from Heaven the more will their zeal bee enflamed towards heaven never any preached heaven so clearly as Iohn never any so violent in the pursuit of it as those that received Iohns Ministery it was prophesied of Iohn in the 1 of Luke Ver. 15 16 17. that he should be filled with the Holy Ghost and should goe before the Lord to prepare his way and saith the Text he shall thereby turne the hearts of the Fathers to the Children the hearts of the children to their Fathers and the disobedient to the wisdome of the wise the meaning is this Iohns Ministery should effect this that if Parents heretofore were ignorant of the wayes of God and so slighted their children for their childrens godlinesse sake now the Parents should turn to the wisdome of their children If children heretofore had slighted their Parents for their wisdome and godlinesse now the children should turn to the wisdome of their Parents the disobedient should turn to the wisdome of the wise whether this wisdome were found in the Fathers or in the children in whomsoever wisdome should bee found the disobedient would turn to them when Jesus Christ should bee clearly discover'd to them the Apostle in the 2 of Cor. 3. 13. layes this downe most clearly and fully when hee speaks how gloriously Jesus Christ is revealed in the Ministery of the Gospell he expresses the fruit of it thus We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory whoever doth clearly see the glory of Christ in the Gospell according to the measure of his light so is the measure of the transforming of his heart into the image of the Gospell And the reason is because this light doth not onely discover a supereminent excellency in Christ and his wayes but also heales the will and affections and satisfies the whole soul with such a sutable goodnesse that it can doe no other but fly to it as the Eagle to the carkasse This Lesson which is of singular use for many things I note it onely to bee a direction to us how wee may try both our own and the pretended light of others concerning the Kingdome of heaven in our dayes especially in these late yeares wee have more discourse then ever of New Lights and new Gospel discoveries and all our old Preachers and professors are by a great many accounted to be legall men Morall men who doe not see into the mysteries of heaven and Jesus Christ as some of late thinke themselves have attained unto this you know is spoke of very much amongst many people Now I doe willingly acknowledge that day unto day utters knowledge and night unto night discovers wisedome every new day and every new year the nearer wee come to Christs last appearing will certainly discover Gospell Truths more clearly then they have been understood before yea and I as willingly and readily acknowledge every one to have received more light then formerly or more light then his brethren when I see any mans heart enflamed with more zeale transformed into more holinesse and humility and gratiousnesse of spirit then others doe attaine to this is cleare in my Text A cleare light did kindle a great deale of zeale but when you meet with any that speak of discoveries of glimpses of glory and new light and in the meane time with all their light and knowledge doe walke licenciously and reject the ordinances of God and walke in wayes that are contrary to the cleare dispensation and counsell of the Gospel I will never feare to say that that light what ever it be proceeds from the Prince of darknesse from which the Lord deliver all his people Secondly as this violence of their spirit was conformity to Iohns spirit who walked in the power and spirit of Elias a man of zeale we may learn That the Image of the spirit of Teachers frequently appeares in their Disciples If you search the Scriptures you 'l finde nothing more usuall then the people moulded into the spirit of their Teachers Rulers It 's worth your observation that all the Epistles written to the seven Churches wherein some of them are condemned to be dead and some to bee cold and some for loosing their first love and some commended for their puritie and sincerity and watchfulnesse c. all this is spoke to the Angel that is to the Colledge of Ministers to them that were their leaders yet therein the holy Ghost intends that Character of the whole Church although hee names onely the Angel because of old it hath been a Proverbe as is the Priest so are the people like Minister like people like Magistrate like flock and although no man can communicate his own spirit unto his Schollers but onely our Lord Iesus who can powr out his spirit at his pleasure yet all experience shews us that the frame of spirit that is in superiours whether Magistrates or Ministers hath a wonderfull influence upon the molding of those that are under them Magistrates and Ministers in this sense may be truely said to be set for the rising and fall of others their vertues and vices are imitated by them who are under them if they fall they draw many down with