of Ioseph the Husband of Mary his supposed Father Hee descended from David through the loynes of Solomon Saint Luke chap. 3. 23. describes the Pedegree of the Virgin Mary his Mother that bare him shee descended from David through the loynes of Nathâ—n The Husband and Wife were both of the same Family and therefore Christ had a title to the temporall Kingdome Crown and Dignity both by the Fathers and Mothers side Heralds came from the East to proclaime him King there saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes For we have seen his starr in the East Matth. 2. 2. This Pilate subscribed and would not revoke it Iesus of Nazareth the King of the Iewes He was a Lyon true bred But as for this temporall Kingdome and Dominion over Judah the other Tribes our Lord Jesus Christ would not meddle with it Hee had indeed jus ad rem but would never take possession They would have taken him by force to make him King Joh. 6. 15. but he perceiving it departed and hid himselfe in a Mountaine Hee departed from his owne right abdicated the earthly Kingdome and would not meddle with it Therefore secondly By the Tribe of Judah wee must understand the same thing that is signified by Mount Sion and the City of the living God and the heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 12. 22. And what is that Vers 23. will tell you The generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in Heaven The whole company of the Elect who are ordained to life eternall Christ is the King of his Church and the Church is Christs Kingdome The Elect the company of true Beleevers are his subjects and none else Psal 2. 6. I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion that is over the Church As Pharaoh made Joseph Governour over all his House so God the Father made his Sonne Jesus Christ King and Governour of the house of God that is the Church of God This Nathanael confesseth in his little Creed John 1 49. Thou art the son of God thou art the King of Israel His peculiar jurisdiction is over the Church Quest But is not Christ a great King over all the Earth Psal 47. 2. Answ Christ hath a twofold Kingdome 1. Regnum potentiae his Kingdome of power by which as God together with the Father and the holy Ghost hee powerfully rules over all Creatures in Heaven and Earth And so all Men and Women in the World are his Subjects yea whether they will or no. 2. Regnum gratiae The Kingdome of grace Whereby as Mediator hee calls and governs his Church and chosen And in regard of this latter he is sayd properly and peculiarly to be the King of his Church and of his Church onely Thus you have seen 1. That Christ is a Lyon a King 2. That he is the Lyon the onely King 3. That he is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Now attend to the reason of all together Why must the Lord Jesus Christ be such a Lyon such a King He must be a Lyon a King because he is Mediator of his Church This great and high office of a King was so necessary that the Church could never have been saved except Christ had born it A Mediatour is for the reconciling of parties that are at variance and hee that undertakes the work must be in grace and favour with both parties and he must deal not onely between but with both parties with the party offended and the party offending Here the parties at odds are God and Man God is the party offended Man is the party offending You know how the quarrell began man by transgressing against the Commandement and eating of the prohibited Tree highly provoked God here came in the enmity and man cast under an eternall â—curse and must have remained under the sentence of death for ever without a Mediator to take up the quarrell and make peace The Lord Jesus Christ undertakes this office There is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus He therefore must deal and negotiate with both parties and to this end he puts himself upon a threefold office of a Prophet Priest and King 1. And first hee deales with the party offended with God for men This hee doth in his Priestly office Every high Priest saith the Apostle is taken from among men is ordained for men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in things pertaining to God that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sin Here you see he deals with God on the behalfe of men offending and how by offering sacrifices that is by way of satisfaction The sentence was our That day thou eatest that day thou sinnest thou shalt dye certainely Gods justice now could not be satisfied nor any reconciliation made without death no nor without the death of such a person as was without sin without any exception yea such a person as must be God as well as man because the satisfaction must be infinite Jesus Christ is willing Oh the infinite grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to negotiate in this great businesse with his Father and on mans behalfe he doth three things 1. He suffers whatsoever man should have suffered to satisfie God and acquit sinfull man They write of the Lyon that he alwayes hath a quartain ague I am sure Jesus Christ the Lyon of the tribe of Judah hee had a quotidian for us Hee was a man of sorrowes well acquainted with griefe from his birth to the Crosse Yea he dyed a bloody and a most accursed death to appease the wrath of God and slay the enmitty And here the Lyon becomes a Lambe brought as a Lambe to the slaughter and is the very Lambe mentioned in the next Verse which stood in the midst of the Elders as it had been slaine Thus he satisfieth A second businesse he doth for man is as a Priest to pray and intercede to and with his Father that his Sacrifice may be availeable and effectuall to the salvation of his Church I pray saith Christ for these with me now and for all them also that shall beleeve on me Thirdly He doth ingage to his Father that all that the Father hath given him shall beleeve That hee will work faith in them by his Spirit John 6. 3. All that the Father giveth me i. e. all the Elect shal come to me i. e. they shall beleeve Thus Christ is an agent for man with God And in this Priestly office he purchased his Kingdome Therefore saith God the Father will I divide him a portion with the great and he shal divide the spoyle with the strong because he hath poured out his soule unto death and he was numbred with the transgressors and he bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors Againe secondly it is necessary that he deale and negotiate on Gods part with men and this he doth as a Prophet King 1. As a Prophet He
