against me And seeing the Lord hath given me an opportunity to testifie the truth for the Cause sake wherein I suffer and which the Author of these Sermons did own to his death I hope no inconvenience can arise from this brief Apology thus briefly represented to the little Remnant of the Womans Seed who in these dayes of Hypocrisie and Apostacy keep the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ One word to my Fellow-prisoners in this glorious Cause from the Word of the Lord and it is a part of those glad tydings which they through Grace may bee abundantly refreshed in the remembrance of as I have been in this long time of Oppression THERE REMAINETH A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. A Sabbatisme so the Word is an holy solemn Rest and it hath reference to the World to come even the state of the Saints in the Thousand years This hath been in all Ages good news to so many as being pilgrims and strangers for the Lords sake in this present evil world have been alwayes hated reproached oppressed persecuted tormented slaughtered by the four great cruel wild Beasts Dan. 7. Oh what a voluminous Martyrology would that be which can comprehend all the cruelties bloody Massacres and despiteful dealings with the Saints of the most High which have been perpetrated upon this earth since Cain slew his brother Abel which can exemplifie in punctual narrations of truth all the Methods Stratagems Pretences and Policies which Persecutors have and will make use of for the suppressing of that spirit which with boldness doth justly contradict them in their wickedness and Abominations It s not a work for a finite creature to undertake none are sufficient Historiographers of these things but the Three who bear Record in Heaven where there is a Book of Remembrance written for those which feared Jehovah and thought upon his Name in their Generations Blessed be the Name of the Lord our God and our Father how sweet is his presence in a prison to his suffering servants Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater Riches than the treasures of Egypt And wee from the overflowings of Divine Love have such glorious Incombs that we would not exchange the least of them for all the gold and silver which is coming from the West-Indies to the New Court. As the noble Marquess Galeacius Caracciolus when Golden Temptations were presented Let their money perish with them saith he who account all the gold in the world worth one dayes communion with Jesus Christ in the holy Spirit Dear Brethren in Bonds for the Lords sake How is it with you Have you cheerful lively spirits Do you live in the sense of the love of God shed abroad in your hearts by the holy Spirit which is given to you Doth your faith grow exceedingly Doth your love and zeal abound more and more for the Lord Jesus and his Interest What ripeness and readiness of spirit soul and body do you find to arise to come forth and to march in the honorable Expeditions of the Lamb against the Beast Are you prepared to follow the Lord fully Oh let us for I desire to be of that number let us never give the Lord rest till he burn with fire that Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth together with all her Daughters and until Jerusalem the New Jerusalem be established the praise of all the Earth We cannot but wait and hope till the Spirit cloath 〈◊〉 as it did Amazia 1 Chron. 12.18 that we may speak saying in a mystery Thine are we David and on thy side thou Root of Jessai peace peace be unto thee and peace be unto thine Helpers for thy God helpeth thee And I make no Question but â—re it be long there will be a coming to our David day by day to help him untill it become a great Host like the Host of God and so to turn the Kingdom of Saul unto him whose right it is according to the word of the Lord. For do the Kings of the Earth at home or abroad think of setling and establishment at this time of the day Alas poor creatures their glass is almost run out The God of Heaven is numbring their Kingdoms and finishing them The God of Heaven is weighing the new and old Tyranical Monarchies and will find them too light The God of Heaven will work Divisions in their Kingdomes and will give them all to his Son and his Saints It is true their ghostly Fathers and their Court-Chaplines do put this evil day afar off and perswade their Majesties their Highnesses and their Excellencies c. that we are possessed with on evil spirit of Sedition and Emnity against Government but we dare say to our Father who sees in secret and tryes the reins that they Lye and speak not the truth for he knows who knows all things that the desire of our souls is to be under the best Government that ever was or will bee in the world We confess we groan to be delivered from that Bondage which we are in under the Tyrants of the world we would not have the Beast nor any of his Horns to exercise such cruel domination over us as in time past because we had a little reviving from our former yokes by the out-stretched Arm of the Almighty and it was sweet unto us and we long for a full possession wherefore let us oh let us beleeve and the Lord increase our faith that we shall take them captives whose captives we are and we shal rule over our oppressors We shall meet and magnifie the Lord together and those followers of the Lamb who have prayed and wrestled in prayer for us and for the present it will be of use to look into those good works and comfortable words which this servant of the Lord who lived and dyed in the testimony of this truth doth spread before you who purposed to visit you and to incourage your hearts and to strengthen your hands in God yea and to be refreshed by you I mean you who are removed far off and thrust into holes and corners contrary to All Rules of Righteousness But though he purposed Jehovah preverted who doth all things according to the counsel of his own will and it becomes us who remain alive and have through grace received a Kingdom which cannot be shaken to serve the Lord in our Generation acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire And now oh that those precious truths handled by him might through the blessing of the Almighty become spiritual nourishment to us in our captivity The first Kingdom is founded upon the New Covenant Christ Jesus is the onely foundation c. It is good we shouldbe put in remembrance of these things though we do know them and are through the rich supply of the spirit in some measure established in the present truth I might inlarge but I shall not detain you nor the other Readers any longer but
with those that are enemies to Christ and his worke And then another signe of the time is there shall be a very great sleepe upon the virgins that is in the next Chapter a great sleepe among professors those that stand up for the wayes and truth of Christ There are many other signes of this time but I cannot run over all so that all the times of Gods more glorious appearance and manifestation of himselfe they are such times as the Lord hath mark't out and set evident signes upon them whereby they may be knowne And indeed God hath done it to the end Reason 1 that he might thereby strengthen the faith of his Children what strength was it to the faith of Daniel when once he came to find the signes of the times when he came to find the time was expiring the time of the Jewes captivity why this sets his faith on worke and sets prayer on work as you may see Dan. 9.2 3 verses I Daniel understood by bookes the number of the yeares whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish 70 weekes in the desolations of Jerusalem and I set my face unto the Lord God to seeke by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes The seeing and the knowing of this time the 70 yeares were now expiring set Daniels faith on worke and makes him goe fall upon his knees before the Lord this was that that stir'd up his faith he saw the signes of the times the time was now expired or expiring our deliverance is neere saith he and therefore he goes to seeke the Lord by prayer and supplication so that its that which is a great strengthning of faith and indeed our Saviour seemes to make this one of his maine ends in laying downe so many signes of the time of his second coming that his Children might have their faith strengthened in the truth when his coming draw's neere therefore he saith when you shall see all these things know that its neere even at the doore that is when you shall see these signes come to passe know that its neere even at the doore and so likewise in another Evangelist When you see these things come to passe lift up your heads with joy for your redemption draw's nigh as if he should have said when you see these signes fulfilled then know that your redemption draw's nigh let this raise up your faith let this encrease your joy as here when in the evening the skie is red it doth strengthen our reason it doth prognosticate faire weather and in the morning when its red and lowring foule weather so when the people of God see the signes of the times they doe prognosticate to their faith the event of the times what God is doing and what God will doe in the time as the other those outward signes doe prognosticate the event of weather to our reason Againe Reason 2 our Lord hath left such remarkable signes of the times that he might hereby leave his Enemies inexcusable Christ makes this a great aggravation of the sin of the Pharisees that they had signes of the times O yee hypocrites can yee not discerne the signes of the times as if he should have said yee have the signes of the times by which if yee will not be wilfully blind ye cannot but understand something if yee had not these signes of the times there might be some excuse and plea for you O but you have the signes of the times Thus he doth aggravate their sin rendring them inexcusable the great workes that Jesus Christ did when he was here on earth as his working of miracles they were one of the signes of the times and the Lord Jesus Christ doth endeavour to render them inexcusable and that by his workes and in the 15 of John 22 24 ver If I had not come saith Christ and done among them the workes which none other man did they had not had sin but now they have no cloake for their sin When they had such an evident and remarkable signe of the time as Jesus Christs doing such glorious workes among them that they might indeed say we have the Messiah when they rejected Christ in the face of such a cleare signe it rendred them inexcusable so when the signes of the times doe point at such a worke the Lord will have done that signe of the time will render men inexcusable before the Lord that doe not do that worke that by which the Lord Jesus Christ did silence the Scribes and Pharisees namely the signes of the times he will silence many with one day when men shall be excusing themselves and saying Lord we would have served thee but we did not know thy work he shall say what did ye not see the signes of the times did not my Prophets speake to you of the signes of the times did not my Prophets speake did not my providences worke did you not see the signes of the times were not things publicke enough and visible enough this will leave poore soules inexcusable men may perish through not observing the signes of the times Doe but a little consider this Generation of men they doe professe much willingnesse to come to Christ they desire a signe from heaven we would faine know that thou art the Messiah could we but be convinced of it Oh saith Christ yee hypocrites can ye not discerne the signes of the times he bids them presently looke into the times they perished upon not observing the signes of the times so the Jewes we would receive Christ if we had but a signe the Jewes require a signe and the Greekes seeke wisdome but they have the signes of the times the Scepter is departed from Judah miracles are wrought by Christ and they had also the signe of Jonas Christ is buried in the wombe of the earth three dayes and rose againe but they did not observe the signes of the times many men will be found in that very case the Scribes and Pharisees were in splitting upon this rocke not minding and observing the signes of the times Quest How comes it about or what hinders men that they cannot see the signes of the Times Answ Severall things hinder men and blind them that they see not the signes of the times though they be never so evident First Their own Interest being exceedingly advanced and set up very high in their owne hearts and love to that above all other things whatsoever men will not see the signes of the times when ever they come forth when their hearts are set upon their Interest for whensoever the signes of the times come forth it s a hundred to one if they doe not run crosse to that mans Interest and if so be mens hearts are set upon their Interests then they will be blind and not see the signes of the times And indeed so it was with Pharaoh there was a great Interest that Pharaoh had there was an
know things by the Spirit of man but by the Spirit of God for the spirit of man will get a great deale of knowledge and let it out againe O that the Spirit of God condemn'd by many in this generation might be honoured by us art thou a poore soule hast thou no strength nor life to duty do'st thou say I come to pray sometimes and would faine have my heart in heaven and keepe my faith up and be full of groanes but I cannot speake a word nor utter a groane but am just like a blocke O come to the Lord and say Good Lord give me of thy blessed Spirit I have sat often and heard in a customary and formall way and so have I pray'd but Lord give me thy Spirit to heare and thy Spirit to pray and thy Spirit to doe all in my soule O then you should finde strength and assistance and helpe and such helpe as the soule cannot Imagine so hast thou not boldnes can'st thou not call God father say now Lord thy Spirit let the Spirit of Adoption come into my heart Lord fill my heart with thy Spirit that I may cry Abba father if thy Spirit come downe into my soule I shall cry father it will helpe my Infirmities and tell me what to say I would goe to God but I know not what to say nor what to lay before God nor what to aske O Lord thy Spirit now to put words into my mouth and thy Spirit to put groanes into my heart so a poore soule that goes about doubting and saith I am undone such and such are happy and blessed they are the Children of God but I shall perish for ever whosoever goes to heaven I shall goe to hell O goe to the Lord and say Lord I cannot see thy seale upon this my affliction good Lord come and give me thy Spirit that earnest of glory and seale my Spirit for glory and witnes by thy Spirit with my spirit that I am thy childe O let every one looke after this every one mind this we are here but a little while we run through the world and little thinke of Eternitie and then at last we cry out O that I had look't after God his Spirit O that I had now the Evidence of the Spirit I have follow'd pride and vanitie and wantonnesse and the world and how I might be rich O that I had now the Spirit of God I would give ten thousand worlds if I had them that I had but the witnesse of the Spirit and the Evidence of the Spirit O Christians doe not mind the great things of God of Religion and of their soules but we have gotten Religion in a forme and as an art like a trade in the world men thinke they do enough if they doe but now then say over a prayer and read one of the Psalmes or the like O you will wish another day O that I had Jesus Christ O that I were sealed with the Spirit of God if you want this the day of Christ will be a bitter day to you so is your heart dry and withering pray to God to come by his Spirit and water you every moment it may be your hearts are a little stirred when you are under a Sermon but you goe away againe and forget all now say soule say to the Lord my conscience is touched now good Lord as I goe out of this place water me and as I goe home water me and all the weeke water me and every moment Lord water me till I come againe there 's need of this beg of the Lord for it and pray to the Lord to give his Spirit for this end for the Spirit of the Lord doth this so hast thou had many sweete promises many times and thou forgettest them cry Lord thy Spirit thy Spirit to bring all these things to my remembrance all the glorious promises O that I might remember them all and that by the holy and blessed Spirit O that day is not farre off that God will come downe with more abundance of this Spirit it will fall upon our hearts O therefore thinke of these things ponder something and goe away with these groanings in your hearts O father give thy Spirit thy Spirit to my poore soule The Lord worke with you I have spent many words but its God that must give you his Spirit looke up for it and if you will helpe all faults heale all divisions cure all distempers in the soule bring the soule to Joy unspeakeable and full of glory get this Spirit it will give such peace to the soule as shall passe all understanding The Lord give more of it to every one of us FINIS The second Sermon ACTS 1.4 Waite for the Promise of the Father THis promise it s no other but the promise of the holy Spirit and our Lord Jesus is pleased to entitle it the Promise of the Father that his Disciples and Children might be as throughly apprehensive of the Fathers willingnes to give forth the Spirit as they were confident of his The last time I shewed you that this promise was a great promise I shall now the Lord assisting goe on and come to the second thing Secondly That the Promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise I say the promise of the holy Spirit is the great new Testament promise here are two things to be cleared and proved First That the promise of the Spirit is a new Testament promise Secondly That its the great new Testament promise First That its a new Testament promise my my meaning is not that its a promise proper and peculiar unto the new Testament Times so as that we are to conceive the people of God that lived under the old Testament Administration had not the Spirit we must not so conceive of the thing for the people of God in the time of the old Testament they had the Spirit Holy men of God saith the Apostle Peter spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost and therefore they had the holy Spirit with them and if they had it they had it in a way of promise and therefore it s not a promise so peculiar to the new Testament times as that the Saints of the old Testament had not this promise as well as we nay the Saints and people of God under the old Testament they had that very same Covenant in which this glorious promise of the Spirit is held forth and given that we have the new Covenant it runs downe even from Adam as I may say to the end of all things the new Covenant it runs through all the times of the old Testament and its this Covenant the new Covenant that gives forth the Spirit and they had that Covenant running through all that long time they had therefore the Spirit given forth to them But when I say the promise of the Spirit is a new Testament promise we are to understand it thus That its a promise that
what men thought of him it was this he had a holy sincere end when the Corinthians iudged him saith he I care not to be judged of you or of mans judgement So in such a day as this when the people of God are under sufferingâ— and who may be under sufferings it 's onely knowne to the Lord O that the Lord would give us to have such ends in our actions as may be holy and sincere that we may have comfort joy and peace 10 Reas 10 We had need to look into our ends for If a man have false ends he will never be able to continue and hold out in a good worke It 's very remarkable that we have in these men here that ran after John What went yee out into the wildernesse to see They were very earnest and very hot and very zealous they had a great delight in Johns Preaching I but saith Christ What went ye ought to see What is your end it was bad He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light It held but for a season they make a very great profession and seem much to owne John and to owne the truth and seem much to be taken with the word but have a wrong end therefore they rejoycing but for a season they came to have their hearts hardned and they rejoyce no more Therefore what need have we to look into our owne hearts and observe our aimes and ends and indeed that we may know our ends 1 It 's good to be jealous of our owne hearts that there may be some end that lyes deeper than I am aware of or than I doe discern It s good to have a holy jealousie over our hearts in our acting that there may be some end that we see not 2 If we would know whether we have a right end It 's good to take a view of our owne hearts and ends at such a time as we have most light and have fairest opportunity and advantage When we have most light that is at such a time when the Lord doth most clearly shine upon the soule if there be any time wherein you have a more clear sight of the love of God then at another at that time look into your heart to see your ends 3 Looke into them at such time as we seem to have a helping opportunity There are two times which if we fall in with will give us great help to look into our ends First Look into our ends When we see others more eminent than we and that goe before us in graces and abilities when we see them drop for then the soule hath some stirring and working and I may come to get a sight into my ends the more by that opportunity Secondly Look into our ends at such time when others doe censure and judge us If a Christian be censured by another that is a good time for him to look into his end that will make him look more narrowly and pry into every corner of his heart 4 Beg of the Lord That he would be pleased to come search and try for after all our trialls if God doth not try us we may be at a losse and deceived and herein was the sincerity of Davids heart manifested Prove me and try me O Lord saith he And so it 's with every gratious heart he will say Prove me and try me O Lord. if there be any wickednesse if there be any corruption that I doe not see Prove me and try mâ— O Lord if there be any Hypocrisie that I havâ— not yet found Prove me and try me O Lord We are to be much in begging of the Lord thaâ— he would try us and prove us 5 If we would see fully into our ends Then as soone as ever thou doest find any false end presently deliver it as a Traytor to be executed Say Lord I have found out such a juggle I have found out such a bye way wherein my heart is gone good Lord come and destroy it Lastly Keep the love of Christ warm upon thy heart O labour so to goe to Christ as that the love of Christ may be warm upon thy heart that thou mayest live in the light of that love and the more thou seest of that love the more will thy soule desire to live according to it FINIS The Idolls Abolished ISAIAH 2.18 And the Idolls he shall utterly Abolish WOuld you know the time to which this Prophecy looks the second Verse tells us in generall The last dayes And it shall come to passe in the last dayes now because last dayes is taken sometimes largely for the whole of Gospel times sometimes strictly for the very last of the last times therefore in other expressions of this Prophecy it 's held forth that last dayes is to be taken strictly as 1 This relates to the time when the Mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaines vers 2. The Mountaine of the Lords house is Christs Kingdome which is the Lords Mountaine it shall be established in the top of the Mountaines that is in the top of worldly Kingdomes when yet hath this ever been Indeed we have for many Generations had Antichrist lifting up his Scepter above worldly Princes but we are all clear enough that yet there hath been no fullfilling of this Prophecy But as the Devil when he sees any glorious work of Christ to come forth he will forestall it and set up something of his owne that shall be so like it that we are sometimes almost deceived so the subtill Dragon seeing that in time such a thing should be a Kingdome of Christ should over-top all the Kingdomes of the world he fore-runs it and sets up a thing like it viz. a Kingdome of his owne which himselfe sets up rules in such is Antichrist whose rise is not from God but from the Devil nor is Christ there served but the Dragon is worshipped Revel 13 14. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power untothe Beast This Kingdome the blind of Christs by which the world hath been deceived and wondred after it before which the Kings of the earth have laid their Crownes hath been set up But all discerning soules know this to be the Divels Kingdome no Gods the very Throne of Iniquity not of Holinesse but when was there such a Kingdome of Christs over-topping others 2 This relates to a time when the Law shall goe forth out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem vers 3. By Law being distinguished from Word of the Lord I understand the Civill Law the Law of Civill Government as by the word of the Lord the spirituall Law This therefore relates to a time when Civil Government shall be in the hands of the Saints when the Law of the world shall goe forth from Sion and the Spirituall Law also the Preaching of the Gospel from Jerusalem that is from the Cities or Churches of the
