keepe nothing of Gods counsell back He must lift up his voyce like a Lyon and roare in the eares of Kings Potentates and the greatest States-men The Lyon must roare though the Doggs bark and the Wolves howle and all the Beasts of the Forrest do yell and grin A soule-searching Ministry is gall and wormwood to unreformed persons Ministers that cast the Pearles of reproofes before Doggs and Swine must expect that such brutish creatures will fly in their faces and if it be in their power will rent and teare them But what saith the Lord Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speake Be not afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliver thee Jer. 1. 7 8. Make thy face strong against their faces and thy forehead strong against their foreheads Ezek. 3. 8. Ministers must have undaunted resolutions ahd be as bold as Lyons 4. Ministers of the Gospell must not forget the stately gate of the Lyon The Lyon is comely in his going Ministers should be carefull above all others to walke as becomes the Gospel of Christ A holy walking that is the comely walking I beseech you behold how the high Priest is adorned and how he walks He had a plate of pure Gold upon his forehead and upon that Plate was ingraven HOLINESSE TO THE LORD Upon his Brestplate the URIM and the THUMMIM Viz the light of knowledge and the perfection of holinesse these were upon Aarons heart when hee walketh when he goeth in before the Lord. He had a Robe down to his feet and towards the bottome beneath upon the hemme of it a golden Bell and a Pomegranate a Golden Bell and a Pomegranate round about The golden Bell signifies the sound of pure Doctrine and the Pomegranate a sweet and savoury fruit notes that holinesse of Conversation that was in the High-priest view him well and you see him adorned with holinesse Cap a pe from head to foot It is the duty of Ministers Vivere concionibus concionari moribus to live Sermons Melius docemur vita quam verbo Examples prevaile more with men then Precepts In all things shew thy selfe a Pattern of good Workes saith Paul to Titus in Doctrine uncorruptnesse gravity sincerity In the frame of the Temple upon the borders were painted and ingraven Lyons Oxen and Cherubims To shew what kind of persons they ought to be who serve in Gods house As Angels for knowledge to dive into the Mysteries of the Gospell laborious and painfull as the Oxe They must be Lyons also for courage and boldnesse and they must be comely in their going their Conversation must be holy and lovely I shall commend at this time but one thing more to my Brethren of the Ministry and that is Prayer Let us be much and earnest in Prayer Alas we shall never be able to open the Book except the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah help us verse 4. John wept much because none was found worthy to open the Book and to read it We must weep and pray pray and weep that we may be enabled to open the Booke For there are sublime things in the Book and hard to be understood Alas our hearts will faile us and we shal be afraid of the faces of men if the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah do not strengthen us and put Courage into us keep up our Spirits to him therfore we nought to make our Addresses Yea in this let me beg help for my selfe and others wel-beloved I speak to you all that are before me this day in the words of Saint Paul Eph. 6. 18. Pray alwaies with all prayer and supplication of the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance supplication for al Saints 19. And for me and for all the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell that utterance may be given unto us that we may open our mouths BOLDLY to make known the mystery of the Gospell Exhortation 3. I passe on now to the third Exhortation and that is to all in generall men women and young ones And there are various and sundry duties which I shall endeavour to perswade you to And first Is Jesus Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Then prostrate bow to this Lyon tremble at his voice Is Christ the King of his Church and People then come all in shake off all other yoakes Satans Dominion and Sins Reigne and list under this King be his Subjects kisse his Scepter and kneele to him know your King be loyall to him give him your whole heart honour feare and obey him give to Caesar that which is Caesars pay him all his Tribute of time of your Estates of every thing Fight for him contend for the faith the truth the honour of Jesus Christ Let the Lord Jesus Christ have a Throne in all your hearts say We have no King but the Lord Jesus Christ To move you hereunto consider the excellency of this Kingdome above all other Kingdomes in the World It hath the best King He is fairer then the Children of men He is the supream the absolute King of himselfe all other earthly Kings are but Vice-roys Lord-deputies All other Kings are but meer men he is God and man all other Kings have but a little peice of earth to set their feet upon he is the great Monarch of Heaven and Earth all other Kings weare but a corruptible Crown but his Kingdome endureth for ever Such a King there is not another What the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon the Type hath its Complement and perfection in Jesus Christ Happy are the Servants and Subjects of this King Blessed be the Lord thy God Oh thou Lyon of the Tribe of Judah which delighted in thee to see thee on the Throne of Israel because the Lord loved his Israel for ever therfore made he thee King It hath the best Scituation I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion There is the nether Zion and the upper Zion both pleasant Of the nether or lower Zion the Pilgrim Church upon Earth it is said Beautifull for scituation the joy of the whole Earth is Mount Zion the City of the great King And what is the beauty thereof The presence of God dwelling in the midst his people and protects them God is known in her Palaces for a Refuge Of the upper Zion the triumphant Church in Heaven it is said Yee are come unto Mount Zion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-borne which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus Heb. 12 22 23 24. It hath the best Lawes What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day
