over them 3. Not only the rude multitude but the Kings of the earth and Princes the great men and wise Polititians the Ahitophels ijthiatzbu nosdu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They combine all their strength they beat their braines and joyn their hearts heads and hands against the Lord and against his anointed and all this to stop the riseing and spreading of Christs kingdome The history of the Scriptures and of the Church in all ages doe bear witnesse to this nec mirum aut insolitum est si tumultuetur mundus simulac erigitur Christo solium Calv. And what 's the reason of all this hot opposition v. 3. Let 's break their bonds and cast away their cords They look upon Christs easie yoke and sight burden as bonds and cords they will not be so tyed up and shackled men had rather undergoe any burthen then have Christ rule over their soules Christs lawes are spirituall and oppose their sinfull lusts and appetites and they cannot endure them If any man will be my disciple saith Christ let Mat. 16. 24. Mat. 5. 30. him deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me Mat. 16. 24. Mat. 5. 30. cut off his right hand pluck out his right eye yee are not your own c. Oh! durus hic Sermo this crosseth the haire and will not be swallowed and therefore they cry out as Luk. Malunt servire Diabole quam regnare cum Christo cui servire regnare est Bernard de temp 9. 14. We will not have this man to rule over us Not this man but Barabbas they will rather chuse to be slaves and drudges to the Devill and lusts to Tyrants to any Lord rather then to the best Lord so miserably is the blind world deluded 3. The Third thing to be demonstrated is that Jesus Christ shall rule and reign and his kingdome shall prevaile till it comes to it's utmost extent and latitude in despight of all opposition And this we have abundantly made good in this Psalm also 1. More generally all the imaginations plottings contrivements enterprizes of all these Opposers are but rick a vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thing v. 1. they had better sit still and doe nothing they shall never bring about what they aime at they doe but swim against the stream kick against the pricks and dash themselves against the rock that will break them in peices shoot up arrowes against heaven that will fall upon their own heads Isa 8. 9 10. Associate your selves all ye people and ye shall be broken in peices gird your selves and ye shall be broken in peices take counsel together and it shall come to nought speak the word and it shall not stand for God is with us This is Gods word against their word 2. More particularly look into the Psalm and you shall see variety of Arguments to confirm it 1. Taken from God that hath set up Arg. 1. this King this opposition is against the Lord and his anointed they that resist Christs government are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fighters against God 1. Cor. 10. 22. Doe we provoke the Lord to jealousy are we stronger then he Job 9. 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardned himselfe against him and prospered It was good advice that Gamaliel gave the Councill Act. 5. 28 39. Refrain from these men faith he and let them alone for if this counsell or this work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it c. It will be worth the while a little to consider what 's added verses 4. 5. 1. He against whom the world fights sits in heaven not that he is circumscribed there for he fills heaven and earth but Jer. 23. 24. 1. To shew the unparalled inequality between the Opposers and the Opposed the one is an heavenly God the other poor earth-wormes if wormes did fight against wormes the stronger worme might overtop the weaker but alas what can a few poor clods of earth doe against the Heavenly all-powerfull God in comparison of whom the whole world is but as the drop Jsa 40. 25. of a bucket and as a small dust of a ballance Isa 45. 9. Woe to him that striveth with his maker let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth but shall the pot fly in the face of the Potter but no comparison can reach this insolency 2. God sits in heaven as the Pilot at the helm and as the King in his throne he can turn about the great ship of the world at his pleasure and he can command all hearts heads Angells Men Divells yea all creatures are at his disposure 3. In Heaven where he can be infinitely glorious and happy though he should hurl all the earth and the inhabitants thereof into their first nothing 4. In Heaven and therefore he is above them all and hath advantage enough against Non magnus est Pumilio licet in monte constiterit Colossus magnitudinem suam servabit etiam si steterit in puteo Sen. Ep. 76. them they cannot reach him though they could heap Mountaine upon mountaine to clime up to him but he can easily reach them a weak woman once brake the skull of a King and valiant souldier with a peice of a Milstone cast down upon him from an high towre and so can God crush his proudest enemies with the least instrument of his wrath 2. He laughes 1. To shew the ridiculous folly of the wicked world that they should be so miserably foolish and mad as to think they should be able to prevaile against him or to hinder his determinations and purposes we see with what indignation great Goliah doth scoffe at little David when he dared to encounter with such a Giant and a man of Warre how much more ridiculous were it for a company of silly Pismires to arme themselves and goe out against a great army of Souldiers or should undertake to storm some strong castle or well fortified garrison would not the Commanders sit still and laugh at this simple attempt and not be troubled q. m. c. Deus quietus è sublimi spectat vesanos hominum motus Calv. 2. God laughes to quiet the spirits and chear the hearts of his people when Psal 118. 