Testament the things concerning himselfe Luk. 24. 27. All the Jewes beleived in the same Christ that wee do There is one and but one faith Eph. 4. 4. And they were all saved by the same faith in the same Christ who was revealed by Oracles from Heaven foretold and prophesied by the Prophets typified in the Sacrifices Though Christ were not manifested in the flesh till the fulnesse of time though he was crucified in the last age of the World yet the vertue of his death was effectuall and available for the Salvation of all the Elect from the beginning of the World to the end thereof Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. He is the Lambe slaine from the foundation of the World Revel 13. 8. The old people and the new people they are all of one House and Family and so have all one coat of Armes The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah All this Saint Peter shortly concludeth in the Counc 〈…〉 Jerusalem But we beleive that through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we shall be saved even as our Fathers were Act. 15. 11. Observ 7. The Lyon is a growing creature Christ's Kingdome is a growing Kingdome This is to be noted from Gen. 49. 9. to which this Text relates The Patriarch Jacob there useth three severall words to signifie three degrees of the Lyons growth 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Catulus a Lyons Wh◠2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leo perfectus a Lyon in full st 〈…〉 gth he couched as a Lyon 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leo Major as an old Lyon Those severall words do set forth the beginning Progresse and complement of Christs Kingdome Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end Esa 9. 7. The bounds of Christ's Kingdome seemed at first but small In Judah was God known his name was great in Israel In Salem was his Tabernacle Psal 76. 1. Salvation was of the Jewes only John 4. 22. They were a very small people in comparison of the rest of the Nations of the World But afterwards Christ comming in the flesh he brings light to the Gentiles And all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God Psal 98 3. Christ is the stone which is cut out with out hands which being at first but small became a great Mountaine and filled the whole earth Dan. 2. 34. 35. These Observations I have propounded to you for instruction and information Now I shall passe on to The second Vse of Reprehension and that 1. OF all those that do not bow down and prostrate before this Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Such as receive not the Lord Jesus Christ to be their King but reject him That say as those Ephraimites Hos 10. 3. We have no King because we feare not the Lord. Or as those malignant Citizens that hated Christ and sent him this message We will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19. 14. or in the Language of those Heathen Kings and mutineers Psal 2. 2 3. That take Counsel together against the Lord and against his Annoynted his Christ saying Let us break their bonds in sunder and cast away their cords from us But are there any such so desperatly rebellious Let that be tryed The designe of a reprehension is not to charge at all adventure but to convince There goeth more to make a subject of Christs Kingdome then a naked and formall profession All men and Women in the world are under Christs Kingdome of power and that Whither they will or no. But the question is art thou a subject of Jesus Christ in the Kingdome of grace I will give you some signes of tryal whereby you may prove that Knowledge All that are the Subjects of Jesus Christ they know their King As it shall be at Christs second comming against men Every eye shall see him Revel 1. 7. So is it in the Kingdome of grace when Christ comes into men every eye sees him They know Christ their King his Natures Person Offices Laws his graces and excellencies No ignorant person is Christ's subject God delivers those from the power of darknesse 1. Of Ignorance whom he hath translated into the Kingdom of his dear Sonne Col. 1. 13. Go no further then this Character and alas how few Subjects hath Christ how many are there that know nothing of Christ more then his bare name Jesus That they can sweare by use it for a Charm and bow to it put of the Hat and make a legge ot a curt'sy But aske them any thing of his Person Offices Lawes of his Incarnation Passion Resurrection Union with Christ c. and they have nothing to answer but as Nabal did to Davids servants Who is David and who is the Son of Jesse who is Christ who is the Sonne of David who is the Sonne of Iesse They know him not Loyalty Fidelity Syncerity to give him the whole heart It stands in Renouncing all other power Serving of him and none else Loving of him with all the heart and trusting in him in Kissing the Sonne Psal 2. 12. But alas what abundance of disloyalty is there how little true faith It hath been formerly observed that many were sworne servants to the King of England that yet underhand were Pensioners to the King of Spaine So are there multitudes who took Iuramentum fidelitatis the oath of Allegiance and fidelity to Christ the Lyon the King in their Baptisme but they are Pensioners to the Devill they serve him wholly by sinning Lying Swearing Killing Stealing Sabbath-breaking Adultery c. There are disloyall wives whorish women who as they they sit at table will looke their Husbands in the face and smile and at the same instant tread upon the Toe of their Adulterous Lovers So may the Lord who is the Husband of the Church complaine as Ezek. 6. 9. I am broken with their wherish heart which hath departed from me and with their eyes which go a whoring after their Idols They seem to fix their Eyes upon Christ yet run after their Covetousnesse and sinfull pleasures contrary to the faith which they have plight with Christ whom they call Husband Honour and feare Honour the King 1 Pet. 2. 17. My Sonne feare God and the King Prov. 24. 21. Heer is the Character of a good subject to honour and fear his Prince Quest But whereby is this Honour and feare manifested Answ By service and obedience Serve the Lord with feare Psal 2. 11. They that dwell in the Wildernesse shall bow before him All Nations shall serve him Psal 72. 9. 10. According to this Rule come to the tryall of your selves and alas how few are there that are true and faithfull Subjects to the Lord and King Jesus Christ how few bow to this Lyon Do not the most say if not in down right Language yet in their practise do they not speak as Pharaoh Who is the Lord
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
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
A Consul's Servant whose name was Androdus for an offence was brought forth to this Lyon either to fight with him and conquer him or else to be torn in peeces by the Lyon and nothing else could be expected When this fierce Lyon saw Androdus afar off hee made a sudden stand as it were in admiration afterwards by little and little hee comes on to the man tanquam noscitabundus as if he thought he knew him and were desirous to know him more perfectly Then he wags his taile after the manner of a fawning Dog rubs his body against the body of Androdus who was almost dead for feare and gently strokes his thighs and hands with his tongue Upon this kindnesse of the Lyon Androdus begins to recover his Spirit and fixing his eyes upon the Lyon he and the Lyon as knowing one another began to renew acquaintance and rejoyce and play together Hereupon there was a strange admiration and shout Androdus was called before Caesar and the cause enquired why the most fierce and barbarous of all the Lyons should spare him and none else Then Androdus gave a full account of the whole matter I was a Servant sayes hee to a Proconsul a Lord-deputy in Africa there having hard use and continuall stripes from my Master