Mr. Tillinghasts EIGHT LAST SERMONS I The Fifth Kingdome or Kingdome of Christ founded on the New Covenant one Sermon on Jer 33.20 21. II Signs of the Times two Sermons on Matth. 16.3 To which is added six Signs as they were in his Notes III Christ the only Foundation one Sermon on 1 Cor. 3.11 With the prosecution of the point as it was in his Notes IV The Promise of the Father two Sermons on Act. 1.4 V The evil of the Times one Sermon on Mal. 3.16 17. VI Look to your Aims and Ends one Sermon on Matth. 11.7 To which is added The Idols abolished being his Notes on Is 2.18 Matth. 3.2 Repent yee for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand LONDON Printed by M. S. for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1655. A PREFACE TO THE READER THe Lord upon my frequent remembrance of the depth of the Riches both of his Wisdome Rom. 12.33 and of his Knowledge hath given me many and manifold occasions to break forth in the words of the Apostles sudden exclamation How unsearchable are his Judgements and his waies past finding out Yea such hath been the tenor of his dispensations and of the Appearance of some of them of late years from out of those unsearchable depths as may well induce us in the midst of such musings to cry out in the words of the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Rev. 16 3. Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who will not fear thee Oh Lord and glorifie thy Name But Oh ye faithful followers of the Lamb who shall be able to fathom and to measure the depth and heighth the breadth and length of those judgements which are yet to come upon the people and the Princes of the earth Wo Wo to the worshippers and admirers of the Dragon of the Beast and the false Prophet how terrible will Jehovah be unto the little Horn the last power which lifts it self up against the Saints of the most High after the expiration of the two and forty months How will this little Horn which goar 's our sides and pusheth us into corners roar when the Judgement shall sit and they that is the Saints shall take away his Dominion Dan. 7.26 to consume and to destroy it unto the end And with what consternation of mind will the proud Nimrods of the world flye before the Lamb and his followers when the mighty Hunters themselves shall be hunted from Mountain to Hill by the little handful of those who ar redeemed from the earth And whitherwill ye rune for shelter Oh ye Tyrants Who shall be your Lord Protector in the Day when Jehovahs fury shall be powred out like fire Nâ—humâ— 6 And if the Rocks are thrown down by him what will become of Reeds If the Sons of ancient Kings be hurried out of the world to their own place for their oppressions and persecutions for their contempt of God his Word and his Works what will be the portion of the New Monarchical Tyrants who are but of yesterday and have not had time to take root in the earth neither shall ever be able to confirm or establish their Domination But to contract and call off my mind from expatiating upon this point It cannot but be confessed That the sudden loss of so blessed an Instrument in the hand of Christ in such a juncture of time may well be matter of astonishment or of great grief to those poor souls who beginning to halt betwixt two opinions found present help and strength administred to their feeble knees by his Ministry and having also their eyes anointed with Gospel Eye-salve for the discovery of the present and other Truths It was no marvel that they became so sensible of the usefulness of such an Interpreter in that populous City as the deceased Author of the insuing Sermons And indeed We Prisoners your Brethren and Companions in Tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ could not refrain rejoycing with you for the hopes you had that he should have been as an Arrow or a polished shaft in the hand of a mighty man even the man Christ Jesus in such a day as this But as the heavens are higher than the earth Isa 55.9 so are the Lords ways higher than our wayes and his thoughts than our thoughts We are taught to say It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3 18 let him do with us also as seemeth good to him for indeed we are not our own 1 Cor 6.20 we are bought with a price whether we live or dye we are the Lords Rom. 14 8 and therefore we are obliged to glorifie him in our bodies and in our souls But to proceed to a brief Narrative of some particular passages and circumstances which may be of use for the Christian Readers who are far remote from the City to know It is to be remembred That this Servant of the Lord had waited for some space of time viz. about a year of daies to understand the mind of God in reference to the work which was upon his heart to do for the Lord Jesus at length perceiving his way to be plain before him he came up to the City of London where it pleased the Lord to put a period to his dayes within a very short space after he was arrived But how diligently he improved his time and his talent I need not declare for it s well known to thousands that he laboured as if it had been for his life to promote that glorious Cause which was once the joy of the Saints generally throughout the Nation although now it be almost forgotten by the most and the concernments of Christ and his people in the midst of a generation of Revolters and Backsliders from the work of God in their day Three principal businesses he had upon his spirit to dispatch The first was to speak his mind freely to the Great Man as they call him which accordingly after solemn seeking the face of the Lord with some Brethren he did and did bear his Testimony to his face in the first place in the presence of divers witnesses in such a way of plaineness and pity towards him who was guilty of such open Abominations that undoubtedly it will be of use hereafter to the stopping of the mouths of all Court-flatterers who are one of the worst sort of creeping Vermine in the world purposing moreover to proceed to an higher and more publick Testimony as God should give him a spirit and opportunity thereunto In the next place like another young Apollos Act. 18.27 28. being come to the City he helped them much who had beleeved the present Truth through Grace for he mightily convinced many and that publickly that the Kingdome of Christ is not only a Spiritual Kingdome but an outward visible Kingdome as his words are that this is a branch of the New Covenant That this
Kingdome shall very shortly begin to break in peeces and consume all these Kingdomes Insomuch that the spirits of many precious ones were revived their minds inlightened Insomuch that methoughts I heard one Disciple that had been ready to faint and quail saying to another Disciple in Jonathans language See I pray you how mine eies have been inlightned because I tasted a little of this Hony This word of the Lord concerning the glorifying of his Son in the sight of all Nations is sweeter than the hony or the hony comb Oh dear hearts you who heard a proof of Christ speaking in him Tell me Did not your hearts wax warm nay did they not burn within you while he spake of those things to you and while he opened to you in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power those Scriptures which do so neerly concern the King of Saints and his Cause at this day His next design was to travel from Prison to Prison where any of the Servants of Christ were shut up and accordingly made an entrance upon that work in coming to this Castle to visit us as not being ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of us his Prisoners 2 Tim. 11.8 but appeared very willing to be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel of the Kingdome according to that measure of the power of God which should be given him even to suffer bonds in the maintenance of that Cause and glorious Truth which formerly had been owned but is now rejected by the General and his Men of War Insomuch that he would in private discourse with some friends declare That a Prison was like to be his portion ere long And no question if he had lived to have inlarged upon the signs of the times and the Spirit of God had come upon him with power the Supreme single Person at his Head-quarters at White-hall with the advice of his Cabinet Councel would after grave and mature deliberation have found it very necessary absolutely necessary to have suspended and silenced such a Preacher as neither knew how to hold his peace nor yet to pipe to the tune of the New Instrument for we must know that this New Monarchy is founded upon NECESSITY Necessity is the Father and Mother Necessity and Policy are the Nurse and the Guardian of this young Government Alas poor creature it was born in a Consumption and besides that hath had many Convulsion fits since it came into the world insomuch that its Friends and Physitians have had much ado to keep life in it at several critical hours since its Nativity And beside we shall find that Maxime true Nullum violentium est perpetuum violent Motions will quickly work Commotions Confusions and Destructions Let none take offence at this Language for I cannot forbear vilifying the Kingdomes of the fourth Beast when my thoughts are upon the magnifying of the Kingdome Power and Glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Isa 37.22 And if the Virgin Daughter of Sion without any disparagement to her holy modesty might of old be allowed by God himself to despise the great King of Assyria and to laugh him to scorn I know no reason to the contrary but one of the Lambs followers may without breach of rule in an holy triumph of Faith express contempt of the Kings of the Earth who are all of them the lovers of the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth But to return from this digression of Necessity Both Friends and Foes may easily conjecture how warm an incouragement it would have been to all of us to be refreshed with his company in the several Prisons where wee and our Brethren are shut up if it had pleased the Lord to say Amen and so have given the word for the undertaking of his intended spiritual Summer-progress for wee found him to bee indued with such a Spirit and to have so much acquaintance with the Lord and his Word concerning the present oppressed Truth and Work that undoubtedly the Glorious Cause wherein we are ingaged would have been so much the more inquired after and searched into by many of the Saints But the Counsel of the Lord must stand By conference also with him here in my Prison-chamher I understood how long since and upon what occasion the Lord had taken him by the hand and brought him into his spacious Galleries to walk and take a prospect of that part of Christs Kingdom and glory which is now ready to bee revealed in these last times So that I now plainly discern this in regard his day was to be so short he was thereupon spirited from the Lord to do much work in a little time for those Generation-works of his his Books so called together with his knowledge of the times are no question a special product of Providence in this season and may serve for the rouzing up and quickening of such as are upon their watch to look about them that they may not be surprized And for the rendring unexcusable that Generation of drousie Professors and Apostate pretenders which this Nation swarms with at this day Neither let it seem strange to thee whosoever thou art that readest this that the learned Rabbies and the Orthodox Doctors of these times are so exceeding dumb as to this point for first consider It is not the high-way to Ecclesiastical promotions it is impossible they should get or keep any great Church-livings if such Doctrine should be preached by them or imbraced by the people as these Fift-Kingdom-men desire and indeavor to leaven the land withall And then secondly It is according to the tenor of Gods working in the Generations before us such mysteries use to be hidden in their first discoveries at least from the wise and prudent and were revealed unto Babes that so no flesh might glory in his presence Wherefore let no man find fault that the Lord takes such unlikely Instruments to break the Ice to prepare the way nor yet take offence at that diversity of Opinions and Apprehensions which is and will be found for a little while among the Assertors of this Doctrine of Christs Kingdom in the approaching glorious ministration of it It is true such a thing is intimated and handled by this Author in his second Sermon concerning the signs of the times at the 52 page c. But this will occasion the true children of the true light to search the Scriptures daily whether those things there discussed be so or no I confess I have some hope to be successful in reconciling the matter betwixt those good men by communicating ere long to publick view if not prevented what I apprehend to be the mind of God in that particular In the mean time I desire the Lords little remnant whom he hath reserved to himself in this general Apostacie waiting for the breaking forth of the next dispensation from under this dark cloud to entertain these Sermons of this Disciple lately deceased taken in short-hand from his lips
because death prevented not perused nor perfected by himself with that respect which is due to the memory of such a servant of Christ whose praise as we hear is in all the Churches throughout Norfolk and Suffolk besides other places where he hath travelled teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Object But many men who favour not my righteous cause will be apt to say This is strange could there not be found another friend of the Authors more acceptable among the people and who should have recommended these his last words and works unto them with more advantage to the cause c. We know that this man is a sinner He is an evil doer or else why is he in Prison undoubtedly he was not put there neither is he kept there for his good deeds It is much he should be made use of in such a work as this for laudari a laudato viro illa illa demum laus est c. Answ 1. I have in some measure learned of Job not to stand upon my terms with the Lord in point of innocency I know it is so as you say Job 9.2 for how should a man be just before God if he will contend with him Vers 15. he cannot answer him one of a thousand Though I were righteous yet would I not answer him but would make my supplication to my Judge 1 Joh. 1.8 And if I say I have no sin I deceive my self and the truth is not in me Ans 2. But as to men I may plead my integrity with a good conscience and say with boldness if things were examined from the bottom from the beginning I make no question in the least but I should be justified by the children of Wisdom I mean not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world who are coming to nought but the wisdom of God in a mystery for they would not judge according to outward appearance but would judge righteous Judgement Their Judgement like the Lords Rom. 2.2 would I am sure be according to truth and not according to interest as the manner of Machiavel and Achitophel was And which is also the Lords mercy I am perswaded to all his imprisoned servants now suffering for the good old cause with me it is a very small thing that I should be either commended or condemned by the men of this old evill world 1 Joh. 5.19 1 Cor. 5. 1 Pet. 4.5 which lieth in wickedness for when we all come to give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead as the Apostle speaks such a sentence will be pronounced and such an exact distribution of Justice will be made that we are sure our subtle proud persecuters will be stript naked and bare of all their Swords and Guns their Gaolors and their Catchpoles and besides all this their Clergy which stands them instead here will not be allowed them in that Court Answ 3. It doth not necessarily follow that because I am a prisoner therefore I must bee an evill doer or a transgressor for we know Joseph was a prisoner and Jeremy and the Apostles were imprisoned yet who will reckon them with transgressors that pretend to be Christs Disciples yea Christ himself was numbered among the greatest Malefactors of that time wherefore let no man be rash to speak evil of persons and things which they have no acquaintance with But to give the Reader a brief account for the present reserving a larger Narrative to a fitter opportunity I have been twice imprisoned by the Man whom the people call His Highness and their Lord Protector The first time there was an Arbitrary Power exercised by him in causing me to be apprehended for giving two general Observations and nine particular Characters of the Little Horn mentioned in Daniel the seventh that day wherein he was proclaimed as they say this should have been preached the week before but by providence I was prevented So that here could be no colour for imprisonment considering I applied it to no person for as I told the people and I spake the truth God had not revealed it to me as yet but the day would declare it to whom properly to apply it And accordingly when I was examined by him as a Prisoner in the Councel Chamber concerning the application of those Characters I told him what I had spoken in the presence and hearing of hundreds concerning this matter but withal I then declared to him in the presence of his Creatures That if the Lord had revealed unto me who it was that the Holy Ghost meant by that Little Horn I would have told the people though I had died for it when I had done And then I added these other words But to deal plainly with you my Lord and to tell you my very heart the reason why I did not apply those Characters unto you at that time was because I thought or judged that you would not persecute the Saints For indeed till then I never knew or heard that he had so done But since that what he hath done and now doth in this kind let the spiritual man who best discerns the difference of things give his judgement Hitherto I know assuredly that I was not in any fault worthy of the least reproof from man much lesse of bonds Besides this there was another material passage which I declare with all faithfulness I perceived by his large Speech that which he fixed upon as matter of Charge was that I was an Enemy to Government and all my quarrel was against Government These were his very words to which I chose to make my defence at large declaring first my manner of education as Paul did for I made his Apology my Pattern and the manner of the Lords putting me into the Ministry 1 Tim. 1.12 And then in the next place I shewed him how I had indeed preached against Episcopal Government and then against the Kings Government and that his Monarchy should be destroyed Then I declared also that I had indeed preached against the Presbyterian Government as set up by the Parliament and against the Assembly or new fashioned Synod of Lords Commons and Clergy-men And lastly against the Parliament but not against that kind of Government which they declared for for that I owned so far as it was a Government for the Commonwealth and the publick good But withall as I declared these things freely concerning my self so I shewed him likewise from point to point how He Himself had pulled down all these Governments one after another First The Prelatical Government next the Kingly then the Presbyteriall after that the long Parliament so finishing this part of my Defence I looked him stedfastly in the face without fear and said in these very words So that my Lord I conclude if I am against Government YOU are against Government and if I have a Quarrel against Government YOU have a Quarrel against
Government also The truth is I have much mused upon this Charge of his for of all the men in the world I admired and do still wonder with what face HEE could find fault with me and with what conscience HE could accuse me and impute this as a crime worthy of close imprisonment when he knew in his own soul that he had pulled down whatsoever I had preached down from first to last except his own new Instrument which was not then published to the world neverthelesse to close prison I must go And yet do not know any colour of Reason or of Law for that usage unto this moment neither is it possible I ever should for that imprisonment was contradictory to all principles of Reason Justice and Conscience All that can be said is this he presumed to give the Congregation to whom he was preaching several Characters of the Little Horn upon that very day when the people cried or should have cryed if they did not God save His Highness taking the Lords name in vain after the old mode in King Charles his dayes There hath been also I understand from very many friends who come to visit me in Prison a great noyse at Court from whence it is spread up and down the City and Country that I sunk under him when I was brought before him and had not a word to say for my self and Mr. T. was perswaded I was convinced and would forbear to preach as formerly c. and this his said Secretary will witness this businesse is frequently repeated in my absence being twenty miles off in prison I commend the Master and the Man they would make the Saints my friends beleeve strange things against me when I am far enough out of the hearing But the Lord knows I never was conscious to my self of any thing in that kind neither did I give occasion for any man so to judge and report for the truth is this I was not affraid either of his looks or his threats in the least from first to last neither was I at all convinced by any thing that he said that I have done any evil in the sight of the Lord or of man in whatsoever I preached concerning the Little Horn which as I judge was the cause of mine Imprisonment on his part nevertheless This I must needs say and it is truth When I heard the General speak at such a rate concerning IMPULSES upon occasion of somewhat I had a little before toucht upon magnifying the fruits of such Impulses as came upon his own spirit as all excellent and glorious I began to wonder and thought it somewhat strange to hear such language savouring of self-exaltation but when I heard him vilifie those Impulses which other Saints had experience of judging their Impulses to be from the Devil condemning that spirit by which they spake saying Wee had forsaken the Head Christ and were under the Ministration of evil Angels c. My Countenance I verily beleeve was very much changed because of that great trouble which fell upon my spirit in hearing such words bordering as I then conceived upon Blasphemy Hereupon casting my eyes up towards the wall over against me and shaking my head with much grief of heart to hear him I considered in my self whether I should reply to him concerning those grievous expressions of his or not and even as I was resolving in the negative these words came into my mind or were put into my mind with power Answer him not a word Answer him not a word Whereupon when he had done speaking I kept silence and did not return a word that I can remember from this passage I am apt to think they supposed I was convinced by what had been spoken by him and had nothing more to say for my self and thereupon have spread this untrue report but they were and are deceived in that matter But at the end of three dayes and an half I was set free not making any promise or yeelding to any terms which were propounded to me I supposed they were not able to justifie what they had done for This Imprisonment was contrary to the Law of God and of the Land yea and contrary to his own Oath which he had solemnly taken but five dayes before in the presence of many witnesses and so I have done for the present with my first Imprisonment As for the cause of this second Imprisonment It is as far from my knowledge as the former unless it be for bearing my testimony publickly against the open and notorious Abominations of the times wherein the General and his Army are so involved together with the Parochial Church-men and the Luke-warm Professors that certainly there will overtake them a most sore visitation from the Lord which will destroy their Refuge of lyes and tear their Instruments all to peeces If this be to be vile I will be more vile If I must suffer Persecution Imprisonment and reproach for this the will of the Lord be done I am made more than a Conqueror through him who hath loved mee Shall not I be as bold to plead for the Lamb against the Beast as they are to plead the cause of Antichrist against the Lord Jesus God forbid I was indeed after I was apprehended this second time brought before a Committee of the Council as they called it where they caused to be read in my hearing some passages of a Sermon at Alhallows two dayes before and would have me to answer whether I had spoken those things which some of their Pursevants or sneaking Spies had brought unto them It put me in mind of the persecuting Prelates who laid snares to intray the Servants of God in their faithful preachings to the people I told them I would neither affirm nor deny any thing but when they brought the Accusers and the witnesses face to face I would give them an Answer and so we parted After four or five dayes they sent me to Winsor Castle and here I have been nineteen Months and more and know not when I shall come to a Trial they are a long time methinks in preparing the charge against me surely they are to seek it for I was in prison before their Law was published And where there is no Law there is no transgression Now I would willingly know of such as reproach me as an evil doer and therefore I suffer justly what is my transgression and what is my sin for if I am an Offender as Paul saith or have committed any thing worthy of death I refuse not to dye or otherwise to be punished according to my demerits in case I have transgressed any Law of Righteousness whatsoever Wherefore I humbly conceive that mine Imprisonment doth not render me uncapable of writing to the Lords people and therefore these things not being intended for any but the followers of the Lamb I shall desire them not to condemn me before they find me manifestly convicted of those notorious evils which are reported
