finished usually on Saturday by two of the clock He hath someâ—ime exprest himself thus in publick God will curse that mans labours that lumbers up and down in the world all the week and then upon Saturday in the afternoon goes to his Study when as God knows that time were little enough to pray and weep in and to get his heart in frame c. He affected plainnesse together with power in preaching not seeking abstrusities nor liking to hover and soar aloft in dark expressions and so shoot his Arrows as many Preachers do over the heads of his hearers It is a wretched stumbling block to some that his Sermons are somewhat strict and as they term it legall some souls can relish none but meal-mouth'd Preachers who come with soft and smooth and toothlesse words byssina verba byssinis viris But these times need humbling Ministeries and blessed be God that there are any for where there are no Law-Sermons there will be few Gospel-lives and were there more Law-preaching in England by the men of gifts there would be more Gospel-walking both by themselves and the People To preach the Law not in a forc'd affected manner but wisely and powerfully together with the Gospel as Christ himself was wont to do Mat. 5. and elsewhere is the way to carry on all three together sense of misery the application of the remedy and the returns of thankefulnesse and duty Nor is any doctrine more comforting than this humbling way of God if rightly managed It is certain the foundations of after-â—orrows and ruines to the Church have ever been laid in the days of her prosperity and peace and rest when she injoyes all her pleasant things This the watchmen of Israel should foresee and therefore what shoulâ— they do but seek to humble and awaken and search and melt mens hearts and warn every one night and day with tears that in the day of their peace they may not sin away the things of their Peace There are therefore three requests which we would desire to beg of God with bended knees for England to prepetuate the present prosperity and peace thereof and let us commend them to the mourning and praying ones amongst us that they would be the Lords remembrancers in these Petitions 1. A right understanding and sober use of liberty For when People come first out of bondage they are apt to be not only somewhat fond of their liberties but to wax giddy and wanton with liberty and instead of shaking off the blâ—ody yokes of men to cast off at least in part the Government and blessed yoke of Christ also Hence it â—oâ—es about that a day of rest from persecution which should be a day of liberty to the Saints to serve God may become a day of great seduction and of liberty to seducing Spirits to deceive and damn and mislead them from the truths and wayes of God But the machinâ—tions of men though in conjunction with the powers and gates of hell shall certainly fall at last before Truth and Prayer And of this is the first Treatise which is seasonably publish'd To be fast bound to the rule with all the bonds and cords of God and Man is the Perfection of liberty Hence there is not a surer Corner-stone of ruine to a Christian Commonwealth that God will break them with unparallell'd destructions by some overflowing scourge when the day of vengeance is in his heart than to think that Religion is none of their Liberties and yet how many sons of Belial are there void of counsell neither is there any understanding in them who imagine vain things and say Let us break his bands asunder and cast away his cordâ— from us How do men run into extremes either stretching and paring every one to the Gyants bed and thereby denying liberty to the Saints to serve him according to the measure of their stature in Christ or else on the other hand opening the door so wide as to plead for liberty to all the disguised enemies and sins against Christ thereby instead of uniting the Saints in one indeavouring though a dreadfull mistake to unite Christ and Belial It is a sad thing when a man is come to this passe that he is not able to resolve his conscience whether Baal be God or the Lord be God and therefore would not have the worshippers of Baal punisht for fear lest Baal should be God Is liberty nothing but indifferency and irresolution of spirit in the things of God wo to the valley of vision even to a sinfull Nation laden with iniquity and led away from the truth as it is in Jesus and to the Host of the high ones that sit on high in the day of his visitation if this be the spirit of these times for in the day when he visits God will visit for these things 2. That his Word especially the Word of his Gospel may be precious and powerfull may run and be glorified in England Alas as there is much preaching but few serious few heart-breaking Sermons so there is much hearing but little effectual hearing Men stand like the Oakes of Bashan before the words of the God of Israel no terrour of the Lord no news of everlasting destruction no evidence of the fierce anger of God upon them which burns down to the bottom of hell can take hold upon their spirits or awaken their consciences to make inquiries after God in this their day yea if the bars of the pit of hel were broken and if the devils of hell should come flying up amongst us in our solemn Assemblies from the fiery corners of the Pit helow with everlasting burnings about their eares and with chains of darkness ratling at their heels they might fright men out of their wits perhaps or from the acts of sin it may be for a time but it would not work upon their hearts their desperate dead besotted hearts The fooles in Israel will have their swinge in their lusts and go to hell in a full cariere let God do his best Oh the hardnesse of mens hearts And the main reason of it is because they hear but a sound of words but they do not hear the Lord in that Word they hear words that are spoken by God but they hear not they see not God himself therein If ever thou wouldest profit by reading or hearing take every word as a speciall message to thee from God and of this fruitless hearing and the rules of hearing aright is the other Treatise 3. Conscience of his Sabbaths Of which there is an elaborate discourse of this Author formerly publish'd by himself Therefore we shall adde no more The blessing of heaven go with these to make us a willing People in the day of his power to submit to his Word and to come under the wing of the Government of Iesus Christ as esteeming these spirituall mercies our best mercies our choycest and dearest liberties If ever the Lord Iesus which mercy forbid should take his