I was forced to run away Wandring in solitudes that I might not be found again by my Master about Noon-tide in a hot scortching day I enter'd a Cave for coolnesse presently after this very Lyon came into the same Den with a halting and bloody foot sighing and moaning and as begging pity At the first sight of the Lyon I was terrified but the Lyon soon espying me in a corner of his Den came towards me in a peaceable manner held up his wounded foot shewed it me as craving my helpe I pulled out of the plant of his foot a great thorne or shiver that stuck in it nipped out the blood and corruption cleansed the wound and healed it The Lyon finding ease and cure by my industry rested his foot in my hand And from that day I lived three yeares in that Den with this Lyon and we had the same dyet For when the Lyon had hunted and caught his Prey he would bring the fattest and loveliest peeces to me and because I wanted fire I rosted them against the Sun dryed them and eat them But growing weary of that kind of life with the wilde Beast when on a day the Lyon was gon out after Prey I left the Den and ran away and after some three daies wandring I was taken by the Souldiers and brought to Rome to my Master he presently condemned me to be thrown to this Lyon And I understand that as soon as ever I was parted from the Lyon the Lyon also was taken in his ranging abroad and brought to Rome and now shewes me this kindnesse for his cure Appion said he heard Androdus make this relation It was soon published abroad and all the men petitioned Caesar that the man might be pardon'd and set free and that the Lyon might be given to him And upon the request of the people it was granted Afterwards saith Appion we saw Androdus leading the Lyon about the City by a small Cord from Tavern to Tavern the people gave him money and all as they met him would say Hic est Leo hospes hominis Hic est homo medicus Leonis Here is the Lyon the mans Land-Lord and here is the man the Lyons Surgeon The Story hath been something long I will give you the Application short and quick The man plucked a thorne out of the Lyons foot the Lyon gave the man his life for a reward And will not the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah do more then a Lyon of the Forrest Dost thou see in any of Christ poor Members a thorne a thorn of extream poverty and want a thorn of misery that they are ready to perish Pull out the thorn ease them help them refresh their bowels Christ will give you life even eternall life for your reward He will feed and protect you here and glorifie you hereafter Here what this Lyon this King this Jesus will say to you when he shall come in his glory Come yee blessed of my Father receive the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and you gave nee meat I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger and you took me in naked and you clothed me I was sick and you visited me I was in prison and you came unto me Matth. 25. 34. 35. 36. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtain mercy Matth. 5. 7. You have heard the word of Exhortation now followes the fourth and last Vse 4. Of Consolation Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah the Almighty and eternall King of his Church This opens a wels-spring of comfort to all the Lyons true-bred Whelps to all the Subjects of Christs spirituall Kingdome The Lord Jesus Christ reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof Zion heard and was glad and the Daughters of Judah rejoyced because of thy judgments oh Lord. Various and manifold are the Consolations I will propound them to you that your joy may be full and as shortly as is possible because I hasten to a conclusion and desire not to trespasse too much upon your patience Consel 1. Against all the Churches Enemies The Church and people of God may alwaies sing that Psalme O Lord how are my Foes increas'd And especially at this time Now doubtlesse Rome and Hell all Jesuited spirits all Hereticks and Sectaries who love to fish in troubled waters are busily plotting the overthrow of our Religion and Peace But this is the comfort the Church is not without a King a pâ—â—ent King For the Lord Jesus Christ is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us Isa 33. 22. He may seem a Lyon dermant for a season he slept till the tempest was very high Matth. 8. 24. But the Lyon is awake even when he seemeth to sleep He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep Psal 121. 4. The Lord shall awake as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of Wine and he shall smite his Enemies in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall reproach All attempts against the Church are vain The Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it The Lord Jesus Christ will be a Lyon to them and rent and teare Zions Enemies in peeces and there shall be none to help For hee must reigne till he hath put all Enemies under his feet 1 Cor. 15. 35. Consol 2. Against our ignorance and blindnesse The poor Christian complaines as Agur Prov. 30. 2. Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man 3. I neither learned wisdome nor have the knowledge
Norwich For so he had given order before he dyed that his body should not be put in the Coffin till his Son John came God carryed me through the journey in hard weather and through his good providence I arrived at Belsted early on the Tuesday And going to the house of mourning I found the body of my deceased Father still lying upon the Bed They uncovered his face Sweetly he lay and with a smiling countenance and no difference to the eye between his countenance alive and dead save onely that he was wont to rejoyce and blesse me at my approach now he was silent I fell upon his face I confesse and kissed him and lift up my voice and wept and so took my last leave of him till we meet in a better World In the afternoon February 4. 1634. at his interring there was a great confluence of people from all parts thereabouts Ministers and others taking up the words of Joash the King of Israel Oh my Father my Father the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof Old Mr. Samuel Ward that famous Divine and the glory of Ipswich came to the Funerall brought a mourning Gowne with him and offered very respectively to Preach his funerall Sermon now that such a Congregation were gathered together and upon such an occasion But my Sister and I durst not give way to it For so our Father had often charged us in his life time and upon his blessing that no Sermon should be at his buryall For sayd he it will give occasion to speak some good of me that I deserve not and so false things will be uttered in the Pulpit Mr. Ward rested satisfied and did forbeare But the next Friday at Ipswich he turned his whole Lecture into a Funerall Sermon for my Father in which he did lament and honour him to the great satisfaction of the whole Auditory Gloria fugientes sequitur Glory is like a shadow follow it and it will fly away fly from it and it will follow For humility hee was most eminent Humble in his habite humble in his company for though his gifts called him before great men yet his most ordinary converse was with those of inferiour ranck