Religion gains or loseth in a Nation or City Godliness flourisheth or withers according as the Inhabitants are more strict or remiss in their Observation of that Day Therefore it concerns all Persons and particularly Governours whether in Families or in Cities to be exceeding careful to this Purpose And I do lay this upon you as a burthen of Duty that you do not suffer the Lords Day to be profaned either by opening of Shops and following of Trades or by Sports and playing in Streets or Fields or by Tipling and Gaming in Publick Houses for Entertainment Follow the Pattern which that excellent Governour set you Nehem. 13.15 c. Be you as careful for the observation of Christs Day as others are for the observation of their own Days So may you with an humble confidence pray as that good Man did Nehem. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy Mercy Secondly Do all that you can against the abounding and growing Immoralities of Men. His Majesty hath graciously been pleased to issue out his Royal Declaration for a Liberty of Conscience but not a word for Licentiousness of Life But what multitudes take that lawless Liberty which neither God nor Man allow It is strange to see what flagitious Wickednesses are redundant among us what Abominations of all sorts and sizes O London how art thóu fallen from what thou wast and some of us can well remember thee to have been After a dreadful Conflagration thy Houses are raised out of their Ashes more glorious but many of thine Inhabitants are grown more vitious Instead of a lovely beautiful Face of Religion what and how much of the Power of Ungodliness is visible and apparent among us Instead of reading the sacred Bible and other good Books Catechizing Children and Servants singing of Davids Psalms what horrid Oaths and Curses are there to be heard in our Streets as if without them Men could not speak What more than swinish Drunkenness What brutish and monstrous Whoredom All which are a reproach to the English Nation a dishonour to the Christian Name and a disparagement to the precious everlasting Gospel which hath for so long a time been preached and profest among us Mend those things which you can and mourn under what you cannot mend I beseech you labour to stem this Tide of Profaneness lest overflowing Sin be quickly followed with an overflowing Scourge If there be as there are those that will not live like Christians soberly righteously and godly let not them have liberty to live worse than Heathen Make them know that though there be a great Degeneracy yet still there is some fear of God in this place And I beseech you to do this in your Day which how short it may be none knows All your Hours are golden Ones and it is pitty that any of them should be lost Blessed be God that you have begun I read your Precept my Lord and rejoyced in it see that it be put in execution Let it not be brutum fulmen Do not only shake the Rod over the Backs of obstinate Offenders but lay it on and make them feel it unless they will grow better Make them know you are as much resolved for Justice as they are for Wickedness And do not only command and imploy others who may wink and be bribed and some of them be as deep in Guilt as any but do you and your Brethren act your selves Let inferiour Officers have your Zeal and Activity for their President and Encouragement And having begun well go on and hold out to the last Let nothing hinder your Progresses cool your Zeal nor blunt your Edge Let your Bow abide in Strength And Oh! that in the work and duty of your Office the Arms of your Hands may be made strong and kept from flagging by the everlasting Arms of the God of Iacob that so your Resolutions for God may not abate any thing of their Vigour nor any of your righteous and religious Purposes be broken off Be of good Courage and shew your selves Men. And if others dare to be bold and audacious and impudent in those things which are Evil let them see that you also dare to be Good and to do Justice and to walk with an upright Heart in a perfect way Regard not the Face nor Fury not the Flouts and Jears not the Envy nor Malice of those that bear ill will to you The great God will own you and stand by you and I do not doubt but His Majesty who under God hath given you the Power will be ready to encourage you in the due Managing and Improvement of it Look carefully to the Principle you act from that it be Right and to the End you level and aim at that it be Noble and to the Way you walk in for the attaining of that End and then hold on that Way and grow stronger and stronger more and more resolved and active though there be in it never so many roaring Lions and hissing Serpents And I counsel you to be much in Prayer certainly praying Magistrates are great Blessings when Debauchees are Plagues and Curses You will be often waiting upon his Majesty to receive Orders and Commands from him Go more
in the steps of the faith of Abraham to us who are Iews inwardly and have that Circumcision which is of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.28 29. And the Government is and shall be upon his shoulder though he be a child yet he hath strong shoulders humeros Oneri imperio aptos apt and fit for both burden and rule and since the iniquities of us all have been laid upon him the Rule and Government is laid there too He is made Head over all things they being under his power and he is made Head to the Church that being his Body which he doth by his care defend by his Ordinances feed and by his Spirit quicken animate influence and act Oh! my Friends let us seriously and frequently consider how excellent and glorious a body how blessed and noble a Society the true Church is which hath such an Head and withal how holily how exactly and how exemplarily all of us ought to demean our selves who profess our selves the members thereof that we may not be spots and blemishes in the Body nor shame and dishonour the Head. What should be our care how even our walking how clear our light In a word what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 Well then Christ is King he that was once Crucified is now Crown'd He that was once nailed to the Cross is now advanced to the Throne He is King in Sion he is set up there immediately by God the Father and as such his work is to rule both in the Heart and in the Church First It is the work of Christ to rule in the heart The Kingdom of God is within you Luk. 17.22 Non in urbibus habitat sed in animis hominum it hath not its being in Cities but in the minds and souls of men it is not enough to bow the knee to Christ but the soul must stoop to him that must be order'd and commanded by him It is excellent to see the Interest of Christ in a Nation commander in chief and all other contrary interests made to truckle under it but it nearly concerns every person in particular to look to this that the Throne of Christ be erected in his heart and that the Law of Christ be written there Not only our Understandings are