contrary to the world for so the world is conquered and hee that suffers becomes subject to another but we are slaine saith the Apostle and our slaughter is our victory nay more than victory in so doing we conquer the conquerours and command our oppressors More than conquerours is more than any Caesar achieved unto or ever Monarch effected in his greatest victories Who can say so but Christians Emperours have conquered with difficultie and lost with greater facility all their kingdomes They have beene lesse than conquerours and never gotten victory but left it to others to gaine it from them O the honour of this spirituall kingdome and excellency of grace that even thriveth best vnder oppressions and worldly violence The regression of the Kingdome All the honour of this Kingdome redoundeth unto Christ and shall then appeare when he appeares to take his Kingdome great dominion He should have had no subjects but for the Spirit and none so victorious but for Martyres who as they have first honoured Christ by death shall of him againe bee first graced with life Those that are alive and converted shall bee a glory to Christ as hee will bee a glory to them It is for the persons in the sacred Trinity mutually to raise glory one to another Wee are therefore ordine retrogrado come from the kingdome of grace to the Kingdome of power from the administration of the Spirit to the administration of the Son and seeke after three things as glorious as the former and yet more outward but not lesse spirituall for perfection in the Trinity is both wayes obserued and effected in progression the Father perfects his worke in the Sonne and the Sonne in the Spirit so in regression the holy Ghost perfects grace in power and the Son perfects power in glory We will speake of the Sons taking ruling and delivering up of this kingdome of power Christs taking of the Kingdome of power Heb. 2.5 mention is made of a world to come and the subjectioÌ„ thereof to Christ This wee see not saith the Apostle as yet accomplished but wee see Iesus Christ crowned and made a King in heaven His presence on earth as yet wee have not save in the holy Ghost But hee will appeare in his body and take this Kingdome and whole world to himselfe and turne out of it all the ungodly in the earth His enemies that would not suffer him to reigne over them by his Gospell are then to bee brought before him and slaine in his presence The taking of his great power Revel 11.17 At the last trumpet and the last woe all Kingdomes fall to Christ But how I pray you marke the text He shall take to himselfe his great power and reigne To himselfe immediately to himselfe for forme and manner of government He left it in the hands of the Spirit and now takes it againe to himselfe no more depriving the Spirit of the honour of it in the re-assumption than hee did himselfe when he deposed it into the hands of his Spirit Now the question will bee how this is done The answer is with great power greater than ever before for it destroyes them all that now destroy the earth How is it taken Daniel assoiâ—es this doubt and makes it glorious and wonderfull in his extraordinary description of it Dan. 7.9 10. c. First the Lord Iesus takes it from his enemies and casts downe their thrones and makes them seates for his Saints Rev. 20.7 he takes it from the last beast even because of the little horne and his blasphemous and bloody words Secondly hee takes it from the Ancient of daies who in a glorious and most illustrious manner installes the Lord Iesus into his kingdome Thirdly he is attended and waited upon by the innumerable company of Angels by whom hee is brought to the Ancient of dayes Reade the rest and admite at this inauguration and solemnization of the day of Christs coronation upon earth who now in heaven is crowned with glory and immortality When it is taken 2 Tim. 4.1 At the Epiphanie of his kingdome Marke 13.26 Luke 21.27 when the powers of heaven are shaken and the starres that shine in them are humbled to the ground Earthly potentates that are advanced above others shall bee made low The fall of such starres will not hinder the sight of Christ but honour it Other starres being bigger than the earth would overlay it and men and suffer no man to stand upon earth to see the Lord Iesus come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory Hee must bee seene of all eyes and therefore it is most safe to give the sense of the Scriptures by the Scriptures and to say of this day as of the former shadowes of it in Babylon and Aegypt Isa 13.10 and 14.12 13. Ezek. 32.7 8. The starres of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light The Sunne shall bee darkned in his going forth and the Moone shall not cause her light to shine the bright lights of heaven are put out when Pharaoh falleth by the Babilonians and Lucifer sonne of the morning ascended into heaven above the heights of the clouds and starres themselves to bee like the most High comes downe to the ground when by the Medes and Persians Belshazzar is pulled from the orbe of his height and honour Christ the bright shining starre of Iacob and the advanced Scepter of Israe is risen and shall rise to smite all corners and subdue all Nations Let us therefore advance him from the taking of the kingdome to the ruling of it Christs ruling and reigning