the Lord will not do And hence if he does not destroy him he with-draws himself from serving of the creature and hence other evils take hold of it and bring it under When Adam stood and was for God all creatures served him and the riches of Gods goodnesse preserved him the Lord communicated the sweet of his government or service to him but when turned away from the right wayes of God Now if the Lord should serve him by governing of him in goodnesse he should serve a lust and bow to the creature nay to a lust which is a viler thing then for one creature to fall down and worship another Therefore now hence it comes to passe because the Lord will not be a servant to any mans lust there must be some other government that must seize upon them Hence set all the Saints in the Churches with their faces subjected to the Lord his good wil and righteous wayes and then his goodness shall flow down upon them in a through Christ for otherwise we have nothing to do with good but when we are set right for God Hos. 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse in judgement in loving kindnesse and mercy c. The Lord will then command all creatures to be serviceable to his Church and people Vers. 21 22. But on the contrary misery must needs seiz upon the soul that doth cast off the government of the Lord Jesus Thus much for the generall explication of the point Now in particular 1. What is this government or service of God 2. What is the bondage he captivates his unto 3. Why doth the Lord do thus Quest. 1. What is this government or service of God which being shaken off the Lord gives them over to bondage Ans. There is a double government of the Lord over his people 1. Internall or inward of which our Saviour speaks Luk. 17. 21. The kingdome of God saith Christ comes not by observation and outward pomp For behold the kingdome of God is within you And this is nothing else in generall but when the Lord doth by his Spirit in the word of his grace cause the whole soul willingly to submit and subject it self to the whole will of God so far as it 's made known to it this is the inward kingdom of God and government of Christ in the soul. Ro. 8 14. So many as are led by the Spirit are the sons of God Ps. 110. 2. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God the pulling down of strong holds Vers. 5. Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. There are mighty boisterous distempâ—rs but the Lord when he comes in his Kingdome to sit upon the royall throne of the hearts of his people now they flie and this is the inward Kingdom of Christ like a poor Subject pardoned and received to favour he is before the face of the Prince continually attending on him Revel 7. 14 15. These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Vers. 15. Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple c. Now this is meant in part by Gods service in these dayes do you think the Lord cared for thousands of Rams no but to walk humbly Mica 6. Did he care for Temple aud Ordinances no but Isa. 1. 19. If he be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land Neh. 9. 20. In those dayes hee gave them his good Spirit to instruct them 2. Externall or outward the end and instigation of which was to set up and help forward the inward for externall Ordinances are nothing in themselves mean things but as they are appointed and sanctified for this end they are most glorious and therefore Christ threatens the Jewes Matth. 21. 43. That the Kingdome should be taken from them what was that Surely not inward for that they had not but the outward and externall means called Gods kingdom all these helps and means shall be taken from you and all laid ruinous Now this externall kingdom of Christ is double 1. The externall kingdome or government of God by his Church in the administration anâ— execution and subjection to the blessed Ordinances of God wherein the power and Kingdome of Christ is seen and thus Dan. 2. 44 45. Dan. 7. 27. It shall be given to the Saints of the most high c. Not to prophane herds of beasts or cages of unclean birds but to the Saints of the most high Whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all the Princes of the world shall subject themselves to this kingdom of Christ. This outward Kingdom Christ administreth amongst his people in this world And this was part of the Lords government over his people herein though various from our form now 2. Of the Common-wealth which may have divers forms and had in the time of Israel but it receiving its law from God and governing for God hence it was the government of God and subjection hereunto was subjection and service to God himself And hence when the people cast off Samuel 1 Sam 8. 7. They have not rejected thee but me Rev. 11. 15. The kingdomes of the world are become the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever For although the Common-wealth of Israel was made up of the Church and hence Iosephus cals it a Theocracy where the Lord governed and yet the same thing had divers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 formes and respects and hence there was a diverse government then and hence made diverse 2 Chron. 19. 5 8. Iehosaphat sets Iudges in the land throughout all the fenced Cities Such is the wildnesse boldness carelesness of mens hearts that they do not only need lawes but watchmen over them to see they be kept and hence the Lord appointed some chief some Judges in every City and also some in every Village as by proportion may be gathered Exod. 18. every ten men had one over them Now this was the blessed wisdome of God to put all into sweet subordination one unto another for himself 1. Every one professing his name is made for God for Christ as Lord of Lords unto whom every knee must bow and inwardly subject 2. Hence the Lord it being not good to leave man to himself erects a Kingdome of the Church with his own power and authority and government in it for that end 3. This being poor shiftlesse against inward and outward revenge hence the Lords sets up Kingdoms of the world which either rule for this end of these ends or not if they do not they are to answer it and shall one days to Christ whom God hath made head over all