to be irradiated and enlightned by him but our wills are to be commanded by him His will is to be voluntas regulans the ruling will ours are to be the ruled wills Our affections are to be order'd by him placed first upon his Father and himself and after that let out to such and such objects in such an order and in such a measure as is agreeable unto him It is he that saith my Son give me thy heart Prov. 23.26 This is not exclusive of other things according to the manner of some be but so and so in your hearts and then you may go where you will and do what you will but it must be a concomitant with other things whatever thou givest me give me thy heart with it that is unquestionably his due and we give him nothing to purpose nothing that he will accept unless we give him that this is a command too big for a creature the whole world doth not deserve the heart of man and therefore hath no right to demand it but such a requiry doth highly become him who bought man with a price gave for him more than he is worth and having purchased the whole it is fit he should possess it having redeemed it it is just that he should rule and reign in it He is said to dwell in the heart Eph. 3.17 and he must dwell there not as an underling but as a King. Our consciences also are subject to him he is the Lord of the Conscience and his Laws do immediately bind the Conscience Secondly It is the right and work of Christ to rule in the Church to give Laws to it to appoint Officers in it and to order as to all matters of Worship and then is the Church as it should be when it is governed by Christs Officers and according to Christs Laws Moses was but a servant and so have all Church-Officers been and still are Pastors to the Church Rulers in and of the Church but servants to Christ. Our work is Ministry though let the world know it is an honourable Ministry and we do magnifie our Office and as for them that cast contempt upon us let them see how they will answer for it to him who is our Master and their Judg. But Christ is the Son in his own house i. e. He is the Lord of it and all in it is to be order'd according to his will things ought not to be so or so because this or that man this or that party will have it so but all as Christ will have it and the great business is to inquire what is the good acceptable and perfect will of our God and Saviour for Isa. 9.6 He sits upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order and establish it with judgment and justice which no men have done that have gone about to order and establish without him no no as we have seen to our sorrow and smart and so have our Fathers before us they have acted without judgment and with great injustice He is the Lord of the Vineyard out of which every plant ought to be plucked which he hath not planted He is the Lord of all both persons and things the Lord of Persons he was Davids Lord and by consequence the Lord of Davids seed as such Thomas owned him when he cried out My Lord and my God. And he is the Lord of Things so of the Sabbath Mark 2.28 The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath Understand it not of every Son of man as if a man may chuse what day he will make his Sabbath or whether he will keep one or no or do what he please upon the Christian Sabbath but understand it of that Son of man who is the Son of God as well as the Son of man the ever blessed Iesus he is the Lord of the Sabbath he hath power to order and moderate concerning it to relax as to the severity and abate the strictness of the Legal observation to alter and change it as to the time from the last day of the week to the first which learned men conclude he did in the space of those forty days which he continued upon earth conversing with his Apostles and Disciples between his Resurrection out of the Grave and his Ascension into Heaven Speaking to them of those things which pertain to the Kingdom of God Act. 1.3 viz. the Church both Militant and Triumphant the state and affairs thereof He likewise is the Lord of Ordinances he hath power to appoint them and to continue them as long as he pleaseth
you Let no Talents lie dead upon your Hands and unoccupied but be all imployed and improved for him to whom you owe your selves and your All. Do what you can for the Name and Interest of Christ. This was the excellent Account which the holy Apostle Paul was able to give of himself Philip. 1.21 That to him to live was Christ. And it will be well very well for us if we through Grace are able to give up the like Account of our selves that while to too too many to live is Sin and the World to fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh to heap up Riches to advance in Honours to pursue the empty and perishing Delights which the Creatures afford we fly a more sublime and lofty pitch for to us to live is Christ. Our hearts are immovably fixed upon Christ and devoted to him Our Projects and Designs are laid for Christ Our Lives and Actions are directed unto Christ to his Honour and advancement of his Interest the increasing of the number of his Subjects and enlarging the Bounds of his Empire It is the positive and declared Will of God That men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father Now let us all conform and be obedient to this Will as we will answer the contrary at our peril It is far better for us to live to Christ than to our selves or to any thing else in the World. This will yield us the greatest Peace and Comfort here together with the greatest Profit and Reward hereafter They that live to Christ will never see cause to repent of it whatever else they repent of they will never see cause to reflect upon it with a Blush for they live to good purpose to the best and most excellent purpose Those Persons shall find no reason to be ashamed of so living nor to be afraid of dying when they are called hence nor tremble at the thoughts of giving up their Account when called to appear before their Judge Let me therefore in the first place direct my Discourse to you who are private Christians and accordingly move in the lowest and narrowest Sphere of Activity If you have an Heart such as you should have you even you are in a capacity of doing something for Christ though not so much as others above you I pray give me leave to ask What have you done And now do you take up the Question and bring it home to your selves and propound it seriously to your own Souls O my Soul what have I done You have lived several Years in the World some fewer some more you have some of you been great Talkers and made an high Profession of Faith in Christ and Love to him and I do not in the least question but some of you have taken a great deal of pains and eaten your Bread in the sweat of your Brows you have wrought hard for your selves and your Families you have had multitudes of Thoughts and been taken up with carking Cares you have risen up early and sate up late and eaten the Bread of Carefulness you have watch'd and you