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A60354 A sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir John Shorter, Knight, Lord Mayor of the city of London at Grocers-Hall by Samuel Slater ... Slater, Samuel, d. 1704. 1688 (1688) Wing S3975; ESTC R10144 44,686 50

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Power enough to Protect and Defend them from all their Enemies so that they shall give them no more trouble than will tend to the Honour of God to the advantage of their Cause and to their own eternal Good. Power enough to perform all things for them and to save to the utmost all those that come unto God by him In a word he hath in him all the fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily So that since the Goverment is laid upon his Shoulders there is a full and compleat suitablenss or parity between the Shoulder and the Government The Government is fit for such a Shoulder and the Shoulder is fit for such a Government Secondly This Anointing or setting up of Christ doth signifie God the Fathers designation and appointment of him for this Office the Commissionating and Authorizing of him For what he doth in this donative Kingdom he doth by virtue of his Fathers Commission and Authority derived from him It is the Father that placeth him as King upon the Throne and puts the Royal Scepter into his Hand Ephes. 1.22 and hath put all things under his Feet and gave him to be Head over all things to the Church He is given to be Head By whom is he so given If you look back into the 17 th verse you will find it is by the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory That God who is infinitely Glorious and the Author of all Glory the Fountain of Honour hath put this Honour upon Christ and given him to be Head so an Head and in such a manner as there is none other beside him Mat. 28. All Power is given to him both in Heaven and in Earth Authoritas disponendi omnia in Ecclesia circa Ecclesiam An Authority of ordering and disposing all things in and about the Church This All Power is given unto him singly and solely He hath indeed his Delegates and Officers under him but he is Supream He only Plenipotentiary The Fulness of Power is in his hand and in his alone Therefore it is said Rev. 3.7 That He hath the Key of David He opens and no Man shuts He shuts and no Man opens i. e. He hath supream and absolute Power in the Church both Militant upon Earth and Triumphant in Heaven so that He receives and rejects admits and excludes whom he pleaseth One Ieanes a late Learned and Reverend Writer observes the Fulness of Christs Office is signified by the Power of the Keys The Keys of an House Town or City are the Badges of Power and Authority And therefore the yielding up of them is a sign or token of delivering up all to the Conquerour In Garisons the Keys are every night deposited with the Governours of them The Steward of an House hath the Keys of it committed to him And as Learned Deodate saith Christ's having the Key of David doth signifie his being the Sovereign Lord and Governour of the Church whose Will is to be its standing Law and whose Commands and Orders are to be Universally observed and obeyed not subject to any Contradiction Opposition or Dispute Those Keys which were given in common to Peter and the rest of the Apostles were no more than the Keys of Ministry The Key of Royal Magistratical Power was put into the hand of Christ and there it doth rest and shall immovably remain whoever they be that would wrest it out of his Hand Isa. 9.7 Of the increase of his Government and of Peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to stablish it with Iudgment and with Iustice from henceforth even for ever The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this I now proceed to the last Question which will be this Quest. 5. What is the import of that Particle in the Text Yet Yet have I set my King upon my Hill of Sion What may we gather from thence I answer Though it be but a very little word it is full of Matter of Weight and Sweetness And I shall give up to you my Thoughts concerning it briefly in these four following Particulars First It doth hold out to us that singular Contentment and Delight which God the Father takes in the thing that he hath done the disposal which he hath made He is most highly pleased with the Choice that he hath made of his Son and with that superlative Honour that he hath put upon him His Soul is at rest things are now as God would have them Let Men think and say what they will let them fret and murmur as much and as long as they will yet have I set him up yet I have given him a Name above every Name that at his Name every Knee shall bow be it never so proud and stiff I have done it and I am fully satisfied Time was when it pleased the Lord to bruise him Isa. 53.10 and to put him to grief Though he did infinitely love the Person of Christ yet he took pleasure in his Sorrows and Agonies the shedding of his Blood was a delightful Spectacle to him as it was the repairing of his own injur'd Honour and the price of his Peoples Redemption When he made his Soul an Offering for Sin it was a Sacrifice of a sweet Savor And now he is as much pleased in his having exalted him You know what is said with reference to his Sacerdotal Office Psal. 110.4 The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek He will never retract that He hath resolved and determined it with an immutable Will. And we may say the same as to his Regal Office The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Christ is and shall be a King for ever No no God doth not repent of any thing that he hath done for Christ He doth not repent of the Glory to which he hath advanced him nor of the Power with which he hath invested him And the truth is He hath no cause to repent and which is more He never shall He was fully and eternally sure of that Such a Power could be no where better disposed of no where so well as it is The Royal Robe sits neatly upon the back of Christ the Crown becomes his Head. Go forth O ye Sons and Daughters of Ierusalem and behold King Iesus with the Crown wherewith his Father crowned him in the day of his Inauguration and in the day of the gladness of his Heart It is a most lovely Sight He a most glorious Object The Father himself counts him so and loves to look upon him As it did greatly please Christ to obey his Father and to honour Him the doing of the Fathers Will was his Meat and Drink He was straitned till it was accomplished So it doth as greatly please the Father to honour Christ. Therefore He saith Yet have I set my King c. I rejoyce in the Thoughts of it in a Reflexion upon
of places The conveniency of them is considerable but the holiness of them in these new Testament-times is a fancy Joh. 4.21 Iesus saith unto her Woman believe me the hour eometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Ierusalem worship the Father Ceremonious Worship is antiquated and distinction of places taken away Christ prayed in a Mountain and taught in a Ship and by the Sea-side and saith Paul 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Look to this that your persons be right that you have holy hands and hearts and that your Prayers be right without wrath and doubting accompanied with Faith in God and Love to your Neighbour so you may pray every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any place so that you do not do it with the Pharisee and Hypocrite to be seen of men Prayers saith Estius are at this day no less grateful to God in any Church or any other convenient and fitting place than at the Temple of Ierusalem But then take this Expression my holy Hill mystically for the Church of God and we shall find the name doth most aptly agree to it it is indeed the Hill of Gods holiness because the Church is made up of holy ones Thus Paul speaks in his Epistles 1 Cor. 1.2 Unto the Church of God which is in Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints Ephes. 1.1 To the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Iesus So Col. 1.2 To the Saints and faithful Brethren in Christ which are at Coloss. This holy Temple is not to be made of any rubbish all persons are not to be admitted to the communion and enjoyments there tho they come sometimes reeling out of an Ale-house and at other times reeking out of a Whore house No no Saints only are proper matter here The Invisible Church is made up altogether of real Saints such as are born of God renewed in the spirit of their minds have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost not only in his common gifts but also in his special and saving Graces who coming unto Christ as to a living stone chosen of God and precious are as lively stones built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.4 5. The Visible Church is and ought to be made up of such as are at least visibly holy men openly loose and flagitious known to be of prophane hearts and lives whose lewdness is in their skirts and who carry the Devils mark in their foreheads men that live a plain downright contradiction to the Religion they profess ought not to be admitted into that Congregation of the Lord. All the Visible Members are foederally holy they are entred into Covenant with God the Seal of that Covenant is upon them the Vows of God are upon them they have been set apart for God solemnly devoted to his Fear and Service and they ought to be such as make an open profession of God and Christ and Godliness and such as make it their endeavour so to live up to that their Profession that Religion may not be dishonoured and reproached by them nor others scandalized and offended And among these holy Ones it is that Gods dwells It is in the Golden Candelsticks that Christs walks It is unto the Saints that he communicates himself and manifests himself It is in heaven above that he dwells by the presence of his glory and in the Church below that he dwells by his gracious presence and therefore it may be and is most fitly called his Holy Hill. 3. Quest. The third Question we have to speak unto is this Who is that King whom God hath set upon his holy hill of Sion who is he that God the Father doth in the Text call his King. Ans. To this the Answer is ready It is no other than his own dearly beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ him hath God exalted to be a Prince as well as a Saviour he hath not only laid the burden upon his shoulders the iniquities of us all but he hath laid also the Government upon his shoulder and put the Scepter into his hand all power Regal Magistratical power both in heaven and in earth is delivered and committed to him As he is the eternal Son of the eternal Father the second Person in the sacred Trinity God equal with God he hath a natural Kingdom As he is Mediator as God-man he hath Regnum Oeconomicum a dispensatory Kingdom unto which he was appointed and anointed this was the Fathers Donative he made him Head of the Church and head over all things to the Church So that his Authority and Royal power extends it self unto all