in whom he saw most of the power of Godlinesse He writ very much but hee left nothing behinde him save what is Printed and his Exposition of the Revelation and a Petition to King James for the taking away of burdensome Ceremonies out of the Church nothing else but a few broken Papers which I suppose he look'd upon as Waste paper Surely he burnt the rest when hee saw his appointed time draw neer meerly out of a low opinion of himselfe and gifts He baulked all things that might tend to outward pomp and ostentation He would have no Funerall Sermon He gave order to be buryed not in the Church but in the Church-yard where hee and my sweet Mother that glorious Paire lye interred together without so much or rather so little as a poore Gravestone over them He had learned of Christ to be meek and lowly in heart he was humble in his life and humble in his death and now the Lord hath highly exalted him He kept a constant Diary or day-book in which he set down every day Gods extraordinary dispensations his own actions and whatsoever memorable things hee heard or read that day He cast up his accounts with God every day and his sins were blotted out before he was called to his last reckoning His day of refreshing is come he rests from his Labours Plus vivitur exemplis quam praeceptis saith Seneca Examples of the dead are Sermons for the living And though when I first set Pen to Paper I intended onely to recollect some of his doings and sayings now eighteen yeares after his decease for my owne memory instruction and comfort yet I cannot but conceive that the example of this holy man of God if it be communicated may be usefull and profitable to the Church of God He was a true childe of Abraham and the blessing of Abraham fell upon him I will blesse them that blesse thee saith the Lord and I will curse them that curse thee Not long since I was at Bramford there dwelleth an ancient Gentleman one of great quality my friend and my Fathers old friend he spake thus to me Mr. Carter I have now lived to see the downfall of all your Fathers opposers and enemies There is not one of them but their Families are scattered and ruined Let the Enemies of Gods faithfull Messengers heare and feare and do no more wickedly I cannot but add one thing more It may be truely said of him and his faithfull Yoke-fellow as it is writen of Zacharias and Elizabeth They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse I dare say the World will testifie that neither of them did ever do that thing that was unjust or evill or scandalour or uncomely their Enemies being Judges They were as to men without blemish their life was a sweet savour and they went out of this life as a fragrant perfume I confesse I have drawn his life very imperfectly I must say as the Queen of Sheba the one halfe hath not been told you It will not be long before the Lord Jesus Christ shall open the Books at the last and great day then and there you shall read his compleat Story Prov. 10. 7. The Memory of the Just is and shall be blessed Reader IT is sayd of Christs sayings and doings that if they should bee written every one the World it selfe could not containe the Bookes Farre be it from me to attribute so much to my worthy Father Yet this much I am certaine of that there are many things in his Life and those of very great concernment which have slipped me Therefore I leave these ensuing Pages vacant that so as thou remembrest any of his holy sayings and doings not mentioned before thou mayst write them downe for thine owne benefit and the good of others Isa 58. 1. Lift up thy voice like a Trumpet Joh. 19. 14. Behold your King 1 Cor. 1. 23. We preach Christ crucified Joh. 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God Revel 13. 8. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the World A RARE SIGHT OR THE LYON Sent from a farr Country and presented to the City of NORWICH in a Sermon upon the Solemne Guild-day June 18. 1650. By IOHN CARTER Preacher of the Gospel And as yet Sojourning in the City of NORWICH Joh. 1. 21. Sir We would see Jesus LONDON Printed in the yeare 1653. TO THE RIGHT WORShipfull Mr. WILLIAM BARNHAM Major of the City of NORWICH As also to Mr. Barnard Church who with much Honour managed the chiefe Place of Magistracy in the said City the last yeare JOHN CARTER Humbly presents this rare Sight AS a Testimony of his respect love and thankfulnesse to them for all their undeserved Favour and faithfulnesse As also because they have
Angell nor Arch-angell none in Heaven and Earth can be found meet to under-go this Office onely Jesus Christ God-man could beare it You have seene how the Lion Messiah the Prince was annointed within Now secondly I will make out his Title to the Crown He had an externall Unction he was annointed a King The ancient annointing of Kings was an outward manifestation and declaration to the whole World of their undoubted Right and Title to their Kingdomes it was also a publick Assignation And this externall Unction had Jesus Christ not with materiall oyle but he had a full and undoubted right to the Government He was no usurper he had a solemn calling from God the Father to this Office and from him he derived a three-fold right The Kingdome was his 1. By Assignation from the Father Psal 2. 6. I have set my King upon my holy Hill of Zion Act. 2. 36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath â—ade that same JESUS who was crucified both LORD and CHRIST 2. By inheritance Psal 2. 7. I will declare the decree the Lord hath sayd unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Heb. 1. 2. God hath appointed him heire of all things Even the wicked Husbandmen acknowledged thus much This is the heire Mat. 21. 38. 3. By free Donation Psal 2. 8. Aske of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession By this time the first branch or Proposition is true and evident Christ is a Lyon that is A King Therefore as after the anoynting of Jehu they blew with Trumpets and proclaimed saying Jehu is King So here having seen the anoynting I blow the Trumpet proclaim Behold Christ is King Behold Christ is King Branch 2. The Lord Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lyon The Lyon of Lyons The most excellent Lyon the onely Lyon Christ is a King and there 's no King but Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 43. â— I am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour The cheife Priests sayd We have no King but Caesar Christians must say We have no King but Christ But haply some will object Are there not many other Kings Were there not Kings of Israel and Judah Had not Aegypt their Pharaohs and the Philistims their Abimelechs Do wee not read in Daniel of the head of Gold the Silver breast and armes the Brasse belly and thighes the Iron Legs the four ancient and famous Monarchies Did wee never heare of the Emperours of the West And are there not many Kings at this very day in the World What is there but one Lyon in the Forest I answer with Saint Paul There are Lords many many Kings And Saint Peter mentions The King as supreame and that as an Ordinance But such a King as the Lord Jesus Christ is not in the whole World And I will shew you some differences between Christ the King and all other Kings 1. Christ is the onely absolute supream soveraigne independent King the onely Lord Paramount all other Kings have but a derived delegated power from him Pro. 8. 