12. the enemies compasse them about like Bees and threaten their ruin what comfort is this to think that even then God sits and laughes at them when he suffers us to weep by them yea when they laugh among themselves and say aha so would we have it 3. Vers 5. God doth not only laugh and deride them but in due time he will speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure 2. The Second Argument is taken from Arg. 2. Christ himself he comes in and declares vers 7 8 9. 1. The Fathers decree concerning him that when he had fully perfected the work
They have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not i. e. I did not approve of it and even those lawfull powers that are ordained by God are for the particular manner and kind of goverment but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the creation or ordinance of man 1 Pet. 2. 13. but this King is immediately set up by God authorized and approved by him and of more dignity and absolute power then all other * He hath both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is◠33. 22. our Judge our Lawgiver and our King 1. Tim. 1. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jud. v. 25 c. 6. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jud. v. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings King of Kings and Lord of Lords 3. The manner of designment nasacti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have annointed him with mine own hand have I powred my holy Oyle upon his head this intimates God the fathers calling his Sonne Jesus to and fitting him with gifts suitable to his office anointing him with the Oyle of gladness above his fellowes Joh. 6. 27. sealing him with his Signet and setting him on his Throne c. 2. The place or throne where he is designed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sit and reign Zion har Kodshi my holy hill of Zion take it literally and it is that city of David the Metropolis of the kingdome the place of Gods Sanctuary and speciall residence Glorious things are spoken of thee thou city of God Psal 87. 3. Some look here to the letter and expect Christ to come personally and reign in Zion as a Monarch when the Jewes shall be called * Rom. 11. 15. and v. 23. What shall receiving of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be but life from the dead v. Bright on Dan. 12. 2. and on Rev. 19. 20 21. Ezek. 34. 23 24. I will save my flock and I will set up one Shepeard over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them c. and I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them v. 26. 28 29 30. and chap. 37. 20 22 24. I will make them one nation and one King shall be King to them all and David my servant shall be a King over them Hos 3. 5. Amos 9. 11. I will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and I will build it up as in the dayes of old Zech. 14. 4. 5. 9. For the Lord shall be King over all the earth c. chap. 2. v. 4. and that he shall indeed sit upon the throne of his Father David as Isa 9. 6 7. upon the throne of David and upon his kingdome and chap. 60. tot and Luke 1. 32 33. The Lord God shall give unto him the * And Davids Throne is not the hearts of the Saints Jer. 3. 16 17 18. Non enim domus Jacob ad Gentes sed Gentes ad domum Jacob accedere debent si volunt sub hoc rege esse Chem. ad l c. Isa 44. Mic. 4. 2. throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdome there shall be no end And indeed many scriptures look with a fair aspect this way though some have corrupted them with their false glosses and humane * Jerom in Jer. 23. saith thus Licet non sequamur tamen damnare non possumus quia multi Ecclesiasticorum virorum Martyres ista dixerunt vid. Mr. Mede on the Revel ex Just Mart. Dial. cum Tryphone Aug. de Civ l. 20. c. 7. professeth that if it were held more spiritually not so carnally he saw it tollerable once held it Gerhard loc com de consum seculi lib. 7. pag. 319 c. Negari nequit quosdam ex antiquissimis ecclesiae doctoribus opinionem hanc esse amplexos c. and he names many additions but I have no mind now to meddle with controversies especially of this nature I shall therefore say no more of this and the Thousand yeares but what I have heard a Reverend Doctor Dr. Sibbs once said to some Divines disputing of this subject when he seeming to be in a slumber they jogged him and asked his judgment about it If said he it be a dream it is a sweet dreame But there will be no great question if we take Zion mystically for the Church which is Gods holy Hill an Hill for it's eminency and Holy because of his holy ordinances and people there Vpon this hill is Christs Throne set and herein especially he exerciseth his regall power till all his enemies are made his footstoole and till all the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11. 