Deut. 4. 8. In the Lawes of other Kingdomes in humane Lawes there is the wisdome of men but in Christs Lawes there is the wisdome of God Humane Lawes may be unjust Christs Lawes are all righteous and holy The Lawes of other Kings may be burdensome and tyrannicall Christs Yoake is ever easie All other Lawes are imperfect but Christs Law is perfect converting the Soule Other Kings they can write their Lawes in Tables and hang them up upon 〈…〉 sts and Pillars but they cannot sway the hearts of their Subjects to obedience but Christ puts his Law in their inward parts and writes it in their hearts Jer. 31. 33. Yet more In this Kingdome are the best Honours Preferments Dignities and Priviledges There are all Favourites they have ever the Kings mouth and eare They stand before him and hear him speak to them in the Gospell and by the secret whisperings of his Spirit in their Soules And he alwaies holds out the Golden Scepter to them his eare is ever open to their Prayers And is it a small thing to be Favourite to such a King In the light of the Kings Countenance is life and his favour is as the latter raine Prov. 16. 15. They are and shall be all Kings They are already Kings in a state of grace Christ hath made us Kings Revel 1. 6. And they have a better Kingdome in reversion they shall be Kings in the Kingdome of glory Feare not little Flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome Luk. 12. 32. Come in then all you that are yet under the tyranny of the roaring Lyon follow the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah And that you may 〈…〉 o so hearken to the voice of his Heraulds he sends them abroad to invite into his Kingdome The ministers of the Gospel are his Messengers by them he sends forth the rod of his strength Psal 110. 2. Pray pray Thy Kingdome come Matth. 6. 10. You have taken the Oath of Allegeance and Supremacy already all of you have put your Seale too in your Baptisme Now take heed that you revolt not come and joyne to the Tribe of Judah The Trumpet is blown now look to it who is of the Lords side 2. Is Jesus Christ the Lyon of Judah the annointed King of his Church Then be exhorted in the next place to partake of his Annointing take you also Kingly honour be you all Kings The men of Judah yea and the women too even the whole Tribe were Lyons Behold the people shall rise up as a great Lyon and lift up himselfe as a yong Lyon he shall not lye down untill he eate of the Prey and drink the blood of the slaine Numb 23. 24. And here I shall give you a Commission to be as bold as Apame the Kings Concubine in the Apocryphall book Shee took the Crown off the Kings head and put it upon her own yet in the mean season the King gaped and gazed on her and still grew more fond Do you so take the Crown of Christ and put it on not to depose him but to communicate with him in his Kingly Office yea in all the parts of it For this Lyon of the Tribe of Judah hath made us unto our God Kings and we shall reigne on the Earth as you have it in the 10. verse Do you communicate with Christ in the businesse of Vocation he gaines and gathers his Subjects by calling them in Do you so let Ministers of the Gospell in their holy Function and let every man and woman in their private Station endeavour to gain and gather Subjects out of Satans Kingdome into the Kingdome of Jesus Christ Do what thou canst to make thy Flock to make thy Children to make thy Servants to make thy Friends the Subjects of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Let the Minister do this by preaching the private person by education instruction and all by Prayer for those under their charge When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren Luk. 22. 32. Communicate also with Christ in the work of ruling rule well in your severall charges Let the Elders rule well their Flocks Let the Householders keep good rule in their Houses and Families and in especiall manner set up Christs Government in your hearts rule your unrulely Passions and Perturbations and keep them in good order Againe Christ as a King protects his Church his Subjects He is a shield to them that trust in him Communicate with him in this part of his Kingly Office also Be every one of you according to your power and places a defence and a countenance to the true and poore people of God Magistrates by their Authority and all people by their Purses and Prayers let them be as the clefts of the Rock for Christs chased Doves to hide and shelter in And you must be Kings for War Christ had many sharp and sore Conflicts you also must fight and be ever in the field you must take up Armes against Satan against sinfull lusts that fight against the Soule You must war against your owne corrupt wills and carnall reasons yea you must fight against selfe dearest selfe If any man will come after me saith our King and Captain let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse and follow me Matth. 