have work'd and wearied your selves with working and when you have not met with the desired Success you have fretted and pined and could almost for grief and vexation tear off your Hair But now inquire What have you in the midst of all this done for Christ Certainly he deserves something of you He humbled himself for you he suffered and died for you he became a Curse for you He did bear your Iniquities and his Fathers Wrath He made peace and purchas'd Heaven for you And all this deserves something You owe him a great deal no less than your All and you are shamefully disingenuous and ungrateful if you do not study Returns Besides this consider as he died so he rose again a Conqueror and is a King upon his Vesture and his Thigh there is this glorious Name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords And so he is able to reward you to make up all your Losses to satisfie you for all your Labours to answer all your Hopes and to exceed your highest Expectations Well then call your selves to an Account before God call you to it for he will do it one day What have you done for Christ If you have done much if you have been stedfast immovable and abounding in the Work of the Lord take the Comfort of it knowing that God is not unrighteous to forget it your Labour shall not be in vain you shall enter into Joy. But still go on and endeavour to do more and abound in it more and more for none of you have as yet done enough but have cause to mourn at your coming off so pitifully If there be any of you that to this day hath done nothing for Christ and truly I do fear yea I greatly fear there are too many such in this Congregation and in all you have had a great many Irons in the Fire and all of them diligently minded and tended while Christ hath been forgotten and neglected let me ask you Doth Conscience say nothing to you Have you not sometimes some secret Checks and inward Gripes If in such a Case as this Conscience be silent if it do not reprove you and set this Sin before you really your Case is sad But I shall do my Duty and in the Name of God I advise you to be ashamed and to begin your Duty now and double your diligence upon the account of your former slothfulness neglect and wofully mis-spent Time not knowing how soon your Breath may be stopp'd and all Opportunities for Service taken from you Now now begin and go on to speak for him plead the Cause of his Name Ordinances and Institutions and do not do it with a cold Indifference but as becomes Persons nearly concerned Commend him to your Families Relations Friends and Neighbours See what Hearts you can get for him Love him your selves with all entireness of Affection and do what you can to allure and draw others to love him too Dan. 12.3 They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever Labour then my beloved Friends labour hard as those that have a dear and fervent Love to this lovely Iesus and as those who also have an eye to this glorious Recompence of Reward In the next place I shall with faithfulness and earnestness yet with all due respect offer my Advice and Request to my Reverend Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry who hold the Head by whatsoever Sentiments and Opinions they are divided and distinguished Of and among whom all that are sound in the Faith and accompany their Labour in the Word and Doctrine with an unblamable holy and exemplary Conversation I greatly love and highly esteem and honour You are Embassadors for Christ Oh do not forget that You ought to be his Paranymphs the real and hearty Friends of this ever-blessed
A SERMON Preached before the RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir IOHN SHORTER Knight Lord Mayor OF THE CITY of LONDON AT GROCERS-HALL By Samuel Slater Minister of the Gospel Published by his Lordships Command LONDON Printed for Thomas Cockerill at the Three Legs in the Poultrey 1688. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir IOHN SHORTER Knight Lord Mayor OF THE CITY of LONDON My Lord THIS Sermon was not preached nor is it published undesir'd Your Honour hath had a very great stroke as to both Tho many others did come with their auxiliary hands to help the Midwifeing of it into the World. It hath stuck long in the birth because I cared not to expose it and my self now that the comfortable ease which God and his Majesty have graciously granted us who were before unmercifully run down doth make too many very uneasie and wickedly angry as if to shew kindness to the Oppressed were not becoming of a great King nor to accept of it fit for a groaning Subject But my Lord contrary to mine own Inclinations I am constrained to yield at last to Importunity What entertainment it will find with many I neither know nor am sollicitous Probably they will slight and laugh at it and so let them till they are weary methinks however they may please to let this and some other Works of my Reverend Brethren pass as tolerable since done by the clumsy Fists of Pedlars and Tinkers c. as some out of their abundant civility and good manners have been pleas'd to call us But we can laugh as heartily at their Abuses as they can at our Discourses so long as there are no Fists about our Ears we shall be contented You are not My Lord without Reproaches which for the sake of Righteousness are more Your Honour than Your Chair or Chain these things are frankly given out by men ready at any thing but what is good Let us My Lord give them to understand if they have leisure enough to throw dirt we have none to be concerned at it No let us mind the duty of our several Places and be the more industrious in the doing of it as the Moon holds on her journey notwithstanding the bawling of Dogs En peragit cursus surda Diana suos That God would direct succeed and strengthen the heart and hands of Your Lordship and worthy Brethren that God would make Your City a City of Righteousness accompany this Sermon with a blessing that it may reach its wished-for end Private and Publick good That Truth and Peace may be in our days and descend as a blessing upon the head of all following Generations is the hearty Prayer of My Lord Your Honour 's most Humble Servant in our Dearest Jesus Samuel Slater March 30.88 A SERMON Preached before the RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir IOHN SHORTER Kt. c. PSALM 11.16 Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion OUR dear and precious Lord Jesus is the great and blessed Potentate King of kings and Lord of lords his Kingdom the most noble and glorious his Government the most excellent in its self and most easy to his Subjects yet never did any meet with greater Opposition than he hath done both in his own Person while he was conversant upon Earth tabernacling among Men and in his Interest Power and Authority ever since He strikes not at the just Prerogatives and Sovereign Rights of Princes nor at the Peace and Prosperity of Subjects but hath been and still is carrying on designs of Mercy Grace and