the world for at his name that is not to be understood of the Syllabical name of Jesus but his power and to that every knee shall bow even the stiffest all in heaven all in earth and all under earth Angels Men and Devils all are subject to him all to be order'd imploy'd rul'd over-rul'd restrained by him as he pleaseth Some he hath in his heart and others he hath under his feet and there he will keep them let them kick and winch never so much He is King of kings and Lord of lords come ye earthly Monarchs lay your Crowns at the feet of Jesus it is his due for he is infinitely above you when in your greatest height and it is your wisdom and interest those that honour him he will honour Whether you do or no it is all one to him as to his own interest yet he shall be glorious and as to his work and design that shall be carried on his own pace and according to his own mind and pleasure and maugre all opposition brought to perfection But to bow to him and take part with him is to be your own Friends and to do your selves a kindness Those that will not be ruled by his Laws are and shall be over-ruled by his power If they will not chearfully submit to him they shall be fatally broken by him That voice will sound one day and it will be a dreadful sound in the ears of the profane and Antichristian world Bring hither those mine enemies that would not have me to reign over them and slay them before my face The special Rule and Government which Christ hath is over the Church it is in Sion there he is a King of Righteousness there a Prince of Peace He is that token of love which God hath sent to his people that glorious Sun which he hath set in the Churches Orb Isa. 9.6 To us a Son is born to us a child is given that is the Son of God as to his Deity the Son of David as to his Humanity He is given to us and born to us to the spiritual Israel to us who are the spiritual seed of Abraham and who tread
Derision and Contempt and while they are raising the Posse Terrae the Powers of the Earth against Christ he knows there is no need of raising the Posse Coeli for him No need of raising his Hosts or of arming and sending twelve Legions of Angels to his assistance No no in order to their Confusion and fatal Disappointment it is full out enough for him to speak to them only it is in his anger and that will vex them by turning their Counsel backward and tumbling their Persons headlong into Destruction which shall certainly be in due time The Word of God carrieth along with it a mighty Power and Efficacy With a word he created the World and brought this excellent Fabrick of Heaven and Earth out of nothing It was but his Fiat and the Work was done and by the word of his Power he upholds all things so that they do not fall and return into their first Nothing And with a word he can blast all the Projects of his Son's Adversaries and wither every Arm that is stretched out against him If any inquire what it is that God speaks to them you have it in the words of the Text Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion In which you have these things worthy of your Observation First The will of God set in opposition to the Wills and Counsels of Men. Yet I they are doing so and so but I have done quite otherwise they are doing their Pleasure and I have done mine their work is to do and will never be done mine is done already I am before-hand with them Secondly You have the Act of God the Father by which Regal Power and authority is conferred upon Christ. I have set anointed constituted my King. Thirdly The Seat of his Kingdom the place where his Throne is set and where he is to exercise his Sovereign power The holy Hill of Sion The Doctrine that I shall from hence raise and present you with as the Subject of the following Discourse is this Doct. Let the discontent and rage the designs and practices of Men be what they will yet there is a King set up in Sion by God the Father and this King doth and shall Reign and that in the midst of his Enemies and in spite of them too they may as soon pluck the Sun out of the Firmament as Christ out of the Throne I shall dispatch the Doctrinal part in opening the several Words of the Text which will be done by answering these following Questions First What is meant by Sion Secondly Why is Sion called Gods holy Hill Thirdly Who is that King whom God hath set up there Fourthly What is the meaning of that phrase setting him Fifthly What is the import of that Particle yet Yet have I set him all which I shall pass through with convenient Brevity having a due respect both to his Auditory and the time and then proceed to the Application 1. Q. Our first Question is this What is meant by Sion A. To which I answer thus Sion is to be taken two ways literally and mystically Sion in the literal Acceptation was a considerable Mountain in Ierusalem which had been formerly in the Possession of the Iebusites and was by them kept until the time of David the second King of Israel but the first good one 2 Sam. 5.7 The King and his men went up to Ierusalem to the Iebusites the inhabitants of the Land which spake unto David saying Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou canst not come in hither thinking David cannot come in hither nevertheless David took the strong hold of Sion the same is called the City of David This Hill had two tops upon one of which was built the Tower or City of David and upon the other afterwards was built by Solomon his Son the Temple of the Lord and that top was Mount Moriah as you may see in the 2 Chron. 