the mighty waves of the Sea Now from these tossed with the windes of Commotions Seditions Oppressions Passions doe flow the Governments of the World the spirit of God moving upon the face of those Waters to bring forth those formes and frames of Rule which he will make use of 2. Unto v. 9. he describes them in order as to their nature and kind one of them being then ready to be destroyed and the other to succeed untill the utter desolation of them all and all power rising in their spirit and principle I shall not passe through their particular description nor stay to prove that the fourth Beast without name or speciall forme is the Roman Empire which I have elsewhere demonstrated and it is something else which at this time I aime at This is that which troubles and grieves the spirit of Daniel in the midst of his body He saw what worldly powers should arise by what horrible tumults shakings confusions and violence they should spring up with what fiercenesse cruelty and persecution they should rule in the World and stamp all under their feet 3. Their end and destruction is revealed unto him from v. 10. unto 12 13. And this by the appearance of the Antient of daies the eternall God in judgement against them which he sets out with that solemnity and glory as if it were the great judgement of the last day God indeed thereby giving a pledge unto the World of that universall judgement he will one day exercise towards all by the man whom he hath ordained Act. 17. 31. And this encreaseth the terror of the vision to have such a representation of the glory of God as no creature is able to beare God also manifests hereby his immediate actings in the setting up and pulling down the powers of this World which he doth as fully and effectually as if he sate upon a Throne of judgement calling them all by name to appeare in his presence and upon the evidence of their waies cruelties and oppression pronouncing sentence against them Be wise therefore O yee Kings be instructed yee Iudges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling He changeth the times and seasons Dan. 2. 21. He ruleth in the Kingdome of men and setteth over it whom he pleaseth cap. 5. 21. And this is the first thing in this vision at which the Prophet was perplexed 2. There is the approach of the Lord Christ unto the Father with his entrance into his Kingdome and Dominion which is everlasting and passeth not away v. 14. This being the end of the vision I must a little insist upon it not that I intend purposely to handle the Kingdome of Christ as Mediator but only a little to consider it as it lies here in the vision and is needfull for the right bottoming of the Truth in our intendment Various have been the thoughts of men about the Kingdome of Christ in all Ages That the Messiah was to be a King a Prince a Ruler that he was to have a Kingdome and that the Government was to be on his shoulders is evident from the Old Testament That all this was and is accomplished in Iesus of Nazareth whom God exalted made a Prince and a Saviour is no lesse evident in the New But about the nature of this Kingdome its Rise and manner of Government have been and are the contests of men The Iewes to this very day expect it as a thing carnall and temporall visible outwardly glorious wherein in all manner of pleasure they shall beare rule over the nations at their will such another thing of all the world as the Popedome which the Gentile or Idolatrous worshippers of Christ set up for his Kingdome And of some such thing it may be supposed the Apostles themselves were not without thoughts untill they had conversed with the Lord after the resurrection Luk. 9. 46. Act. 2. 6. Neither are all amongst us free from them at this day Those who with any simplicity professe the name of Christ doe generally agree that there are three parts of it First and Principally in that which is internall and spirituall in and over the soules of men over spirits both good and bad in reference unto the ends which he hath to accomplish upon them of that which is direct and immediate upon the hearts and soules of men there are two parts 1. That which he exerciseth towards his Elect who are given unto him of his Father converting ruling preserving them under and through great variety of dispensations internall and externall untill he brings them unto himself he stands and feeds them in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the name of the Lord his God Mich. 5. 4. Even he who is the ruler of Israel v. 2. He is exalted and made a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel for the forgivenesse of sinnes Act. 5. 31. He makes his people a willing people in the day of his power Psal. 110. 