Love seeking the good welfare and happiness of Mankind yet black and cursed designs have been hatched in Hell and vigorously carried on by some of the Sons of Men against him He saith in Joh. 18.36 My kingdom is not of this world Such a Kingdom as is not terrene decaying and fading but spiritual and abiding Such a Kingdom as is not of the same nature with those of this World is not inconsistent with them doth not usurp upon them doth not prejudice or infeeble them hath nothing in common with them needs it not seeks it not Yet for all this in the Psalm before us we find the World in a ferment and violent Heat about it great Consultations and Endeavours among all sorts and ranks of Men high and low rich and poor honourable and base for the wresting of the Royal Scepter out of his hand the shaking and overturning of his sacred and highly-exalted Throne In short tho he be the best Friend that ever the World had not a Destroyer but a Saviour yet he had and hath a world of Enemies who would break his hands asunder and cast away his Cords from them which is egregious folly and ingratitude in the height But the question is Why do they so Why do they rage and set their Wits at work Why do they combine and unite together against him Why is all this stir and bustle Why cannot Men be quiet Why do they thus bid defiance to the God of Love to the Prince of Peace You find no Answer in this Psalm returned to this Question and surely no other reason of this aversness from him can be assigned but this viz. His being an irreconcilable Enemy to the lusts of Men and their sinful Practices his Government whereever it is erected not allowing the reign of Sin which the hearts of the Sons of Men are so much devoted to and mad upon that they will not be divided from it but prefer it before the Lord of Life and Glory and if they are fixedly resolved so to do let them go on till Divine Vengeance overtake them However these their actings upon Earth are taken notice of by one in Heaven There the Great Iehovah the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ sits as a strict and curious Observer of the Spirits and Ways and Doings of men He sees what is the matter of their Debates what the issue of their Consults what is agreed upon in their greatest Privacies and what is done by them in their open Hostilities and as he observes all so he doth it with a perfect Serenity without any trouble or afflictive commotion without any undue concernedness for his Son's interest and honour Notwithstanding all the Confusions that are and will be here below all the attempts of wicked and unreasonable men he enjoys himself as becomes a God in undisturbed Peace and Quietness and a plerophory of Satisfaction as to his own Counsels and the success of them For his Understanding is Infinite so that he cannot be out-witted nor over-reached and his own Arm is sufficient for him so that he cannot be mastered and over-powred There is not any possibility of defeating any of his everlasting Purposes or frustrating any of his glorious Ends his Counsels shall stand and the thoughts of his heart to all Generations Hence it comes to pass that while they rage he laughs and while they are putting forth the utmost of their skill and strength he looks upon them with an holy
Derision and Contempt and while they are raising the Posse Terrae the Powers of the Earth against Christ he knows there is no need of raising the Posse Coeli for him No need of raising his Hosts or of arming and sending twelve Legions of Angels to his assistance No no in order to their Confusion and fatal Disappointment it is full out enough for him to speak to them only it is in his anger and that will vex them by turning their Counsel backward and tumbling their Persons headlong into Destruction which shall certainly be in due time The Word of God carrieth along with it a mighty Power and Efficacy With a word he created the World and brought this excellent Fabrick of Heaven and Earth out of nothing It was but his Fiat and the Work was done and by the word of his Power he upholds all things so that they do not fall and return into their first Nothing And with a word he can blast all the Projects of his Son's Adversaries and wither every Arm that is stretched out against him If any inquire what it is that God speaks to them you have it in the words of the Text Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion In which you have these things worthy of your Observation First The will of God set in opposition to the Wills and Counsels of Men. Yet I they are doing so and so but I have done quite otherwise they are doing their Pleasure and I have done mine their work is to do and will never be done mine is done already I am before-hand with them Secondly You have the Act of God the Father by which Regal Power and authority is conferred upon Christ. I have set anointed constituted my King. Thirdly The Seat of his Kingdom the place where his Throne is set and where he is to exercise his Sovereign power The holy Hill of Sion The Doctrine that I shall from hence raise and present you with as the Subject of the following Discourse is this Doct. Let the discontent and rage the designs and practices of Men be what they will yet there is a King set up in Sion by God the Father and this King doth and shall Reign and that in the midst of his Enemies and in spite of them too they may as soon pluck the Sun out of the Firmament as Christ out of the Throne I shall dispatch the Doctrinal part in opening the several Words of the Text which will be done by answering these following Questions First What is meant by Sion Secondly Why is Sion called Gods holy Hill Thirdly Who is that King whom God hath set up there Fourthly What is the meaning of that phrase setting him Fifthly What is the import of that Particle yet Yet have I set him all which I shall pass through with convenient Brevity having a due respect both to his Auditory and the time and then proceed to the Application 1. Q. Our first Question is this What is meant by Sion A. To which I answer thus Sion is to be taken two ways literally and mystically Sion in the literal Acceptation was a considerable Mountain in Ierusalem which had been formerly in the Possession of the Iebusites and was by them kept until the time of David the second King of Israel but the first good one 2 Sam. 5.7 The King and his men went up to Ierusalem to the Iebusites the inhabitants of the Land which spake unto David saying Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou canst not come in hither thinking David cannot come in hither nevertheless David took the strong hold of Sion the same is called the City of David This Hill had two tops upon one of which was built the Tower or City of David and upon the other afterwards was built by Solomon his Son the Temple of the Lord and that top was Mount Moriah as you may see in the 2 Chron. 