Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	good_a	king_n	power_n	4,538	5	4.8909	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57477	The preciousnesse of Christ unto beleevers. Or, A treatise wherein the absolute necessity, the transcendent excellency, the supereminent graces, the beauty, rarity and usefulnesse of Christ is opened and applyed. By John Robotham, preacher of the Gospel	Robotham, John, fl. 1654.	1647 (1647)	Wing R1733; ESTC R208474	115,896	303

of all qualities are admittable into the Kingdome of Christ This likewise was sweetly represented unto Peter by a sheet knit at the foure corners wherein were all manner of foure-footed beasts Acts 10. 12. of the Earth and wild Beasts and creeping things and foules of the aire and the Apostle was bid to arise and to slay and eate Now by this he was taught that not onely the Gentiles as well as the Jewes were to be received into the Kingdome of Christ but also that in every Nation as himselfe afterwards expounds it He that feareth God and worketh Righteousnesse is accepted with him Acts 10 35. Let him be of what trade and occuptation of what ranke and quality of what state and condition soever he will be Christ will not refuse him coming unto him and submitting unto the Scepter of his Kingdome Thirdly the Kingdome of Christ is universall in respect of the ages and times of the world it runnes through all ages and it lasts from generation to generation And hence it is that Christ is called a King immortall 1 Tim. 1. 17. having spoken of the long suffering of Jesus Christ toward him in the precedent verse he addes immediately now unto the King eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever amen Jesus Christ then is that God and King and he is called immortall to distinguish him from all other Kings The Kings of the world are mortall they die and leave their Kingdomes to others but Christ is an immortall King hee never dieth his Kingdome knowes no period it passes through all Epoches and tracts of time Precious is Christ that hath such a Kingdome and happie are his Saints that have such a King When friends die when Estates are gone when the Sword rages when sicknesse and death comes when any trouble or affliction is upon them yet to their unspeakable comfort they know that their mighty King liveth and reigneth and so long as he is up they cannot be so downe but they shall rise againe Christ is a King in all ages of the world from the beginning God is my King of old saith the Church Psal 74. 12. and Christ is God there spoken of as appeares by the words that follow God is my King of old working salvation in the midst of the Earth it is Christ the Mediatour that workes salvation in the midst of the Earth for the Father hath committed all Judgement unto him he then is King of old from the very first founding of the world and so shall continue to be while the Sunne and Moone indure as 't is prophecied of him Fourthly Christs Kingdome is universall in respect of all Creatures all power is given into him both in heaven and in earth In respect of his providence the creatures are subject to him as God but as they serve to further the salvation of his elect and to beautifie his Kingdome so they are subject unto him as Mediatour In Ephes 1. 22. It is said of Christ that the Father hath put all things under his feet and hath given him to be the head over all things to the Church that is so farre forth as they conduce to the good of the Church so they are under the Kingdome of Christ as Mediatour Thirdly Christ rules as King alone he alone is caput Ecclesiae the head of the Church When the Romane Empire was growne vast and unweldy there were colleagues in government two men of equall Authority one to rule the East and another to sway the West And in some places during the minority of the King they chose a Regent who hath Kingly Authority and is pro tempore as a King But it is not so in the Kingdome of Christ he rules alone without a partner Vnum non capit Regnum duos is a most true saying here this one Kingdome will not beare two Kings at once Ridiculous is the Popes challenge to be the Ministeriall head of the Church Christ rules alone without any such Image of his government he rules alone as head without either colleague in the largenesse of his dominion or Regent in his minority sole or Vice-Roy in his absence hee hath indeed Officers that rule under him but the headship and royalty he reserves as peculiar to himselfe he carries the government upon his owne shoulders as wee reade Isaiah 9. 6. he alone hath soveraigne power and Authority in governing of his Church he alone hath supremacy of Regiment he alone is Claviger the Key-carrier to his Church Isa 22. 