them as the Dragon drew the third part of the stars and great Cedars crush many lower Trees and make them fall with them if Peter temporise with the Jewes his example compels others to doe the like so also is their zeale for God a great provocation to their Schollers and others who are under them but I intended onely to point at these two things The third which I chiefly ayme at in this first consideration of the words is That this excellent spirit that was found in the people is here set upon the head of Iohn the Baptist as his Crown this is made Iohns glory that the Epoche of a new world or a newface of a Church did take the date from the Ministery of Iohn From the dayes of Iohn the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence and the Lesson that I observe from it is That the greatest glory that ever the Lord sets upon any whom he useth is that the Kingdom of Heaven is advanced by their Ministery or service This I think you see plain in the Text this I shall indeavour a little to open and apply unto you it is true that when the servants of God are faithfull they are accepted with God and shall be glorious with him though there bee no successe of their labours the Prophet Isaiah saith though Israel be not converted and Iudah not gathered yet I shall be glorious with my God and Paul saith Wee that is wee faithfull Ministers are a sweet savour unto God in them that perish as well as in them that are saved the servants of God lose not their labour with God when they are unprofitable towards man but if the Lord doe please to use
any as means to advance the Kingdome of Heaven hee never conferres a greater glory upon any of his creatures Daniel faith in the 12. of Daniel whether they bee Magistrates or Ministers or private men They that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine like the Stars you know the Stars are the brightest part of the whole Creation they that are meanes to win people to righteousnesse shall shine like Stars Observe also what an honorable name the Lord gives to such in the 58. of the Prophesie of Isaiah Thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of paths to walk in the raiser up of the foundations for many Generations intimating that a greater name of glory cannot bee given them There is an excellent story in the sixth Chapter of the Prophesie of Zechariah the Lord appointed that Ioshua the high Priest who was a type of Christ and was then building the Temple and setting up the worship of God should have crownes of Gold and Silver set upon his head typifying thereby the glory that shall bee set upon the head of the Lord Jesus that is the great builder of his Church but in the same Chapter the Lord commanded the Prophet to take of them that are of the captivitic and names Helem and Tobijah and Hen and some others who as some Interpreters think were Ambassadors sent by the rest of the scattered Jewes to bring their oblations active men that came to helpe forward the work of God others thinke they came as private men enflamed with zeale to set a good example unto others and brought their Silver and Gold that they might further the work that was in hand implying thus much that these excellent men to whom God had given a spirit to helpe forward that work and had brought their Silver and Gold and other gifts the Lord would have their gifts turn'd into Crowns and have their names written upon their Crownes and these should be hung up in the Temple of God as an everlasting memoriall of the glory that God put upon these forward men Truly thus doth the Lord deale with all his servants if he give the talents of authority of Magistracy of Ministery of wisedome of wealth or whatever may be usefull to any and they obtaine a heart to employ these to advance the Kingdome of Christ the Lord turnes their talents into crownes and engraves their names upon their crownes and hangs them up as a memoriall before the Lord and this I could shew you out of 100. examples in the Scripture especially of those two sorts of great instruments Magistrates and Ministers that it hath been the greatest glory that ever God put upon any of them that they have bent themselves to advance the Kingdome of Heaven What is the great glory of Moses but that he brought Israel out of bondage and brought them into a covenant with God and gave them statutes and oracles and ordinances What is the glory of Ioshua but that hee did plant Israel in their owne possession and brought them into a covenant and there set them into a way that they served God all his dayes What was the glory of David but that being raised from being a Shepheards boy to bee a King hee did doe good unto Gods people and provided beyond all measure whatsoever might build a Temple for God and set the orders to the Priests and enabled the servants of God to serve him with liberty and cheerfulnesse And what was Solomons but the building Gods house c And so I might go on with Asa and Iehosaphat and Iosiah and Ezrah and Nehemiah