3.1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Ierusalem in Mount Moriah where the Lord had appeared unto David his Father Sion in the mystical Acceptation is no other than the Church of God. We find that Christ himself who is the King of Saints and Head of the Body is frequently in Scripture called by the name of David Thus Ezek. 34.23 24. I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Shepherd And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it So again Hos. 3.5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their king and they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days Christ in these and other such like places is to be understood by David and he hath his Name given him because he was to be of the Seed of David the Royal Line and David was the Type of him being as was before hinted the first good and gracious King in Israel tender over that People of God and faithful to their interest ruling them with Wisdom and Love not tyrannically with a Rod of Iron Now as Christ the King is called by the Name of David So the Gospel Church which is his Kingdom the place of his gracious and spiritual Residence is called by the name of Sion so you find it in Hebr. 12.22 Ye are not come to the mount that burned with fire nor to blackness and darkness and tempest but ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem i.e. to the Church both Militant in which you are Conversant and Triumphant of which you are now Members that Church which is the Seat of Christ and Habitation of God. So likewise in Revel 14.1 I looked and lo a Lamb stood upon mount Sion and with him an hundred forty four thousand having his Fathers name written in their foreheads The Mount Sion here meant is the Church of God where Christ stands to look to it and take particular constant Care of it which he always did and will still go on to do These hundred forty and four thousand that were with him are the Elect of God and effectually called who have submitted to him are followers of him and take his part and are ready to take up his Cross whensoever called to it And this Mark or Seal doth signifie both the sanctifying work of the Spirit in their Hearts by which they are brought over to Christ and also his strengthening work whereby they are kept stedfast with him notwithstanding all the discouragements they find in themselves all the Temptations and Oppositions that are made against them by Hell and all the Afflictions and Persecutions they meet with from the World. And it is said to be in their Foreheads to note out unto us not only the blessed fruit which they bring forth in the sight of
all them that know them Good and Bad Friends and Foes but also their open bold and undaunted owning and professing of Christ whose they are and to whom they resolve to cleave in the darkest days and most menacing dangers Like unto those Benjamites who said 1 Chron. 12.18 Thine are we David and on thy side thou Son of Iesse peace peace be unto thee and peace be to thine helpers for thy God helpeth thee and so he doth our David and him we may set against all his Enemies for in comparison of him they all be they never so many never so mighty are less than nothing Vanity Among many great and precious Promises which are made to the Gospel-Church under the name of Sion that is one Isa. 60.14 The sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soals of thy feet and they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Sion of the Holy One of Israel Now Mount Sion is thus made use of as the Type and Figure of the Church of Christ in new Testament-times the times of the Messiah upon such accounts as these First Because of the special Presence of God there above any other place in the World Psal. 132.13 14. The Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his Habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it It was the place of his choice and of his desire and of his delight It pleas'd him to abide and to give Audience to his People there there he met them and heard their Prayers and made Manifestations of himself to them the House built there he filled with his Glory Now the spiritual and gracious Presence of God is in his Church and with his People From the wicked he stands at a distance he looks upon them afar off We read in the Revelation That mystical Babylon is a Habitation of Devils a Cage of unclean Birds and foul Spirits But the true Church is the Habitation of God there he dwells there he gives forth his Light and his Loves there he makes his People joyful the midst of the golden Candlesticks is the pleasant walk of the blessed Jesus Hence it is that as the Apostle Paul saith in Ephes. 2.21 all the building fuly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord that is the universal Catholick Church doth so that is the Temple of God and then he adds in ver 22. in whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Not only the universal Church that which is rightly so called but also particular Churches as that in Ephesus those in London or in any other Country City Town which are called united constituted order'd regularly or according to the Pattern given in the Mount the Divine Will revealed and laid down in the Sacred Scriptures are Temples and Habitations in which the great God doth delight by his holy Spirit to dwell yea and so are particular Saints who have been really sanctified and made partakers of those Gifts which do not only adorn and grace the Person but likewise render those that have them truly gracious Secondly Sion was a Type of the Gospel-Church and its name is therefore fitly given to it because of the proceeding or going forth of the Gospel from thence The fiery Law as you know was given upon and from Mount Sinai in a most terrible manner so that Moses himself fear'd and quak'd but the everlasting Gospel or law of Grace was from Mount Sion Isa. 2.3 Many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob for he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem The Law i.e. not the law of Works but of Faith. The Law of the Redeemer and the Word i.e. the Word of Reconciliation and Peace the glad tidings of Life and Salvation by him who is the Fountain of Life and the Author of eternal Salvation to all those that accept and obey him This came first out of Sion and Ierusalem from whence it appears that those learned Men did not speak without reason who have asserted that the Church of Ierusalem had the best and most rightful claim to that honourable Title of the Mother Church whatever place besides doth pretend thereunto So consult Psal. 110.2 The Lord will send the rod of thy strength out of Sion Now what is that Rod but the precious Gospel accompanied with the Spirit which is the Power of God to Salvation by which he conquers and subdues a People to himself and also Rules and Governs them Now upon this account the Church may well be called Sion because there are made most blessed Revelations of Jesus Christ and of Mercy Grace and Peace in and thorough him there are the Divine Oracles there are unlocked