3.1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Ierusalem in Mount Moriah where the Lord had appeared unto David his Father Sion in the mystical Acceptation is no other than the Church of God. We find that Christ himself who is the King of Saints and Head of the Body is frequently in Scripture called by the name of David Thus Ezek. 34.23 24. I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Shepherd And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it So again Hos. 3.5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their king and they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days Christ in these and other such like places is to be understood by David and he hath his Name given him because he was to be of the Seed of David the Royal Line and David was the Type of him being as was before hinted the first good and gracious King in Israel tender over that People of God and faithful to their interest ruling them with Wisdom and Love not tyrannically with a Rod of Iron Now as Christ the King is called by the Name of David So the Gospel Church which is his Kingdom the place of his gracious and spiritual Residence is called by the name of Sion so you find it in Hebr. 12.22 Ye are not come to the mount that burned with fire nor to blackness and darkness and tempest but ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem i.e. to the Church both Militant in which you are Conversant and Triumphant of which you are now Members that Church which is the Seat of Christ and Habitation of God. So likewise in Revel 14.1 I looked and lo a Lamb stood upon mount Sion and with him an hundred forty four thousand having his Fathers name written in their foreheads The Mount Sion here meant is the Church of God where Christ stands to look to it and take particular constant Care of it which he always did and will still go on to do These hundred forty and four thousand that were with him are the Elect of God and effectually called who have submitted to him are followers of him and take his part and are ready to take up his Cross whensoever called to it And this Mark or Seal doth signifie both the sanctifying work of the Spirit in their Hearts by which they are brought over to Christ and also his strengthening work whereby they are kept stedfast with him notwithstanding all the discouragements they find in themselves all the Temptations and Oppositions that are made against them by Hell and all the Afflictions and Persecutions they meet with from the World. And it is said to be in their Foreheads to note out unto us not only the blessed fruit which they bring forth in the sight of
and to remove and abrogate them when he will. He gave out the Ceremonial Law unto Moses and by Moses to his ancient people the Iews upon Mount Sinai and it was taken away by him Col. 2.14 He blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances which was against us The question is what was that hand-writing I answer the Moral Law But how not as it was a Law binding us to duty to God our selves and our neighbours not as it is a rule of life for so it is irreversible it stands still in force and lays upon us an eternal obligation but as it was a Covenant of Works and as it did so oblige us to perfect and compleat obedience as withal to oblige us to punishment and damn us to Hell for the least neglect and disobedience nay for the least failure and defect in our obedience I answer again this hand-writing was the Ceremonial Law wherein there was a publick confession and acknowledgment of sin and of the sinners obligation to punishment and deserving of death and everlasting misery and upon that account or so far it was against us now this Christ blotted out by his Doctrine and after that he nailed it to his Cross by his death and at it i.e. he finished it he utterly abolished it He took it quite away out of the way of our duty we are no more to observe it and out of the way of our happiness so that it cannot prejudice nor obstruct that as it cannot do us any good so it shall not do us any hurt as it cannot purge and cleanse us from sin so it shall not charge us with it and this he did as the Lord of Ordinances and instead of that he hath been graciously pleased to introduce and set up another worship less onerous and painful more easie and spiritual and therefore more glorious for which we have cause to admire his goodness and to bless his name and this is his right to do and his alone those that bring in worships and modes of worship besides his do usurp a power that belongs not to them Men have no power to institute because they have no power to sanctifie bless and prosper any of their Institutions that is in the alone power of Christ as he is Lord and Head of the Church Moses the man of God did put up his sweet and excellent petition which we ought heartily to repeat Psal. 90.17 Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us Oh that it may be so but when is it so when as I hinted briefly before the Church is constituted according to the mind of Christ when all its Offices and Officers are appointed by Christ when all Ordinances in it are administred according to the Law of Christ when the lives and conversations of Professors are ordered according to the Rule of Christ. It is not the beauty and grandeur of the world which doth become the Courts of Earthly Princes it is not the beauty of human inventions how fine and pretty soever it may seem but the beauty of the Lord but of this we have spoken before Q. 4. Our fourth Question is this