recommend you and all those who worship not the Beast nor his Image who will not receive his Mark in their Foreheads or in their right hands to the special Protection and Benediction of him who sits upon the Throne to whom and to the Lamb who was and is worthy to take the Book and to open the seals thereof be blessing glory and power for ever and ever AMEN I am Brethren honored and beloved in the Lord by the good hand of God upon me Your Fellow Prisoner in the most glorious cause upon earth CHR. FEAK From my Watch-Tower in Winsor Castle this second day of the sixth moneth 1655. Upon the Author and these his posthume Papers NOw if I could set forth aright And give a view to clearer fight Of that sweet grace which in his Breast Had taken up its quiet rest How would poor souls come in to him Who fram'd his heart and did begin To beautifie with rarest art That inner man his hidden part But here I fail for suddenly His light 'gan shine and by and by It was not his nor ours and we Left in the dark how can we see London thou had'st him last in thee He came to die and do'st thou see What pearls of price he left behind O have them have them still in mind His Books thou had'st before and here His Pulpit-Breathings just so near As broken pen could take them From smiling lips that spake them Go little Book and give a taste To all that love thy Tillinghast Of sweetest Truths And blest let be To Sions Sons his Memory H. F. A Funeral or Elegiack Verse Breath'd at our Friends Interment on his Herse I t is the Father Will that now is done O ur hopes when set on Creatures are soon gone H enceforth let 's learn to set our hope in God N ote well this providence and hear the Rod. T he Lord can comfort us as by our Brothers I n doubling his sweet Gospel-spirit on others L ike precious Faith Light Self-denial Love L et Saints surviving seek for from above I oy 't was to him to do his Masters Will N ow of his Masters Joy he hath his fill G reat testimony to the Truth he bore H e minded Sion till he spake no more A nd spent himself in seeking to allure S aints that divided were to peace and sure T o peace he 's gone that ever shall indure R. D. Errata PAge 2. line 20. for hold thus much read hold forth thus much p. 4. l. 15. r. wrapt p. 7. l. 23. r. equivalent p. 23. l. 17. r. Priest of the new Covenant he is made with an oath p. 72. l. 5. r. of the world p. 115. l. 15. r. this is not c. p. 13â— l. 5. r. could not be THE FIFT KINGDOME OR Kingdome of Christ founded upon the New COVENANT JEREMIAH 33.20 21. Thus saith the Lord If you can breake my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night and that there should not be day and night in their season Then may also my Covenant be broken with David my servant that he should not have a son to reign upon his Throne and with the Levites the Priests my Ministers THe three foregoing Chapters and this they have a looke unto the last times and they doe more particularly relate unto the times in which God will gather together Israel and Judah as in the 14 vers Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will performe that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah I say the Prophesie lookes to the time when the Lord will unite the ten Tribes which are called the house of Israel and the two Tribes which are called the house of Judah and will performe all those good things that he hath promised to them in that day when they shall againe be united together Now among the many blessed things the Lord hath promised unto his people in that day this indeed is the chiefe and the great mercy God hath promised A KINGDOME for thus saith the Lord David shall never want a man in the 17 vers to sit upon the Throne of the house of Israel We have a kingdome promised unto the people of God a Throne at this day and that is shadowed forth under the kingdome of David Davids kingdome was a Type of Christs kingdome and indeed whereas this kingdome here promised is shadowed forth by that of David it doth hold thus much That the kingdome is not onely a spirituall kingdome but an outward visible kingdome for such a Throne and kingdome Davids was Now in the words that I read to you the Lord gives assurance unto his people that he would make good this promise and the assurance that the Lord gives unto his people is grounded on the Covenant made with David and lest there should be any doubt about the Covenant made with David the certainty of it the Lord tells us that the Covenant made with David was as certain as the Covenant of the day and night If you can breake my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night that there shall not be day and night in their season then may also my Covenant be broken with David my servant Why now the Covenant of the day and night hath been unalterable from the first Creation unto this day there hath been day and night in their season why so saith the Lord my Covenant with David it s an unalterable an unchangeable Covenant and upon this Covenant this Throne and Kingdome I now promise to you is founded Quest If so be you aske What that Covenant is that was made with David Answ It s Answered If we doe but say it was an unchangeable Covenant that Covenant is the new Covenant where it s spoken of it s spoken of as an Everlasting and an unalterable Covenant and indeed this Covenant that the Lord doth here speake of is no other but that new Covenant as is cleare from other Scriptures 2 Sam 23. David when he was ready to dye in his last words he doth make this his Comfort Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow So that the Covenant made with David it was an Everlasting Covenant it was a sure Covenant it was a Covenant that David had founded his very Salvation upon therefore it could be no other but the new Covenant the Covenant of grace And so likewise the Prophet Isai 55.3 ver he saith there I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercy 's of David The Covenant of David it was an Everlasting Covenant Now this Throne and kingdome which is here promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah and also to all the seede of Abraham as well the
especially renewed or with two persons more eminently namely with Abraham and with David The Covenant was renewed with Abraham and therefore it s oftentimes called the new Covenant made with Abraham Now if we looke into that we shall finde the great thing that was held forth in it is this of Christs visible kingdome wherein Christ shall bare Rule over all his enemies conquer all his enemies if we looke unto this Covenant as renewed to Abraham in the Galatians the Apostle speaking of this promise apply's it to Christ now looke upon the promises that were made to Abraham and we shall finde this truth that there was such a thing held forth as an outward visible kingdome Gen 22.16 17 18 ver And said by my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord for because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy son thine onely son That in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the starres of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore and thy seed shall possesse the gate of his enemies and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice Thy seed to Abraham and his seed were the promises made saith the Apostle He saith not to seeds as of many but unto seed as of one Christ and that here it must be understood not of seeds as many but of the seed as one the seed Christ is cleare because it s said thy seed shall possesse the gate of his Enemies not the gate of their Enemies which if it had been spoken of seeds as many it should have been but it s the gate of his Enemies and shew's that it s spoken of Christ now that which is promised is that Christ Abrahams seede shall possesse the gate of his Enemies there shall be a day wherein Christ shall possesse the Gate of his Enemies Quest What is the meaning of that Ans Why truly the meaning is this that a day shall come wherein Jesus Christ shall have power over all his Enemies in the world he shall have rule over his Enemies he that hath been trodden upon in his members we cannot say that he hath ruled over his Enemies yet but a day shall come wherein he shall have an absolute rule over his Enemies which is expressed here by the Gate as when a Conqueror comes against a City or Castle when he hath once possessed the gate he hath gotten the strength of it and they are all under him and at his mercy so there shall a day come wherein Christ shall possesse the gate of his Enemies they shall all be brought under him in such a manner as they shall be all subject unto Jesus Christ and his But now there hath never been such a day as yet indeed the Enemies of Christ they have hitherto possest his Gate if you looke from the first day to this day the Enemies of Christ have ever been in his Gate that is they have been treading the Church underfoote which is most properly his Gate But there is a day wherein Jesus Christ shall possesse their Gate and tread them underfoote therefore there is such a thing as a visible kingdome held forth in this promise made to Abraham Looke but to that promise made Rom. 4.13 where the Apostle speaks thus For the promise to Abraham was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith The promise to Abraham that he should be heire of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law there was a promise expresly made to Abraham that he should be heire of the world we doe not finde this promise in Genesis in so many words therefore it seemes to me that the Apostle doth gather up the summe of all the promises made to Abraham and he doth sum up all in this God promises to Abraham that he should be heire of the world All the promises that Abraham should be a father of many nations all nations should be blessed in him his seede should possesse the gate of his Enemies what is that now that is the great thing held forth in all those promises why it was that he should be heire of the world and the promise therefore is of such a thing and indeed it was the substance of them all thâ— marrow of them that Abraham should be a great and an absolute heire and should have all the world given to him Now let us consider this it s the promise of God and he cannot lye Abraham himselfe never did possesse the whole world but was a stranger in it dwelling in Tents and Tabernacles Heb. 11.9 And if we looke to the naturall seed of Abraham namely the Jewes they never yet possest more than that little spot of land the land of Canaan and they have been cast out of that a long time and if we looke unto the beleiving Gentills the spirituall seed they have been to this day persecuted in the world its out-casts the of-scouring of it and cannot in any sence be said to have been made possessors of the world as an heire which is the Apostles word is made a possessor of his Inheritance where he beares rule as a Lord and all within the Compasse of his Inheritance are to him in no other capacity but of servants and Tenants Abraham was the heire of it but they never had the possession of it yet there is a time wherein they shall have the world for God who made the world and hath given it to whom he pleaseth was pleased of his own good will to give it to Abraham indeed what right had Abraham to the land of Canaan but God who hath right to all was pleased to give it to Abraham why so here Abrahams seed have the world given them there must be a time wherein the seed of Abraham shall possesse the world as truly as the seed of Abraham did possesse the land of Canaan which God gave to Abraham and his seed Now I say this hath not been and we cannot looke upon this as if so be the fulfilling of this promise were in giving them a part of it for God promises the world and therefore indeed there is a time wherein Abraham and his seed are to be possessed of the world and if so be there were not what were Abraham and his seed the better for the promise if so be they never possesse it And this promise is said to be made to Abraham not through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith and that is upon the account of the new Covenant for in the Romans its said That the righteousnesse which is of faith speakes on this wise he doth oppose the old Covenant unto the righteousnesse of faith so that by the righteousnesse of faith we are here to understand the new Covenant and this promise made to Abraham as the heire of the world and that as of the
this is the new Covenant I but here 's one promise hath a speciall Oath to it its worthy observation what peice of the new Covenant the Lord especially sweares to and that is this promise of Christs kingdome Once have I sworne by my holines that God will not lye to David and what is that that God sweares to its this that his seede shall endure for ever and his Throne shall be as the Sun before him Now to this promise is added a speciall Oath and its observable that the Lord speakes of Christs kingdome severall times in Scripture there are foure times that the Lord speakes of this and he doth sweare to it When he made this Promise to Abraham that his seed Christ shall possesse the Gate of his Enemies Gen. 22.16 By my selfe have I sworne saith he when he comes to make this promise to David that Jesus Christ shall have a kingdome God sweares againe Once have I sworne by my holines that I will not lye unto David His seede shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me Againe if you looke into Isai 45.13 you have God swearing againe there I have sworne by my selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall sweare Why what is the meaning of that why it s the very same with that in the Philippians every knee shall bow to Christ every tongue shall confesse that Christ is the Lord it is the exalting and setting up Christ Jesus as King So if we looke into Isai 54.9.11 Oh thou afflicted Tossed with Tempest and not comforted and in the 14 ver In righteousnesse shalt thou be established and thou shalt be far from oppression it s a description of Christs kingdome which he confirmes by his oath in the 9 â—h ver speaking of this very time of the kingdome of Christ For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth so have I sworne that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee that is he would not in that day be wrath with his people so as to put by the fulfilling this good word of his promise I will make good this peice of my Covenant Now if we consider it surely there is something in it that the Lord should confirme all the new Covenant by an Oath and should confirme one branch of it and that by an Oath swearing by himselfe and by his holines and by his righteousnesse and swearing that he would not lye and swearing that it should be as certain as the word to Noah that the world should never be drowned againe That the Lord should sweare over and over to it surely there is much in it now the Lord hath done thus as to Christs kingdome what ever the world say the Lord hath founded this upon the new Covenant and he hath confirmed this new Covenant with an Oath when the Lord saw what opposition there would be in the world what distrust in his peoples hearts lest any should doubt of it he comes over and over againe with this particular branch of it with an Oath I have sworne I have sworne I have sworne that my Son shall have a kingdome So that in the Covenant with David there was the promise of the kingdome of Christ Fourthly Let us come to the worke it selfe where the worke doth begin to rise in the world and you shall see that it doth begin to rise and that upon the account of the new Covenant The worke of Christs kingdome the glorious beginning of it it shall be about the time of the Jewes coming in and indeed the coming in of the Jewes shall be a very great advancement of this kingdome and where ever the Lord doth speake of the coming in of the Jewes he doth lay it upon the foundation of this new Covenant and indeed it s a very great argument to me against those that thinke there is no such thing as the kingdome of Christ because God hath so often laid it upon his new Covenant Looke into the 26 of Leviticus the Lord had spoken before of rejecting and of the casting of them off 42 ver he saith when they should be cast off then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land This doth not onely looke to the rejecting of the people of Israel for a time when they were carried Captive into Babylon for that was a rejecting onely of part of the seed of Abraham but it doth looke to their long Captivity of all the seed of Abraham for these many hundred yeares the Lord engages he will restore them and restore them upon the account of remembring his Covenant Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land and I will bring them backe againe and I will gather them upon the account of my Covenant saith God Deut. 4.30 31. In the 27 verse Moses had been speaking The Lord shall scatter you among the nations and yee shall be left few in number among the heathen whither the Lord shall lead you then he tells them in the 30 verse When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice even in the latter dayes mind the expression in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice for the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the Covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them When the Lord hath cast them off they shall be gathered and that upon the account of his Covenant and so in the 54 of Isai that Chapter is a prophesie of the Conversion of the Jewes and of that glory that shall follow thereupon and the Lord doth engage his Covenant for the bringing of it about The mountaines shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee So likewise in the 33 of Jere. the two last verses Thus saith the Lord if my Covenant be not with day and night and if I have not appointed the Ordinances of heaven and earth then will I cast away the seede of Jacob and David my servant so that I will not take any of his seede to be rulers over the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob for I will cause their Captivity to returne and have mercy on them This is spoken of their last restoration as I told you at first and the Lord doth
God and they all fell in the wildernesse and so it would be with us in this day if he dealt with us upon the account of the old Covenant but because God deales with us upon the account of the new Covenant as the people of God have cause to be humbled for all their sinnes yet consider this cannot hinder but the Lord can yet and the Lord indeed I hope of his grace will doe glorious things for his Children notwithstanding all their unworthines his grace shall come tryumphing over all these Davids kingdome grew out of the new Covenant therefore it was not the unworthynes of him nor his followers that could hinder it from rising If you looke upon Sauls kingdome it seemes to be glorious at first but afterwards because it was not founded on the new Covenant it grew worse and worse Saul at first seem'd to have much faith and selfe-deniall when the Lot fell upon him and they were commanded to bring him forth to crowne him King he hid himselfe that they were forc't to enquire of the Lord to know where he was and when the Children of Belial said How shall this man save us they despis'd him and brought him no presents but he held his peace in the 1 Sam 9.27 he seem'd to be so patient and so humble as if he tooke no notice of it so in the 1 Sam 11.12 13. there you shall finde after they had gotten a great victory over the Ammonites and some of the people said unto Samuel who is he that sayd shall Saul reigne over us bring the men that we may put them to death And Saul said There shall not a man be put to death this day for to day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel As if Saul should have said I will never give way to passion and rage why the Lord hath wrought glorious Salvation in Israel this day the Lord with his Salvation hath been among us and by his mighty Salvation hath delivered us his heart seemes to be wonderfully taken with the deliverance but afterwards looke upon Sauls kingdome and it s still waneing and decaying more and more and why because it was founded upon the old Covenant But looke upon Davids kingdome and you shall see in the beginning of it it did arise through many faylings and infirmities that were both in David himselfe and his followers David he runs away from Saul goes to Ahimelech the Priest and tells a lye to get some bread and Goliahs sword afterward he runs to Achish king of Gath and fain's himselfe mad and when he had been invading the Countrey neere unto him where he dwelt at Zicklag and Achish asked him whether he had made his rode that day 1 Sam 27.10 David tells him a flat untruth that they had been against the South of Judah At another time he fail'd exceedingly when in a way of revengefull rage he would goe against Naball to cut him off and all his house for denying him provision these were stairing offences men no doubt did wonder what would become of David his case that was attended with so many weaknesses and offences And look upon his followers and see what a rabble-rout he had at first 1 Sam 22.1 When David was escaped to the Cave Adullam then every one that was in distresse and every one that was in debt and every one that was discontented gathered themselves unto him and he became a Captaine over them if one should seriously looke upon David and his followers would be thinke there should any good come of it many no doubt did thus looke upon David and his followers and therefore expected no good to come of his kingdome I bring it to this end to shew that though men may have never so many infirmities and weaknesses yet if the worke arise through the new Covenant it shall goe on with a notwithstanding Davids kingdome was founded upon the new Covenant and therefore it was carryed on through all difficulties and weaknesses and Sauls kingdome arose onely out of the Covenant of workes and therefore though it had a glorious beginning it did wast away Therefore let not the hearts of Gods people faint or be discouraged though there are grosse failings among the Saints and in those too that desire to be friends to Davids kingdome though there be much of passion and the infirmities of men in them Consider Christs visible kingdome in this world stands upon the foundation of the new Covenant it did help David to the kingdome though through many Infirmities I speake not this to Indulge any infirmities in Gods Children I desire that this glorious cause might be so mannaged as it deserves yet suppose it s mannaged with many infirmities so that many stumble at it saying Can this Monarchy ever prosper Let such consider that this glorious blessed cause is founded upon the new Covenant and though men cannot over-looke Infirmities yet God will and accomplish the thing notwithstanding them for the new Covenants sake I will be mercifull to their sins and remember their Iniquities no more Consider when Jesus Christ rid to Jerusalem as a King he did not choose the most glorious Beast to ride upon but he chose that Beast that was most weake contemptible and simple so now the Lord he chooseth weake things to confound the strong and foolish things to confound the wise Wee have a good cause and we are upon a good ground we are upon the new Testament ground and seeing it s founded upon the new Covenant the grace of the Covenant will tryumph over all the weaknesses and infirmities of the Saints that labour to carry it on the Lord makes use of the weaknesses of his people sometimes to make others blind and to stumble to be a rocke of offence but when the worke is done all their weaknesses saith the Lord shall be forgotten the Lord will come and swallow up all in the new Covenant as Davids weaknesses were a stumbling blocke to those that lived in his age and when the Lord had stumbled all in that age and generation then he makes his worke to arise higher and higher through the grace of the new Covenant and so it will be with the visible Kingdome of Jesus Christ because it s founded on the new Covenant which is a sure and an Everlasting Covenant he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered and sure the Lord hath founded it so sure that all the Devills in Hell and all the rage of men in the world cannot hinder it Though my house saith David be not so with God yet he hath made an Everlasting Covenant with me which shall stand though the Saints doe not grow in grace yet this glorious worke of Christs kingdome which is founded upon the Everlasting Covenant must goe on the House that is builded upon the rocke though the winds blow and floods arise and beate upon the House it stands fast because it s built upon the rocke so Christs kingdome it hath
