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
to build up the Kingdome of Heaven is the same work that God and the Lord Iesus Christ work and can there be a greater glory communicated unto any creature then to bee tooke into association with God in a service that is for his highest glory Secondly as they are associated with God so They make the people to whom they are instrumentall beholding to them for the greatest benefits that people are capable of receiving Seneca saith Nihil in rebus humanis praeclarius quam de republica bene mereri There is nothing in all the affaires of mankinde more honorable then to deserve well of the Common-wealth to be instrumentall of good to others it is the glory of man in all humane societies and you shall find that Tubal-Cain and others that did invent instruments of Brasse and Musick are numbred among those that have done good to the world and Hezekiah hath a Crowne of praise that hee did build a poole and brought water to the Citie of Ierusalem But for a man to be instrumentall to helpe forward the Kingdome of Heaven to advance it to draw people out of the snares of Satan unto God to help them with the pardon of sin and right to everlasting life these are mercies with a witnesse no wonder though the Galatians could have pull'd out their eyes and have given them to Paul when he had been a means to help them to the knowledge of Christ and so to Heaven so that whether you regard the glory of being associated with God or the good that they convey unto others there can be no such honour as to be instrumentall in helping forward the Kingdome of Heaven This Lesson is of excellent use especially to two sorts of men that are or may be publikely instrumentall in it I mean Magistrates and Ministers I am called at the present to speak onely to the first therefore I 'le say nothing of the latter but for you Honourable and beloved that are the Patriots of the Kingdome is it not in your heart to do all the good that is possible to poor England I dare say you are deeply affected with the distresses of it and would not count your lives deare so you might but promote the good of it shall I tell you what that thing is which above all things in the world will be advantagious to England and glorious to your selves lay the cause of the Kingdome of Heaven to your hearts more then ever you have done endeavour to be instrumentall to make Religion thrive and prosper that the Kingdome of Heaven may suffer violence under your service so shall your names bee ingraven with the name of God and numbred among the Saviours of this Land Let me speak freely to you you have contended long and vehemently for rescuing the Kingdome of England from the bondage and pressures that it lay under and that England might be a free people herein you have wrought in the fire and because the cure hath been hard costly woe and alas I must speak it the Patients are weary of it and could rather wish to bee under their old Soares then under such Physitians and are ready to say with the murmuring Israelites Let us make us a Captain and return againe unto Egypt would be againe at their flesh pots and onyons though under bondage your selves doe know how much ingratitude is shewed and all because there is not that event and successe that hath been hoped for but would the Lord make you instrumentall to advance the Kingdome of Heaven really there should never bee found one among those that should partake the benefit of it that would be weary of you but would for ever blesse the Lord for you If the generations to come and future Chronicles may but be able to say From the dayes of such a Parliament the hearts of the people of England were turned to God from the dayes of such a Parliament the Ministery was reformed setled encouraged with countenance with maintenance Vniversities were reformed heresies blasphemies every thing contrary to Christs truth was discountenanced suppressed beaten down and the glory of the Lord Christ was laid to heart might but this bee said of you after all your toyle and blood and after all your being cast down and laden with reproach and scorne your names should revive your glory should be eternall this and the everlasting world would number you among the repairers of the breaches of Gods people and you shall bee called Saviours of the Kingdome of England if the Lord doe but direct you to doe this worke but in the meane time should the Lord leave you that it should bee otherwise that the affaires of Christ should prove retroomnia that the Kingdome being overspread with blasphemies and heresies and the poysoning of the soules of people c. should bee concurrent with your worke and you not endevour to administer the best helping hand you can to it it would bee said of you as Ecclesiasticall writers do of one age since Christ that was overspread with heresies and destitute of worthy men to oppose them it was called Infoelix seculum an unhappy age so would you be accounted Infoelix Parliamentum an unhappy Parliament if this should happen under you and you not indevour to the utmost to redresse it I pray the Lord and it is my prayer when ever I can pray that God would give that glory to you and set that crowne upon your heads that with Ioshua and Zerubbabel and and the rest of those whom God hath counted fit to bee numbred among his Worthies you might make this the great designe that from the dayes of this Parliament the Kingdome Heaven might bee set up and flourish in England and so I have done with the words in the first consideration of them as they are a crowne set upon the head of Iohn the Baptist From the dayes of Iohn the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence I now proceed to the words as they containe a description of a people really converted and brought home to Christ The Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force take but the Rhetorick off from these words they signifie no more then that which is said in the 1 of Luke 16. Many of the children of Israel he shall turne to the Lord their God many shall bee converted by him but the holy Ghost expresses it in these Metaphoricall termes because they doe fully set out the true Genius of every soule who is aright instructed of the Kingdome of Heaven In the words there are two things First what the frame of spirit is which possessed the people under Iohns Ministery in these words the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence Secondly The successe of this frame of spirit the violent take it by force For the first the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence wherein there are two things to bee interpreted First What is meant by the Kingdome of Heaven Secondly
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