3. Sending out his holy spirit to lead them into all truth and making his word and Ordinances mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds in their hearts casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of himselfe 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. He takes possession of their hearts by his power dwelling in them by his spirit making them Kings in his Kingdome and bringing them infallibly into glory Oh that this Rule this Kingdome of his might be carried on in our hearts we busy our selves about many things we shall find at length this one thing necessary this is that part of the Kingdome of Christ which we are principally to aime at in the Preaching of the Gospell We Preach Christ Iesus the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 5. Him to be Lord and King though others have had Dominion over us They are the graines of Israel which the Lord seeks for in his sifting the Nations by his word as well as by his providence and we are in the work of the Gospell to endure all things for the Elects sake 2 Cor. 2. 10. 2. In the power which he exerciseth towards others to whom the word of the Gospell doth come calling convincing enlightning hardning many who yet being not his sheepe nor of his fold he will never take to him selfe but leaves to themselves under aggravations of condemnation which they pull upon themselves by the contempt of the Gospell 2 Cor. 2. 16. Heb. 10. 29. He sends his spirit to convince even the perishing world of sinne righteousnesse and judgement Ioh. 16. 8. He sendeth sharp Arrowes into the very hearts of his enemies Psal. 45. 5. making them stoop bow and fall under him so bounding their rage overbearing their lusts leaving them without excuse in themselves and his people oftentimes not without profit from them with some dealing even in this life more severely causing the witnesses of
A SERMON PREACHED TO The Parliament Octob. 13. 1652. A DAY Of Solemne Humiliation Concerning the Kingdome of Christ AND The Power of the Civile Magistrate about the things of the Worship of God By JOHN OWEN OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield Printer to the Vniversity for Thomas Robinson Anno Dom. 1652. DAN. 7. 15. 16. I Daniel was grieved in my Spirit in the middest of my body and the Visions of my head troubled me I came neere to one of them that stood by and asked him the Truth of all this so he told me and made me know the interpretation of the things WHAT there is of concernment for the right understanding of these words in that part of the Chapter which goes before may be considered in the opening of the words themselves and therefore I shall immediately attend thereunto There are in them 4 things considerable 1. The State condition which Daniel the pen-man of this Prophecy expresseth himselfe to be in wherein he hath companions in the dayes wherein we live He was griev'd in his spirit in the middest of his body 2. The cause and means whereby he was brought into this perplexed frame of spirit The Visions of his head troubled him 3. The Remedy he used for his delivery from that intangled condition of spirit wherein he was He went nigh to one of them that stood by and asked him the truth of all this 4. The Issue of that application he made to that one that stood by for redresse He told him and made him know the interpretation of the things All these I shall breifly open unto you that I may lay a foundation for the truth which the Lord hath furnished me with to hold out unto you this day In the first the person spoken of is Daniel himselfe I Daniel he beares this Testimony concerning himselfe and his condition was that he was greived in his spirit The person himselfe was a man highly favoured of God above all in his Generation so richly furnished with Gifts and Graces that he is once and againe brought forth as an Example and instanced in by God himselfe upon the account of eminence in Wisdome and Piety Yet all this preserves him not from falling into this perplexed condition Dan. 1. 17. 20. Ez. 9. 24. Ch. 28. 3. Now as the principall worke of all the holy Prophets which have been since the world began Luk. 1. 70. 1. Pet. 1. 10 11 12. was to Preach set forth and declare the Lord Jesus Christ the Messias who was for to come so some especiall concernments of his Person Righteousnesse and Kingdome were in especiall manner committed unto them respectively His Passion and Righteousnesse to Isaiah the Covenant of Grace in him to Jeremiah to this Daniel most eminently the great works of the Providence of God in the shaking and overturning of Kingdomes and Nations in a subserviency to his Kingdome with the Revelation hereof for the consolation of the Church in all ages did the Lord honour him of whom we speak For the present he describes himselfe in somewhat a perplexed condition His spirit minde and soule was greived sick troubled or disquieted in the middest of his body that is deeply neerely closely it sets out the greatnesse of his Trouble the anxiety of his Thoughts within him like David when he expostulated with his soule about it Ps. 43. 