in his kingdome Dan. 7.14 On this day dominion is given to Christ Zech. 14.9 One Lord one name and that over all the earth In this day will hee reigne in and over all mankinde Rev. 11 15. Now the world does not acknowledge him for one Lord as being ruled by many neither does it worship him by one name as being distracted into many religions but this will Christ remove at his day and rule by a more equall power and uniforme worship Paul is our witnesse 1 Cor. 15.24 25 26. c. that the end and delivery up of this kingdome to God even the Father cannot be till rule authority and power of devils in hell men upon earth and even death the last of enemies be fully vanquished and subdued and for this purpose I might produce all the Prophets and holy Apostles speaking glorious things of Christs reigning and ruling at the sound of the last trumpet and comming of the last woe Rev. 10.7 All the Prophets are witnesses and St. Peter speaking of the same thing adds to them all the Apostles 2 Pet. 3 2. They have ill done that have muzled up the mouthes of the Prophets with a Consummation and conclusion in Christs incarnation The Iewes dispute Dan. 2.35 and 7.11 That Messiah must come when the Monarchies are as chaffe before the winde and quite blowne out of the world When the
propagates Evangelicall faith or the want of it to his posterity It is personall both in the habite and privation No man is saved but by his owne faith or condemned but by his owne infidelity The want of faith in Christ is every mans proper sinne and can be imputed to none without the Gospel Wee make it the Churches sinne and not of all the world Gods preparation and donation of faith Leaving the power of Mans innocency and vniversall freedome to beleeve legally or Evangellically wee fall into the safe way and say that wheresoeâ—â—â— the Gospel is preached God gives or is prepared to give faith in Christ Hee mockes no man but is serious in the salvation of every soule to which the Gospel is sent Every hearer in the Church is zealously perswaded to repent The Ministers minde and Gods meet in his holy ordinances and the Word is earnestly spoken to every eare God himselfe goes with his message from seate to seate and from man to man with true and hearty desire of his conversion yet notwithstanding he gives not equall grace to all as shall appeare in our distribution thereof The donation of faith Act. 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life beloved To the Elect hee gives faith He is not onely prepared to preach unto them his Gospell but hee prepares their hearts to receive it He gives unto his chosen ones the blessed Gospel of peace and reconciliation and hee gives them faith to beleeve it We have all the same capacity but not the same conformitie Our powers are alike in understanding and will but that obedientiall and filiall subjection to God and his Gospel is peculiar to some God is prepared to give faith to all that heare his Gospel Matth. 23.37 I would yee would not It is the will of God by the Gospel that all should be gathered unto him Mans will resisteth Gods will and makes that Gospel of none effect that should be effectuall unto all God may adde further grace and give men hearts to receive as freely as his Gospell is offered unto them but such grace is a royall prerogative and reserved for some of many All are beholding to God but some finde and feele the very riches of his grace and are never able to be thankefull enough that they above others should receive so much Of the righteousnesse of God To require performance and give no power is as unequall in the command to al as it is in the gift to some To seeke where hee sowes not and to reape without labour is unreasonable if not unrighteous Man never had power to obey and therefore a heavy and harsh command is imposed upon him Mans power to obey the Gospel There is never a man but is guilty of that power that God hath given him and does lesse than he is inabled by his owne freedome There is no man but he may frequent the meanes and come to the place of Gods worship Secondly being come hee hath eares to heare Thirdly he hath an understanding to know the logicke and language of the holy Ghost Fourthly by that knowledge to come to an historicall faith Fiftly to affect reverence and regard both Ministers and message Sixtly to bring forth some fruits Seventhly to attend and wait daily for the regenerating Spirit that may convert and turne him truely unto God This power man useth not and is justly condemned for the abuse of it Want of faith in Christ simply no sinne If condemnation were absolutely and originally from faith a power were necessary to beleeve but in divers cases faith is found to be no sinne in the want of it Adam in the estate of innocency had no faith in Christ as a Mediatour and was blamelesse because no Law injoyned it Secondly men that need this faith and yet want the Gospell to convince them are guiltlesse of the sinne though in some sense they may bee said to bee guilty of the punishment Every curse and want of favour being due to every sonne of Adam It therefore remaineth that they onely are to be taxed that have the Gospell Sinnes of the Gospell are aggravations of the Law It must bee presupposed that a man is guilty of sinne and death before the Gospell charge him with a greater