16. 24. Beat down rebellious and stirring Affections Exercise judiciary power destroy your Malefactors slay mortifie your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affections evill concupisence and covetousnesse Once more Communicate with Christ in his Kingly Office in respect of his triumph and Royalty When he had conquered When he ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and gave gifts unto men Eph. 4. 8. Araunah gave as a King Christ hath made you Kings you partake of his Annointing give gifts unto men give Almes spirituall Almes corporall Almes This is a Character of a spirituall King He hath dispersed abroad he hath given to the poor his righteousnesse endureth for ever his horn shall be exalted with honour Psal 112. 9. Thus let me perswade you to be Kings For if you partake of his Annointing in grace you shall also reigne with him in glory There are multitudes that will not strike a stroke for Christ but let the strong man go away withall But as for you my beloved be as the Tribe of Judah Lyons Kings Ephraim compasseth me about with lies and the house of Israel with deceit saith the Lord But Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithfull with the Saints Hos 11. 12. 3. Jesus Christ is the Lyon because King and Governour of his Church So all other Kings and Magistrates they are Lyons Hieroglyphically represented by that generous and magnanimous Creature Are they Lyons then be exhorted to prostrate to them also The Prince of the Tribe of Judah is a Lyon then his Fathers Children shall bow down before him Gen. 49. 8. Let every Soule be subject to the
I check my selfe I shall go to Heaven and there newes will come thick thick thick When others came to him and pressed him with importunity to tell them his judgement concerning the future state of the Church saying to him That he had travelled much in the Revelation and they were perswaded God had revealed something more then ordinary to him What do you thinke Shall we have Popery once againe or no Hee answered You shall not need to feare fire and fagot any more but such dreadful divisions will be amongst Gods people and professors as will equalize the greatest persecutions A man met him neer his house and called to him O Mr. Carter what shall I doe My Wife is entring into her Travell and I thinke shee will dye with very fear Sayes he to the man Make haste run to your Wife and tell her I am going to my Closet as fast as I can to pray for her bid her not faint but be of good comfort The man ran to her and told her what had passed Presently her feares vanished God gave her strength shee was delivered immediately and very safely and her Husband came back to my Father as I remember before he came out of his Closet to tell him what God had done Another time a poor man met him by the way and cryed to him piteously Mr. Carter What shall become of mee I work hard and fare hard and yet I cannot thrive I continue bare and know not how in the World to live Hee answered him You want one thing I will tell you what you shall doe Work hard and fare hard and Pray hard and I warrant you thrive There dwelled in his Parish a Tanner a very godly man and one that had much communion with my Father This man as he was very busie tawing of a Hide with all his might not so much as turning aside his head any way My father coming by accidentally came behinde him and merrily gave him a little clap upon the back hee started and looking behinde him suddenly blushed Sir saith he I am ashamed you should finde me thus To whom my Father sayd again Let Christ when he comes finde me so doing What sayes the man doing thus Yes saith my Father to him Faithfull in the duties of my Calling Being at Dinner in Ipswich at one of the Magistrates houses diverse other Ministers being at the Table One amongst the rest who had years enough learning enough to have taught him more humility was very talkative bragged of his parts and skill and made a challenge He sayd to them Here are many learned men do any of you propound any question in Divinity or Philosophy and I will dispute with you and resolve and satisfie you fully All the Table but he himselfe were silent a while Then my Father when he saw no body else would speak sayd to him calling him by his name I will go no further then my Trencher to puzzle you Here 's a Sole Now tell me the reason why this Fish alwayes living in the salt water should come out fresh My Gentleman could not say any thing to it and so he was laughed and shamed out of his vanity A certaine man came to him and made his moane Saith he I have lost the greatest Freind I had in the World I had in a manner my livelihood from him My Father answered him When the Fountaine dryes up in one place God will open it in another To me he sayd once John God hath alwayes brought water for me out of the hard flinty rock Those covetous hard-hearted men who have beene enemies to my person and Ministry have many times come in and given me countenance and maintenance My elder and onely dear Brother a blessed Instrument in the church of Christ being dead my Father took care of his eldest Son he sent him to Cambridge and walking with him towards the Stable took his last leave of him in these words in Latine Cave mi fili fastum ignaviam Antichristum i. e. My Son beware Pride