all these great Worthies their glory hath been that the Kingdome of God was advanced by them the like of Ministers Iehojada the Priest buried among the Kings because hee had done good to Israel and honored God and his house hee had helped Religion wonderfully forward and Iohn the Bap ist here in my Text it was prophesied of him by the Angel He shall be great in the sight of God Iohn shall be a very great man Alas what was Iohns greatnesse hee was a Priests sonne lived in a kind of Hermits life and went in a leather girdle and eate countrey fare and went in course apparell wherein was his greatnesse It was this many of the hearts of the childen of Israel shall hee turne unto the Lord his God and so Samaria it is Philips crowne and all the countries and cities that Paul wonne to Jesus Christ are so many crownes to him and you shall reade of the Church the woman in the twelfth of the Revelations when she was cloathed with the Sunne that is Christ Jesus her Lord his rightcousnesse was her glorious rayment yet shee had a crowne of 12. Stars upon her head that is the 12. Apostles of Christ that had laboured to bring her to that light and grace these were set upon the Churches head and shee wore them as a crowne Many more instances might bee given but to cleare it a little further consider but these two grounds for it First Who ever are instrumentall in advancing and building up and furthering the Kingdome of Heaven the Lord gives them to partake with himself in that which is his own greatest glory and the greatest glory of his Son the Lord Jesus Christ when Satan had ruin'd mankind and himself become the God upon earth and drawn all men off from God to worship Devils the great designe of God was to set up another Kingdome that should bee called the Kingdome of God the Kingdome of his Christ the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus the Kingdome of Heaven and for the erecting of this Christ did all his work came from Heaven became a man died rose again sent out his Spirit it is the great designe of Heaven that this Kingdome should bee erected and advanced Now when any are found to help forward this they are associated with the Lord Jesus in this great Work and therefore you shall read in the Prophesie of Obadiah the last verse of it where the Lord speakes of winning both the Jews and other Nations home to Christ Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion Saviours shall be there Who are they the Jewish Interpreters say that the Saviours there meant are Rex Messias ejus socii these Saviours are King Messiah and his Companions that should work with him and most interpreters do agree that the Saviours are the Apostles and the Apostolicall men and others that should bring the people homeagain to God and help to convert the Nations the Lord calls them by the name of Saviours and many are said to be fellow-workers with Christ and the Apostle saith of Timothy See that Timoty bee without any molestation with you in the â— of the Cor. 16 for he works the Worke of God as I doe and of Epaphroditus it is said of him that for the Work of Iesus Christ hee was sick unto death the work then that they are imployed in
it as all those Worthies have done whom God hath thought fit to register in his Book as men accepted with him Beloved if you please to open your eyes and look abroad into the Kingdome into every corner of it you 'l see lamentable objects every where afflicted creatures of all kindes crying to you that you would reach out a helping and healing hand to them but in nothing so much is the Kingdome desolate this day as in the things that doe properly belong to the Kingdome of Heaven the Faith of Gods people I mean the doctrinall part is woefully overthrowne in many places by blasphemous and hereticall doctrines which are got in and sown through the cunning craftinesse of them that have lien in wait to beguil unstable sâ—â—les the Worship of God is woefully neglected and troden under foot Fast Dayes and Sabbath Dayes in most places not one whit regarded the Ministery not more contemned nor so much under reproach in the hottest persecutions that they have lien under heretofore the Glory of the Lord marvellously abused in point of Religion England is this day an amazement to the Nations round about it to the insulting and rejoycing of all the enemies of it and the mourning and sadding of heart unto all that love it Could you but as in a glasse behold the unsetled case of the Kingdome of Heaven in this Land you would quickly grant there is a great deal of work to be done by those that have any vigorous spirits any bowels in them to rowle towards the helping forward of this great work Now that you may administer a healing hand I shall endeavor to say somewhat that may quicken you up and I beseech you give me leave to lay before you these following considerations eight things I would have you all seriously to think upon to provoke you to be vigorous and violent in advancing the Kingdome