measure of evill and make him worse both in sinnes and sorrowes It is not the want of faith barely that turnes a man into hell for finde payment in thy selfe and satisfaction to the Law and God will challenge thee no further but that is impossible and therefore the Law casts the first stone at thee and beares thee over with the blow of death then comes the Gospel and buries thee under that stone without all hope of mercy A man is blind and rejects a cure his wilfulnesse hath made him the worse and more worthy of greater woes so the Gospell tenders thee a pardon thou contemnes it and for contempt deserves the sorer punishment It is not therefore necessary for God to give every man power to beâ—eeve but it is necessary for every man to be carefull he abuse not the power he hath and so double his terments and punishments in â—eâ—l Conviction is the worke of the Spirit The Father gives over the administration to his Sonne the Sonne to the Spirit and he is the first that argueth and disputeth with men of mercy and salvation In his hands is now the kingdome of the Father and the sonne and this kingdome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reggum violentiae the Kingdome that suffereth violence Mat. 11.12 13. Luke 16.16 In this kingdome the Saints in suffering are more than conquerors Rom. 8.37 This is more than ever any Emperour could utter who have gained and kept their conquests with hardnesse and hazzard Matth. 28.18 19. the power of Christ is to preach and proclaim that he will take his power and reigne in and over all men He is mercifull in giving warning before the execution and leaving his Spirit to make preparation for his kingdome which shall bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kingdome of power Rev. 11.17 ruling and over-ruling all the world Christ having ended the subjection of the world shall give over his kingdome to his Father which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15.24 O the divine administration of the Trinity The Father the first person passeth all to the Sonne the Sonne makes it descend againe to the holy Ghost The same is the order of regression that was in the progression as formerly we have declared The holy Ghost the first possessour of the kingdome returnes it into the possession of the Sonne and the Sonne leaves it in the hands of his Father where he first had it that he may be all in all From him was the proceeding and by good reason it must be to him againe The comming of the Holy Ghost The Gospel convinceth no man in the absence of the Spirit Wee must pray in hearing of the Word Come holy Spirit and visit our hearts
upon the haters of it and gives the true distinction of the beginning and end thereof That judgement that begins with Gods people fals heavily in the end upon their enemies J may seeme in the middle of this Treatise to forsake my Text to seeke out the Commentary but J shall intreat my Reader for a favourable exposition of my minde and meaning The Text toucheth the sinne that ought to bee taught with all exactnesse and therefore J to helpe my Reader the better have bent my strength the more to deale thorowly with it in all the branches J shall easily render my account and by that other Text cleare my selfe of all unnecessary digressions and unprofitable searches of such secrets as that place J now mention will allow me Ioh. 16.7 8. It is a truth that Christ insists upon that his departure is as expedient and necessary as his comming into the world He came into the world to redeeme it and hee leaves the world that his Redemption may be preached and applyed This application is the worke of the Spirit and by conviction is to be wrought upon the world The things of which the world is convinced are all Evangelicall and essentially differ from things legall First in commands the Law commands us to doe and live the Gospel to beleeve and live The Law bids us looke to our owne righteousnesse The Gospel to the righteousnesse of Christ The Law does charge us with holinesse according to our own righteousnesse The Gospel with holines according to the Spirit Which being more exact is the cause that it is so much spurned at and contemned by the world Legall purity is not persecuted like Evangelicall purity A man may bee a Pharisee and favoured by the world but a strict Christian is out of hope to farewell even by the best worldlings Persecution hath waited more upon the Gospel than the Law The light of the one is farre too cleare for worldly eyes to behold it Jt is strange with the world to deny it selfe and beleeve in another Jt is hard to forsake a morall righteousnesse and seek to be justified by another Who can indure to have Satan so judged in him as quite to forsake all Lawes as to live by the new Commandement This is a large difference of legall and Evangelicall commands yet let them be accursed that so farre set at oddes Law and Gospel as either like Iewes doe reject the Gospel to defend the Law or like Familists renounce the Law to maintaine the Gospel Love and no Law is the lewd learning of our new Gospellers Duty say they is not worth the name of a Christian that must doe all of meere love Loose love that likes of nothing but free will offerings Such licences are not granted by Law or Gospel They both agree in the command of our lives and yeeld us liberty