Sloth Antichrist He would say a Traveller must have a Swines belly an Asses back and a Merchants purse Meaning to fare with all dyet to beare all injuries and to provide for vast expences Wee are Pilgrims and Travellers here and we must prepare for Want Wrongs and spoyling of our Goods It may wel be sayd of him Semper erat ubi non erat His heart was where his head is and where now his soule is in Heaven His whole life was nothing else but a Communion day I have often thought that old Jacob lived in him I am sure the spirit of God breathed as much in him in his words writings holinesse dropped from his Pen in every ordinary Letter that he writ in his actions Soliloquies as in any man of later times He was alwayes distilling precious precepts exhortations instructions consolations into those with whom he had to converse A godly Woman told me once That she had been servant to a religious Gentleman to whose House my Father did often resort and that she was won to Christ at first by the heavenly speeches and sweet principles which dropped from him as she was warming his Bed and waiting upon him in his Chamber A man he was most just and exact in his dealings he put a clause into his Will for the carefull payment of his debts And when my Sister Eunice and I his Executors enquired wee could finde nothing that he owed except to the Smith for shooing of a Horse or two In his Library I found two or three Books I beleeve not one of them worth a groat upon which he had written This Book is borrowed of such an one Let it be restored or if the Owner cannot be found allow something to the poor for it and that liberally Once being in a journey many miles from home in changing a peice of Gold at a Shop he tooke a halfe crowne peice in stead of a shilling neither he nor the Shopkeeper minded it As soone as hee came home he found that he had taken a halfe crowne for a shilling He could not rest but next day he took a long journey on purpose to that Towne to carry back that halfe crown againe He was of a sweet milde and gentle nature and of a gracious spirit A loving and faithfull Husband and an indulgent Father if he failed in any thing it was in his carriage to his Servants for truely he did not carry himselfe as a Master to Servants but as a familiar friend to his freinds He would make them to sit down with him and drinke to them at meat He and my Mother were marryed together well-nigh sixty yeares and I am confident in all that time there never was a distastefull word betweene them And indeed how could there be Hee lived with her as a man of knowledge he was a wise faithfull and tender guide and she was humble and meek did reverence and highly esteem him Every word
is sent out of the bosome of his Father unto men to open the Book Revel 5. 7. 9. to declare and make knowne the secret counsell and will of God concerning the great work of redemption what a new contract is drawne up between the Father and the Son what Jesus Christ hath done for man how he hath satisfied his debt which he was not able to pay and how God hath accepted of it for all those that do beleeve in him The summ of which negotiation you have John 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son i. e. beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day 2. As a King To impute and apply that great benefit of Redemption to man and to make it effectuall And to accomplish this he must be a Lyon he must be a King and that for these causes 1. To gaine and gather his Kingdome To gaine them first into the Kingdome of grace and at last to gather them into the Kingdome of glory Now to effect this he must be a Lyon a potent King for he must conquer before he can raigne yea he must make a double conquest 1. Hee must conquer his subjects he finds them all Enemies at first all Rebels it is truely sayd of all the Children of Adam This people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart Now these rebellious hearts Christ must subdue and bring into subjection making them a beleeving a loving a willing people Christ cannot gaine a Subject into his Kingdome but he must first conquer 2. He also must conquer another Lyon the Enemy-Lyon he is described by Saint Peter Epist 1. chap. 5. Vers 8. Your adversary the Devill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour In the pawes of this Lyon are all men and women in the World by nature The Prince of the power of the ayre that evill Spirit worketh in the Children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah must conquer that roaring Lyon the Devill before hee can gather a Kingdome and raigne Quest But how doth he conquer the Devill how doth he conquer his Subjects Answ Hee conquerd the Devill as he was God by force and might by his infinite power As man and Mediator hee conquered him by his blood by the merit and efficacy of his passion He took part of our flesh and blood that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill And deliver them who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. Hee spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly tryumphing over them in it that is in or upon his Crosse Col. 2. 