22. It is written thus of Eliakim the Key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open Now herein was this Saint a lively figure and type of Christ the words of the Prophecie are applyed to Christ in his advertisement to Philadelphia Revel 3. and the sense is this that looke as Eliakim was made Steward or Treasurer under Hezekiah that is the next unto the King in government all over the Land to command to forbid to permit to reward to punish to doe Justice and to represse all disorder of which Authority the bearing of a Key on the shoulder was a badge so Christ as Mediatour under his Father hath regall power and Authority over his Church where hee commands in chiefe as I may say and no man may lift up his hand or foote without him he hath the Key of the house of David upon his shoulder to prescribe to inhibit to call to harden to save and to destroy at his pleasure such a Monarch and King is Christ over his Church neither hath any such rule and soveraignty beside him Fourthly Christ is an eternall and everlasting King he receives a Kingdome that cannot be shaken there shall be no end of it his Throne endureth for ever God rent away the Kingdome from Soul and others and Mene Mene was upon Belshazzars Kingdome a full ●umbring and finishing the dayes of it but Christs Kingdome is everlasting and shall never expire let the enemies thereof use what art and craft they will they shall never destroy it or pluck it up The God of Heaven saith the Prophet shall set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed neither shall it be left to other people but it shall stand for ever Dan. 2. 44. If that of the Apostle be objected where ●e saith that Christ shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father 1 Cor. 15. 24. I answer that this doth nothing at all impeach the everlastingnesse of Christs Kingdome for the meaning of it is this that at the generall Resurrection and the end of the world Christ shall lay downe his Mediatorship and shall deliver up all his Elect and faithfull Members of whom now his Kingdome consists unto his Father to be eternally crowned and glorifyed and this shall be then when hee shall have reconciled some of his Enemies spoyled desperate ones of

God present in the flesh to every faithfull and beleeving soule was likewise Vcal Almighty able for all things so that by these two names the faithfull are assured of their Justification Sanctification and eternall Salvation through the presence and power of God and this doubtlesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Mystery Furthermore Christ as man was our Sacrifice and expiation he was our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our Redemption 1 Tim. 2. 6. though I confesse that this price had its worth from the union of the two natures Againe Christ as man was conceived of the Holy-Ghost Christ as man is ascended into Heaven Christ as man sits at the right hand of God Now all these things and much more that might be brought doe speake Christ a very precious and excellent person and that even according to his manhood Secondly consider Christ as Mediatour and there also he shines forth most gloriously and appeares to be the most peerelesse and precious thing in the world In the Mediatorship of Christ wee are to consider his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or his three-fold Holy Office of Prophecie Priesthood Kingdome Christ is a Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in way of eminency and excellency above all other Prophets he was the Head of them all and that in these respects First of all other Prophets were but Types and shadowes of this great Prophet even Moses himselfe was but a figure of him a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto mee saith Moses Acts 7. 37. those words like unto me doe plainly shew that Moses was at the best but an Image and a shadow of Christ Moses fasted forty dayes before the giving of the Law on Mount Sin●i so did Christ before he began to preach the Gospel God did more clearly and perspicuously manifest himselfe unto Moses then unto other men it is said that he spake unto him face to face as a man speaketh to his friend Exod. 33. 11. so did the Eternall Father more openly reveale himselfe unto Christ then unto any creature no man knoweth the Father save the sonne and he to whomsoever the Sonne will reveale him Matth. 11. 27. Moses became a Shepheard in the Land of Midian so is Christ the Shepheard and overseer of our soules 1 Peter 2. 25. Moses was faithfull in all Gods house and so was Christ but yet in a farre more excellent manner then Moses as the Apostle declares Heb. 3. Moses was faithfull as a servant Christ as a sonne over his owne house Moses was himselfe a part of that house but Christ was the builder of it Moses under God did institute Sacraments 1 Cor. 10. 1 2. It is said that the Fathers p●ssed under the cloud and through the Sea and were all baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea marke that phrase unto Moses they were baptised unto him as unto the type or deputy of Christ for Baptisme is a Sacrament of the New Testament and properly of Christ's Institution Moses also instituted the Passeover so did Christ the Lords Supper As the Law was exhibited by Moses so was the Gospel which brings grace and truth free Redemption and the accomplishment of all types unto Beleevers exhibited by Christ Job 1. 