What God doth mean when he saith He hath set his King upon his holy hill of Sion Or what may be the import of that word setting Answ. I answer the word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to anoint and so you have it render'd in the Margent of your Bibles I have anointed my King perfudi I have poured out my holy Oyl upon him it doth import a plentiful effusion an abundant pouring out of the Oyl upon him The very same word is used in Isa. 29.10 where it is translated poured out The Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep and hath closed your eyes the prophets and your rulers the seers hath he covered they are drown'd in sleep they are in a dead sleep He hath poured out such a profound and deep sleep that they are cover'd with it this word is metaphorically used to cover yea so to cover a thing all over as to hide it from the eye and prevent any bodies seeing it and as our learned Criticks observe it is most commonly applied in the Scripture to the pouring out of the drink-offering upon the sacrifice which drencht it and ran over it Jerem. 32.39 They have offered burnt offerings unto Baal and poured out drink-offerings unto other gods to provoke me to anger And it is also applied to and made use of for the covering of Sin in a way of pardoning Mercy and Grace Psal. 32.1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered so cover'd as that it is quite hid as a Body that is buried in the Grave out of sight or as a weight that is cast into the bottom of the Sea from whence it shall never be fetched up again it shall be remembred and mentioned no more to a Person 's Condemnation and eternal Reproach Thus God makes good his gracious Promise of pardoning abundantly When once he justifieth the Sinner upon his Repentance and Faith he wholly covers his Sin tho not from the Eye of his Omniscience yet from the Eye of his revenging Justice This anointing in the Text doth import God the Father's ordaining constituting and appointing of Christ for King upon his holy Hill of Sion or as it is in your Translation the Fathers setting of him up placing him in the Throne Kings and Priests were by the Divine Order to be anointed as those know that know the Scripture And so were Prophets 1 Kings 19.16 Iehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholah shalt thou anoint to be Prophet in thy room All these Offices meet together in Christ which they never did in any other David was a King and a Prophet but not a Priest. Samuel was a Prophet and Priest but not a King. Christ is all the Prophet Priest and King of his Church he hath a fulness of Offices and so hath been anointed as you find in Isa. 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek that he doth as a Prophet he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted that he doth as a Priest and to proclaim Liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound this he doth as a King. And as he hath the greatest fulness of Office so he hath the greatest fulness of the Unction But let us speak a little more particularly This plentiful anointing of our Lord Jesus Christ from whence he hath his Names the Messiah and the Christ doth hold out to us these two things 1. His being admirably yea thoroughly accomplished for the exercise of Royal Authority and Power 2. His Investiture and being by the Father cloathed with it Of both which I shall say something tho far short
of the weight and worth of the Subject 1. This anointing of Christ doth signify to us his being perfectly fitted and accomplished for the exercise of Regal Authority and Power for the Office and Work of a King. There is an excellent Spirit upon him many have been in high Places and of low spirits some have had a spirit of Cowardize and others a spirit of Cruelty a sanguinary spirit as well as a Purple-robe Antiochus nick-named Epiphanes was therefore by the Holy Ghost called a vile Person because he was a Prince of a vile base spirit but there is upon Christ a most excellent and glorious Spirit it is no other than the Spirit of the Lord God. He did at his Baptism descend upon him in the likeness of a Dove not of an Hawk or Harpy a Bird of Prey but a Dove Innocent Meek and Loving and this Spirit doth rest upon him hath an eternal abode in him yea and with this Spirit Christ is filled with all the gifts of this Spirit and with all his Graces You read therefore of the unsearchable riches of Christ such as have no bottom He hath enough for himself and for all those that are united to him and designed by the Father for him enough for thee O poor disconsolate Soul who thinkest thou hast none at all You read likewise of an all-fulness which it hath pleased the Father should dwell in him So that O Saint whensoever thou labourest under the most pressing and pinching Wants thou mayest know whither to go for a full supply That is an excellent passage to this purpose which you have in Psal. 47.5 Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with oil of gladness above thy fellows If you ask who those be that are here called his Fellows Some say they are Kings and Priests or rather if you please understand it of the Saints true Believers all of them one and other all those who have received an Unction from the holy one who have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost in his sanctifying Influences and Operations These come to be Christs fellows through his most gracious Condescention for he by assuming their Nature into unity with his Person stooped so low as to become one