5. why art thou so sad my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me he knew not what to say what to doe nor wherewith to releive himselfe He was filled with sad thoughts sad Apprehensions of what was to come to passe and what might be the Issue of the things that had been discovered unto him This I say is the frame and temper he describes himselfe to be in a man under sad Apprehensions of the Issues and events of things and the dispensations of God as many are at this day and upon that account closly and neerly perplexed 2. The cause of this perturbation of minde and spirit was from the visions of his head The visions of his head troubled him He cals them visions of the head because that is the seat of the internall senses and phantasie whereby visions are received So he cals them a dream v. 1. and visions of his head upon his Bed yet such visions such a dreame it was as being immediately from God and containing a no lesse certaine discovery of his Will and minde then if the things mentioned in them had been spoken face to face he writes them by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost v. 2. for the use of the Church I shall not take the advantage of going forth unto any discourse of dreames visions Oracles and those other diverse wayes and manners Heb. 1. 1. of revealing his minde and will which God was pleased to use with his Prophets of old Numb. 12. 6 7 8. My aime lies another way it sufficeth only to take notice that God gave him in his sleep a representation of the things here expressed which he was to give over for the use of the Church in following Ages The matter of these visions which did so much trouble him falls more directly under our consideration Now the subject of these perplexing visions is a representation of the foure great Empires of the World which had and were to have Dominion in and over the places of the Churches greatest concernments and were all to receive their period and destruction by the Lord Christ and his revenging hand And these three things he mentions of them therein 1. Rise 2. Nature 3. Destruction 1. V. 2. he describes their Rise and Originall it was from the strivings of the foure Winds of the Heavens upon the great Sea he compares them to the most violent uncontroleable and tumultuating things in the whole Creation Winds and Seas what waves what horrible stormes what mixing of heaven and earth what confusion and destruction must needs ensue the fierce contest of all contrary Winds upon the great sea Such are the Springs of Empires and Governments for the most part amongst men such their Entrances and Advancements In particular such were the beginnings of the foure Empires here spoken of Warrs Tumults Confusions Bloud Destruction Desolation were the seeds of their greatnesse vastitiem ubi-fecerunt pacem vocant Galgac apud Tacit. Seas and great Waters doe in the Scripture represent people and nations Rev. 17. 15. The waters which thou sawest where the Whoore sitteth are people and multitudes and nations and tongues as Waters they are unstable fierce restlesse tumultuating and when God mingleth his judgments amongst them they are as a sea of glasse mingled with fire britle uncertaine devouring and implacable It is a demonstration of the soveraignty of God that he is above them Psal. 93. 3 4. The floods have lifted up ô Lord the floods have lifted up their voyce the floods lift up their waves The Lord on high is mightier then the noyse of many waters yea then
him but rather going full fixed resolved setled on thoughts perhaps prejudices of our own almost taking upon us to prescribe unto the Almighty and to impose our poor low carnall thoughts upon his wisdome and care of his Church Oh where is that holy and that humble frame wherewith at first we followed our God into the Wildernesse where we have been fed and cloathed preserved and protected for so many years Hence is it that the works of God are become strange and terrible darke unto us and of necessity some of us many of us must shut up all with disappoyntment and sorrow We fill our soules boldly confidently with crosse and contrary apprehensions of the Intendments of God and of the mediums whereby he will accomplish his ends and doe not consider that this is not a frame of men who had given up themselves to the Alsufficiency of God Some perhaps will say this belongs not unto them they have waited upon God and they doe know his mind and what are the things he will doe and are not blind also nor in the dark as other men But if it be so what means this bleating of Sheep and Oxen in mine eares yea what means that roaring and foaming of unquiet Waves which we heare and see hard speeches passionate reproaches sharp revilings of their brethren in boundlesse confidence endlesse enmity causing evill surmises biteing taring devouring termes and expressions casting out the names of men upright in their Generations saying the Lord be praised When the Lord discovers his mind and will it setleth the heart composeth the mind fills the soule with reverence and Godly feare conformes the heart unto it selfe fills it