15. By me Kings raigne saith the Lord Jesus the wisedome of the Father and Princes decree Justice All other Kings are but subordinate Viceroys Lord-Deputies 2. All other Kings are men meer men Jesus Christ is God and man as he is the man Christ Jesus so he is God over all blessed for ever No other King God-Man but he 3. In regard of bounds all other Kings they have Dominion only over some part and a little part of the World Indeed there have been Monarchs that have styled themselves Emperours of the World but they were mistaken two wayes First in their times scarce halfe the habitable part of the World was discovered Secondly Had they had all they layd claime to it was but to the lower and baser part of the World the Earth But the Lord Jesus Christ hath an universall Kingdome Psal 72. 8. He shall have Dominion from Sea to Sea and from the River unto the ends of the Earth v. 9. They that dwell in the Wildernesse shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust v. 10. The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts v. 11. Yea all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords yea he is King of Heaven and Earth and of all things in them There is no universall King but he 4. In respect of duration All other Kings are men that dye and their Kingdomes have their fatall periods few Kingdomes continue above five hundred years We use to say So many yeares raigned the Chaldeans and Babylonians so many the Medes and Persians so many the Graecians and so many the Romans that I meddle not with the fatall mutations in our Nation The Lord often speaks to earthly Kings in his wrath The Lord hath rent the Kingdome of Israel from thee saith Samuel to Saul even this day he hath done it and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better then thou And this was the Writing that was written concerning Belshazzar Thy Bingdome is divided and given to the Medes and Persians But unto the Sonne unto the Lord Jesus Christ the Father saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever God the Father speaks concerning his Son as Jupiter is brought in speaking of the Romans His ego nec metas rerum nec tempora pono Imperium sine fine dedi His seed will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven His Throne shall be as the Sun before me It shall be established for ever as the Moon and as a faithfull witnesse in Heaven SELAH The Angell Gabriel was sent from God to the Virgin Mary with this Oracle Thou shalt conceive bringforth a Son and shalt cal his name Jesus He shal be great and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David And he shall raigâ—e over the House of David for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Jesus Christ is the Lyon The Lyon is a Creature as Pliny writes that lives long to an incredible age but Christ is the Lyon that never dyes And there is no eternall King but Christ You have the second Branch or Proposition I passe to Branch 3. Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah First And according to the Letter He was King of Iudah He had a just right and title to the temporall Crowne and Kingdome He was of the Seed of David according to the flesh lineally descended from his loynes and by undoubted succession the King and Prince being of the Kingly race This will appear by the Genealogies Saint Matthew chap. 1. sets downe the Pedegree
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
Christ undertakes the protection of it Hee will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her Assemblies a cloud and a smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence And the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it 4. The Lord Jesus Christ must be the Lyon the King to exercise judiciary power to execute judgement To bring Malefactors to condigne punishment to destroy the implacable Enemies of his Church and Kingdome He is therefore a Lyon and a Bear too Hos 13. 7. Therefore will I be unto them as a Lyon as a Leopard by the way will I observe them Vers 8. I will meet them as a Bear that is bereaved of her Whelps and will rent the Caul of their heart and there will I devour them like a Lyon the wilde beast shall tear them Luke 19. 27. But those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Hee also must be a Lyon a King to distribute rewards to his good and faithfull Subjects The Lyon doth teare in peices enough for his Whelps and strangled for his Lyonesses and filled his holes with prey and his dens with Ravine So the Lord Jesus Divides the spoyle with the strong He spoyled Principalities and Powers He ascended up on high hee led Captivity captive and gave gifts to men Ephes 4. 8. As a King hee will hee will inrich his subjects with grace here and glory hereafter he will reward his followers not for their merits sake but for his mercies sake He will say to one Well done thou good servant because thou hast been saithfull in a very little have thou authority over ten Cities And to another Be thou also over five Cities And they that follow him in the Regeneration when Christ the King shall sit in the throne of his glory they also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands to become his subjects shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherite everlasting life Thus have you the generall Doctrine 3. Before I come to make application of it I will addresse my selfe to my third task and returne to the parts of the Text and take a review of them and speake something to them and observe something from them distinctly and very shortly The parts you may remember are two 1. The Trumpet sounded 2. The sight or shew presented 1. For the first The Trumpet sounded Behold This demonstrative as it points to some admirable thing so it is a word of command Here Observe It is the duty of every Christian to behold the Lord Jesus Christ As Saint John the Divine is here called upon to behold so is every one enjoyned to eye the Lyon that is the Lord Jesus John the Baptist calls as much upon his Disciples to behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the World John 1. 29. Even Pilate could call unto the Jews saying Behold your King John 19. 14. But why must we alwayes set our eyes upon Christ There are many reasons I will fasten onely upon one namely Wee must alwayes behold him that wee may imitate and follow him Behold thy King saith the Prophet Zechariah how he cometh he is just meeke and lowly And why must we thus behold him Christ himselfe will give you the reason Matth. 11. 29. that you may learne of him to be meeke and lowly in heart I have given you my example saith the Lord Jesus John 13. 15. that you should do as I have done to you Judah had a Lion in their Standard and that they were to follow Jesus Christ is our Standard The root of Iesse i. e. Christ springing out of Davids stock shall stand for an Ensigne of the people Luke 2. 