to obey no licence to live as wee list The Law will send us to Christ and the Christian being justied will be sent backe againe by the Gospel to walke unblameably by the Law Legall comminations follow our workes and curse us for our deedes but legall comminations follow our saith and where that is wanting tell us wee are condemned and as sure to goe to hell as if wee were there already Legall promises of life depend upon our merits and tell us we shall bee rewarded for our well-doing But Evangelicall promises depend upon our faith and Christs merit and tels us it shall be onely well with us in him Sinnes wee have against the Law and every booke intreats of them Sinnes wee have against the Gospel and it were well every Writer would in these dayes insist upon them J have ventured farre into their discourse and wish all Christians by the example of the Iewes in my Text to take heed of them There is one thing will bee admired at both for the Method and matter how J come to speake so much and in such a manner of the glorious kingdome of the blessed Trinitie My answer will be speedy having granted me the Commentary for my Text. The holy Ghost comes in the absence of Christ and by applying his redemption administers first in the kingdome of God taking possession of those subjects that God the Father hath chosen and whom JESVS Christ hath redeemed by his precious blood The Spirit workes for the Sonne and therefore returnes the Kingdome to him againe at his second comming The Son works for the Father and therefore so takes the Kingdome from the Spirit that in the end he gives it up to the Father for the full perfection of glory This mutuall working sends me in my discourse from one person to another and to all the world to let them see what may be gained or lost by obeying or disobeying the Gospell I have wondred in reading the most ancient Fathers what they meant by urging so frequently men to Martyrdome that they might not lose the honour of rising and reigning with Christ at his second appearing Surely they saw and beleeved that the Spirit of grace did not in vaine perswade them They shall have honour according to their hope and as above others they gave their lives for Christ so before others they seeme to live againe Rev 20.4 Let the meaning in that place be what it will for J will not determine thereof yet the age of the ten persecutions so conceived of it as by plentifull testimonies might appeare Jt is agreeable with Christs proceedings to honour them that honour him and as they are before others in their zeale and service so to be above others in their dignity and desert though not of merite and for their workes yet according to his mercy and their workes J could not well leave untouched with the comming of the holy Ghost upon Christs departure the returne of him againe and delivery up of all to the Father that the Family and Houshold in my Text might see their patience perfected in power and their power consummated in glory The Kingdome of God in the divers administrations of it will bee worthy the contemplation and Gods House shall bee most happy in their thoughts of it All their enemies most miserable in the losse and deprivation thereof Their ends shall be augmented in misery as many degrees as that Kingdome shall bee advanced in glory But J will stay my Reader no longer in the Preface but wish him good successe in the substance of that which followeth THE SAINTS Sufferings 1 PET. 4.17 For the time is come that judgement must beginne at the house of God and if it first beginne at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God WHen Samuel had finished his speech to Israel God himselfe secondeth the Prophet with a voyce from heaven and then the people tremble 1 Sam. 12.18 wee never have our hearers at an advantage till God make their eares to tingle with some judgement then they stoup with Samuel and say Speake Lord for
the dead conferreth forty dayes of this Kingdome Act. 1.3 and so departeth into heaven and makes further way for progresse in this kingdome and to perfect this sends his Spirit telling us of a truth how expedient this is for them that are now to bee left to preach his kingdome to have him depart that the second Doctor may come Expedient and necessary for all that are to be saved for Christ being risen againe had all power and iudgement from his Father Mat. 28. c. The present execution of this power had beene a woefull thing with the world being both unrighteous and unholy Christ redeemed it and therefore will not presently destroy it but commands in the same place that proclamation of his power bee made and being with his Heraulds unto the end will in the end call the world to an account and shew both his power their iudgement This great Embassage into all the world had need of some noble Agent to leade the way and bee present with the holy Apostles and their successours and this honourable person is the third person in the blessed Trinity in whose hands and administration Gods Kingdome is for this present age and of which wee are now to speake The Kingdome of Grace In the Lords prayer wee petition Thy kingdome come our understandings at this day abbreviate this petition and are defective in the expression of it and so consequently our prayers come short of their dutie deale with God for no more than