a rocky foundation it s founded upon the Covenant of God that is an Impregnable rocke it s such a foundation that all the world cannot hurt if any come and strike at it it will grind them to powder this is a sweet consideration and should provoke us to looke up to God for the accomplishing of this great mercy and to looke unto him for new mercy's Gods people stand for nothing concerning this kingdome but God will make the world one day know it was a peice of the new Covenant The unworthynes of the Saints shall not hinder them of this mercy for new Covenant Grace will ride Tryumphing over the head of all the Infirmities of the people of God Thirdly Vse 3 Another thing if it be a mercy lodged up in the new Covenant we may learne hence is That it is not strange or it ought not to be strange to us if we should see a death upon this worke if we should see this worke struck dead when it may be it seemes to be coming forth for indeed its Gods way in bringing forth mercy's of the new Covenant to strike the mercy dead Abraham had two sons the son of Hagar the old Covenant and the son of Sarah the new Covenant there 's no death comes upon Ishmael the old Covenant but there comes a death Abraham's body is dead and Sarah's wombe is dead upon Isaac the new Covenant the new Covenant mercy is struck dead so when the Lord will set up his Son as King he will doe it upon the account of the new Covenant therefore we must expect this new covenant mercy to passe through death so that God strikes the new Covenant mercy dead before he brings it forth When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt they come out upon the account of the new Covenant God remembers his Covenant and sends Moses to them thereupon they are full of expectation of deliverance but presently their burdens were encreased and their oppression encreased and thereupon all is struck dead and they are further from deliverance than ever they were and yet notwithstanding when God had tryed but a while their faith and patience for that is the end of all his bringing deaths upon a worke to try our faith and patience but so soone as ever that was tryed then the Lord brings them forth by his glorious hand So it was with David God had promised him the kingdome yet there was a wonderfull death came upon Davids kingdome David is made a king and some few come to him and David had some faith when Abiathar the Priest came to him when he fled from Saul saith David Abide with me and thou shalt be safe for with me there 's safety but when his kingdome is just ready to come to him there comes a great sentence of death upon the worke because its a new Covenant worke all is struck dead I shall certainly perish one day by the hand of Saul and I must leave the Country saith David so it s with all new Covenant mercy's that the Lord might try the faith of his Children which he will have tryed and that he might make the mercy the sweeter when it comes and that we might be more in crying to him God strikes the worke dead that we might exercise the more faith and prayer therefore let us not be discouraged when we see a sentence of death upon it it would be a great discouragement to me if there were not a Sentence of death upon it I should beleive then it were a greater way off than it is for if it be a new Covenant merâ—y there must be a Sentence of Death put upon it As in mercy's to a particular soule God will have the soule strucke dead before the Lord reveale the new Covenant mercy to him that the soule shall say I can see nothing I have nothing at all it can see no wisdome no righteousnesse nothing in it selfe and when all is strucke dead then the Lord comes with new Covenant mercy's to the soule so when the Lord intends to set up his Sonnes kingdome in the earth it must first be wholly struck dead Fourthly Vse 4 If this kingdome of Christ be a mercy lodged up in the new Covenant then wee should waite upon God patiently for the bringing of it forth New Covenant mercy's they are to be waited for Abraham lost himselfe greatly in murmuring while he was waiting for the fulfilling of the new Covenant promise he cryes out I goe Childlesse he had a promise and because he sees it not fulfilled he cry's I goe childlesse and this Eleazar of Damascus who is Steward of my house must be my heire and what doth this his repining bring forth why presently the very next thing we read is Abraham and Sahah distrusting God lay their heads together and upon advice he goe's in Hagar he turnes into the old Covenant and had fruit by her and there Abraham rests and settles himselfe some yeares he goes and turnes into the old Covenant by an Impatient waiting for the new Covenant we are not to waite as Idlers doe for helpe in a ditch and cry God helpe us but we are to wait as if we would have it in by our very striving strugling yet notwithstanding there must be a quiet waiting on God for his time so it should be with us for this new Covenant mercy waite for it patiently be content with it in Gods own time when he will bring it forth and the more our heart is brought to lye downe submissively before God it s a great argument that the mercy is so much the nearer the Lord doth ordinarily in giving forth the mercy's of the new Covenant though there may be striving and strugling for a time yet he brings the hearts of his Children to this Lord when thou wilt in thine owne time O that God would bring all the hearts of his Children to this that our hearts might not be engaged by our own thoughts but that we may be so free that God may have his own time that there may not be an Impatient spirit in waiting And is it a new Covenant mercy Vse 5 this will be a sweet mercy when it comes all the new Covenant mercy's are sweete things what ever the world thinke of Christs kingdome when it comes it will be a sweet thing that the Saints shall have glory hereafter doth that hinder the spirituall enjoyment of God here so the outward kingdome of Christ what will that hinder the spirituall enjoyment of Christ But the Devill play 's his game thus in the new Testament Times he made men to looke for an outward kingdome onely when Christ was about to set up a spirituall kingdome and now that Christ would set up an outward kingdome saith the Devill looke onely to the spirituall kingdome as if the ourward and spirituall kingdome could not stand together as if the glory of the body's and soules of the Saints could not stand together And
then againe Vse 6 If it be a new Covenant mercy it will be a spirituall thing though some may call it a carnall and a low thing yet it will be a spirituall thing the Lord teach us to waite upon him to looke up to him to trust in him to relye on him for there shall be a day of his kingdome our worke is to waite seeke pray and waite in these day's the Lord teach his people to goe along with him as the little Children at his entrance into Jerusalem cryed Hosanna Hesanna he rides upon a poore meane creature the foale of an Asse and the Children follow him crying Hosanna Hosanna so we should eye the Lord Jesus now in the meanest appearances and follow him crying Hosanna in the Highest this we should doe The Lord make us waite on him for his owne Time and that time is not farre off I cannot thinke its farre off because many thinke it a great way off it s an argument to me its neare for God comes upon his people when he finds not faith on Earth when Gods people say its farre off then its neare as when God sent Moses to tell the Children of Israel the Lord would deliver them but before deliverance thesentence of death comes and O say they to Moses Aaron what have you brought us to where is their faith now expecting deliverance at the hand of God Now it was worse with them than before and their bondage is encreased and their deliverance was thought further off O but then was the Lords time he Immediatly brought it to passe then was the Lords time come when their faith was gone So when David stood up first upon the account of his kingdome saith he to Abiathar Come with me and thou shalt be safe I am sure God will give me the kingdome though Saul be a Potent Enemy and mine Enemies many yet I am sure God will give me the kingdome but yet after that when Saul pursued him that he was forc't to fly out of one Hole into another Now saith he shall I perish one day by the hand of Saul then when he thought it thus farre off then the kingdome comes forth the hand of the Lord cutts off Saul and the kingdome Immediately comes to David As when the Children of Israel came out of Babylon they thought they should have all things then Jerusalem built and the Temple and all things but when they were about it building the Temple now a stop is put upon the worke and they cry The time is not for the Lords worke yet till that Haggai and Zachary tells them Now is the Time for building the Lords Temple As it is with private Christians in a doubting houre Saints usually conclude we are too forward for that time observe Then is Gods time they had faith at first and after their faith fayles from the worke and they said it was not time mark then was the time the Lord sends Haggai to tell them they liv'd in their Ceiled Houses and neglected Gods house O now was the time when they thought not of it And just so when Christ suffered on the Crosse We thought say the Disciples this was he that should have delivered us their hope was gone of any deliverance by him yet then was their Redemption at hand their Redemption comes forth Immediatly he finishes the worke of Redemption at that time so that to have faith struck dead is not an Evidence that the worke stands a great way off but that its neare and approaching surely the Lord will come forth in his Time and he is not farre from doing some great and glorious thing in the world Gods peoples faith is not grounded upon fancyes but they see and know that God is doing some glorious thing in the world he is overturning kingdomes and setting up the kingdome of his Son O that we could quietly looke up unto the Lord and waite upon the Lord Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with Trembling kisse the Son lest he be angry yee great ones of the Earth lest his wrath be kindled and you that follow the Lord O doe you rejoyce with feare and serve him with Trembling they that stand may fall O when was there such a falling as now shall be when the Lord saith I will arise to shake terribly the earth no History can paralel such shakings as have been in these last dayes therefore we had need take heed lest we fall and looke up to the Lord that we may stand Indeed it s a blessed truth what ever men may thinke of it so sure as my hand is upon this Bible so sure shall such a thing come forth in due time for as this is the true word of God of a true God that cannot lye so certainly it shall come to passe I have onely insisted on one particular the kingdome as a Branch of the new Covenant but to speake of the kingdome as it s held forth in the Word would take up a large time for there 's not any one truth hath more to be said from the Scripture for it than this of Christs kingdome for as the end of all is Gods glory so this is that concerns Christs glory there 's a vane of it running through the Scripture from the first promise made to Abraham to the last spoken of in the Revelation The Lord give us hearts to looke up to him for the accomplishing of it in his Time FINIS Signes of the Times MATHEVV 16.3 O yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the Times THese words are spoken by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ unto a generation of men which came to him tempting him desiring him to shew them a signe from heaven in the first verse The Pharisees also with the Sadduces came and tempting desired him that he would shew them a signe from heaven The Pharisees and Sadduces they were in their Principles contrary and opposite one unto another and yet they can either of them very well agree and comply against Christ and both joyne hands and heads in tempting our Lord and their Temptation it ly's in desiring a signe from heaven our Lord Jesus he takes occasion from this to mind them of the signes of the times Can yee not discerne the signes of the times and lest that they should reply that these signes were so darke that they could not be knowne therefore our Lord labours to convince them and that from things that were of a more outward nature you say in the evening it will be faire weather for the skie is red and in the morning it will be foule weather to day for the skie is red and lowring O yee hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the times As if he should have said what are yee not as wise in spirituall things as you are in Temporall are you not as wise concerning the
signes of the times as ye are in outward signes yee can discerne the face of the skie how is it that you are not so wise as to discerne the signes of the times I shall not spend much time about the words in the words there is this Observation Observa That the Times of the Lords more glorious appearance and manifestation of himselfe they are times that are marked out they are such times as have evident signes set upon them This the word of Christ doth clearely hold forth Can yee not discerne the signes of the times As if he should have said the present time it s such a time as hath signes set upon it ye might see signes if so be that ye were not blind If so be that I should run through the booke of God we should finde this to be a truth First There was a great and wonderfull appearance of the power and majesty of God when the Lord was to deliver Israel out of Egypt and that was a remarkable time a time that God had mark't out 430 yeares At the end of 430 yeares all the host of the Lord it s said came out of the Land of Egypt Secondly At the time of Israels coming out of Babylon There was a glorious appearance of God in stirring up the heart of Cyrus of a Heathen to make him so forward and ready of his own accord to put on the worke of God of building the Temple and make Proclamation throughout all his Dominions to the Jewes to goe up to Jerusalem to doe this worke here was a great hand of God now this time was also mark't out seventy yeares Israel was to be in Babylon and then to come forth Thirdly The time of our Lords first Coming it was a time wherein there was a glorious manifestation of God God now manifests himselfe in the flesh as the Apostle tells us now what remarkable signes were set upon this time there were three remarkable signes set upon this time by either of which this Generation might have knowne or discerned Jesus Christ to be the True Messiah First There was at this time the departure of the Scepter from Judah Prophesied of by Jacob as you may find Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Lawgiver from between his feete untill Shiloh come that is untill Christ come so that whensoever the Scepter was taken away from Judah they might then conclude now will the Messiah come now is he in the world whether we see him or no yet he is come for the Scepter was not to depart till he was come now its observable that at this very time the Scepter was taken away for this Herod that was now king in Judea he was a stranger and not of the blood of the Jewes an Idumean and he was the first stranger that ever was King over the people of the Jewes for they had alwayes some of their own nation ruled them but now there was a stranger swaying the Scepter among them at this time so that here was an Evident fulfilling of the signe of the time at this time the Scepter was gone so they might well have concluded the Messiah was come from Jacobs Prophesie that Jesus was the Messiah for he comes at the very same time that the Scepter departed Secondly There was another remarkable signe of the Time and that was The Expiring or ending of Daniels seventy weekes it s foretold to Daniel that seventy weekes should be the tearme of time unto the Messiah's appearance Dan. 9.24 Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for Iniquitie and to bring in Everlasting righteousnesse and to seale up the vision and Prophesie and to anoint the most holy Seventy weekes was the determined time of Christs coming that is from the time the Angel here speakes these words seventy weekes or foure hundred and ninety yeares reckoning so many dayes as there are in so many weekes for that indeed is the Holy-Ghosts way of account now it was cleare enough that the seventy weekes must be either expired or very neare expiring about that time and therefore that was another great signe of the Time that the Lord Jesus came and declared himselfe to be the Messiab about that time that Daniel had soretold the Messiah was to come forth Thirdly There was another Evident signe of this time and that was Christs doing of those things that were foretold should be accomplished by the Messiah and that in the day of his appearance as Christs opening the eyes of the blind the eares of the deafe causing the lame to walke in the 11th of Math The lame walke the dumb speake the dead are raised the Lepers are cleansed and the poore receive the Gospel Here were the signes of the Times It was foretold by the Prophets that when the Messiah came these things should be done now they saw these things done Jesus Christ comes and doth these very workes and miracles that they expected should be done by the Messiah therefore this was a very convincing signe of the Time that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and therefore Jesus Christ labours to convince John by these signes of the Times But then Fourthly The time of Chirsts second coming that shal be another time wherein the Lord will most gloriously appeare and manifest himselfe now that time also hath most evident and remarkable signes set upon it and that by the Lord and his Word If we looke into the 24 of Mathew we shall find many of the signes of this day I shall touch upon some few in the 10 verse Many shall be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another there 's one signe of that time many offended at the wayes and people and truth of God hate one another and betray one another Againe Iniquitie shall abound vers 12. and the love of many shall wax cold many shall fall away Againe in the 29 verse in those times the Starres shall fall from heaven an Apostacie of such as shal be eminent leading men in the Churches of Christ for indeed starres in the Revelation are interpreted to be the Angells of the Churches now Immediately before that time there shall be a great dropping of Starres of great leading eminent men in the Churches they shall fall from heaven from their former walkings and the truth and wayes and cause of Christ Againe at that time there shall be some shall smite their fellow-servants at the latter end of this Chapter and that under this pretence my Lord delay 's his coming clearely intimating that Immediatly before his coming some should smite and beate their fellow-servants why why indeed because they speake of the coming of their Lord as neere and the other they say its a great way off and that they make more hast then is meete they eate and drinke with the drunken that is have society
of Cyrus destroying of Babylon or in Alexanders destroying the Medes and Persians Monarchy or in the Romans destroying the Grecian Monarchy for that was a part of Gods decree as well as this what should the people therefore now sing Hallelujah's for more than in those times But because of the difference of the Instruments things now being done in a more holy sanctified way to a more pure end and there shall be more of the Image of God appeare upon those that shall doe this worke now and therefore they shall sing Hallelujah's otherwise the worke did not goe beyond the worke that had been done before Seventhly Reason 7 The Ruine of Rome or of the Beast it shall be so carryed on that this worke shall be a shaddow of the glorious kingdome of Christ of the kingdome of the Mountaine The kingdome of the Stone when it comes to smite Rome then shall be in it a resemblance as it were of the raigne of Christ and the glory of the kingdome of the Mountaine therefore it s said in the sixth verse And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thunderings saying Alleluja for the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth There shall be so much of the Majesty of God of the power of God of the purity of God so much of the Image of God upon his Children when that worke is done as that they shall now say the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth it could not be said Hallelujah the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth if the worke were done by a Company of carnall nations and yet this is before the end before Christs coming for after this appearance we have the Bride making her selfe ready and the kings of the earth come together to destroy the Bride preparing for her husband and then you have Christ coming forth in his fury destroying his Enemies and rescuing his Bride But before that day there shall be such a glorious appearance in the world and such power in the hands of the People of God that it shall be said when men look upon it the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth the Lord Jesus Christ who is king of the world and king of Saints raigneth therefore it shall be done by Saints as leading Instruments Eightly Reason 8 Looke through the old and new Testament where ever we have a description of the persons that shall doe the glorious worke of God at the last day and you shall ever find them described and characterized as Saints I shall give you but two or three places one is Zach 9.13 When I have bent Judah for me filled the Bow with Ephraim and raised up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece and made thee as th sword of a mighty man marke Raised up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece who are they that are raised up against the Sons of Greece that is against the Turish power as I shewed you formerly they are the Sons of Zion I will raise up thy Sons O Zion whereas there was in all the foregoing Monarchy's one earthly Power raised up against another when it comes to the very last time God raises up another manner of Power I will raise up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece So if you looke into Obadiah 18 21 verses And the House of Jacob shall be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame and the House of Esau for stubble and they shall kindle in them and devoure them and there shall not be any remaining of the House of Esau for the Lord hath spoken it And Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion to Judge the Mount of Esau and the kingdome shall be the Lords Saviours shall got up on Mount Zion who shall they be the House of Jacob and the House of Joseph shall burne up the Mount of Esau they shall Judge the House of Esau and then shall the kingdome be the Lords the universall kingdome of the Lord is not yet come in but here comes in the kingdome of the Stone the House of Jacob shall be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame they shall burne up all the workes of the world and Saviours shall come up upon Mount Zion and Judge the Mount of Esau When all his Enemies are brought downe and become his footstoole then shall he come forth and take the kingdome and the kingdome shall be the Lords Sit thou at my right hand uneill I make thine Enemies thy footstoole then the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the mid'st of thine Enemies there 's the coming forth of Christ when his Enemies by his Saints are made his footstoole So likewise if you looke into Micah 4.11 12. Now also many nations are gathered against thee that say let her be defiled and let our eye looke upon Zion This gathering of the nations is not after Christs coming but before and what then Arise and Thresh O daughter of Zion for I will make thine Horne Iron and I will make thy Hoof's brasse and thou shalt beate in peices many people and I will consecrate their gaine unto the Lord and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth Who shall arise and thresh arise and thresh O daughter of Zion shee shall have Hornes of Iron and Hoof's of brasse to beate all the Enemies of Christ into very chaffe and dust as it s said the great Image was ground to powder why its Zion the poore despised daughter of Zion she that they stood looking upon and said Let her be defiled let our eyes look upon Zion they stood jeering at Zion and saith God Zion I will make thee a trouble and a torment to them all come up Zion and I will make thy Hornes Iron and thy Hoof's brasse and thou shalt breake all the nations to peices that now stand looking upon thee And in another place the Lord tells us Jacob is his Battell-Axe and weapons of warre so saith God Jer. 51.20 For with thee will I breake in peices the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes When he comes to worke his great worke in the world his faithfull Children shall be his weapons to bring it to passe Come to the new Testament and we shall see who God will make his Instruments to carry on his worke against the Beast Revel 15.2 And I saw as it were a sea of glasse mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his marke and over the number of his name stand on the sea of glasse having the Harps of God And in the 6 verse And the seven Angels came out of the Temple having the seven last plagues clothed in pure and white linnen and having their Breasts girded with golden girdles They shall be pretious Instruments they shall have much purity and Holines and much of the Image of God upon them and much