of Christ First Certainly there is not onely such a thing as zeal for God but it is a grace of absolute necessity in all the services of God and so lovely that it is the lustre and the varnish the glosle and beauty of all performances unto God that which sets them off with glory in the eyes of God man Gods work requires it every cause which concernes the Kingdome of Heaven must either be done with zeal or meddle not at al with it a lukewarme spirit in the service of God is worse to God then a spirit that will doe nothing hee will spue it out of his Mouth as abominable meate Now then because Religion is a work for God the proper cause of God the cause wherein his glory is most interessed associated with God you must needs doe it with zeale with all vigor and best intention of your spirit Secondly Consider further you all have lifted up your hands to the most high God and that in the day of your distresle you have bound your selves by an Oath of God and you have brought the Kingdome into an Oath of God with you you have sworne that you will willingly cheerfully constantly to the utmost of your power within your callings beat down what is contrary to Religion that you will study the advancement of Reformation according to the Word of God and the pattern of the best reformed Churches this in the day of your distresse you have sworn you have since told the Kingdome you forget it not you have order'd the Ministers oftentimes to read it upon the Fast dayes that it might be in the eyes of all Now I beseech you know that the keeping Covenant with God is a matter of a high concernment and the breaking of your Covenant with man uses not to goe unrevenged but the breaking Covenant with God is a thing will never escape the wrath of God Thirdly Consider that this work of advancing the Kingdome of Heaven is a work that belongs to you I told you before you have sworn to doe it within the compasse of your calling now it is a work within the compasse of your calling it belongs to you the Lord hath not trusted you onely with Civill liberties and to beat down oppression and injustice and outward wickednesse against the second Table in which the Lord make you more zealous but besides this the things of Gods Kingdome are committed to you You shall read if you look into Gods Book all the Worrhies whom God hath taken notice of their Crown glory hath been that they did beat downe Idolatry opposed and suppressed what ever was contrary to Religion built up Gods house set up his Ordinances encouraged his Ministers and for the doing of these things they were approved commended rewarded and such as neglected them were by God blamed branded punished so many examples are extant in the Scripture of the Old Testament that I need not name them and the same is prophesied to be done by Magistrates under the New Testament Kings shall be Nursing Fathers to it and Queenes shall be Nursing Mothers to the Church they shall give it bread milk and provide for it and nourish it and for punishing the oppressors of it there is a Gospell Prophesie in the 13. of Zechariah When any shall prophesie falsly his Father and Mother that begat him shall thrust him through and say Thou shalt not live for thou speakest lies in the name of God Now then since this belongs to your place and work I beseech you for the Lords sake be zealous in it and Fourthly consider As it is for Christ and for his Kingdome so Iesus Christ hath very well deserved at your hands to have you vigorous in his cause hee hath earned it hee is before hand with every soule of you look upon the zeal hee shewed when hee came to doe your work for you how did he bow the heavens and come downe upon the earth and from the throne of glory came and lay first in the wombe of a Virgin and then in swadling bands in a Manger and afterwards lived a poore life and then pray'd and preached and wrought Miracles with indefatigable paines with burning zeal yea gave his life a ransome he gave his soule to the death that hee might be a ransome for you and thereby purchase you to be a people to himself zealous of good warkes hath he not deserved it I and he hath deserved it at your hands in this great work hee hath set you about in this great concussion and earth quake of the Kingdome wherein you have been so farre imployed What mischiefs hath he discover'd which have been contrived against you What seasonable Mercies hath he sent you What unexpected victories hath he given you How hath the Lord made Mountains plain before you and brought you into the condition wherein you are and made you enjoy that which many times I dare say you were past all hope of seeing the Lord then deserves his cause should be thought upon by you Fifthly consider That the setting up of