17. Thus you see that Moses that egregious and eximious Prophet was no more then a shadow of Christ And the like may be said of all the rest of the Prophets it were no hard matter to shew how they did all of them in one thing or other resemble Christ just as the lively picture of a man doth his person as Enoch and Elijah in their Translations resembled the ascention of Christ Noah by his righteousnesse saving all the rest that went into the Arke with him shadowed Christ who by his perfect obedience saves all true Beleevers Concerning the Prophet David it is said that even those which sate at his Table rose up against him Psal 41. 9. so did Judas against Christ who dipt with him in the platter David also was a man after Gods owne heart so was Christ without the least flawe or failing and what an evident type of Christ was the Prophet Elisha when a dead body rose againe being cast into his grave and touching bis bones a Kings 13. 21. This was not done by any Native or inherent vertue of the Prophet but by that accident to foreinstruct the faithfull concerning the vertue of Christs flesh which rising from the dead should likewise raise up our perished bodies according to that Esa 26. 19. thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing yee that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbes and the Earth shall cast out the dead Againe Jonah lying three dayes and three nights in the belly of a fish was a signe of Christ lying so long in the grave The Prophets were all of them types and resemblances of Christ even John the Baptist then whom there arose not a greater Prophet of all those that are borne of women even he I say was but Christs harbinger or fore-runner Now then as substances doe farre excell shadowes and Kings their Ante-ambulos or harbingers so doth Christ farre excell all Prophets they all of them were but shadowes and fore-runners to him Secondly other Prophets could speak only to the ears of men but Christ spake and still speaks to the heart he hath the Key of David he openeth and no man shutteth he shutteth and no manopeneth Rev. 3. 7. it is a similitude taken from them that keep the Keys of a City or Castle without which they can neither be opened nor shut no more can any open the heart or breake in upon the Spirit beside Christ he alone is able to open the eyes of the mind and to convince the Conscience by the secret kindly and powerfull working of his owne Spirit Other Prophets can preach wisdome unto men but Christ can preach them wise other Prophets can warne men by telling them of their sinnes and denouncing the Judgements of God but Christ can reclaime them and turne them from their sinnes the dead heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live Joh. 5. 25. and hence it is said that he taught as one having Authority and not as the Scribes it came coldly and driely from them but full of paresie and boldnesse full of conviction and raeproofe full of the evident demonstration of the Spirit and of power as the Apostle speakes in this manner came the word from Christ Thirdly other Prophets were instrumentall to search out the mind of God and they did it by way of act onely the Divine will being revealed and discovered unto them but the mind of God was in Christ habitually and radically the fountaine and roote the source and principall cause of Christ's Prophecie was in himselfe Before all time Christ had the honour to sit in the seat of most

excellent secrets the bosome of the Father and therefore he is able as from himselfe to reveale all the Oracles and secrets of God needfull to be knowne he is able to reveale them when and how and to whom he pleaseth Now that these things are habitually in Christ as heate in fire or water in a living and ever-flowing spring appeares by this 1. That Christ is essentially wisdome and understanding Counsell is mine and sound wisdome saith he I am understanding Prov. 8. 14. 2. It appeares also by this because he counsels us to buy eye-salve of him that wee may see and because he hath power to send the Spirit ye have an unction from the holy One and yee know all things saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 2. 20. Christ is the holy one from whom wee receive the anoynting of the Spirit opening our eyes and discovering unto us all saving truthes In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Colossians 2. 3. They are hid in him as Gold and Silver are in suo loco as the Philosopher speakes hid in the veines of the Earth that 's another Argument of the habitualnesse of Prophecie in Christ Thirdly and another is this that all fulnesse is said to dwell in him Coloss 1. 19. where by the terme of plenitude or fulnesse Mr. Beza understands 〈◊〉 ●●cumulation or heaping up of all 〈◊〉 gifts in a most copious and plentifull manner which he saith that the Schoolemen doe call habituall grace distinct from the grace of union the union he meanes of the two natures Now one part of this habituall grace and fulnesse in Christ is the gift of Prophecie and marke I pray it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to inhabit or dwell in Christ this implyes the habitualnesse of it Fourthly other Prophets could reveale but some part of the will of God and at sometimes onely Heb. 1. 