the worke a glorious light so if you looke into Revel 14 6 7 verses we have an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the Everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people saying with a loud voice feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his Judgement is come and what then why in the next verse there followes another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen an Angel goes forth and enlightens the earth preaches and declares it in the world that now the houre of Gods Judgement is come the houre is come saith he and presently another Angel cryes out Babylon is fallen is fallen the worke of God comes on presently after the revealing of light Revel 18.1 2. The earth was enlightened with his glory and then presently verse 6. Reward her even as shee rewarded you and double unto her double according to her workes in the cup which shee hath filled fill to her double and in the 8 verse Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and shee shall be utterly burnt with fire Observe first here 's an Angel comes and enlightens the earth with the glory of God the earth that was before in darknes and thought nothing of the ruine of Rome and Judging the Beast the Lord lets in wonderfull light into the world and then presently comes forth the work it selfe the Lord doth appeare judging of the Beast Likewise if you looke to the final blow given to the Beast Revel 19. you will see that it follows after light that doth forerun it 17 and 18 verses And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voice saying to all the fowles that fly in the mid'st of heaven come and gather your selves together to the supper of the great God that ye may eate the flesh of kings and the flesh of Captaines and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of Horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great Here 's the last overthrow the deadly blow the Lord gives the Beast and there foreruns it a wonderfull light an Angel stands in the Sun that is in wonderfull cleare light he stands holding forth and declaring the coming of that terrible day and presently upon that light the worke comes on I say this is a signe of the time that the worke is at hand The great discovery of light as to the worke the Lord brings forth And the Reasons why God will send forth light before his worke are First Because he would not lead his Children to his worke blindfold but by light Antichrists followers they follow in the dark in the mist of Implicit faith but the Lambs followers they are led by light Practice without principle hath ever been the way of the Beast but Principle as the rule of practice is Christs Method Secondly Because a Saint though the thing he doe be good and the will of God yet can never have comfort in doing it if it be not done from light My Comfort ly's in this that I know I follow the Lord and this bore up Paul when Brethren Censured him and others accounted him a mad man Now observe when God let 's forth a light it s in order to a worke thus when God began with the Papacy to overturne their grosse Idolatry's God by Luther and some few others brings forth light to discover these and upon that discovery they fall So afterwards when God went to Judge the Prelacy here in England first he brings forth light and discovers them to be a peice of the Beast and of the mystery of Iniquity and presently upon the coming forth of that light they fall when God sends light he will bring forth the worke suddenly Object Wee have had light of this a great while and pleaded for the kingdome of Christ and therefore this cannot be a signe Ans To that I answer We must consider there is a difference between the breaking forth of light as it is the light of some particular persons and as its the light in a more generall way among many then is the worke coming forth John Hus and Jerome of Prague held forth Luthers light before Luther and while it was but in the breasts of some few persons it did no great matter against the Beast's kingdome but when it came to be generall in the world then the Blow came the kingdome of the Beast was destroyed by that light so much of it as that light serv'd to destroy Whilst that light that opposed the Antichristian Prelacy was lodged up onely in some few breasts it produced little save onely a witnesse against them but when it began to be generall it tossed them out of their seates So I may say concerning this light the light of the kingdome of Christ it hath been in some few breasts a great while but it never began to be so generall untill now that its run among the Churches Indeed never was there a Principle that did run so much among the Churches of Christ as this hath done within these twelve moneths since some Eminent servants of Christ have been shut up and thrust into holes this light hath been encreased and embraced among the Saints so as never any light encreas't more in such a little time than this hath done and when light begins to be so generall it s an argument now the worke drawes on it begins to be hot as we say and indeed the light growes so generall that the persecuting adversary who not long agoe would not acknowledge any kingdome at all but the spirituall yet now they acknowledge such a thing as the fift Monarchy in the world though they would set it far off that it might not hurt them and are driven to confesse that that very principle for which Saints suffer at this day is in the substance of it a truth Light is coming forth apace and blessed be the Lord that hath been so mercifull to his people at this day that the proud Adversary's of the truth cause of God shall one day be Judged out of their owne mouths they themselves know that there is such a kingdome they have gotten some light into it and they shall one day be Judged out of their owne mouthes Secondly Signe 2 Another Signe of this time that the worke of God of Christs kingdome is neere upon us is this Syons Children favouring of her stones and dust the ground of this we have in Psalme 102.13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Syon for the time to favour her yea the set time is come That this Psalme look's to Christ's outward kingdome the 15 18 22 verses Evidence But what signe is there of it that the set time is come why in the 14 verse When the Saints of God take pleasure in the stones of Syon and begin
to favour the dust thereof then the set time of building Syon is come Quest What are we to understand by Stones and Dust Ans Stones and dust are the beginnings of a Building the first thing a man doth that will build a house is to gather dust and stones and morter the meaning is this as if the Lord should say when you shall see some such thing visible in the world as that there seemes to be a prepation and provision for the beginning of this glorious worke of my kingdome and when you see the hearts of my people wonderfully taken with these preparations and beginnings and raised up to a very high expectation then know that the set time to favour Syon is come and truly when was there ever in the world if not at this day something that did looke as a preparation and provision for this glorious worke of the kingdome of Jesus Christ gathering stones and dust together cutting off the heads of Princes and pulling downe Thrones now the Children of Syon take pleasure in the stones and they favour the dust of it Thirdly A third signe of the time Signe 3 that this worke is approaching upon us is The great reproach that is upon the Remnant that expect this worke When Israel of old came out of Babylon they had a double worke they had a spirituall worke a Civill worke the worke of the Temple and the worke of the Citty Jerusalem and those who expected the carrying on the Civill worke of building the Citty Jerusalem and the walls thereof they were made a wonderfull reproach Nehem 1.3 And they said unto me The Remnant that are left of the Captivity there in the Province are in great affliction reproach the wall of Jerusalem also is broken downe and the gates thereof are burnt with fire Mark the Remnant are in great affliction what Remnant why the Remnant that are left of the Captivity the Remnant that did expect the Citty Jerusalem should be built they are become a reproach the worke of building of the wall of Jerusalem is delayed till the Remnant doe become a reproach the people of God had their Temple done they were set upon building their Citty for they were told by their Prophets that they should build their Temple and their Citty too and now the people cry unto them and laugh at them where is your Citty where is your Common-wealth that you talke of you would have the Citty built and you would have a Common-wealth set up and a kingdome but where is it never such reproach comes upon waiters as when the worke is ready to peepe forth then at that time when they were so reproached was the worke ready to come forth then Nehemiah is brought on his knees and spreads the thing before the Lord in the fourth verse and the Commission for building the wall of Jerusalem was given forth thereupon even that very yeare Babylon litterall was a type of the kingdome of Babylon mysticall their Babylon was a type of our Babylon and as it was then so it is now upon the coming out of Babylon we have a double worke a worke of the Temple and a worke of the Citty the Temple-worke is finished and that is suffered to stand but now the Saints looke for their Civill work for their Common-wealth and that is become a reproach for is not this the reproach at this day these are the fift Monarchy-men and where is now your fift kingdome your fift Monarchy never was that growne to such a reproach this ten yeares how have they been reproached even by some who are now compelled to acknowledge a truth in the principle Now observe when the worke was reproached then the worke went on and as that was the time then for the carrying on of the worke why so now the worke being reproached with us also it s a signe that this is the time for the carrying on of the worke now And truly its worthy our observation How after this worke was come to be a reproach it went on in a wonderfull way the worke of Jerusalem Nehem 6.16 So the wall was finished in the 25 day of the moneth Elul in 52 dayes In 52 dayes what a wonderfull thing is it that the wall of such a Citty as Jerusalem was should be built in 52 dayes and that by so few hands And this little handfull were many of them forc't to take their swords in their hands The Temple was abuilding a great while they needed no swords to that worke but now they come to their Citty-worke they have their swords in their hands to defend themselves because there were many Enemies of that worke and yet notwithstanding all their Enemies and all the opposition it was done as it were by a miracle in 52 dayes So the worke of the kingdome it shall come on apace suddenly in one houre shall this worke come on in 52 dayes was Jerusalem walled notwithstanding all the reproach which Immediatly before was cast upon them Fourthly A fourth signe is Signe 4 The present doubting that is in many godly spirits about this worke as being neere it s a cleare signe that the worke is at hand Two or three yeares since some express't a great deale of faith about this worke they preach't it up we shall goe on wonderfully we shall goe on to Rome we shall pull downe Tythes c. But now their spirits are sunke and they say it s not yet time this is so far from a discouragement as that its a great signe that the worke is neere for this is a cleare Rule that when ever Christ brings forth a worke in the world he will bring it forth so as that he shall not find faith on Earth hence you have it Luk 18.8 Neverthelesse when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on Earth It hath been the usuall way of God even to strike dead the faith of his Children when the worke is at the birth so Exod. 5.20 21. after the death upon the worke there and their burdens are doubled they meete Moses and Aaron who stood in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh and they said unto them the Lord looke upon you and Judge because you have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants to put a sword in their hands to slay us Observe the People that just before beleived and said O the work is come and the day of our deliverance is at hand in the end of the former Chapter the text saith The people beleived when they heard that the Lord had visited the Children of Israel and that he had looked upon their affliction and they bowed their heads and worshipped Though they beleived in the former Chapter that their deliverance was now at hand yet they doubt in this Chapter as soone as ever the death comes upon the worke they murmur and doubt of it and blame Moses and Aaron telling them they
had made their savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and of his servants to put a sword in their hands to slay us So it was with David when the worke of his kingdome first came forth when he first set out against Saul he had a great deale of confidence at first 1 Sam 22.22 David saith to Abiathar Abide thou with me feare not for he that seekes my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safety But observe after this David lost his confidence and came to doubt of the going on of this worke of his kingdome in the 27 Chapter the first verse I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul he speakes quite contrary to what he said before yet now the worke is neere the kingdome is ready to rise So when the Children of Israel were to come out of Babylon and a death came upon the worke they cryed out The time is not come the time is not come that the Lords house should be built here they doubt as to the time their faith was downe yet then was the time at hand and the worke was carryed on in the second yeare of Darius So likewise looke to Christ himselfe when he was here the Disciples a little before his death they could say to him Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God they had much of faith at first but when Christ is in the grave they loose their faith We trusted that it was he that should have redeemed Israel their faith was gone and yet their Redemption was nearer than ever it was and Christs Resurrection at hand so that while they were Questioning and doubting the time of Christs rising approaches So abundance of good men that formerly have kept to Allhallow's-meeting and Blackfryers-meeting they have now of late withdrawne and cry the time is not come the time is not come for the carrying on of the worke of Christs kingdome but this is so far from making us beleive the time is not come that its a signe to us that the time is at hand when doubting comes after the spirit of faith for so it hath been with the worke of the Lord in all his Dispensations Here followeth six other Signes as they were found in his Notes Fifthly A fift signe is Signe 5 The wonderfull spirit of prayer that is upon Gods People when the decree of release from Babylon was ready to issue forth God puts a wonderfull spirit of prayer upon Daniel Chapter the 9th At the beginning of thy Supplications the Commandement came forth and I am come to shew thee So Nehemiah had a great spirit of prayer given to him when the time came that the Citty Jerusalem should be built And God hath promised Immediatly before he builds Jerusalem to give such a spirit of prayer Isai 62.1.6 7 verses For Zions sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest untill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnes and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night Ye that make mention of the Lord keepe not silence and give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Now when an extraordinary spirit of prayer goes forth it s a cleare evidence the work is at hand What a spirit of prayer was there up in the Bishops times and what was the effect of it it brought their Ruine Afterwards when Presbytery was like to tread us downe as did the Bishops their predecessors a great spirit of prayer was in many by this they are ruined And truly I thinke I may say there was never a greater spirit of prayer up than is at this day And to encourage you the more to it I shall here put in two things First Consider That God gives his Children a larger Commission if I may so speake when they are to pray against Babylon than at other times Isai 45.11 Thus saith the Lord the Holy one of Israel and his maker Aske me of things to come concerning my sons and concerning the worke of my hands command ye me Secondly That God will be more quicke in answering Isai 65.24 And it shall come to passe that before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will heare Sixthly A sixt signe is Signe 6 The Helples condition Gods people at present are in Before God makes his Arme bare in saving he brings his Children into that straight that they can see strength no were else but in him hence those that pray for Syons Restauration Psalme 102. pray as destitute ones and when they are destitute God answers them Never untill this day since some appearings of this worke have been have Gods people prayed as destitute ones we had A Parliament An Army A Generall that went along with us till of late but now Gods people are wholly destitute and indeed that they are brought into this condition is a mercy and an evidence the worke is neere which we might conclude to be farther off were it not thus A notable place we have Deut. 32.36 The Lord shall judge his people and repent himselfe for his servants when he seeth that their Power is gone and there is none shut up or left And indeed this hath ever been Gods way Abraham cannot have his Mercy till he is in so destitute a condition as that to an eye of Reason he is without hope David before the kingdome falls into his hands must be so destitute as that he is forced to fly the land The Helples condition of Gods people is a cleare signe the worke is at hand Seventhly A seventh signe is Signe 7 The Multiplication of the oppressed people who are the oppressed people in a more especiall manner at this day but those that appeare for this truth who are shut up in prisons and Holes but they and yet notwithstanding what a multiplying of them is there under this oppression It s Steven's observation concerning Israel Act. 7.17 That when the time of the promise drew nigh which God had sworne to Abraham the People grew and multiplyed in Egypt He makes the multiplication of the seede a signe of the Promise drawing nigh What a multiplication of this oppressed people there is all the nation over since some have been in prison is well knowne to many many Churches and Pastors of Churches who not twelve moneths since were averse to this way doe now owne it preach it I speake what I know Yea I dare say That if the present Powers of this Nation had set in counsell 12 months together to contrive a way to spread the notion of the fift Monarchy among the godly throughout this Nation they could not have thought upon a better than the casting of some Eminent leading Saints into Prison for there is nothing that men as men doe more affect than to looke into
that thing for which others suffer and specially Saints who it may be would never else have minded the notion are very Inquisitive into the thing which they see Brethren suffer for and hereby they attaine light thus God taketh the wise in their owne Craftiness It was said in the Primitive times The blood of Martyrs seede of Churches Did not Queene Mary by her cruelty make those who before were averse to it ready and willing to receive the Protestant Religion Did not the Bishops loose themselves this way and by driving some few out of the Land multiply the number of the oppressed people within it Saints suffering for truth are the loudest and most powerfull Sermons of all others See what Paul saith to this Phil 1.12 13. But I would ye should understand Brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Pallace and in all other places Eighthly The Eight signe is Signe 8 The Defection and Apostacy of Eminent leading men in the Churches from their first light and Principles Christ makes it one signe of his second coming the Starr's falling from Heaven Math. 24.29 that is Eminent men as Pastors and others in the Churches falling and saith Christ When you see this know it is neere even at the doore When you see Pastors and Officers of Churches casting off the Churches and running to Colledges when you see men that have pleaded and Apologized for the power of Churches in opposition to Lordlines over them when you see these become Tryers and usurp Authority over all the Churches and people of Christ in the Common-wealth know that it is neere even at the doore Ninthly The ninth signe is Signe 9 The great dread that is upon the spirits of all men that are Enemies of such a thing rising in the world as a fift Monarchy What a dread at the time of Israels coming out of Egypt was upon the Canaanites and this dread is at the end of the forty yeares we doe not reade of such a dread at their first coming out but when the worke was just coming forth of their taking possession of the promised Land then the feare and dread fall's upon them It s observable that from the time that David was anointed king a dread of him though Saul had all the forts and strength of the Nation was upon the spirit of Saul And what a dread is there upon the spirits of those that oppose the worke this kingdome of Christ at this day its visible enough a dread already from the Lord is fallen upon them Tenthly Signe 10 A Tenth signe is Gods wonderfull withdrawing himselfe from such as oppose this truth and worke in respect of those common graces and assistances he hath formerly afforded them in other worke How did God withdraw from Saul so soone as ever David was anointed Before he could deny himselfe and refuse a kingdome Afterwards before another shall come into his Throne he will slay innocent David be it right or wrong and all the Priests of God to boote Before though he had cause and was stirr'd up to it he will by no meanes persecute afterwards though he had no just cause all things considered he puts the Lords Priests to death Before he was a very meeke man in all his actings afterwards he acts like a Mad man And the very Reason is this Reason Davids kingdome was now rising and Saul being in heart an Enemie to it the Spirit of the Lord withdraws from him and this withdrawing was the Immediate forerunner of Davids kingdome the most Eminent type of Christ's pleaded for at this day Now let us Consider whether it be not thus at this day let us looke to men that sit upon the Throne and men that call themselves the Ministry is it not as evident as the Sun when it shines at noone day that the Spirit of the Lord is withdrawne from both I say in respect of those common gifts and assistances they have formerly had whil'st they stood in the cause of God Are there not men this day in England that persecute Saints for laying open their evills and Apostacy's who time was would not persecute them themselves nor suffer others who would have done it to doe it Are there not men who time was feared none they had their faith as their best guard who now are so far from their former faith that they are become Magor-mishabib feare round about Looke to men who call themselves the Ministry could not many some yeares since preach often with life and power now it s a great matter and truly they are not able to doe it to preach once in a fortnight and when they doe preach that life they once had is so gone that Christians that heare had they not the same names and faces would not know them to be the men once the time was that they were able to speake a seasonable word whensoever occasion was offered but truly now they are able to speake no more than they have written in their paper or got by heart as the Schoolboyes doe Is it not evident I say the Lord is withdrawne from them This is a manifest signe the worke is at hand When Davids kingdome was rising the Spirit of God departs from Saul and had not many Bishops in Queene Maries dayes much life and so the Presbyters in the beginning of these times But observe when the worke of God began to rise against the one and the other the Spirit of God went off from them and fell upon that party that bore witnes against them FINIS Christ the only Foundation 1 COR 3.11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ THe Time is but short and therefore I shall wave speaking any thing touching the context or the explication of the words there 's no difficulty in them but there 's a plaine usefull Truth ly's plainely in the words which I shall give you That is Doct That the Lord Jesus Christ is the onely foundation That I may the better open this truth to you for your edification I shall cast those things which are in my thoughts into this Method namely To shew First What I meane by Christ's being a foundation Secondly In what respect the Lord Jesus Christ may be called a foundation Thirdly What Jesus Christ is the foundation of Fourthly Who it is that lay's Jesus Christ as a foundation Fifthly How the Lord Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation And then Sixthly and lastly When Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation in the soule I shall give but a hint of the first 1. Quest What wee are to understand by Christs being a foundation Ans Wee well know the foundation it s the bottome of a building that upon which the weight and stresse of any building ly's in every building there 's the structure it selfe and the foundation the structure it selfe