and sweetly opened those profound and glorious Mysteries which were conceal'd and kept hid from Ages and Generations There is made known unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly Places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The manifold Wisdom of God viz. in the whole Oeconomy both of mans Redemption by Christ and of the Government of the Church in its various Ages and Periods from the beginning of the World. Thirdly Sion is fitly used for a Type of the Gospel-Church upon the account of its Eminency it was high and lofty Psal. 68.15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan an high hill as the hill of Bashan That of Bashan was a very high Hill rising up with several tops but not to be compared with Sion for as he saith in the next verse Why leap ye ye high hills this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in yea the Lord will dwell in it for ever So the Church which is the Kingdom of Christ doth excel in Glory all the Kingdoms of the World. It is the most noble Society it needs not go a begging to any other it needs no borrowed Beauty it shines brightest with its own Beams when its Worship is performed according to the Divine will without the addition of humane Inventions when its Ordinances are pure without any Adulteration and imbasing Mixtures when its Members walk in an Holy and Gospel-Order according to the Law and Rule of the new Creature Then is the Beauty of the Lord its God upon it and that Beauty is so great so sweet and ravishing that it may very well despise and abhor Painting and little pitiful Artifices to set it off it need not be beholden to any in the World for Ornaments and Dresses This precious and amiable Spouse of Christ doth then look most lovely and is then the fairest among Women when it hath only its Lords comeliness upon it and doth not appear in any of the rotten Rags
of places The conveniency of them is considerable but the holiness of them in these new Testament-times is a fancy Joh. 4.21 Iesus saith unto her Woman believe me the hour eometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Ierusalem worship the Father Ceremonious Worship is antiquated and distinction of places taken away Christ prayed in a Mountain and taught in a Ship and by the Sea-side and saith Paul 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Look to this that your persons be right that you have holy hands and hearts and that your Prayers be right without wrath and doubting accompanied with Faith in God and Love to your Neighbour so you may pray every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any place so that you do not do it with the Pharisee and Hypocrite to be seen of men Prayers saith Estius are at this day no less grateful to God in any Church or any other convenient and fitting place than at the Temple of Ierusalem But then take this Expression my holy Hill mystically for the Church of God and we shall find the name doth most aptly agree to it it is indeed the Hill of Gods holiness because the Church is made up of holy ones Thus Paul speaks in his Epistles 1 Cor. 1.2 Unto the Church of God which is in Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints Ephes. 1.1 To the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Iesus So Col. 1.2 To the Saints and faithful Brethren in Christ which are at Coloss. This holy Temple is not to be made of any rubbish all persons are not to be admitted to the communion and enjoyments there tho they come sometimes reeling out of an Ale-house and at other times reeking out of a Whore house No no Saints only are proper matter here The Invisible Church is made up altogether of real Saints such as are born of God renewed in the spirit of their minds have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost not only in his common gifts but also in his special and saving Graces who coming unto Christ as to a living stone chosen of God and precious are as lively stones built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.4 5. The Visible Church is and ought to be made up of such as are at least visibly holy men openly loose and flagitious known to be of prophane hearts and lives whose lewdness is in their skirts and who carry the Devils mark in their foreheads men that live a plain downright contradiction to the Religion they profess ought not to be admitted into that Congregation of the Lord. All the Visible Members are foederally holy they are entred into Covenant with God the Seal of that Covenant is upon them the Vows of God are upon them they have been set apart for God solemnly devoted to his Fear and Service and they ought to be such as make an open profession of God and Christ and Godliness and such as make it their endeavour so to live up to that their Profession that Religion may not be dishonoured and reproached by them nor others scandalized and offended And among these holy Ones it is that Gods dwells It is in the Golden Candelsticks that Christs walks It is unto the Saints that he communicates himself and manifests himself It is in heaven above that he dwells by the presence of his glory and in the Church below that he dwells by his gracious presence and therefore it may be and is most fitly called his Holy Hill. 3. Quest. The third Question we have to speak unto is this Who is that King whom God hath set upon his holy hill of Sion who is he that God the Father doth in the Text call his King. Ans. To this the Answer is ready It is no other than his own dearly beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ him hath God exalted to be a Prince as well as a Saviour he hath not only laid the burden upon his shoulders the iniquities of us all but he hath laid also the Government upon his shoulder and put the Scepter into his hand all power Regal Magistratical power both in heaven and in earth is delivered and committed to him As he is the eternal Son of the eternal Father the second Person in the sacred Trinity God equal with God he hath a natural Kingdom As he is Mediator as God-man he hath Regnum Oeconomicum a dispensatory Kingdom unto which he was appointed and anointed this was the Fathers Donative he made him Head of the Church and head over all things to the Church So that his Authority and Royal power extends it self unto all the world for at his name that is not to be understood of the Syllabical name of Jesus but his power and to that every knee shall bow even the stiffest all in heaven all in earth and all under earth Angels Men and Devils all are subject to him all to be order'd imploy'd rul'd over-rul'd restrained by him as he pleaseth Some he hath in his heart and others he hath under his feet and there he will keep them let them kick and winch never so much He is King of kings and Lord of lords come ye earthly Monarchs lay your Crowns at the feet of Jesus it is his due for he is infinitely above you when in your greatest height and it is your wisdom and interest those that honour him he will honour