of them Emanuel God with us He graciously descended to the state of their Mortality and Meanness that they through him might be advanced to a state of Immortality and Glory If it be asked what is that oyl of gladness with which he is anointed The answer is ready It is no other than the Divine Spirit the great and effectual Comforter who doth chear refresh revive and make glad the Heart of those in whom he dwells And of this all the Saints of God are made the blessed Partakers 1 Joh. 2.20 Ye have an Unction from the holy-one not only the gifts of the Spirit Wisdom and Grace but the Spirit himself which is if I may use the Expression diffused through the whole mystical Body so that every real living Member hath a share Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his he doth not belong to Christ he is none of his genuine Disciple But now tho there be a joynt Participation the same Spirit is in Christ and Believers the same Soul in the Head and Members Yet there is a difference as to the Measure and Degree thereof All the holy Oyl was poured out upon the head of Aaron but only some part of it reached down to the Skirts of his Garments All the Saints have the Spirit something of his Light and Life of his Grace and Influence but Christ hath unspeakably more He is seated above them and therefore anointed above them He hath a greater fulness of Office than any of them and therefore a greater fulness of the Spirit He receiveth the Spirit not only for himself but for all and every one of them God the Father in pouring of it out upon him had an Eye and respect to all the Cases Imployments Necessities and Wants of all his chosen and beloved Ones and furnished Christ accordingly We find in one place that when he ascended on high he received Gifts for Men in another we read that he gave Gifts to Men. He received for this end that he might give His Work is to communicate and to influence his People He is to be an Head not only for Eminence but likewise for Influence and as this is his Work so blessed be his Name it is his Delight Never did tender Mother take more pleasure in giving her Breast to her Child than Christ doth take in his Communications to his People Upon these accounts as it was fit and necessary that he should be so he is most richly stored He hath not the Spirit in measure so you find Joh. 3.34 He whom God hath sent speaketh the word of God for God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him i. e. He whom God hath sent out of Heaven to Earth he whom God hath sent out of his own Bosom he speaketh the Word of God that and nothing else he speaks it in another manner than ever any did for he had not the Spirit given him by measure all men else that have received this Spirit have it in measure only so much every one and no more Tho we may know to our comfort that measure is meted out with a most wise judicious and gracious Hand in a just and full Proportion to that place which every one holds in the Body and to that Work and Service which every one hath to do in the World but the Spirit was given to Christ without measure God the Father did not stand upon measuring it out to him no no he poured it out abundantly he gave as much to him as his humane Nature was capable of receiving so that he hath not only enough for himself for the acting of his own part and the bearing his own burden but enough too for all his People in all Places and Ages of the World. He hath Wisdom enough to teach them all that is needful for them to know and to direct and lead them into all those ways in which they ought to walk He hath Grace enough to sanctify them and to fit them for a Communion with his Father and himself while they are upon Earth and to make them compleatly holy and so meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. He hath Power enough to support them under all their Burdens so that they shall break neither their Backs nor their Hearts but they shall bear them patiently and carry themselves under them becomingly Power enough to enable them for all their Duties so that they shall perform them to Acceptance and Praise Power enough to secure them in all their Temptations and to carry them through them and to make them more than Conquerors over them and so to carry them from sore Conflicts to glorious Triumphs
Bridegroom and of all Men it is your Duty your Place and Office doth strongly oblige you to make it your main Business to commend this Christ who is so sweet so altogether lovely that you cannot commend him too much you cannot rise so high as to reach an Hyperbole in his praise Will you woo for him and rather speak ten thousand Words for him than one for your selves Some Mens Persecuting Spirits Discourses and Practices have been a just Cause of Offense The greatest hurt I wish them is a sight of their Sin and a Gospel-Repentance And since God hath been graciously pleas'd to put it into the Heart of our King to declare for those things which make for Peace I also wish that all Men would make their Contributions thereunto that though as yet there is no great probability of having one Way or worshipping together with one Shoulder and Consent though as yet there is no great probability of a full and thorow Agreement one with another yet we may be put out of a Capacity of being injurious and mischievous one to another And for this we may comfortably hope seeing it is the Matter of a Divine Promise Isa. 11.6 The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall feed they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain We are not offended at their preaching Obedience to Lawful Authority but own it a Duty incumbent upon us to be subject and that not only for Wrath or fear of Punishment but also for Conscience-sake But I would desire them to prove themselves Gospel-Ministers by their preaching up of Christ who is Evangelii Medulla the very Pith and Marrow of the Gospel Let them be industrious in promoting the Interest of Christ and willing that others should do it too Let us rejoice to take his Name and pour it out as a precious Ointment in our respective Congregations that the Savour of it and of his Knowledge being by us made manifest in every place the Virgins may love him Really my Brethren I must take leave to tell you there hath been too much Time and Labour and Heat spent about things minoris pretii of less weight and value There hath been Tithing of Mint and Cummin There have been very unkind and unbrotherly Contendings about such things as will not commend Men to God nor add any thing to them when laid in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Let us now at last though indeed it is pitty that it is so late learn to love one another and so fulfill the Law of Christ and convince the World that we are his Disciples and let us love Christ better than our selves Let us learn of Paul who was a better Man and had more Learning than any of us can in modesty or reason pretend to the best of us are not worthy to have carried his Books after him I say let us learn of him who determined to make Christ the great and main Subject of his Discourses 1 Cor. 2.1 2. When I came to you I came not with excellency of Speech or of Wisdom Not with Philosophical Notions or Platonick Speculations or Plutarchs Morals nor with Rhetorical Flourishes verborum phaleris the trappings of words No not I saith He I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him Crucified And now my Lord let me address my Discourse to you and those Worshipful Aldermen your Brethren here present whom God and the King have vested with Authority and armed with civil Power I do desire you and by virtue of his Authority who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords in whose Name I come I charge you to appear and that vigorously in your several Places for Christ. I know that you are Gods Vicegerents and have a very considerable share of the Government laid upon your Shoulders which is indeed a great Honour to you but a far greater Burthen And as you have need of divine Guidance and Assistance so the effectual fervent Prayers of righteous Ones of those who are faithful in the Land will do you a kindness and avail you much and I can assure you of them while you sit at the Helm of this great and populous City there are many at the Throne of Grace putting up their Petitions and Requests for you of whom I profess my unworthy self to be One. Sensible we are that it is dura provincia an hard Province difficult Service unto which you are called and that you have many curious Eyes upon you and it may be many Adversaries the good Lord furnish you with proportionable Wisdom Courage and Grace You have a great deal to do for the King and be you diligent and faithful in the doing of it Oh! that it may be said of you as it was of Daniel when the Presidents and Princes sought occasion against him concerning the Kingdom i.e. some unfaithfulness to his Prince some abuse of his Power some or other Miscarriage and Male-Administration Dan. 6.4 They could find no occasion nor fault for as much as He was faithful neither was there any Errour or Fault found in him I heartily beg of God the same for you And now I desire you frequently and seriously to consider with your selves that the Honour and Interest of Christ ought to have a room in your Hearts yea to lye uppermost And will you act for Christ and rule for Christ Will you study what you shall do for him Let it not be said by others nor charged upon you by your Consciences that you minded your own things but not the things of Jesus Christ. Every one of you repeat these thoughts let them dwell with you and be powerful in their Influence God hath done nothing in vain God did not send any one into the World in vain He did not give me my Life and Being for nothing He hath not brought me to this place of Magistracy for nothing He hath not sent me into the Vineyard to loiter there not set me in the Chair to sleep there He hath not put this Talent into my hand that it might lye dead there As I am a Man in Authority so under Authority and must be accountable to my Sovereign upon Earth which carrieth with it a greater awe to my God in Heaven What now shall I do for this God How shall I improve my Time How shall I make use of my Power How shall I fill up my Place I beseech you to shew your selves worthy Men worthy of the Honour put upon you and the Power concredited to you Oh! study this bestow your best and most serious Thoughts upon it And whatever your hand findeth to do be sure to do it with your might I will commend to your Care only these two things First Do all that in you lyes for the honour