stead at all Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation Sixthly Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to Resolutions Vowes and Covenants that is that which many lay their foundation upon truly these are wayes which many honest hearts have run they have trac't them through and there are false hearts too that have run up with them in these wayes when a soule is troubled afflicted and burdened he will resolve vow and Covenant I will never doe so more and after that they have some ease and are at quiet and so long as they keepe their Resolutions Vowes and Covenants they are in a good condition as they conclude so it was with Saul Returne my Son David I will seeke thy hurt no more I will no more persecute David I will no more walke on in these wayes but afterwards he falls upon him againe and againe and David is forced to fly the land these Vowes Resolutions and Covenants will not hold now Christ is a foundation in opposition to this Christ is the onely foundation Seventhly Jesus Christ is a foundation In opposition to Selfe-revenge in opposition to those Acts of revenge that men are ready to put fotth upon themselves it s a thing that is very ordinary among Christians honest hearts as well as others and that through darknes in the new Testament Administration of Jesus Christ and the Covenant of grace they goe to revenge they will be revenged of themselves if they erre in this way or that way if they erre or exceede in Mirth then they will goe about mourning if they have err'd in the use of the creatures then they will not eate nor drinke at all and so they will be revenged of themselves herein they take too much content and too much comfort and they are apt to thinke that because they revenge themselves thus God is pleased with them and he will pardon them Christ is the foundation in opposition to this is this the foundation that my Justification my Comfort my Joy should lye upon my selfe revenge no though a man should goe never so far in this way doe but consider what those in Micah would have done to revenge themselves Micah 6.6 7 verses Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a yeare old will the lord be pleased with thousands of Ram's or with ten thousands of Rivers of oyle shall I give my first-borne for my Transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soule As if they should have said will the Lord accept of any thing let the Lord set me the hardest taske I will doe it if it be to give the fruit of my body or to give away â—ll my estate if I may have the pardon of my sin I will doe it thus I say a man may goe a great way in a way of revenge and yet truly this will be sound nothing it will be but a shaddow and a foundation that will soone shake and fall when a day of Tryall comes Eighthly Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to our Reformation many there are that goe higher than all this many struggle in their Vowes and Resolutions but never come to Reformation but some there are that come to Reformation they have gotten the power and the victory as they say over their sins and here they lay the foundation of their Comfort for certaine saith such a man I am the child of God but Christ is a foundation in opposition to this if we lay our foundation here we shall be deceived this Herod did he reform'd himselfe and did many things the word of John comes to Herod's heart and his heart is so troubled that he did many things so that there may be a reformation in very many things and yet notwithstanding the soule not upon a true foundation there is a vast difference betwixt Cessation â—f sin and Mortification of-sin there may be a Cesation of sin where there is no Mortification of it it may be the Devill he may let a soule alone that he may settle him the faster upon a false bottome men cease from their Iniquitie they were addicted to when they were young and they are apt to lay a foundation upon this and this may be and yet not a true foundation laid a meere Cessâ—tion from sin or an outward Reformation in respect of the acts of sin this may be and yet the soule miserable Jesus Christ he is a foundation in opposition to this foundation Ninthly Jesus Christ he is a foundation in opposition to all outward Priviledges there is a very great deale of confidence that men lay upon their Priviledges O saith such one I keepe many day 's of prayer I am of such a Church and saith another I am Baptized and saith another I am so and so and they glory much in these outward Priviledges as the Jewes did we are the Church of God we are Abrahams Children we have the Oracles of God can we be amisse but saith Christ ye are of your father the Devill and the workes of your father ye will d ee notwithstanding all your boasting and glorying in your outward Priviledges this not the foundation Christ is the foundation in opposition to this Tenthly Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition tâ— those good fitts that semetimes a man or a woman is in unto a duty I doe not speake any thing to shake any poore Saint but would have every Saint have a bottome while God is shaking all Nations and the foundations of the earth doe shake if the foundation be upon a rocke it will stand therefore in this shaking day the good Lord helpe us all to looke to our foundation Christ is a foundation in opposition to those good fitts that men are in to a duty a man may be in a good fit to a duty now and then and when men find this they are apt to rest on it and lay much weight upon it and draw much comfort from it now I say Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation O what a good fit and a good mood was Saul in sometimes 1 Sam 10. he comes among the Prophets of God at the 9 10 11 verses he prophesies among the Prophets here was a good fit to a duty 1 Sam 10.23 when he was going on in persecuting David he had a good fit therefore Saul might say well I feele God working in my heart what ever others judge of me or censure me Saul went on and prophesied before Samuel and lay downe naked all that day and all that night even then when he was going on persecuting of David I bring this to shew you that this is no foundation it is a good thing a sweet thing to have a heart fit and dispos'd to a duty but when I will build upon this this is no foundation but Christ is a foundation in opposition to
this Eleventhly Christ is a foundation in opposition to flashes of Joy and comfort that a soule may find and sometimes doth find which yet are not upon the true foundation there may be a good disposition to a duty so there may be some flashes of Joy and comfort in the soule in the duty and men are apt to make high coÌ„clusions from these and yet not upon the right foundation as Herod he heard John and did many things and he heard him gladly there could not be but a Holy raising of heart and Joy when he heard him gladly and yet Herod cut off John's Head for all this so the Stony ground hath Joy in the hearing of the word they heard with Joy and yet was false ground in the Stony ground there was Joy in hearing the word and Joy in receiving the word O therefore looke to your selves sometimes when I heare a Sermon my heart is lifted up it may be with the man more than with the word or it may be with the manner of speaking more than with the word and so a soule may here lay a foundation there may be flashes of Joy in our duty 's and if we lay our foundation here we are under a very great mistake in the 28 of Isaiah those hypocrites at the second verse they did seeke God dayly and delighted to know Gods wayes as a nation that did righteousnes and forsooke not the ordinances of their God they ask't of me the ordinances of Justice they tooke delight in approaching to God yet notwithstanding this the Lord bids the Prophet goe and pronounce his wrath against them a man may have his heart rais'd it may be in speaking the word of the Lord and yet if he make this his foundation he is upon a false bottome Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation Twelfthly Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to some high acts wherein the soule puts forth seeming selfdeniall 1 Sam 10. Saul shews great selfedeniall when the people come to choose him King he hides himselfe the men of Belial despised him and brought him no presents but he held his peace he deny's himselfe he takes no notice of their opposition speaking against him and then afterward in the 11 Chapter when the people said who is he that said Shall Saul raigne over us bring the men that we may put them to death Saul said there shall not a man be put to death this day for to day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel He doth not onely deny his owne spirit but the Temptation from others and this was not onely from a Politick ground but from a sudden worke that was upon him at present the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel a man may be carryed out in some good particular acts to deny himselfe thence conclude I am a childe of God and so happy its true none can truly and rightly deny himselfe but a Saint but there 's the same grace and worke as a counterfeite wrought in a hypocrite that is in the new Covenant in the true Children of God and if men lay their soundation upon these things they will be exceedingly mistaken Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to these Thirteenthly Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to all holy aymes it s a most blessed thing when a man comes to duty 's with holy aymes and holy end 's yet if he will lay his foundation here he may be deceived it s the hardest thing in the world for a man to Judge of his ends and aymes Come saith Jehu and see my zeale for the Lord he thought he had blessed ends and aymes but laying his foundation here what a false bottome had he I doe not say any hypocrite can ayme rightly at the glory of God but a man may ayme at Gods glory when it runs with his Interest he may looke asquint at it when Gods glory and his Interest ly's together this deceived Jehu he thought he had eyed Gods glory when he look't onely at his owne Interest the settling the kingdome upon himselfe and his Posterity and so deceived himselfe Jesus Christ is a foundatioÌ„ in opposition to this foundatioÌ„ Fourteenthly Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to giving in of particular words it s a great Trade that some drive of giving in of particular words and what a wonderfull confidence is oftentimes laid in this in the giving in of particular words And truly I doe acknowledge the Lord doth oftentimes make it a sweete dispensation to his Children when his Children are in great straights the Lord is pleased to come into their soules and reward them in this way and yet notwithstanding we are under a very great mistake in this if the Lord be not our light and our guide We may lay too much upon this as upon humiliation or any other duty some soules in distresse they will open their Bibles it may be doe light upon a place that doth suite their condition they thinke this is a giving in of a word I deny not but God doth sometimes speake a word in this way to his Children in great straights yet there 's a great mâ—stake in this the mistake ly's in this when that we doe lay more upon the providence in the giving of the word than upon the word it selfe when I beleive not so much the word for it selfe as for the providence the providence that I should open my booke thus and light upon such a word the providence that I should light upon such a word at such a time when we eye the providence giving in of the word more than the word now note no providence is the ground of our faith therefore if I lay my faith more upon the providence than upon the word then shall I presently be mistaken even in this way which if I had a right understanding of I may have use of and comfort in let Christians observe its ordinary with Christians when they are weak and young and when they begin to know the Lord God doth deale with them as with little Children he traines them up in such a way and gives them in particular words but when soules will alway's goe in this way they may quickly come to Tempt God and they may come to such a passe as not to care for the word of God in the Scripture unlesse it be given in in this way here we lay our foundation upon the giving in of a word lay as much as you can upon the word but take heed of laying too much upon the providence therefore Christians when they are come to more light and experience the Lord would not have them to continue in this way they must not stay till the word come to them but their faith must goe out to the word this way of God with Christians is not the ordinary way when they come to a greater standing I have a word saith one so given in in
it may be I am glorious in the outward parts of obedience and it may be in Comfort too O but is Christ my foundation is Christ at the bottome of all my comfort It may be I performe a great many duty 's but is Christ at the bottome of all my duties O have I yet the Lord Jesus Christ as the foundation for my soule to looke unto O Christians if ever there was a day now it s a day to looke to your foundation when the Lord is shaking heaven and earth even shaking the world and shaking it to peices he will yet shake more than ever he hath shaken till he hath shaken out all the rotten professors that are not founded upon himselfe the good Lord make you to looke to your foundation what a good thing is it to stand firme upon Christ when heaven and earth and all the things of the world shall be shaken yet we shall not be shaken being upon the right foundation the Lord build all your soules upon his Son if you would be upon this foundation say good Lord doe thou come and build how long have I been building and how long have I been working but good Lord come thou and build O that every one of you would but learne thus much as to goe home and say to the Lord Jesus Christ Lord come thou and build good Lord take the worke out of my hands and build thy selfe I shall lay all beside the foundation but come and take the worke out of my hand and if God will come and settle us upon his Son as the foundation of all then shall we have Joy unspeakable and full of glory then shall we Joy and glory in our God then shall we have that comfort and peace which passeth all understanding then shall our soules have heaven begun here that shall last to all eternitie O the Lord build all upon this foundation and let no poore soule here be discouraged those oftentimes that have least cause to be shaken are most shaken and the hypocrite that hath most cause is least shaken poore troubled soules they are apt to be shaken when they heare these things but art thou convinced Soule that thou hast built upon a false foundation do'st thou say thou art undone for ever that there is no hope for thee no rather say blessed be the Lord I have seene my false bottome now I come to the Lord O Lord doe thou build me O Lord doe thou take my soule into thy hand the Lord doe this for every poore soule here that you may all who meete here together meete with the generall Assembly of the first-borne whose names are written in heaven and then shall you not count it in vaine that you have followed the Lord and laid the foundation not in your selves but in the Son of God which the Lord Grant Here followeth the Prosecution of the Point as it was found in the Authors Notes QVest 3. What is Christ the foundation of Ans 1. Of the Fathers Eternall Election Election is built upon Christ he is the bottome stone thereof Eph. 1.4 5. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Christ is the first of the Fathers Election if I may so say Isai 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soule delighteth and all others are Elected in him Hence the Apâ—stle concludes that the foundation of God standeth sure that is Gods decree of Election cannot be overturned it hath such a bottome Stone Secondly Of the Covenant of Grace The Covenant of Grace is the most blessed thing in the world it s the Magazine of faith Comfort and Holines a Saints strong Tower of defence against all assaults Now Christ is the foundation of this glorious Covenant of grace Hence it s said to be made with him Psal 89.3 I have made a Covenant with my Chosen He is called the Mediator of this Covenant Heb. 8.6 But now he hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises And Chapter 12.24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant his blood is called the blood of the Covenant Zach 9.11 As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant Heb. 13.20 Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant Yea he is called the Covenant it selfe Isai 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousnes and will hold thine hand and will keepe thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentills Chapter 49.8 I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherite the desolate heritages Thirdly Of all the Promises of God this followes upon the other if of the Covenant then of the promises every promise is built upon him Hence observe the promises still run to Christ the first promise that ever was made runs to Christ the Womans seede the promises afterward given to Abraham looke to Christ Gal 3.16 Now to Abraham and his seede were the promises made he saith not And to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seede which is Christ All the Leviticall Types and shaddowes which were a representation of things to come did looke to Christ the great Sacrifice Hence the Apostle concludes all the promises of God to be in him and because in him to be firme and Immutable 2 Cor 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us Fourthly Of all a Saints speciall priviledges as First Reconciliation 2 Cor 5.18 19. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himselfe by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not Imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation Rom 5.10 11. For if when we were Enemies we were Reconciled to God by the death of his Son much mere being reconciled we shall be saved by his life and not onely so but we also Joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the Atonement Coll 1.20 21 22. And having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
Reconciliation is twofold First Reconciliation of God to man that is made by giving Justice satisfaction Secondly Of man to God this is done by reparation of mans nature both these flow from Christ and are founded upon him and therefore when Christ was peirced water and blood came forth blood to satisfie divine Justice water to cleanse and purifie mans nature Secondly Effectuall vocation Phil 3.14 I presse toward the Marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Thirdly Adoption Eph 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Joh 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that beleived on his name Gal 4.4 5. But when the fulnes of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law To redeeme them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Fourthly Justification Christ is the bottome Stone of it Rom. 3.21 22. But now the rightecousnes of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the righteousnes of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon them that beleive Acts 13.39 And by him all that beleive are Justified from all things from which yee could be Justified by the Law of Moses Isai 45.25 In the Lord shall all the seede of Israel be Justified and shall glory Jer. 23.6 In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousnes Fifthly Sanctification He is the bottome Stone of it Hence he is said to be Sanctification to us 1 Cor 1.30 But of him are yee in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption The parts of Sanctification are Mortification and Vivification and Christ is the foundation of both First of Mortification Rom 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Gal 2.20 I am crucified with Christ Secondly of Vivification Col 3.3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God John 14.19 Because I live ye shall also live Both together are mentioned Rom 6.5 For if we have been planted together in the likenes of his death we shall be also in the likenes of his Resurrection Phil 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Sixthly Of all sanctified Gifts and Abilities First outward Abilities consider them as they are sanctified to a man and not as bare gifts as wisdome knowledge c. Col 2.3 In whom are hid all the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge 1 Cor 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption Secondly Inward Abilities as strength to resist Satans Temptations our owne Corruptions Phil 4.13 I can dâ—e all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Isai â—5 24 Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength Seventhly Of Duties and Performances Christ is the foundation of all these when the people under the Law offered any Sacrifice they were to bring it to the Priest it must goe through his hand or it could finde no acceptance hence the office of the high Priest is to offer Gifts and Sacrifices Heb 5.1 For every high Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for Sins So all our duty 's and performances must be brought to Christ and laid upon him he must offer them he must procure the acceptance that is the strength by which we performe them it must be his the acceptance we looke for must be his Eighthly Of our Comforts and Enjoyments Christ is the bottome of all these what ever comforts we have if they doe not grow upon Christ as their Roote they are nothing Some plant comfort upon duties some upon enlargement in duties some upon their affections c. but what ever comfort it is that Christ is not the bottome of it will fade and wither Ninthly Of Graces Christ is the foundation of all these First Christ is the foundation of our faith faith hath no other bottome to stand upon but a crucified Christ there is a faith that is built upon Experience as that Psal 106.12 13. Then beleived they his words they sang his praise They soone forgat his workes they waited not for his Counsell but this will not endure it is fading Secondly Christ is the foundation of Repentance Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins True repentance flowes out of the wounds of Christ Zach 12.10 And I will powre upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely Son and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-borne Thirdly Christ is the foundation of all a Saints new obedience There is a legall and an Evangelicall obedience A legall obedience may stand upon another bottome but Evangelicall obedience which is that we call new obedience is all built upon Christ Evangelicall obedience flowes out of the new Covenant it being there promised Ezek. 36.27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes and ye shall keepe my Judgements and dâ—â— them And the whole new Covenant as I have said is founded upon Christ Quest 4. Who lay's Christ as a foundation Answ Not man himselfe by any act of his owne either his repentance faith or obedience but God alone The laying Christ as a foundation in the soule is solely Gods act and not mans in the least First Because if a man by any act of his could lay Christ as a foundation in his soule then should the principall and most materiall price in the whole building of our Salvation be of workes But now the building of our Salvation is not of workes but of Grace Eph 2.5 8. Even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Secondly Because mans Repentance bedience yea his faith if it be true hath Christ as its foundation therefore cannot it lay Christ as a foundation seeing that Christ is the foundation of it and therefore the laying of Christ as a foundation is before it And indeed it s a common notion
is a reall difference betwixt those fruits of Sanctification that spring from the Law and those that come from the Spirit in the Gospel but in regard the Legall worke hath the counterfeite of what ever the other hath therefore the discerning of the true from the false and counterfeite is a most hard thing For First Doth the Gospel-worke cause sorrow for sin so doth the Legall too The Terrors of the old Covenant made Ahab mourne Judas repent c. As the Gospel worke may make the heart soft dissolve it into teares so may the Legall too dissolve the heart into teares soften it greatly for a while Secondly Doth the Gospel worke produce obedience make a soule run to God upon his knees dayly so may the Legal too Isai 58.2 Yet they seeke me dayly and delight to know my wayes as a nation that did righteousnes and forsooke not the Ordinance of their God They aske of me the ordinances of Justice they take delight in approaching to God Ishmael was a praying child God heard the voice of the Lad. Secondly for Reformation Doth the Gospel work cause that so may the Legall too what did Herod Thirdly Doth the Gospel worke produce grace so may the Legall too though not true grace yet grace like the true First repentance See before Secondly for selfdeniall Ishmael shewed a great example of selfdeniall Gen. 25.9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave of Machpelah c. So Saul 1 Sam. 11.12 13. And the people said unto Samuel who is he that said shall Saul raigne over us bring the men that we may put them to death And Saul said there shall not a man be put to death this day Thirdly for delighting in holy duties in the wayes and ordinances of God Isai 58.2 Yet they seeke me dayly and delight to know my wayes c. Fourthly for zeale for God and his wayes Paul before conversion was full of zeale and the Jewes Rom 10.2 For I beare them record that they have a zeale for God but not according to knowledge Fifthly for faith Psal 106.12 13 14. Then beleived they his words they sang his praise They soone forgat his works they waited not for his Counsell But lusted exceedingly in the wildernes and tempted God in the desert Isai 48.1 2. Heare yee this O house of Jacob which are called by the name of Israel and are come forth out of the waters of Judah which sweare by the name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in Truth nor in Righteousnes for they call themselves of the holy Citty and they stay themselves upon the God of Israel the Lord of Hosts is his name For there is a faith of the Law as well as of the Gospel so long as a man can obey and performe the condition the Law will give him a faith Thirdly Doth the Gospel worke bring a man into Relation to God and Christ so may the Legall too into some kinde of relation Jer 31.32 Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an Husband unto them saith the Lord Fourthly Doth the Gospel worke beget peace and Comfort so may the Legal too for observe so far as by the legal worke a faith may be begotten and some kind of relation held forth in that worke so far there will be peace and comfort Fifthly Doth the Gospel worke make a man to abandon all his shelters in himselfe and fly for refuge to Jesus Christ and the Covenant of grace So there may be something like that in the legall worke also for marke it A soule by the light of truth being throughly convinced that all his duties obedience his faith Comfort c. that sprung from the Law is nothing and that Salvation is onely to be had in the Covenant of grace and a naked Christ held forth therein may hereupon quit his trust and reliance in these and now run in his owne strength as before he did to the Law so now to the Covenant of grace and to a naked Christ for refuge I say in his owne strengtst still As a man when the flood was upon the earth might have hung upon the outside of Noahs Arke and yet have perished so a man may run thus far in his owne strength and hang upon the outside of Christ as it were and yet perish And yet all this though what a man runs to is the Gospel yet no more than a Legal worke a worke performed in a mans owne strength and not in the strength of Christ for note as a true Gospel Saint doth Evangelize the Law that is he goes to the Law labours to obey that in Gospel-strength the strength of Christ So a Legalist may legalize the very Gospel that is take hold of Christ the Covenant of grace close with Gospel principles in his own strength When he is convinced he is a miserable sinner and that his repentance his reformation his comfort his faith c. that springs from the Law cannot redeeme him but his onely remedy is in Christ and grace he may run to that and hang upon Gospel notions and principles for helpe Nay he may not onely run to these but attaine some fruit hence First He may attaine some kinde of reformation which it may be he could not attaine by the power of the Law 2 Pet. 2.20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord Saviour Jesus Christ they are againe entangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning And Heb 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath treden underfoote the Sen of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and bâ—th done despite unto the Spirit of grace We read of a sanctification that even hypocrites attaine by the blood of the Covenant which is a wonderfull thing for a reformation to be wrought through the beamings of some Gospel light upon the soule Secondly He may have some kind of tast of sweetness even in Christ himselfe Heb. 6.4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy-Ghest The heavenly gift is Christ himselfe John 6.32 33. Then Jesus said unto them verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my father giveth you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he which cometh downe from heaven and giveth life unto the world Thirdly He may in a kinde be made a partaker oâ— the Spirit Heb. 6.4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy-Ghost that