15. Faith seeth Christ upon the Crosse as sitting in a tryumphall Chariot Duo saith Origen in cruce affixi intelliguntur Christus visibiliter sponte sua ad tempus Diabolus invisibiliter invitus in perpetuum Hee conquers the rebellious hearts of his Subjects and gathers together into one Kingdome the Children of God that were scattered abroad by his voice Scepter and Sword By his voice The Lyonesse as the learned write brings forth her Whelps dead and so they continue three dayes then the other Lyon doth set out his voice and roar over them and then they revive and live Christ is the Lyon his people are his Whelps They are all still-borne Dead in trespasses and sinnes Christ lifts up his voice and roares in the Preaching of the Gospel by which he recovers the life of his people Verily verily I say unto you saith our blessed Saviour Joh. 5. 25. The houre is coming and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live By his Sceptor And that is the same even the Preaching of the Gospell Psal 110. 2. The Lord shall send the Rod or the Scepter of thy strength that is the Ministry of the Gospel out of Zion and by it thou shalt rule in the middest of thine Enemies Those that were enemies by that spirituall Scepter thou shalt make them loving Subjects and a willing people vers 3. By his Sword And that 's the same still the Preaching of the Gospell This is the sharpe two-edged Sword that went out of Christs mouth Revel 1. 16. this is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged Sword peircing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit joynts and marrow This is the two-edged Sword in the hand of the Saints which binds Heathen Kings in Chaines and Nobles in fetters of Iron That is the Gospel brings Heathen Princes and people into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ This is that Sword of the spirit even the Word of God spoken of by Saint Paul And there you have the consummation of the conquest Yes when the spirit seconds the Word when the holy Ghost carries it home to the heart Thus the Lyon the King the Lord Jesus Christ conquers thus he calls his subjects together into one Kingdome by the Word outwardly Preached to the eare and by the spirit effectually working upon the heart moving and sweetly perswading it to obey the calling of Christ 2. Christ must be a Lyon a King to governe his subjects his Church Without Government no Society can stand when there was no King in Israel every man did what seemed good in his owne eyes and all things went to wrack Christ must be a King to give Lawes So Christ There is one Lawgiver even this Lyon and to rule so Christ he rules in the hearts of his people and governs them by his spirit They are led by the spirit of God as many as are the sons of God Judah that is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah is his Lawgiver And he doth not onely give Lawes but that which no King nor Potentate else in the World can do he puts his Law in their inward parts and writes it in their hearts Jer. 31. 33. 3. Christ must of necessity be a Lyon a King to protect and defend his Church people subjects The Lyon will stand to the defence of his young ones even to the death and having the prey in his paw the more any offer to take it from him the faster he holds it So the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah The Kingdome of Christ is ever beset with Enemies The Heathen rage the people conspire the Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take Counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed against his Christ They have not onely flesh and blood but Principalities and Powers also the Rulers of the darknesse of this World and spirituall wickednesse in high places to wrestle withall And therefore without a strong Protector this kingdome would soone be dissolved and layd desolate Now the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah the Lord Jesus
the hearts of his people he brings them into subjection The Rule of Temporall and Earthly Kings is over the bodies and goods of their Subjects But Christs Throne is set up in the Soules of his people by his Spirit he rules in the inward man Temporall Kingdomes are obtained defended by force of Armes carnall Weapons the Arm of flesh but Christs Kingdome is won and maintained by Spiritual Weapons the Word and Spirit For the Weapons of our Warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the Knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 4. 5. Christ himselfe renounceth all temporall and earthly Dominion Thus Iesus answered Pilate My Kingdome is not of this World if my Kingdome were of this World then would my Servants sight that I should not be delivered to the Jewes but now is my Kingdome not from hence Joh. 18. 36. In respect of Dominion Right and Title all the Kingdomes of the World are the Lord Iesus Christ's He hath jus ad rem But in regard of Possession and use hee abdicates all He never owned any temporall Possessions When they would have come and taken him by force to make him King he departed alone himselfe and hid himselfe in a Mountaine Ioh. 6. 15. The more is their folly that by being Subjects of Christs Kingdome expect chiefly temporall good things Riches Honours and Pleasures So the Iewes they alwaies dreamed of a worldly Kingdome and yet expect a Messiah to come with outward Pomp and worldly Glory Yea the very Apostles were nibling at this Act. 1. 6. Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel And the Mother of Zebedees Children lingred after this Grant that these my two Sons may sit the one at thy right hand and the other on thy left in thy Kingdome She meanes a temporall Kingdome But what saith Iesus Christ to her Yee know not what you ask are you able to drink of the Cup that I shall drinke of and to be baptized with the Baptisme that I am baptized with Can you drink of a cup of deadly Wine with me Can you endure to be plunged over head and eares in a flood of Afflictions This you must look for in my Kingdome Riches and Honours and Offices these are not the good things of Christs Kingdome no no. The Kingdome of God is not meat and drink but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy-Ghost Rom. 14. 