of God and now you exalt him when he is thus set up 1 Cor. 4. 20. The Kingdome of God is not in word but in power The power of Christ Jesus is come into thy soul and the soul is under the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus when it doth lye under the mighty power of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess. 1 11 12. We pray always for you that the Lord would work and fulfill the good pleasure of his will and the work of faith in power that Christ may be glorified Yea then is Christ glorified when God omnipotent reigns over sin and unbelief when the Lord doth this not only the Kingdome of God is now come but the Kingdome of Christ in glory is come there is many a poor soul thinks Christ rules him not because he cannot do this nor that because he finds his heart unable unwilling for to submit to the will of Christ I find no strength at all saith the soul and I go to Christ and find not strength conveyed and now he thinks he is not under the Kingdom of Christ. I answer that is not the question but hath the Lord made thee willing in the day of his power when the soul doth lye under the power of the Lord Jesus Christ when the soul doth lye like wax before the Lord Jesus when the soul saith Lord there was never any change of my nature the good Lord change it and if there be any change the good Lord increase and stir up the graces of thy Spirit in my soul and do thou lead me and guide me Brethren the Kingdome of Christ is come to this soul Iohn 5. 40. You will not come to me for life He doth not say you do not quicken your selves or ye cannot come to me but will not here is their wound they will not come to Christ for life Rom. 6. 19. As yee have yeelded your members servaâ—â—s to sin and Satan so now yeeld up your selves servants to righteousnesse and to holinesse Psal. 119. 5 6. Thou hast commanded that we should keep thy precepts continually Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy precepts continually Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy statutes When a Christian is grapling with his own heart ye will never be able to overcome the unsubduednesse thereof but when ye bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ that he would take a course with them 1. Now ye please Christ. 2. Ye take a sure course to have the will of God done he being in office for that end for Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour to Israel When the soul doth look up to the Lord Jesus and lye under the power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus 3. You now make the yoke of Christ sweet and his name glorious nothing glorifies Christ so much as this when Jesus doth work in a Christian now the kingdome of Christ is come to the soul and that in power But now when men will not submit thus far to Christ 1. They can do nothing but will not come to him on whom God hath laid salvation you say you cannot understand nor edifie by the Sermons ye hear and you cannot part with your lusts Ay but now this is thy condemnation thou wilt not go to a Saviour that he may teach thee and help thee when men will not have the Lord Jesus to reign over them or 2. If men do come they will not come to him where he may be found but say I can do nothing Christ must do all and so neglect the means wherein he will be found or 3. Will submit and come in means to him but not then at the speciall time when He is to be sought and may be found viz. in time of temptation But then forget and forsake him and cry not Hosanna Lord now save now help me against this lust When temptation comes when passion and pride come do you now go to Jesus Christ When the world begins to draw thy heart away dost thou say thus Lord I have prayed this day against this sin and Lord I have no strength against it now Lord help me but here is the misery of the soul it doth not go to Christ and by this means live in complaints all their life-time 4. If lastly any thing be to be done they will do it themselves as Paul Gal. 1. 12. Not but that a Christian should put forth himself a Christian is not a dead-hearted Christian at all times but the grace of God which comes from Christ doth act the soul in a continuall dependance on Christ and where Christ acts not there Satan doth Now I say the Kingdome of God is come when the soul doth thus submit to the stream of the blesâ—ed Spirit of the Lord that the Lord may guide it Oh beloved here is the skill that poseth the Angels how to tell you so to yield your selves to Christ as that Christ may come so to abide in the stock that all your fruit may be from him So to lye under the Lord as that the stream of the Spirit of life may fall on thee so to be implanted in the Lord as to fetch life from him and bring forth fruit to him But try this course submit to the will of the Lord Jesus be nothing in thy own eyes and if the Lord do give thee any thing blesse the Lord for it if any strength against thy sin be vile in thy own eyes and try and see if ye find not the Kingdome of God the glory of Heaven come into thy soul. Oh the light life prayers you might have the heavenly conference ye will have together that it would do a mans heart good to be with such a Christian that those that are with you might say Verily God is in this man verily there is joy in heaven when the Saints keep in this frame 4. When the soul yields thus to the will of Christ for Christs ends for such is the subtill wretchednesse of mens hearts that men would have Christ glorifie himself that he may glorifie and honour them like Simon Magus that would give any money for Apostolicall gifts that he might be some body that way also Now if a man shall submit go to Christ for gifts and parts that 's to set up another King to advance a mans self and so also sin and the devill and Christ must be made a servant for this end He is now no King like a Rebell that is not content that thousands of the Kings Subjects should serve him but he will have the Prince serve him a so Every man will say this doth utterly overthrow the Kingdom of such a Prince When a man shall secretly fight against the Lord and be for himself and for the devil and sin within When a man shall make all the creatures serve him the souldiers of his army meat drink and outward comforts this is a marvellous thing Ay but when a man shall make Jesus Christ