with Peace Love Meeknesse Gentlenesse c. and shall we be thought to have received the mind the will of God when our hearts words wayes are full of contrary qualities Let it be called what it will I shall not desire to share in that which would bring my heart into such a frame well then beloved take this for your first direction Be more abundant with God in Faith and Prayer deale with him in publick and private take counsell of him bend your hearts through his grace to your old frame when it was your joy to meet in this place which now I feare to many is their burthen seek the Lord and his Face seek him while he may be found and hereby 1. You will empty your hearts of many perplexing contrivances of your own and you will find faith in this communion with God by little and little working out killing slaying these prejudices presumptions which you may be strong in that are not according to the will of God so you be sure to come not to have your own Lusts and carnall conceptions answered but to have the will of God fulfilled When men come unto the Lord to have their owne visions fulfilled it is Righteous with God to answer them according to those visions and confirme them in them to their own disturbance and the disturbance of others 2. You shall certainly have peace in your owne hearts in the Alsufficiency of God this he will give in upon your spirits that what ere he doth all his wayes shall be to you mercy truth faithfulnesse and peace yea the discoveries which you shall have of his own fulnesse sweetnesse suitablenesse and the excelleny of things which are not seen will worke your hearts to such a frame that you shall attend to the things here below meerly upon the account of duty with the greatest calmnesse and quietnesse of mind imaginable 3. You shall surely know your own particular pathes wherein you ought to walke in serving God in your Generation those that waite upon him he will guide in judgment he will not leave them in the darke nor to distracted divided piercing thoughts but what ere others doe you shall be guided into wayes of peace this you shall have when the lusts of men will let neither thēselves nor others be at quiet Oh then returne to your rest looke to him from whom you have gone astray take no more disturbing Counsell with your selves or others renew your old frame of humble dependance on God and earnest seeking his face you have certainly backsliden in this thing Is not the Lord the God of Counsell and Wisdome as well as the God of force and power that you run to him when in a streight in your Actions but when your counsells seem sometimes to be mixt with a spirit of difficulty and trouble he is neglected only come with humble depending hearts not every one to bring the Devises Imaginations Opinions Prejudices and Lust of their own hearts before him 2. For the troubles that arise from the Lusts of other men and that first about the Gospell and the propagation thereof the tumultuating of the Lusts of men in reference hereunto I gave you an account of formerly there are many peircing thoughts of heart What Extreames I had almost said extravigancies men have in this matter run out into I shall now not insist upon only I shall give you a few directions for your own practise 1. If it once it comes to that that you shall say you have nothing to doe with Religion as Rulers of the Nation God will quickly manifest that he hath nothing to doe with you as Rulers of the Nation the great promise of Christ is that in these latter dayes of the world he will lay the nations in a subserviency to him the kingdoms of the world shall become his that is act as kingdomes and Governments no longer against him but for him Surely those promises will scarsly be accomplished in bringing Common-wealths of men professing his name to be of Gallio's frame to care for none of those things Or as the Turke in an absolute indifferency what any professe I mean that are not his own for in respect of them he changes not his God not that I would you should goe and set up formes of Government to compell men to come under the line of them or to thrust in your sword to cutt the lesser differences of brethren not that I think Truth ever the more the Truth or to have any thing the more of Authority upon the conscience for having the stamp of your Authority annexed to it for its allowance to passe in these Nations Nor doe I speak a word of what is may or may not be incumbent on you in respect of the most profligate opposers of the Truths of the Gospell but only this that not being such as are alwayes learning never comming to the knowledge of the truth but being fully perswaded in your own minds certainly it is incumbent on you to take care that the faith which you have received which was once delivered to the Saints in all the necessary concernments of it may be protected preserved propagated to and among the people which God hath set you over If a father as a father is bound to doe what answers this in