is he may have common light and common assistance which though it is not saving yet it may be such light and such assistance as may be from the Spirit such as he hath not in himselfe light into truth beyond what he can attaine meerely by his reason and aâ—â—â—ance in some dutie beyond what he hath from his owne strength therefore such falling away are said to doe despite to the Spirit of grace Heb 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden underfoote the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace Fourthly He may tast a sweetness in the word of Christ so far as he may say O it is a good word Heb. 6.5 And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come So Mat. 13.20 But he that received the seed into stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it The seed in Stony places heares the word and with joy receives it But what word is this which makes the heart joy againe why the word of the kingdome ver 10. When any one heareth the word of the kingdome and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in his heart this is he which received seed by the wayes side and that is the Gospel word not that of the law Such an effect therefore may the very Gospel word beget in men Fifthly He may as to flashes at sometimes feele something of the joyes that are above his heart may have some kinde of sudden Ravishments with the Joyes of heaven as though they were his Heb 6.5 And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come all this may be in a man who as yet is without union with Christ who as yet hath no more worke upon him than what he hath attained by his owne strength first running in his owne strength to the Law and finding no helpe there may then run in his owne strength to the Gospel and then conceiving because now he is got off from the Law and hath seene the emptines of all his legall trusts rests and hath got some light into Gospel truths and hangs as he thinkes upon Christ and the Covenant of grace onely though yet all this his hanging is but an act of his own a hanging upon the outside of the Arke he judgeth that though his condition was bad before yet now it must needs be good and from this conception of himselfe he is it may be holpen somewhat to reforme finds sweetnes in thoughts of Christ because he thinkes he hath now layd hold on him and Christ must needs be his he hath Joy in hearing Gospel truths and feels at a fit as 't were a kind of heavenly Joyes in himselfe and yet for all this in old â—dam still and the fruite he beares though it seeme glorious comes not from union with Christ as the foundation of all but from union with the old Stocke and hence it comes to passe that in the end all the fruite drops withers rotts goes to decay Hence it is seeing many that attaine all these things fall away in the â—nd that some so boldly stand for and maintaine falling away from â—race for indeed what can be more like grace than the aforesaid things but yet their Position is false and ariseth from the not distinguishing of workes Legall from workes Gospell what ever may be in man by vertue of a legall worke that is a worke wrought in a man either by legall Principles or by legall strength working upon Gospel principles all that a man may fall from because all that may be and the soule not upon the soundation Christ and therefore the building may fall What ever a man comes by either by old Covenant light or by old Covenant strength all that he may loose for the old Covenant is a fading thing 't is such a Covenant as may be broken Heb 8.9 Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. And though God by vertue of that Covenant stands in some kind of relation as I have said to persons under it yet such is the Tenour of that Covenant that if they doe not keepe Covenant but rebell God will cast them off and not regard them for all that and therefore the Apostle for those words in Jeremy although I was an Husband to them reads and I regarded them not Now so much seeming grace may be in a man by vertue of old Covenant light or old Covenant strength acting upon Gospel light and principles that it is the most difficult thing in the world to distinguish it from true grace therefore so many that seemed to have true grace fall away and then men when they see it and finde Caveats in the word to persons going far upon Gospel principles to take heed least they fall away Conclude men may fall away which indeed is false for no soule truly in Christ can ever fall but persons may run thus far and yet still in the Stock of old Adam and such may fall Hence also some conclude falsely free-will not distinguishing betwixt workes flowing from Legall light and strength and that flow from Gospel light and strength To the first man hath a power and by his owne strength doth all and because many goe so farre in that strength which they feele to be their owne as that they thinke themselves to have true grace and to be living members of Christ which as indeed it is not so hence they conclude man hath a power a will in himselfe to receive Christ which is not so man hath a power to repent obey believe in a legall way and he hath a power to lay hold on Christ as tendered in the Covenant of grace in such manner as a man may be saâ—d to hang on the outside of the Arke but a power to receive Christ in Truth so as to be in him this he hath not this is the free gift of God and no person in the world ever can or shall thus receive Christ but he onely to whom it is given Quest But you will say if a man by Legal Principles and Legal strength may goe thus far wherein lyes the difference betwixt the true Saint and this seeming Saint An The maine and essentiall difference ly's here in the roote the one â—nd the other grow's upon The seeming Saint may have many glorious things but the roote upon which all he hath or doth stand's is the old Adam The true Saint perhaps may have fewer and lesse glorious branches than the other but the roote of what he hath or
receive all from God as I am a poore wretched nothing creature This indeed is the very way of the new Testament in which God doth give forth new Testament mercy's to his Children if a soule come to Christ for Justification the way of the new Testament is to give forth this pretious glorious priviledge to him as he is a poore wretched sinner an unworthy one and so if we come to the Lord for the Spirit in the way of the new Testament why it is to come to God as I am a poore miserable sinner without the Spirit having no hope nor any thing in my selfe that I can ground hope upon why God should give forth the Spirit to me This is the way of the new Testament to come to God for all and to expect all from God as I am a poore sinner why now if Saints be unacquainted with the way of the new Testament they may misse of the mercy 's of the new Testament if Saints come to God for the Spirit and bring somewhat of their owne with them as if a man in coming to God for Justification will bring a righteousnesse of his owne to patch with the righteousnesse of Christ the Lord will not give it forth if you doe not come as a poore sinner that hath nothing in himselfe expecting all from the righteousnes of Christ so if I come to God for the Spirit if I thinke to bring somewhat of my owne to bring some good desires and some good breathings with me and thou saist Lord I am so and so I have such and such breathings therefore give me the Spirit why thou art now out of the way of the new Testament and God will not give forth the Spirit if you would have the Spirit you must say Lord thou knowest I have nothing thou knowest that there is not a good thought nor a good desire in me and I bring nothing with me but am a poore wretched sinner and know not what to doe but I lye be-before thee that thou wouldest give forth thy Spirit to me so that Saints they may in new Testament times enjoy but very little of the Spirit if they are cast into the way of the old Testament Fourthly Another ground and Reason of this point why there is so little of the Spirit given forth and this the great new Testament promise it is because Saints are no more in assembling together Saints are not found as I may say as they should be in the worke of Assembling together there was a twofold giving forth of the Spirit to the Disciples and Apostles of our Lord Christ did give them the Spirit and that Immediatly at his resurrection he gave them the Spirit and breathed the holy Ghost upon them in some measure to beare up their spirits against the sorrows that were to attend them afterward he gave them the Spirit more fully and at both these times the Spirit was given forth unto them when they were assembled together John 20.22 When the Disciples were assembled together Christ came and breathed on them saying Receive ye the holy Ghost so if you looke into the second of the Acts where you have the more full giving forth of the Spirit you shall finde it was when the Saints were assembled together Acts 2. the beginning of the Chapter Here 's the giving forth of the Spirit in a more full measure to them and it was when they were all with one accord in one place when they were met together Christ might have given it to them one by one when they were alone no but our deare Lord chooseth to give forth the Spirit when they were assembled together that teaches us how much he loves the assembly's of the Saints the Saints meetings together that though he could have given them the Spirit to every one in a corner alone yet he will not doe it but he chooses to give it to them when they are assembled together so that if the Saints neglect their meeting together there may be little enjoyment of the Spirit though it be the great promise of the new Testament Administration So much for the second thing Thirdly Why is the promise of the Spirit the great promise under the new Testament why doth God give this as their great promise First One Reason of it may be this Because God in the new Testament Administration would make an advance a step neerer as I may say to heavenly perfection and glory than the former administration was God all along hath been making an advance ever since man fell God hath been making an advance carrying him up step by step now the more of the Spirit is given forth or the more of the Spirit is in any dispensation the greater the advance is for its the Spirit that makes the advance in the hearts of Gods Children now because the Lord under the new Testament Administration would make an advance he would raise the hearts of his Saints nearer to heaven and glory than they were before therefore he gives forth more of the Spirit and he doth hold forth the promise of the Spirit as the great promise and indeed in the Administration that is to come upon this account in that of the new Jerusalem there shall not be lesse but there shall be more of the Spirit for if there should be lesse there could not be an advance there shall be the personall presence of Christ and more of his Spirit too if we did looke upon it onely as an outward thing then it might well be called as some call it a carnall thing but there shall be more of the Spirit of God given forth in that day there shall be an advance in the Saints upon this account Secondly The Lord gives forth the Spirit as the great new Testament promise Because new Testament Saints they are Sons This is the reason the Apostle Paul gives Gal 4.6 Because yee are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit into your hearts crying Abba father the father expects from a Son a growne Son that he should carry himselfe better than a child he doth expect from his Son that he should know how to governe himselfe and to order things better than a servant why now new Testament Saints are Sons and the Lord doth expect under the new Testament that there should be a better carriage that there should be more holines that they should know how to governe themselves in another manner of way than the people of God under the old Testament Now to the end that Saints might be able to governe themselves in another manner of way its needfull they should have more wisdome and grace given forth to them and that they may have it God gives forth more of the Spirit Because ye are Sons therefore he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son therefore he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Thirdly Because God doth expect more worke from new Testament Saints This follow 's upon the
other as yee are Sons there is more worke expected God lookes for more duty and more obedience from the Saints of the new Testament than he did expect from the Saints of the old Testament in the new Testament they have not so much tireing worke they have not so much burdensome worke O but if you looke to the spirituall worke as they come to higher light so God lookes for higher obedience therefore for Moses his ten precepts in the old Testament we have many spirituall precepts in the new the new Testament doth not set us free from holines and obedience but indeed the new Testament calls us to a more strick't holines and a more spirituall obedience ye are called to a higher pitch of holines and obedience under the new Testament and not freed from it the Lord hath set his Saints free from all that that was burdensome and that that was legall obedience under the old Covenant but they are not free from obedience indeed the Saints of the new Testament they are called to a higher pitch of obedience as one that is a son growne the father doth not lay such laws upon him as he doth upon a little Child you must not meddle with this nor doe that nor goe out of the doores nor run in the wet and dirty your selfe c. there are a great many lawes laid upon a child but now when once the son is growne the father lay's no such law's upon him but he doth expect that this growne son should doe him more service than the child there 's not the law 's upon him as was upon the child the son is free but yet notwithstanding here 's more worke call'd for at the hands of the son so it was with the people of God under the old Testament the Apostle tells us they were heires under age and therefore their state was nothing differing from the state of a servant though they were Lord's of all in the appointment of the father and were true heires yet because they were under age they were under such a rigid Governour and Tutor as the old Covenant that held them under the rod of a great many law's but now under the new Testament we are sons and being sons the people of God they should goe out serve God freely with another manner of spirit I doe not say we doe so for truly we are much to short of what we should be the Saints should goe out and worship God with a free spirit we are not set loose from duty 's but we are rather called to do more that in another manner in a free manner with a free spirit as one that is an apprentice he lives in a servile feare of his Master and doth a great deale of worke why now when this man comes to have his freedome doth he doe lesse no he doth more worke but he doth it with a free spirit he doth it with another spirit so it s with the Saints under the old and new Testament they doe more worke under the new Testament but with lesse feare than under the old Testament being delivered out of the hands of their enemies they serve him without feare in holines and righteousnes all their day's Fourthly Another ground and Reason of it may be this God hath greater discovery's of truth for the new Testament times and his people under the new Testament Administration than was for the times of the old Testament under that Administration and therefore the Lord holds forth the promise of the Spirit as the great promise under the old Testament the Lord brought forth truth by little and little precept upon precept and line upon line and here a little and there a little God brought forth truth after divers and sundry manners sometimes by way of vision dreames and voice and the like many way 's of Revelation But now under the new Testament God speakes out all his word he hath spoken in these last times by his Son he speakes forth all his mind to us at once now the more truth is spoken out the more need we have of the Spirit to enable us to understand this Truth for it s by the Spirit we are given to understand the truth 's of God as they are held forth in their beauty glory and fulnes and therefore because Christ under the new Testament Administration was to speake out all of truth the whole of truth that the Saints and people of God might be able to apprehend the blessed truths of the new Covenant as they are held forth to them therefore it is necessary that they should have more of the holy Spirit given forth to them under the new Testament Administration Fifthly Because the Saints under the new Testament are to conflict with greater Tryalls and more sore Temptations than Saints of the old and therefore the Lord gives forth mere of the Spirit Though the people of God under the old Testament met with sore Tryalls yet they were not comparable to the sufferings of the Saints under the new Testament the rage of the Heathen and Antichristian powers was greater than ever the world knew before now to beare up the people of God under this sad-black-long day that they were to goe through in suffering they had need of the Spirit therefore God gives forth the Spirit he doth promise that as the great new Testament promise Vse 1. If it be so That the promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise Then hence we see what that thing is that all of us should have our eyes and our hearts and our thoughts fixed upon and taken up with O that every soule would be looking for it crying for it Lord give me thy Spirit what ever the soule wants it may goe to God and say Lord give me thy Spirit This is the great promise in which all other promises are lockt up the promise of conviction the promise of strength and life all are rapt up in this why now we should goe to God in a more speciall manner for the performance of this promise Vse 2. O then what spiritualnes is there required of the Saints of the new Testament If in the old Testament Time when the promise of the Spirit was not given forth as the great promise if then spiritualnes was required O how much more is it required of the Saints and people of God under the new Testament if under the Administration of the letter there was required spiritualnes then how much more is it required under that Administration which is the Administration of the Spirit if the Administration of the letter be spirituall and saith to all the Children of God live spiritually under me First Saints now you are under the Administration of the Spirit It doth bespeake us to be spirituall to have spirituall hearts to be spirituall in all our duty 's in all our addresses to God Truly it s not so much the length of our duty 's the multitude of our
how much more shall your heavenly father give his Spirit to them that aske him Thirdly Men under-value the Spirit when they would set-up any thing equall with or above the Spirit when then cry up learning parts gifts or any other thing more than the Spirit this is an undervaluing of the Spirit though these things be good in their place and the best parts of pure nature yet they are not the Spirit and if we goe to set up any of these things with the Spirit we doe exceedingly under-value the Spirit of God The reason why the Lord is casting contempt upon learning and parts in our day's it s because men set them up equall with the Spirit looking upon these things as fitting them for the worke of God and not looking for the Spirit Fourthly Men under-value the holy Spirit of God when they dispise the little ones of Christ in whem the Spirit of the Father dwells When I love one Saint that hath the Spirit because of his greatnes he goes in silke and sattin and is honorable and therefore I love him and dispise another Saint that hath the Spirit because of his meannesse he goes in his leather-coate there 's little love to such a one now when Saints dispise meane ones in whom the Spirit of the father dwells there 's an under-valuing of the Spirit If any dispise one of these little ones it were better for a milstone to be hanged about his necke and that he were cast into the midst of the Sea why because there 's a dispising of the Spirit of the father that dwells in them every poore little and contemptible one of Christ's though never so poore in the world we must love them for if I desire to prize a Saint because of the Spirit in him then I shall prize the meanest Saint as well as the greatest Fifthly Men under-value the Spirit when they stop their eares against the Motions and Instructions of it if a man instruct me advise me or counsell me for my good I will not hearken to him but slight what he saith I undervalue the man in undervaluing his Counsell so we undervalue the spirit when we slight and will not hearken to the motions and dictates of the Spirit Sixthly Men undervalue the Spirit when they speak slightly and contemptuously of it when they jeare at the people of God saying You have the Spirit forsooth aye such a one prayes speaks by the Spirit c. Men know not what they say when they speak thus such slight words of the Spirit argues an undervaluing thereof If you did know the worth of the Spirit you would not speak thus Lastly Men undervalue the Spirit when in a a down-right way they persecute the Spirit when they hate a Saint and persecute a Saint for no other reason in the world that they can give but because he is a Saint and hath the Spirit in him O take heed of undervaluing the Spirit Last Vse Is the Promise of the Spirit the great Gospel Promise Then hence let us learne the duty in the Text to waite upon God for the Spirit Promises are to be waited for this is the great Gospel Promise this Promise of the Spirit here is not so much the Promise of the having of the Spirit for that many old Testament Saints had and the Disciples had before this time that Christ bids them waite for the Promise as the having more of it When ever you come to an Ordinance when you come to the Assemblies of the Saints say O Lord now give downe thy Spirit why may not thy Spirit be given downe to me now Thou did'st give downe thy Spirit formerly when the Saints were met together So waite in every duty for the Spirit to come downe be alwayes waiting for this Promise of the Spirit it 's an every-day Promise for though it be fullfilled in part yet there is more and more of it still to be given forth and will be every day till we come to heaven so as that there is no time in which we can say this Promise is so fullfilled to us as that we need no more to waite for the fullfilling of it There are some Promises have the time of their fullfilling and then the duty of waiting ceaseth but this Promise is every day fullfilling and this Promise will never be so fulfilled while we abide in this house of clay till we come to Heaven but there will be room left for waiting Which considered will answer that Objection which kills our hearts in waiting O I have waited so long and yet have not the Spirit Poore soule It may be thou hast not that measure of the Spirit thou lookest at thou wouldest have so much of the Spirit as to have no room left for waiting for any more but this Promise of the Spirit is not such a Promise it is a Promise as is fullfilled by degrees and will not be compleatly fullfilled till thou comest to heaven Thou mayest therefore have more of the Spirit than thou had'st before and thy desires after it and complaints more then formerly for the want of it argue thou hast it but thou hast not so much of it as thou would'st have and therefore thou complainest O soule blesse God for what thou hast and waite for more and in Gods time the Promise of the Father shall be fullfilled to thee according to thy desire We should be every day begging for the Spirit Lord give me more of thy Spirit Waite upon God for the Spirit that we may have more of the Spirit of God that we may be taught more by the Spirit instructed more by the Spirit assured more by the Spirit led more by the Spirit and sealed more by the Spirit and the Lord grant our soules may be filled with this Spirit and that Jesus Christ by his Spirit may dwell in us and take possession of us from henceforth even for ever FINIS The Evill of the Times MALACHI 3.16 17. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a booke of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewells and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne Sonne that serveth him THis Prophet as he was the last Prophet of the Old Testament so he lived in a time of great Apostacy after their returne from Babylon after the second Temple was built wherein men were growne cunning in Apostacy the Lord by his Prophet no sooner charges them with any thing but they justifie themselves saying Wherein have we done thus and wherein have we done thus as you may see in the 7 8 and 13 verses They were so cunning in their Apostacy that the Prophet could not charge them with any thing but they would shift it off and put him upon the Proof Then they that