34. Behold saith Simeon this Childe Iesus is set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Banner which shall meet with contradiction a military signe It is our duty to follow our Ensigne and that is a Lyon 2. You have heard the Trumpet sounded I will now lead you to the second part of the Text Viz. The sight or shew The Lyon of the tribe of Iudah and why of the Tribe of Judah The Apostle shall give you the reason clearly Heb. 7. 14. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Iudah Observe then the Pedigree of this Lyon He came out of the loynes of Judah the fourth Son of Jacob and was born in that Tribe In the words next following my Text Christ is called the root of David which metaphoricall expression doth imply two things 1. That Christ indeed is Davids root David sprang from him David in spirit called him Lord and hee might also call him Father for Jesus Christ is the everlasting Father Isa 9. 6. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Iohn 1. 3. Even David had his originall from him Secondly and most properly the meaning is that David was the root of Christ that is Christ sprang from David God raised up Christ out of the decayed House of David by his mighty arme So plainly Isa 11. 1. There shall come forth a Rod out of the stemme of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots You have both together Revel 22. 16. I am saith Christ the Root and the Off-spring of David I bear David in regard of my Deity and I come of David in regard of my Humanity The whole amounts to thus much That Christ is Man He is God of the substance of his Father begotten before the Worlds and Man of the substance of his Mother borne in the World Of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting Jesus Christ our Lord was made of the Seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1. 3. He took our flesh he took all our infirmities sin onely excepted 4. I have by Gods gracious assistance finished the Doctrinall part I enter now upon my fourth and last taske but not the least It is to make application Put all together that I have spoken and it will be profitable 1. To instruct 2. To convince 3. To exhort 4. To comfort I shall prosecute these distinctly the Lord order and direct my tongue and rightly dispose your hearts for the obedient receiving of the word Behold and hearken And first it wil serve for our Instruction From all that hath been said we may gather divers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corollaries Consectary conclusions as additions for our better information concerning this Lion this King Obs 1. Quale Regnum What manner of Kingdome the Kingdome of Christ is A Spiritual not a temporall Kingdome The Conquest of temporall and earthly Kings is of Countries Cities Castles Navies The Conquest of Christ our King is of
their Leo Magnus and ten since him have borne the same name But the Pope must change his kind and be content to be another Beast A roaring and a devouring Lyon we will allow him to be who rents and teares the Saints of God But Christ is the onely Lyon of Judah the onely King of his Church That there is a visible and externall government of the Church distinct from the Politicall by the word and discipline we affirme But Jesus Christ hath ordained it not Monarchicall but Aristocraticall Matth. 18. 17. Acts 20. 17 28. 1 Tim. 5. 17. It must be governed by the Bishops Pastors Teachers Elders and Deacons in the severall Precincts The whole world is too large a Dioces for any one mortall Creature to take care of The care of all Churches is beyond the strength of any one man Onely the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah can open the Book and read it to all Churches Hee onely can rule and govern all Churches Christ himselfe is present to all his Churches namely by his Spirit which is more to the advantage of all Churches then his bodily presence would be Ioh. 16. 7. And therefore none of the Churches stand in need of the Pope to give Lawes to them or to govern them He is an Usurper and must down Christ is the Lion the onely King of the Church Observ 4. Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah that is lineally descended from the Patriarch Iudah That may seem strange why should not the Messiah have sprang rather out of Reuben Because he was the first-born Iudah was the fourth Son of Iacob The reason hereof you have Gen 35. 22. Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his Fathers Concubine He committed this foule sin and Israel heard it And for this cause he disinherited Reuben and the blessing of the Birth-right fell upon Iudahs head He became the Lyon the Soveraignty and Princedome was his Observe then Sin disinheriteth See this Heb. 12. 16. Least there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsell of meat sold his Birth-right 17. For ye know that afterward when he would have inherited the Blessing he was rejected Here you have 2 distinct examples to confirm this truth First the Fornicator namely Reuben who defiled his Fathers Concubine and for that was disinherited Secondly Esau was the first-born yet lost the Inheritance the Lordship and Dominion because of his prophanenesse For the sentence was passed from the mouth of God The Elder shall serve the younger Gen. 25. 23. Haply some vile and desperate Sinners will make nothing of this Tush say they let them looke to this that are borne to Lands and great Possessions our Fathers have not a penny to leave us we have no Inheritance to loose What no Inheritance Then are you Bastards and not Sons Then God is not your Father all the true Children of God have a two-fold Inheritance The grace favour and blessing of God in this life and eternall glory in the life to come They be Heires of God and joynt-heires with Christ But to the ungodly the Lord saith Know yee that the unrighteous shall not inherite the Kingdome of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall ever inherite the Kingdome of God Observ 5. For our instruction How miserable deplorable and desperate our condition is by nature so lost as that nothing in Heaven or Earth could recover us but the power strength wisedome goodnesse and courage of such a Lyon as the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah We are all borne dead as you have heard and should never have revived if this Lyon had not roared over us We are blinde by nature The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can hee know them He is ignorant of God and of Christ and of the will of God concerning mans salvation and in that ignorance must have perished everlastingly if the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah had not opened the Book and unloosed the Seales thereof No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Ioh. 1. 18. We were all by nature under the guilt of sin under the wrath of God we could never have been acquitted we could never have been reconciled but must have lain under Gods fierce anger for ever if the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah had not stepped in between the party offended and the party offending and made peace For Jesus Christ is our peace And to effect this the Lyon was forced to change his Kinde and to become a Lambe a true Paschall Lambe and to be sacrificed for us I beheld saith Saint Iohn verse 6. and loe in the midst of the Throne and of the foure Beasts and in the midst of the Elders stood a Lambe as it had been slaine Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the World Joh. 1. 