Whether you do or no it is all one to him as to his own interest yet he shall be glorious and as to his work and design that shall be carried on his own pace and according to his own mind and pleasure and maugre all opposition brought to perfection But to bow to him and take part with him is to be your own Friends and to do your selves a kindness Those that will not be ruled by his Laws are and shall be over-ruled by his power If they will not chearfully submit to him they shall be fatally broken by him That voice will sound one day and it will be a dreadful sound in the ears of the profane and Antichristian world Bring hither those mine enemies that would not have me to reign over them and slay them before my face The special Rule and Government which Christ hath is over the Church it is in Sion there he is a King of Righteousness there a Prince of Peace He is that token of love which God hath sent to his people that glorious Sun which he hath set in the Churches Orb Isa. 9.6 To us a Son is born to us a child is given that is the Son of God as to his Deity the Son of David as to his Humanity He is given to us and born to us to the spiritual Israel to us who are the spiritual seed of Abraham and who tread
of the weight and worth of the Subject 1. This anointing of Christ doth signify to us his being perfectly fitted and accomplished for the exercise of Regal Authority and Power for the Office and Work of a King. There is an excellent Spirit upon him many have been in high Places and of low spirits some have had a spirit of Cowardize and others a spirit of Cruelty a sanguinary spirit as well as a Purple-robe Antiochus nick-named Epiphanes was therefore by the Holy Ghost called a vile Person because he was a Prince of a vile base spirit but there is upon Christ a most excellent and glorious Spirit it is no other than the Spirit of the Lord God. He did at his Baptism descend upon him in the likeness of a Dove not of an Hawk or Harpy a Bird of Prey but a Dove Innocent Meek and Loving and this Spirit doth rest upon him hath an eternal abode in him yea and with this Spirit Christ is filled with all the gifts of this Spirit and with all his Graces You read therefore of the unsearchable riches of Christ such as have no bottom He hath enough for himself and for all those that are united to him and designed by the Father for him enough for thee O poor disconsolate Soul who thinkest thou hast none at all You read likewise of an all-fulness which it hath pleased the Father should dwell in him So that O Saint whensoever thou labourest under the most pressing and pinching Wants thou mayest know whither to go for a full supply That is an excellent passage to this purpose which you have in Psal. 47.5 Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with oil of gladness above thy fellows If you ask who those be that are here called his Fellows Some say they are Kings and Priests or rather if you please understand it of the Saints true Believers all of them one and other all those who have received an Unction from the holy one who have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost in his sanctifying Influences and Operations These come to be Christs fellows through his most gracious Condescention for he by assuming their Nature into unity with his Person stooped so low as to become one of them Emanuel God with us He graciously descended to the state of their Mortality and Meanness that they through him might be advanced to a state of Immortality and Glory If it be asked what is that oyl of gladness with which he is anointed The answer is ready It is no other than the Divine Spirit the great and effectual Comforter who doth chear refresh revive and make glad the Heart of those in whom he dwells And of this all the Saints of God are made the blessed Partakers 1 Joh. 2.20 Ye have an Unction from the holy-one not only the gifts of the Spirit Wisdom and Grace but the Spirit himself which is if I may use the Expression diffused through the whole mystical Body so that every real living Member hath a share Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his he doth not belong to Christ he is none of his genuine Disciple But now tho there be a joynt Participation the same Spirit is in Christ and Believers the same Soul in the Head and Members Yet there is a difference as to the Measure and Degree thereof All the holy Oyl was poured out upon the head of Aaron but only some part of it reached down to the Skirts of his Garments All the Saints have the Spirit something of his Light and Life of his Grace and Influence but Christ hath unspeakably more He is seated above them and therefore anointed above them He hath a greater fulness of Office than any of them and therefore a greater fulness of the Spirit He receiveth the Spirit not only for himself but for all and every one of them God the Father in pouring of it out upon him had an Eye and respect to all the Cases Imployments Necessities and Wants of all his chosen and beloved Ones and furnished Christ accordingly We find in one place that when he ascended on high he received Gifts for Men in another we read that he gave Gifts to Men. He received for this end that he might give His Work is to communicate and to influence his People He is to be an Head not only for Eminence but likewise for Influence and as this is his Work so blessed be his Name it is his Delight Never did tender Mother take more pleasure in giving her Breast to her Child than Christ doth take in his Communications to his People Upon these accounts as it was fit and necessary that he should be so he is most richly stored He hath not the Spirit in measure so you find Joh. 3.34 He whom God hath sent speaketh the word of God for God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him i. e. He whom God hath sent out of Heaven to Earth he whom God hath sent out of his own Bosom he speaketh the Word of God that and nothing else he speaks it in another manner than ever any did for he had not the Spirit given him by measure all men else that have received this Spirit have it in measure only so much every one and no more Tho we may know to our comfort that measure is meted out with a most wise judicious and gracious Hand in a just and full Proportion to that place which every one holds in the Body and to that Work and Service which every one hath to do in the World but the Spirit was given to Christ without measure God the Father did not stand upon measuring it out to him no no he poured it out abundantly he gave as much to him as his humane Nature was capable of receiving so that he hath not only enough for himself for the acting of his own part and the bearing his own burden but enough too for all his People in all Places and Ages of the World. He hath Wisdom enough to teach them all that is needful for them to know and to direct and lead them into all those ways in which they ought to walk He hath Grace enough to sanctify them and to fit them for a Communion with his Father and himself while they are upon Earth and to make them compleatly holy and so meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. He hath Power enough to support them under all their Burdens so that they shall break neither their Backs nor their Hearts but they shall bear them patiently and carry themselves under them becomingly Power enough to enable them for all their Duties so that they shall perform them to Acceptance and Praise Power enough to secure them in all their Temptations and to carry them through them and to make them more than Conquerors over them and so to carry them from sore Conflicts to glorious Triumphs