1. that God spake unto the Fathers by the Prophets at sundry times and in divers manners that is he did let out his Light minutatim by little and little till the day-Starre and Sunne of Righteousnesse a-rose but saith the Apostle in these last dayes he hath spoken by his Son ver 2. that is he hath spoken more fully and plainely The antithesis or opposition which the Apostle sets between Gods speaking by the Prophets of old and by his Sonne in this latter age of the world shewes plainely the dimnesse and darknesse of those former ages in comparison 〈◊〉 ●hose which have been since the coming of Christ in this respect 〈◊〉 Apostle saith that the heires of life and salvation were but children before Christ's incarnation Galat. 4. 1 2 c. for the generality of them they knew but as Children for that we have done since besides other points of minority and non-age touching Legality and Ceremonies which the Apostle in that place termes elements or rudiments of the world and the State of the Saints under them a state of bondage as wee see now but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through a glasse darkely for what we shall doe in the life to come all is w●apt up in a riddle now for what it will be then so did they of old in comparison of us their Light was but an obscure and glimmering light to ours Christ hath flowed in upon his people in greater abundance of Revelation since his coming then before His discovery of himselfe then was but a standing behind the wall a looking forth of the window a shewing himselfe through the Lattice Cant. 2. 9. Fifthly other Prophets might not preach themselves the Apostle inveighs against selfe-commenders 2 Cor. 10. 12. we dare not saith he make our selves of the number or compare our selves with some that commend themselves and in another place he speakes out plainly no man saith he liveth to himselfe Rom. 14. 7. that is none ought to live unto himselfe Yea even Christ himselfe relating to himselfe as a meere man saith that his witnesse is not true if he beare witnesse of himselfe Joh. 5. 31. but in another place relating to himselfe as Mediatour as God and man in one person and one with the Father he speakes cleane contrary to this though I doe beare record of my selfe saith he yet my record is true Joh. 8. 14. Here then is a wide difference between other Prophets in re●pect of their Office and Christ they might not preach themselves they did indeed report something of their owne vertues but it was for holy example and instructions sake and it was still with reference unto the maine object of the word which was Christ But now Christ being our Mediatour our great Prophet the Apostle of our Profession and the Angel or Messenger of the Covenant between God and us he may and doth preach himselfe to him give all the Prophets witnesse Acts 10. 43. and he beares witnesse of himselfe because he hath not a greater in the point of our Justification Sanctification and eternall Salvation to beare witnesse of than himselfe and hence are those selfe-predications of his which wee finde in the Scriptures Looke unto me and be yee saved all the ends of the Earth Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavie laden When hee read that place of the Prophet Isaiah chap. 61. 1. c. he told the people this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares When the excommunicated man asked him who the Sonne of God was he answered him thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee and he told the Samaritanesse plainely that he was the Messias And it is said of the two Disciples that beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe Now surely it commends unto us the Prophecie of Christ that he might preach commend himself without any blot of arrogancie or taking too much upon him this argues him to be a high and honourable Prophet above all other Sixthly all the Prophets had their Commission and Authority from him the words of the wise are as Goads and as nailes fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepheard saith Solomon Eccles 12. 11. the words of the wise are Divine and heavenly instructions the Masters of Assemblies are Gospel-Ministers and Teachers and Christ is that one Shepheard from whom those words are given and from whom those Masters have their Authority Hence it is said that he went by the Spirit that is by his Divine vertue and power and preached unto those Spirits that are now in prison in Hell wee must conceive having been disobedient unto the word of God and despised his long-suffering in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was preparing 1 Pet. 3. 19. 20. here we see that that which Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse did is attributed unto Christ because Noah was but instrumentall and had his Commission from him just as it is said that whatsoever the Prisoners did in the prison Joseph was