29. For he is our peace having abolished in his flesh the Enmity And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Crosse having slaine the Enemy thereby We were in the Jaw and Paw of the roaring Lyon who could have snatched us out of his Fangs We had been the Bond-slaves of Satan for ever wee had been Captives in the Prison in the Dungeon of Hell for ever we had been utterly devoured if the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah had not conquered the Lyon of the infernall Pit But when he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no Intercessor therefore his arme brought Salvation unto him and his Righteousnesse it sustained him O the depth of our miserie in our naturall in our lost condition Observ 6. That from Genesis to the Revelation the Church of God gives the same coat viz. The Lyon the Armes were given Gen. 49. 9. And the same Ensigne is advanced here again in the Text more plainly The Iewes and the Gentiles have all the same Christ One and the same Lyon Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah And he is the Lyon of the Gentiles also Jewes and Gentiles are all under one Prophet Priest King and Captain All that are saved from the beginning of the World to the end thereof they obtaine Salvation by Iesus Christ There was never any way of Salvation but one The ancient Patriarches and Prophets the ancient Iewes were all Christians when Moses was persecuted in Aegypt he bore the reproach of Christ Heb. 11. 26. When the Israelites sinned in the Wildernesse they tempted Christ 1 Cor. 10. 9. The Prophets from the beginning preached Christ and Salvation by the Messiah onely Christ began at Moses and went through all the Prophets and expounded unto them in all the Scriptures viz. Of the old
higher Powers Rom. 13. 1. Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars Honour Obedience and Tribute Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that do well Feare God honour the King 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. 17. Couch to the Civill Magistrate The Donatists and their Successors Anabaptists and Libertines take away all Magistracy out of the World they are Children of Belial that will not be subject to any Yoake Though some of them be constrained to acknowledge Magistracy under the old Testament yet they maintain it unlawfull among Christians under the new Testament But you have heard it from Christs own mouth and Pauls Pen That Magistracy is a Gospell Ordinance and a great blessing Take away Magistracy and the World will soon ruine I exhort you therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of thanks he made for all men for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a godly and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. 4. Christ is the Lyon thereby is signified his Propheticall office as well as his Kingly He shall roare like a Lyon Saith the Prophet Hosea cap. 11. 10. That is saith the gloss Christ shall cause the sound of the Gospel to sound all the world over All God's faithfull Ministers are Lyons also Then be exhorted to hearken to the Prophets of the Lord when they speak in the name of the Lord I say to thee the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah roares in thine ears The Lyon hath roared what 's that The Lord God hath spoken Amos 3. 8. who will not feare who will not tremble You shall meet with a remarkeable story in the first Book of the Kings cap. 20. 35. One of the Prophets said unto his Neighbour in the word of the Lord Smite mee I pray thee a strange command one would think and the man refused to smite him q. d. I will obey you in something else but not in this What saith the Prophet to him because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord behold as soon as thou art departed from me a Lyon shal slay thee And as soon as he was departed from him a Lyon found him and slew him Did the Lord shew this severity for not obeying one word spoken in his name by his Prophet and that so unusuall a command what shall the end of those be that contradict the Prophets of the Lord that speak in the language of those Ierem. 44. 16. As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee What shall the end of those be of all those that in these dayes hate despise and contemne the Ministers of the Gospel yea and the very office of the Ministry and make it their designe to root it out I feare I feare my beloved that we may read England's doome 2 Chron. 36. 15. And the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people on his dwelling place 16. But they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy if the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah be not hearkned unto nor regarded when he roares in the preaching of the Gospel he will soon roar against those Rebells in fury and rent them in pieces and there shall be none to help 5. Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah that is lineally descended out of that Tribe from the loines of the Patriarch Iudah Then be exhorted to have respect to that Tribe love and honour the Jewes What a deare love had Saint Paul to his Country-men He calls Christ to witnesse that he had great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in his heart That he could wish himselfe accursed from Christ for his Brethren his Kinsmen according to the flesh And why Because they are Israelites and the adoption and the glory and the Covenant pertaineth to them But especially because of them as concerning the flesh Christ came Do you love the branch and wil you not love the root yea though it be but the root of his humanity Ob. But some will say the Jewes did crucifie the Lord of life and therefore deserve to be detested And do we not say well we hate such a one as we hate a Jew Answ Take heed of malice and bitternesse against that Nation They did slay the Messiah the holy one its true but they did it ignorantly in unbeleife and therefore Christ prayeth for them Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23. 34. And they have suffered abundantly for their sin as their wickednesse was exceeding great so the Lord hath been very severe to them The blood of Christ lyeth heavie upon them and upon their Children They are scatter'd in all Lands and are for a reproach and a hissing unto this day But hath God cast off his people God forbid God will deale more favourably with the Jewes afterward They have fallen by the edge of the Sword and are led away Captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be troden down of the Gentiles til the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luk. 21. 24. Now they are troden under foot but its onely for a time They are as you see miraculously preserved in all Countries though hated and oppressed And God will not forget his Covenant made with Abraham and his friend so many ages since It is not for nothing that Christ is stiled the glory of the people Israel Luk. 2. 32. And doubtlesse they shall have a glorious Restauration As for the dream of another temporall pompous Monarchy on Earth I leave it to the fanaticall Millenaries but that there shall be a spirituall conversion of the Jewes which shall exceed in glory I conceive it to be most plain The Redeemer shall come to Zion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob saith the Lord As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Isa 59. 20. 21. For I would not Brethren saith Saint Paul that yee should bee ignorant of this Mystery that blindnesse in part is happened to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved As it is written there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodlinesse from Jacob. Rom. 11. 25. 26. Since therefore they are broken off but for a time since we look for