Bridegroom and of all Men it is your Duty your Place and Office doth strongly oblige you to make it your main Business to commend this Christ who is so sweet so altogether lovely that you cannot commend him too much you cannot rise so high as to reach an Hyperbole in his praise Will you woo for him and rather speak ten thousand Words for him than one for your selves Some Mens Persecuting Spirits Discourses and Practices have been a just Cause of Offense The greatest hurt I wish them is a sight of their Sin and a Gospel-Repentance And since God hath been graciously pleas'd to put it into the Heart of our King to declare for those things which make for Peace I also wish that all Men would make their Contributions thereunto that though as yet there is no great probability of having one Way or worshipping together with one Shoulder and Consent though as yet there is no great probability of a full and thorow Agreement one with another yet we may be put out of a Capacity of being injurious and mischievous one to another And for this we may comfortably hope seeing it is the Matter of a Divine Promise Isa. 11.6 The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall feed they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain We are not offended at their preaching Obedience to Lawful Authority but own it a Duty incumbent upon us to be subject and that not only for Wrath or fear of Punishment but also for Conscience-sake But I would desire them to prove themselves Gospel-Ministers by their preaching up of Christ who is Evangelii Medulla the very Pith and Marrow of the Gospel Let them be industrious in promoting the Interest of Christ and willing that others should do it too Let us rejoice to take his Name and pour it out as a precious Ointment in our respective Congregations that the Savour of it and of his Knowledge being by us made manifest in every place the Virgins may love him Really my Brethren I must take leave to tell you there hath been too much Time and Labour and Heat spent about things minoris pretii of less weight and value There hath been Tithing of Mint and Cummin There have been very unkind and unbrotherly Contendings about such things as will not commend Men to God nor add any thing to them when laid in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Let us now at last though indeed it is pitty that it is so late learn to love one another and so fulfill the Law of Christ and convince the World that we are his Disciples and let us love Christ better than our selves Let us learn of Paul who was a better Man and had more Learning than any of us can in modesty or reason pretend to the best of us are not worthy to have carried his Books after him I say let us learn of him who determined to make Christ the great and main Subject of his Discourses 1 Cor. 2.1 2. When I came to you I came not with excellency of Speech or of Wisdom Not with Philosophical Notions or Platonick Speculations or Plutarchs Morals nor with Rhetorical Flourishes verborum phaleris the trappings of words No not I saith He I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him Crucified And now my Lord let me address my Discourse to you and those Worshipful Aldermen your Brethren here present whom God and the King have vested with Authority and armed with civil Power I do desire you and by virtue of his Authority who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords in whose Name I come I charge you to appear and that vigorously in your several Places for Christ. I know that you are Gods Vicegerents and have a very considerable share of the Government laid upon your Shoulders which is indeed a great Honour to you but a far greater Burthen And as you have need of divine Guidance and Assistance so the effectual fervent Prayers of righteous Ones of those who are faithful in the Land will do you a kindness and avail you much and I can assure you of them while you sit at the Helm of this great and populous City there are many at the Throne of Grace putting up their Petitions and Requests for you of whom I profess my unworthy self to be One. Sensible we are that it is dura provincia an hard Province difficult Service unto which you are called and that you have many curious Eyes upon you and it may be many Adversaries the good Lord furnish you with proportionable Wisdom Courage and Grace You have a great deal to do for the King and be you diligent and faithful in the doing of it Oh! that it may be said of you as it was of Daniel when the Presidents and Princes sought occasion against him concerning the Kingdom i.e. some unfaithfulness to his Prince some abuse of his Power some or other Miscarriage and Male-Administration Dan. 6.4 They could find no occasion nor fault for as much as He was faithful neither was there any Errour or Fault found in him I heartily beg of God the same for you And now I desire you frequently and seriously to consider with your selves that the Honour and Interest of Christ ought to have a room in your Hearts yea to lye uppermost And will you act for Christ and rule for Christ Will you study what you shall do for him Let it not be said by others nor charged upon you by your Consciences that you minded your own things but not the things of Jesus Christ. Every one of you repeat these thoughts let them dwell with you and be powerful in their Influence God hath done nothing in vain God did not send any one into the World in vain He did not give me my Life and Being for nothing He hath not brought me to this place of Magistracy for nothing He hath not sent me into the Vineyard to loiter there not set me in the Chair to sleep there He hath not put this Talent into my hand that it might lye dead there As I am a Man in Authority so under Authority and must be accountable to my Sovereign upon Earth which carrieth with it a greater awe to my God in Heaven What now shall I do for this God How shall I improve my Time How shall I make use of my Power How shall I fill up my Place I beseech you to shew your selves worthy Men worthy of the Honour put upon you and the Power concredited to you Oh! study this bestow your best and most serious Thoughts upon it And whatever your hand findeth to do be sure to do it with your might I will commend to your Care only these two things First Do all that in you lyes for the honour