17. 2. Against the Chiliasts or Millenaries That the 1000 yeares reigne of the Saints upon the Earth is but a meer dream a falshood a grosse error They fancy to themselves that a 1000 years before the generall resurrection Christ in his humane nature shall come to Ierusalem where he was crucified that all the Martyrs and Saints departed of the old and new Testament shall rise in their Bodys and that they and all the liviug Saints shall raign with him 1000 yeares They shall subdue with bloudshed all wicked Princes and disobedient Nations They shall live without any disturbance from any enemy without or within That they shall all live without sin and without Ordinances that they shall passe these 1000 years with all manner of earthly delights begetting many children eating and drinking and making merry This error first set a foot by that Arch-heretick Cerinthus I will not enter the lists to encounter it I will not meddle with the controversy I shall only speak a word if it may be to shame the fautors of this fond fancy What a Saint and so addicted to carnall pleasures Did Christ ever enjoy such an earthly Kingdome Alas alas The Foxes have holes and the foules of the Aire have nests but the Sun of man had not where to lay his head He contemned these low things And what must the Saints his followers look for upon earth Christ himselfe shall tell them If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse and follow me Christ went through this World bearing the Crosse and shall the Saints look to weare Crownes here below The generous Lyon will not eat any dead thing or stinking carcase only what is living and sweet he takes his prey eats it whilest it bleeds and trembles These earthly things riches honors pleasures are but dead things stinking carkases Surely all those whose hearts and affections feed upon them they are not right whelps of the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah If you be not ashamed of the love of the World The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the Pride of life The worlds Trinity Pleasures profits preferments Yet be ashamed to affect a temporall reigne because Christ renounced it I shall say no more to them that expect such a carnall raigne with Christ on earth but what Saint Augustine saith to the Theife upon the Crosse in his elegant Prosopopoeia Lord sayes the Malefactor to Jesus remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome Kingdome sayes Augustine Quid Regium vides What royalty Oh! wretched man dost thou behold what Crown dost thou see but a Crown of Thornes what Robe what Purple but a Common Souldiers tattered Red-coat what Scepter but a Reed what homage but the mocks and taunts of the raging multitude what throne but the Crosse what guard but the barbarous executioners Here 's Christs raigne upon earth hee raigned in suffering he conquered by dying he tryumphed in the Crosse go thou and be content to do likewise Obser 3. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah the King of his Church Then the government of the Church is Monarchicall This is the happinesse of the Church Monarchy is the best Government and Christ is the best King And no King of the Church but Jesus Christ God hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body Eph. 1. 22 23. Here at one blow off goes the triple Crowne The Popes Kingdome is overthrowne and the High Priest of Rome the Universall Bishop is deposed if the Pope be King then there are two Kings of the Church and Jesus Christ is not THE Lyon the onely King Bellarmine grants it that Christ is the onely King and Monarch of the Church which doth spiritually and invisibly govern it yet saith he the Church being corporall and visible it stands in need of some one to be the visible and highest judge to decide controversies to compose all strifes about Religion to ordaine all inferiour Officers Bishops Pastors c. To containe them in their duties and keep them in unity and the visible government of the Church must be Monarchicall The Church of Rome hath found out other Lyons besides the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah They usually called their Popes Leones In 440. they had
that I should obey his voice I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go May not the Lord write it before them in a Table and note it a Book that this is a rebellious people They many of them know the Lawes of their Prince and yet transgresse against them and walk contrary Christ saith thou shalt not be angry with thy Brother rashly but they will continue malicious and revengefull Christ saith Thou shalt not look upon a Woman to lust after her but they have eyes and hearts full of Adultery Christ saith swear not at all but they upon every light occasion upon no occasion blaspheme the name of God and take it in vaine Christ saith Love your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you but they continue full of malice returning rebuke for rebuke curse for curse wrong for wrong evil for evill Christ saith He that will be my Disciple let him Deny himselfe they make self their God Christ saith Let my Disciple take up his Crosse and follow me