you to afford a healing hand in many things to take off the bridle of bondage which lay upon our necks and to pull down huge Mountains and that Gods people injoy a great deal of liberty in many things more then they did heretofore be provoked to help in this also A mercifull good Physitian who hath begun a cure if any new disease break out while the Patient is under his cure he would be very loth any thing should fall out to be the Patients ruine while under his hand and therefore let this also provoke you earnestly to carry this work on and Lastly Know that if the Husbandman will sleep the envious man sleeps not Gebal and Ammon and the children of Lot and Ashur and Tyre and all that are enemies to the Kingdom of Christ bestir themselves against it Cataline watches ut perdat rempubliam omits no endeavour to destroy Religion Sanballat and Tobiah doe all that ever they can to hinder the building of the wall shall not Nehemiah shall not Ezra shall not the rest of Gods people put to their hand too Vt jugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones If theeves watch by night to kill men shall not honest men watch to preserve their own lives When there is such a marvellous endeavor to corrrupt our Faith to take away Government to take away Worship to take out the power of godlinesse to discourage all that fear God to doe any thing against them shall not they that are the servants of the Lord doe the utmost that they can to encourage them For the Lords sake consider of these things and God Almighty give you a right understanding in them this is the first thing what they did they offered violence to the Kingdome of Heaven the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence The second part you have in the next words the successe of their violence they take it by force Rapiunt It is a Metaphor taken from a Castle taken by storm by the violence of those that will it take or loose their blood so the violent doe take the Kingdome of Heaven and these words are both Restrictive and they are Promissive they are restrictive they are the violent men and no other that get it if of any work in the world it be true that the sluggard is cloathed with rags it 's true here hee that onely cries Lord Lord shall never come into the Kingdome of Heaven this is a peculiar mercy in store for these violent spirits that the violent and no other shall get into Heaven and then as it is restrictive so it is promissive though carelesse endeavours and slight labours may prove abortive vigorous prosecution of it shall not miscarry they that seek shall find to them that knock it shall be open'd to them that aske it shall be granted they that seek wisdome as men seek Silver and Gold the Lord will give it them he hath laid it up in store let them that have violent hearts offer violence to it and the Lord hath promised they shall not misse of it but this the time being gone I dare not handle FINIS Dan 7. 2. Hab. 1. 2. 2 Kings 9. 20 Isa 55. 2. Prov 23. 5. Phil. 4. 5. Psal. 131. 2. Deut 6. 5. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Iude 3. Nehem 4. 21 22 23. Luke 13 24. 2 Pet. 1. 5. 10 10. 1 Cor 15. 58. Luke 14 23 The context opened Verse 10. 14. Verse 11. Psal. 110. Esay 60. 8. Luke 27. 30. The parts and meaning of the Text Consider this violence of the people toward the Kingdome of Heaven First as an honour to Iohn Secondly as a description of true Converts As an honor to Iohn as being First a fruit of the clear light his Ministery held out Whence learn Doctrine The clearer light any people have from Heaven the more violent they will be after Heaven Application Hereby we may learn how to judge of pretended light Secondly a conformitie to his spirit I earn here that the Teachers oft-times appear in their Disciples Hosea 4. 9. Gal. 2. 14. Thirdly in both these as a crown of glory to Iohn Learne hence The greatest glory which God puts upon any man is to make them instrumentall in building the Kingdome of Heaven Doct. Esav 49. 5. 2 Cor. 2. 15. Dan. 12. 3. Esay 58. 12. 〈◊〉 â— 10. 14 opened R. 1. R. D. Kimâ— 2 Cor. 6. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 6. Philip 2. 30. Reas. 2. Gen. 4. â— Kings 20. appli. To the Parliament to intend this work above all other â— Consider the â—ext as a desciption of true Converts What is meant by Kingdome of Heaven Phil. 3. 2â— 2. What is meant by the Kingdome of heaven suffering violence Luke 16. 16. Phil. 3. 8 c. Doct. 1. Doct. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 9. 24. Luke 14 17. Luke 14 33. Matth. 13. â—4 45. Matth. 19. 29. Phil 38. Heb. 11. 24. Rev. 12. 11. Reason From the necessity and excellency and benefit of the Kingdome of Heaven Quest 1. Reason Iob 11. 7 8 Iob 28. pertorum Prov. 245. Qu. 2. Reas. Matth. â—â— 29. 30. Vse 1. For humiliation 1. How many use violence against the Kingdome of Heaven 2. How many are flight luke-warm in seeking it for their own soul 3. How little zeal is found for the advancing of the Kingdome of Heaven for the good of others Vse 2. Exhortation in two branches 1. Each to contend violently to get it Motives to provoke to this work Esa. 19. 29. zach. 13. 3. Titus 2. 14. 1 Sam 24. 16. Zach 2. 5. Esa. 26. â— Nehem. 3. 20. Icr. 6. 14. Prov. 2. 34.