and all of you Children of the most High. They are Gods Vicegerents Gods Representatives they are Terrestrial Gods. But be not proud of that be not high minded but fear and to that end he whispers in their Ear or rather tells them upon the House-top but ye shall die like Men. You may ask what may be the meaning of that I Answer You may take it thus They shall die like Men i.e. they know no more when they shall die than other Men whether some years hence or to morrow or to day and they can tell no more than other Men how they shall die whether a natural or violent Death whether on a sudden or by some lingering and tedious Distemper And again they die like Men as to the Consequences of Death They must be stript of all their Ornaments and Royal Robes and their Bodies must return to Dust and both Soul and Body must come to Judgment Kings that are Supreme and all Inferiour Magistrates must stand before the Tribunal of Christ and there be judged their Rule shall be inspected their Government examined all their Words and Actions considered and all the Sentences that have been here past by them all the Punishments that have been inflicted by them by their Authority and Order shall be curiously and exactly weighed in the Ballance of Justice Oh! be wise and consider this and remember your latter end But though Christ died once He died but once He shall not die a second time Death hath no more Power over him This Friend may fall and that Comfort may wither and that Prince may die under whose Shadow the People rejoyced but so doth not Christ He abides for ever Psalm 102. Thou hast laid the Foundations of the Earth the Heavens are the work of thine Hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Secondly Christ shall reign as well as live He shall live and that like himself in State and in Power and Glory His and our Father who hath set him up for King upon his holy Hill of Sion hath settled him there and fixed him there the Sacred Scriptures do abound with Expressions to this purpose that we might have a full assurance of Faith in the Matter which is so important As to instance in a few Ps. 45.6 Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever So Ps. 110.1 2. The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool The Lord shall send the Rod of thy Strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thine Enemies He now rules in the midst of them and in spite of them and the Father will subdue them all Christ sits expecting till it be done And as the Father was not failed in his Expectation from Christ so Christ shall not be failed in his Expectation from the Father All his Enemies shall be brought to an under either in a way of gracious Conversion or in a way of most dreadful Confusion Either they shall willingly bow to him in the day of his Power or else they shall against their wills be broken by him in the day of his wrath either they shall submit to his golden Scepter or they shall be dashed in pieces like a Potters Vessel by his Iron Rod. In a word Either they shall by a chearful Resignation put themselves into his hand to be moulded guided and ordered by him or else they shall be under his Feet to be trampled upon with Scorn and Indignation and at last kicked to Hell as fewel for those unquenchable Flames And yet further He must Reign till he hath got the actual and full possession of all that unto which he hath an unquestionable Right by virtue of his Fathers donation i.e. till the Heathen and uttermost parts of the Earth be brought in to him Of the continuance of his Kingdom and the increase of his Government there shall be no end till that happy time come wherein all the Kingdoms of the World shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ i. e. they shall renounce all Idolatry and false Worships and embrace the Gospel and walk in the Light thereof and according to its Rules Yea it is said Rev. 11.15 He shall Reign for ever and ever till time shall be no more Thirdly Rejoyce in this That the Church of the living God shall be preserved and continued in the World. Though there have been dreadful concussions and are so at this present and are like to be till all be shaken down that God hath not set up yet there shall be no overturning of this House no ruining thereof The Ship may be and frequently is sorely tost with Tempests but it shall live since Christ is Pilot and sits at the Helm and steers the Course I say it shall live as the Ark did in the Deluge when the Waters were at the highest Notwithstanding all the Rage and Malice all the Power and Plots of Men and Devils Christ will have a Church upon Earth Though they may prune this Vine which Gods right Hand hath planted yet they shall never be able to pull it up by the roots It may bleed grievously even to Fainting but not to Death It is true this or that particular Church may fail The Church of the Iews did though once dearly yea only beloved and so have the seven Famous Churches in Asia And so may others Therefore that was excellent and no more than necessary Counsel which Paul more likely to be an Apostle to them than Peter gave them Rom. 11.20 21. Because of unbelief they i. e. the Iews were broken off and thou standest by Faith be not high-minded but fear Which Counsel he followeth with this weighty Reason For if God spared not the natural Branches take heed lest he spare not thee That was Pauls advice to the Church at Rome when he wrote this Epistle to them But whatever hath become of Her or may of this or that particular Church our Lord Iesus will certainly take effectual care that there shall be a true Church upon Earth And though at first it be but as a little Stone yet shall it smite the Image upon his feet and break them to pieces and become it self a great Mountain and fill the whole Earth Let every one look to it that they be true and living Members of that true Church and continue so without turning aside to any Synagogue of Satan or having any Fellowship with Devils The End.