they know We wil God assisting inlarge our thoughts in the regression of the Kingdome from the Spirit to the Father againe and shew First the administration of the Spirit Secondly of the Sonne Thirdly of the Father and so teach you plainely to pray for the Kingdome of grace Kingdome of power and Kingdome of glory when all is returned to the Father The Kingdome within and seated in mens hearts Luke 17.20 21. The Pharisees would have a Kingdome by observation but Christ knowing the Kingdomes administration first to rest in the Spirit and grace thereof takes away that error and according to the nature of the Kingdome sets and seates it within for such as is the government such must bee the Kingdome The government spirituall therefore the kingdome spirituall Grace and the Spirit of grace carry no outward pompe and externall state but are all glorious within And this is that kingdome that suffereth violence without and is oppressed by rebels and traitours to the Lord Iesus and their owne soules The Kingdome of violence The Kingdome of Gods Spirit is the most pious and peaceable Kingdome in the world yet suffereth more than all kingdomes as shall now appeare Math. 11.12 Luke 16.16 Gods kingdome under the Law and the Prophets suffered violence and so shall it under Iohn Christ his holy Apostles and Ministers doe for the time of the Gospell I know these texts are strained to another sense and so my selfe have beene a follower of this violence till that man of God M. Ioseph Meade cleared my sight by his industrious and judicious observation of the text It may bee we are both deceived it becomes humble men not to bee peremptory in crossing and controlling others We all agree of the violence offered to the Kingdome of grace and disagree in the proofe of it by these texts Heare then mine arguments and reasons which I subject to the spirit of the Prophets 1. Christs answer by the Law the Prophets sheweth the conformity betweene the old and the new Testament the ancient and surrogate Israel of God Violence waited upon the Church before Christ and so will it now and after him It is your error O foolish Iewes to looke now for a kingdome by observation and to see your selves more redeemed from the Romines and men than from devils your sleves more deadly enemies You have more neede to have Sathan displaced than your selves placed in a temporall Monarchy I am come to save your soules from sinnes and not your bodies from bondage Secondly Iohn that now preacheth the new Kingdome is in prison Math. 11.2 and must lose his head I looke for no greater favour my Apostles will succeede mee and by succession it will last till I come and take the Eagles off the carkeise Luk. 17.37 3. The Kingdome is preached a thing that the world hateth and therefore will every man have a blow at it and violent men will prey upon it this reading the texts will render without all renting and tearing the phrases 4. The word signifying violence or violent men was never taken by any Author for inward violence or motions free and voluntary but for outward force and externall power putting others to be patients of their persecutions and punishments The Spirits conquest God is not wanting to his poore servants but gives courage and consolation in all their oppressions The Spirit sets up such a Kingdome in the heart and soules of Gods people that no paine or perill can prevaile to conquer their faith and confidence They are resolved to carry their lives in their hands rather dye than deny that truth that the holy Ghost hath taught them This spiritual I Kingdome subdues all Kingdomes yea more than all Kingdomes for it gaines that victory over our selves which is more than any earthly conquest Conquest by convict on The greatest opposition to the Spirit of grace is in our selves It were easie to ruine all the world and in such conquests and conversions men have shewed their might and manhood but to enter the house held by the strong man both of corruption in our selves and suggestion of Sathan out of our selves is a potent and powerfull worke of grace Gods Spirit alone is able to beate downe these holds helpe in the conquest of our selves and subjection to the Kingdome preached and offered vs in the Gospell He it is that brings in faith to beleeve and excludes infidelity That raiseth up in us the comfort of Christs righteousnesse and rejecteth our owne That teacheth us holynesse and how to deny all ungodlinesse and every worldly lust and to live soberly in our selves righteously to others and godly to our King and Commander of the severall branches of conviction we shall intreate afterwards and shew what sinnes are convicted and controuled in us and how wee ought to see them and sorrow for them c. Conviction by supportation The Spirit in this Kingdome of grace worketh effecteth another strange worke and operation upon the world in giving his subjects power of conquest in trials and to triumph over the world and all its workings and mischiefes Rom. 8.37 In all these things we are more than conquerours What things even the worst that the world can doe unto us and that is to make us Martyres and themselves murtherers yea even to murther themselves to see us so little affected with their torments We stand still and do nothing and see our salvation of God To conquer by passion is cleane