their restauration and that ere long there will be one Sheepfold under one Shepheard since we hope to meet aâ—remnant of them according to the election of grace as God shall call in the Kingdome of Glory Let us do nothing to exasperate them and so to hinder their Conversion but let us love them as the root of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah and pray for them that God would perswade Shem to dwell in the Tents of Japhet 6. Behold Heer I sound the Trumpet yet again Behold and in the sixth place I shall endeavour to quicken and stir you up to behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah My last word of Exhortation is to perswade you to eye the Lord Jesus Christ with all diligence and intention Look upon him that you may imitate and conforme your selves to him in all things As I have observ'd it in the Limner when he drawes a Picture his eye is ever and anon upon the Person whose similitude he takes a line and then a look and all that he may draw it to the life So ought you ever to eye Christ set his example before you continually that you may be so many living Representations of Christ that all that behold you may say that Christ liveth in you The Lyon was Judahs Ensigne which they followed in their war-fare Jesus Christ is our Ensigne and Banner Follow follow your Colours Follow the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah in His Kingly Vertues Graces Stately Deportment 1. In his Kingly Graces Learn of me saith Christ that I am lowly and meek Matth. 11. 29. Hee is wise and be you renewed in knowledge in wisdome according to his Image Col. 3. 10. He is strong as a Lyon be you so Be strong in faith Rom 4. 20. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6. 10. He is just merciful I wil put them he together And herein he is a pattern to thee He hath shewed thee oh man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walke humbly with thy God Micah 6. 8. Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long-suffering Forbearing one another and forgiving one another Coloss 3. 12. 13. 2. Behold follow the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah in his stately Deportment walk as hee walks the Lyon hath a comely gate Let your whole practise be conformable to the example of Christ I have given you an example that you should do as I have done Joh. 13. 15. Let us walk honestly saith Saint Paul Rom. 13. 13. The word signifies decently composedly How is that verse 14. By putting on the Lord Jesus Christ 1. By expressing the life of Christ in your lives Christ is represented to you here as your King and Captain behold your King and as you see him do so do you In every Action set Christ before your eyes and ever think with your selves how would Jesus Christ act if he were in my room Art thou a Magistrate and going to the Bench think thus with thy selfe how would Christ proceed in executing Judgment if he were in my room Art thou a Minister and going into the Pulpit think with thy selfe how would Christ preach of this subject if he were in my room Art thou a Trades-man a Husbandman a Servant a Child Think with thy selfe how would Christ carry himselfe in my Calling in my Relation Art thou to treat with thy Adversary about reconciliation thinke with thy selfe how would Christ temper himselfe how hath Christ carried himselfe to us when we were Enemies You are now going from hence to a sumptuous Feast oh think with your selves what would Christ do if he were at the Table in what measure would he eat and drink what divine and holy discourse would he have When you are at your rich Dishes and full Cups Behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Do all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the Mount Heb. 8. 5. Do not feed your selves without feare Chrysostome wisheth that people at their Feasts and Cups would think of Hell and feare The Lyon trembles at fire Herein be Lyons think of the fire of Hell and be afraid Yet further the Lyon loves and frequents the tops of Mountaines So did the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah often very often whole Nights together he was in the Mountaines praying Mount Olivet was his Chappell of ease his Oratory Follow the Lyon to the Mount be much in retirement in secret prayer and communion with God One thing more let me commend to you and then I shall cease exhorting The dolefull times call for it the Lyon is compassionate and liberall he will distribute of his Prey not onely to his Whelps but also to Beasts of another kinde if they be hungry So the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah he is a compassionate King and a mercifull High-priest he went about doing good healing diseases visiting the sick feeding the people thousands of them that were ready to faint in the Wildernesse Herein I beseech you behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah When you are full distribute of the Prey to those that are hungry and for whom nothing is prepared you that are now ascending to the highest Seat of Authority in this City and the rest of the Magistrates I beseech you have compassion of the poor Look into the poor ruinous dismal Towers and Cottages mark the many pale and wanne faces and the trembling hands think of the hungry and almost-starved multitude In the name of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah take care for them let something be distributed amongst them to refresh their bowels I but perhaps you will say you talk of Cost and this will ask a deale of labour and take us off from our worldly Affaires be it so let me tell you in answer to your Objection your labour shall not be in vain your cost shall not be lost what you do for the poore Members of Christ Christ takes it as done to himselfe The King shall say in as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren yee have done it unto me Matth. 25. 40. The Lyon is the most gratefull Creature in the world And here give me leave to insert a Story both for the remarkablenesse of it and also for the aptnesse of it as I apprehend to our present purpose A. Gell. Noct. Att. Relates the story from Appion Polyhister Who did affirm to him that in the City of Rome he saw the thing with his own eyes he was a Spectator There were in Rome many monstrous and savage Beasts Above all the rest there was one Lyon who for vast magnitude incredible strength dreadfull roaring long and bushy haire waving about his head neck back and legs was terrible to behold and strook the Beholders with amazement