They say as the reviling Passengers if thou be the Son of God come down from the Crosse free us from the Crosse or we will not follow thee Christ saith Learn of me to be meeke and lowly but they are fierce and proud Christ commandeth faith and love These are the two great Gospell-Lawes but the most of the Children of men are full of unbeliefe and haters of the Brethren O what a little Kingdome is Christs Kingdome Sign 4. Faithfull payment of Tribute as Augustus Caesar so the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Christ the King of his Church doth lay Taxes upon all his Subjects And it is the Character of a right Subject to render Tribute to whom Tribute is due and to give to Caesar the things which are Caesars And according to this rule how small is Christs Kingdome in comparison There is a Tribute of our time due to him every seventh day is his but alas How many prophane persons give away that day to the Devill Yea which is more sad how many are there in these daies that mask under the name and shape of Saints that deny this Tribute altogether and maintain it that there is no such day due to Christ at all now under the Gospell The morality of the Sabbath is gone every day is a Sabbath no day is a Sabbath This is the Doctrine of Devils and Rebels against Jesus Christ There is a tribute to go out of our time every day we live There is a certain Kingdome I remember not the name of it at present in which there is sometimes but rarely a Fish taken which by reason of the greatnesse and excellency and rarity is the Kings Right and Royalty and therefore called the Kings Fish The King alwaies gives the bulck and body of this Fish to those that catch it but he reserves to himselfe Capita Caudas the heads and the tailes as a tribute and acknowledgment that all was his due to him In like manner precious time it is all Christs own all due to him yet he gives his Subjects the body of time the body of the week the body of the day he reserves to himselfe onely capita caudas the ends of time the Morning and the Evening and what other convenient time may be redeemed these are his tribute But how few pay this Little faithfully How few who give to Jesus Christ a Morning Sacrifice How few with Isaac go out to meditate in the Evening How rare is it to finde a man that with David will pray and cry aloud Evening and Morning and at Noon There is a Tribute due to Christ our King out of our Estates and here the poore Members of Jesus Christ are his Receivers Withhold not good from them to whom it is due The poore are in a sense owners of some thing in our hands we are but stewards under Christ to distribute to them I perswade my selfe this kind of tribute I mean Almes is as unjustly and brokenly paid in this City and in this whole Nation as it is in any part of the Christian World and this I feare Christs Collectors and Receivers will witnesse against this hard-hearted Generation There are extraordinary Taxes upon extraordinary occasions you are pretty well acquainted with them Such there are in the Kingdome of Christ in times of trouble and persecution Christ calls for thy Goods Liberty Life for thy dearest blood Tell me art thou willing to part with these when Christ requires them A good Subject will fight for his King If my Kingdome were of this World sayes Christ then would my Servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jewes Joh. 18. 36. But alas alas how few Champions hath the Lord Jesus Christ Nebuchadnezzar made a Degree that every People Nation and Language which speake any thing amisse against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall bee cut in peices and their houses be made a dunghill But now Hereticks that speak amisse of God and of Christ and of the Scriptures and most horrid Blasphemers do swarm and are I had almost said tolerated and cherished Who fights against them Who opposeth them Who contends for the faith for the truth and for the honour of Jesus Christ To endeavour the increase and honour of his Kingdome In the multitude of people is the Kings Honour Prov. 14. 28. He that is a right and faithfull Subject will endeavour with all his might to bring in Subjects to the Kingdome of Jesus Christ I will put you upon examination now Let Magistrates ask their owne hearts whether they in their places by executing Judgment do seek to lessen Satans Kingdome and to enlarge the Kingdome of Christ Let Ministers aske their owne hearts whether they in their places by preaching and practise by life and Doctrine do endeavour to lessen Satans Kingdome and advance the Kingdome of Jesus Christ Let Parents and Masters aske their owne hearts whether they in their places do endeavour by private inflructing of their Families to bring their Children and Servants and all committed to their charge out of the Devils Kingdome into the Kingdome of Jesus Christ Andlet all that are before me this day aske their owne hearts whether they do outof a zealous desire of the increase and honour of Christs Kingdome incessantly pray that all those that are held in captivity under Satan under chaines of darknesse that the Lord would translate them out of the Kingdome of darknesse into the Kingdome of his deare Son Do they daily pray thy Kingdome Come 7. For a ful-do And not so much a new signe as the sum of all before Is sin Is Satan cast out Hath Jesus Christ his Throne in thy heart Doth he rule in thee altogether art acted not by Satan not by the World not by the Flesh but by the Spirit of Iesus Christ then