and the world to speak it that this is the sin and evill of the times 2 Take speciall notice and observe that sin with which the most precious Saints and people of God are most taken and drawne away from God by that is the evill and sin of the times For that is usually the sin and evill of the times which the Saints of God are most taken with and embrace for the sin of the times doth not onely run through and run along with the wicked and profane of the world but also the most precious servants of God Moses that meek servant of God and Aaron that Saint of the Lord were catched with it in mistrusting God for the sin of their time did not fasten upon the rude multitude onely but upon those two and many other precious servants of the Lord. So in the building of the Temple the sin of neglecting that work did not onely seize upon the Congregation but also it seized upon those two brave spirited men Zerubabbel and Joshua they were asleep and neglected this work as you may see by the words of Haggai it had seized upon and catched many of the precious Saints of God and doubtlesse if the Lord did not keep us there is none of us now here that are speaking of and against the evill of the times but we should without Gods great mercy and love to us be catched and carried away with it as well as any other 3 Observe what that evill is that though it runs up and downe without the least controule or contradiction from the generality of men yet notwithstanding God hath a little Remnant that will oppose and stand up against that sin and that evill that is the sin of the times For observe it to bear witnesse to his cause in every age God will have a handfull that will oppose themselves to the evill of the times and ordinarily but a handfull When the whole Congregation of Israel rebell'd and Apostatiz'd from God and would have return'd againe into Aegypt and made them a Captain and mistrusted God then there was a little Remnant that stood up for God and spake against that sin Caleb and Jeshua they stand up and plead for God against the whole Congregation Let us say they not rebell against the Lord let us not make us a Captain to goe back again into Aegypt for they shall be bread for us the Lord will deliver them into our hand we shall goe in and possess the Land which the Lord our God hath promised Thus they stand up and plead for God against the whole Congregation And so in their return out of Babylon the Lord stir'd up a little Remnant to bear testimony against the sin of that time the Lord stir'd up the spirit of Haggai and Zechary against their sin of neglecting the building of the Temple and returning out of Babylon and where God stirs up a spirit in a little Remnant to oppose the evill of the times God is there that is I say a clear evidence that God is with them and that God stands for them and will owne them when he stirs up a spirit in them to tell men their owne for so did Haggai and Zechary Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your cieled houses and this house lye wast I instance in those two times because coming out of Aegypt and Babylon being both Types of our deliverance from spirituall Aegypt and Babylon nothing in the word is so pat to us as the example of those Ages I remember the Speech of a holy man yet living That if he were to stand with any party he would stand with that party that was the least and that bore testimony against the sin and evill of the times looking upon this that God was there and with those that stood up against and bore testimony against the sin and evill of the times When there 's a controversie whether there is an Apostacy or no now the generality of men of the proud men they will say no there 's no Apostacy at all and so justifie their Apostacy I but what saith the little Remnant what saith the few they say yes there is an Apostacy they say it 's clear and plain and evident enough to them that there is an Apostacy though the generality see it not will not know it nor owne it yet a little Remnant see it and will declare and bear their testimony against it But the second thing we should speak often one to another of is The speciall worke of God at that time what the worke of God is and what the speciall duty of Christian is in such an evill and Apostatising time Now there are many Duties that in such a day and age lye upon the Saints but I shall name but one or two which are duties that especially lye upon the Saints 1 This is one speciall duty To be humbled before God and to labour to bring others to be humbled and lye low before him for that sin In Ezra's time he makes it his dayes work to be humbled and lye low before God for the sin of the Congregation he goes and spreads their sin before the Lord and lyes low to beg mercy and grace of God for the whole Congregation and he labours also to bring the Congregation to this to be humbled and lye low before the Lord. But 2 It 's a speciall duty of the Saints and people of God in such a day and time of Apostacy whatever others say and thinke of it yet I say it 's the duty of Saints in such a day to appear for God to stand up for God to declare for God against those sins Though others count it rashnesse hastinesse and over-forwardnesse yet certainly it 's the duty of the Saints and is a good Principle to practice in which we should be found if we will shew our love to the Lord Jesus and his name and his cause and interest though all run from it Thus in all ages those whom the Lord hath kept faithfull to himselfe have not onely kept themselves pure from the evill of the times but declared against it in others So it was with Caleb and Joshua they stood up for God and protested for him and declared for him against the sin of the whole Congregation though they were but two they will hazzard their lives for God O say they doe not rebell against the Lord doe not return againe into Aegypt And so Haggai and Zechary they would stand up for God and declare for him against the Congregation and tell them to their very faces That they builded their owne houses but let the house of God lye wast whereas it was their worke and duty to build the house of God They told the greatest of them the chiefest of them their sin and that to their faces they Preached openly against the negligence and sluggishnesse of that Age to Gods work And have not good men of latter times looked upon themselves called to
Saints And such a time hath not yet been from the beginning of the world to this day Civill Power hath been in the hands of worldly men all hath been managed by them Servants have ruled over Gods Heritage And for the Gospel hath it not ever come out of Universities though Christ no where in the Gospel did ever appoint the building of such Cities to send his Gospel from but hath appointed his City Jerusalem his true Church thence it is sent 3 This relates to a time when the House of Jacob shall be come in or upon coming in for they are called to come vers 5. O House of Jacob come yee and let us walke in the light of the Lord. 4 This relates to a time when God will darken all the glory of the world and exalt himselfe onely from vers 10. to 18. Enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty The lofty lookes of man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day For the day of the Lord of Hests shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oakes of Bashan and upon all the high mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up and upon every high Tower and upon every fenced wall and upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all pleasant Pictures And the loftinesse of man shall be bowed downe and the haughtinesse of men shall be made low And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day Lastly This relates to a time In which God will shake terribly the earth and what time is that Other Scriptures tell us that Christ a little before his coming will shake all Nations Hag. 2.6 7. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry Land And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come quoted Heb. 12.26 27. Whose voyce then shooke the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also Heaven And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remaine To this time this relates so that our Text looks to a time a little before Christs coming and so falls into the lap of our Times Quest What will Christ doe at this day Answ Many glorious things here mentioned which particularly I cannot now handle of which this is one most glorious thing The Idolls he will utterly abolish Of which a word Doctrine There is a most glorious day a coming in which all Idolls shall be utterly abolished I shall shew 1 What is meant by Idolls By Idoll is meant any thing that a man loves honours and prefers before God and his glory So a coverous mans money is his Idoll Hence Covetousnesse is Idolatry the Gluttonous and voluptuous mans belly is his Idoll hence Phil. 3.19 Their belly is their God The ambitious mans honour name and credit is his Idoll The holy mans Grace wheâ— trusted in gloried in and when it 's preferred before Christ his truth and word and when it 's made a thing more infallible than Gods truth it 's an Idoll whatever is preferred loved looked at talked of trusted to and gloried in more than Christ be it a thing good or bad it is an Idoll Quest 2. What Idolls will God abolish Answ 1 The Idoll of Prophanesse Some men make an Idoll of their very wickednes love serve and glory in that God will abolish this Idoll 2 The Idoll of Pomp worldly glory and greatnesse What an Idoll hath this been This God will abolish vers 12. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low That is those persons that are haughty proud lofty puffed up with their dignity honour advancement and preferment the day of the Lord shall be upon them to bring them low to lay them their glory and honour in the dust and vers 13. And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up Cedars tall Trees Ezek. 17.22 Cedars tall Trees upon high Mountaines vers 14. And upon all the high Mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up Men that are in honour and dignity over others to whom therefore others come and bow the knee the day of the Lord shall be upon them 3 The Idoll of Strength Strength is an Idoll the proud King Dan. 11. honours the God of forces in his strong holds vers 38 39. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces thus shall he doe in the most strong holds with a strange God The Assyrian King glories in strength Isa 37.24 By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord and hast said by the multitude of my Chariots am I come up to the height of the Mountaines to the sides of Lebanon and I will cut down the tall Cedars thereof and the choyce Firre Trees thereof and I will enter into the height of his border and the forrest of his Carmell This Idoll shall be destroyed vers 13. The day of the Lord shall be upon all the Oakes of Bashan Oakes the strongest of Trees vers 15. And upon every high Tower and upon every fenced wall Towers and fenced places are the strength of a City the day of the Lord shall be upon these So see Isa 26.5 He bringeth downe them that dwell on high the lofty City he layeth it low he layeth it low even to the ground he bringeth it even to the dust Compared with vers 2. Open yee the gates that the righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in Thus for Land strength Is the strength gloried in Sea strength Navall strength God will take away that Idoll vers 16. And upon all the Ships oâ— Tarshish Whether Land strength which lyes in Armies fenced Cities Townes or Sea strength which lyes in Shipping Navies God will abolish this Idoll 4 The Idoll of Pollicy What a wonderfull Idoll is this and how much adored in the world God will abolish this Idoll Isa 29.14 Therefore behold I will proceed to doe a marvellous work amongst this people even a marvellous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid To what time doth this relate vers 18 19 24. In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the booke and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darknesse The meek also shall encrease their joy
in the Lord and the poor among men shall rejoyce in the holy one of Israel They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learn doctrine By comparing this with Isa 35.5 6. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deafe shall be unstopped then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb sing for in the wildernesse shall waters breake out and streams in the desert it is clear it is the last dayes Yea as God will destroy the Idoll of Pollicy so also all those rare inventions and â—nacks that this Idoll pollicy hath woven framed and made What ever pollicy for the honour and support of it selfe hath made that God will destroy vers 10. And upon all pleasant Pictures The day of the Lord will be upon all rare inventions of humane pollicy all the curious wrought Pictures and Images that through the craft and wylinesse of this thing called Pollicy are made so neat that they seem pleasant and delighting to the eyes the day of the Lord will be upon them the day of Gods shaking shakes all things that are made Heb. 12 5 The Idoll of Parts and Learning What an Idoll hath this been If a man be a Schollar hath been at the University though he have not a dram of grace in his heart no Gospel knowledge never perhaps seriously read Pauls Epistles over will tell you stories out of Aristotle Plato c. and should he speak his heart he thinks Paul but a foole to them yet this man forsooth if he have but a little Logick c. in his head and can but get him some few Commentators and good Books out of which he can scrape a few Principles of Divinity and forme them according to his Logicall notions and write all in a Paper and come and read it in a Pulpit he is a Minister and Orthodox and to speak a word against him is to cry downe the Ministry and destroy Church-Ordinances Most loathed stuffe and a filthy Idoll I honour from my heart parts and learning I reverence a Gospel-Ministry but this Ministry and such is the generality of the Ministry this day in England my soule loaths because I know Christs soule abhors them and this Idoll he will shortly abolish 6 The Idoll of Grace Grace is the best thing in the world because it 's the Image of Christ upon us yet if we adore the Image more than him whom it represents we make an Idoll of it and so far God will blast it With a respect to this I take it those words are added in the close of all vers 22. Cease yee from man that is from the best of men gracious men lay no confidence expect no great matters from them wherein is he to be accounted of And hath not our times verified this Let us give glory to God and take shame to our selves Quest But when is Grace made an Idoll Answ 1. When that I lay the foundation of my Principles in grace Here is a most wouderfull mistake among Saints they found their Principles in grace and such shall fall one time or other to have their Idoll discovered If they have perceived themselves to act grace in such a way they thence conclude the way to be good and the Principle to be good whereas a gracious man that hath a Principle of grace doth oftentimes act his grace even in his falls for he never so falls as wholly to loose the life and activity in one way or other of this Principle whilst it 's in him it will act and if a mans fall shut it up from acting this way it will act in another as fire inclosed may be shut up from breaking out in this place but it will break out in another whilst there is fire you cannot keep it from breaking out So where there is grace it will vent in the time of falls one way or other the activity of grace is as naturall to it as the life of it Now take a gratious man under falls his fall shuts up the activity of grace as to this way but grace being in him as fire shut up in his bones will break out in some other way There is an aptnesse in man though the way he is in be evill yet when he can see an activity of grace in himselfe to conclude thence his way is good As for instance suppose a good man under some great fall yet not convinced of it but thinks otherwise he finds his heart very willing to hear and receive a reproof or to be shewed his evill from any in this he sees an acting of grace and because of it he thinks his way is right but this is a great mistake this comes from the principle of grace in him not from the goodnesse of his way So also for grace in others we see such a man hath much grace and upon that we think whatever he holds must surely be the mind of God hence we become his Disciples not from convictions upon our hearts from the word but from an adoration of his grace this we are very prone to and it is to make an Idoll of grace 2 When I give that to grace I should give to Christ As suppose I have been acting or I have seen another acting in this or the other duty and abundance of grace as faith love humility c. hath been acted in that duty and some glorious effect hath followed thereupon I now look upon the thing and say aye this is for my grace This is to make an abominable Idoll of grace we give that to grace which is Christs Quest But why will God abolish Idolls Answ 1. Because his designe is to exalt himselfe alone and this whilst Idolls stand cannot be Whilst pomp greatnesse strength pollicy parts and grace are Idolls these are exalted Some men therefore that speak not a word of God all the year long cry up this great man or the other great man commend him and God is not exalted others attribute this or that to theirs or such a ones strength wit or parts or grace are exalted made Gods but God is not exalted 2 Because Gods soule hates Idolls above all For Idolls strip God of his glory and he can part with any thing better than his glory Quest How will God Abolish Idolls Answ 1. By the Manifestation of his owne glory Vers 10. Enter into the rocks and hide thee in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty 1 He will in this day so manifest the glory of his Holinesse that the Idoll of Prophanesse shall hide its head Hence this day Holinesse shall be written upon every thing Zech. 1.4 In that day shall there be upon the Bells of the Horses Holinesse to the Lord and the Pots in the Lords house shall be like the Bowles before the Altar yea every poâ— in Judah and in Jerusalem shall be Holinesse unto
the Lord of Hosts Sin shall be ashamed to appear When the Apostles Preached such a light there was of Gods glory that some sins were ashamed to appear in day time as Drunkennesse 1 Thess 5.7 They that be drunken are drunken in the night 2 He will so discover the glory of his owne greatnesse and Majesty that all other dignities shall be in a manner nothing As though you set up ten thousand Candles yet when the Sun ariseth the light of them all is nothing The Suns of the world shall have their light put out by the rising of the Sun of Righteousnesse 3 He will so discover the glory of his owne power as shall destroy the Idoll-strength his Arm shall appear to be all in all Men shall visibly see that not Creatures strength but Gods Arme is al See how they shall sing then Isa 12.1 2. And in that day thou shalt say O Lord I will praise thee though thou wastâ—angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me Behold God is my Salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jebovah is my strength and my Song he also is become my Salvation God is my salvation Now men cry such a valiant man such valiant men have saved us but then the Song will be God alone is our Salvation 4 He will so discover his wisedome as shall wholly destroy Idoll Pollicy Men shall see Gods wisedome so visibly in discovering Plots c. as that they shall see all wisedome of man to be folly 5 He will so powre out of his Spirit as shall utterly abolish parts learning and all those things as they are an Idoll He will powre out of his Spirit upon the Sons and daughters of Sion that they shall thereby be more filled with truth and more able to utter the great things of God than all the Schollars of the world 2 By shaking all Idolls Vers 21. When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth He will terribly shake whatsoever hath been or is an Idoll whether honour or strength or parts or grace And how hath God been shaking all these amongst us How hath he shaken the honour of the world pluckt off Crownes from the heads of Princes and throwne Nobles out of their seats How hath he been shaking strength broken in a wonderfull way Armies by Land Navies by Sea How hath he shaken mens parts and wisedome brought wise men and learned men who made an Idoll of their learning and wisedome to so low an ebb in respect of esteem as they never were and just it is and they shall yet be brought lower till they learne to give God the glory Yea how hath he shaken grace and how many men of grace are fallen that we might learne indeed to cease from man whose breath is in his Nostrills Vse 〈◊〉 Is it so that God will abolish all â—dolls Then learne this That a day will be how much soever men now cry up their Idolls that they shall be ashamed to owne them Isa 1.29 For they shall be ashamed of the Oakes which yee have desired and ye shall be confounded for the gardens yee have chosen Men shall be in this day ashamed to cry up worldly greatnesse strength pollicy parts as now they doe They may have a love in their hearts to these things as Idolls still but shall be ashamed to owne them in the way they now doe Read vers 20. In that day a man shall cast his Idolls of silver and his Idolls of gold which they made each one for himselfe to worship to the Moles and to the Batts 2 Is it so Then let us take heed we doe not in this day set up Idolls To set up Idolls in this day God is pulling them downe makes the offence double We have seen the Lord powring contempt upon many Idolls already and he is now punishing us with the Idolls we have set up let us not goe about to set up more O let us take heed of spirituall Idolls the great Promise of the New Covenant is Cleansing from Idolls Ezek. 36.25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and yee shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your Idells will I cleanse you Plead it with God 3 Is it so Then learne this There shall be a day in which Saints shall have hearts to exalt God onely The wretched Idoll selfe shall be utterly abolished This is a good day 4 Is it so Then Saints seeing such a day shall come Let us labour for a spirit sit for this day when it comes Two things will work such a spirit in us 1 A Mortified heart to a mans owne things being dead to our honour wisedome parts c. 2 An enlivened heart to the things of God and his glory And O! that this Spirit were in us that the glory of our father could be more to us then all the world See those blessed ones Revel 5. they cry out with a loud voyce Worthy is the Lamb that was staine to receive power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glory and blessing We too often cry out our owne worthinesse with a loud voyce but they the Lambs power is the Lambs glory honour wisedome and blessing is the Lambs FINIS A TABLE OF The Chief Heads of the preceding SERMONS I. The Fifth Kingdome or Kingdome of Christ founded on the New Convenant In one Sermon on Jerem. 33.20 21. Preached at Ham. THE Text opened Page 1 2 Qu What that Covenant is that was made with David Answered Page 3 Doct That the Kingdome or visible Kingdome of Christ is founded on the New Covenant proved 1 From the first striking up of the Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son Page 4 5 6 Qu What are we to understand by Gods dividing to Christ a Portion with the great and the Spoyle with the strong Page 7 8 9 10 2 From the Promulgation of the Covenant Page 11 Who are the Seed of the Woman and what it is to break the head of the Serpent Page 11 12 3 From the Renovation of the Covneant Page 15 It was renewed with Abrâ—ham Page 16 What it is for Christ to possesse the Gate of his Enemies Page 17 It was renewed with David Page 21 Qu How doth it appear that this is the new Covenant Page 22 4 From the work it selfe where the work doth begin to rise in the world c. Page 25 Vse 1. Let men or Satan doe what they can for the crushing and keeping down such a thing yet a day there is when it will come forth and that in the spight of all the power of men and hell Page 29 2 The unworthinesse of the Saints it cannot it shall not hinder or deprive them of this mercy Page 30 3 It ought not to be strange to us if we should see a death upon this work when it seems to he coming forth Page 36 4 We should waite upon God patiently for the bringing of it forth