15. and till that of Daniel shall be fullfilled chap. 2. 34 35. which he speaks of the stone cut out of the Mountain without hands which brake the great Image in peices sc the four Monarchies and the stone that smote the Image became a great Mountaine and filled the whole earth and till God shall give him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession according to his promise made to him ver 8. of this Psalme 3. Here 's the maintenance of Christ in his Throne by the same Authority and Power that set him up against all opposition intimated in this particle Yet The Lord is brought in speaking abruptly and pathetically manifesting his indignation and high displeasure against the world of the wicked that are enemies to Christ his King and his resolution to stand by him as if he should say Though the world rages and would un-King and de-Throne my King whom I have Annointed and set upon his Throne yet he shall Reign and Conquer in despite of them Having thus divided and opened the termes of my Text I shall pitch upon this one Proposition Doctr. That God the Father hath anointed and set up his Sonne Jesus Christ to be King and his Kingdome shall be maintained and enlarged till it come to its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perfection notwithstanding all opposition In the handling this Proposition I shall Method propounded proceed in a plain Method 1. By Explication 2. By Demonstration 3. By Application and in all I will keep my self within the bounds of the Psalm 1. For Explication and herein we must 1. Explication consider what manner of King God hath designed his Sonne to be and what he hath appointed to be the limits of his Kingdome The Kingdome of Christ is to be considered under a twofold notion 1. There 's his Regnum naturale this belongs to Jesus Christ as he is God and thus he hath equal power and authority with the Father over all the world and in this sense wee must say to him as David to God 1 Chron. 29. 11 12. Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the
power and the glory thine is the Kingdome and thou art exalted as head above all 2. There 's his Regnum donativum and herein may Christ say My Father is greater than I his dispensatory oeconomicall Kingdome which is not by nature but by donation and gift as v. 8. as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mediator This distinction our Divines generally maintain against the Socinians and others who hold that Christ hath but one Kingdome which he exerciseth as Mediator over his Church and in some respect over all things but they will not yeeld that Christ as God ruleth over all because they deny Christs Divinity This Mediatory Kingdome of Christ is considered in a twofold state 1. The first is Providentiall Christ being as Mediator delegated by his Father as Viceroy and chiefe Ruler over all persons and things with relation to his Church as Joseph by Pharoah was set over all the Land of Egypt So Mat. 28. 18. saith Christ All power is given to me in heaven and in earth Joh. 17. 2. Thou hast given him power over all flesh and Ephes 1. 20. Hee raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principalitie and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet quoad judiciariam potestatem though non quoad exercitium potestatis to which place is parallel that in Phil. 2. 9 10. Wherefore also God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven in earth and under the earth and that every tongue should confesse that Jesus Christ is Lord c. And therefore the Apostle stiles him the blessed and onely Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. And in this sense the Apostle tels us that he must reign till he hath put down all rule all authority and power according to that Dan. 2. 34 35. and brought al in subjection to his Regall Scepter 2. The second state of the Kingdome of Christ as Mediatour is spiritual and this is that Soveraignty of Christ whereby as absolute Head and Monarch he rules and governes in his Churches over the hearts and consciences of men This the Apostle speaks of Ephes 1. 21. Hee gave him to be head over all things to his Church which is his body The power of Christ as King in this spiritual sense is exercised 1. Upon particular persons by his Word and Spirit effectually calling and converting them to himself Turning them from Acts 26. 18. Col. 1. 13. Luc 11. 22. darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God delivering them from the power of darknesse and translating them into his owne Kingdom He is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that casts the strong man out of his palace and takes the Throne himself makes them a people of willingnesse in the day of his power willing to open to this King of glory and stoope to his Psal 110. 3. golden Scepter and to be regulated by his holy Laws and then guides and leads them Psal 73. 24. by his counsell in the waies of holynesse till he brings them to glory 2. In his Churches rightly constituted and governed according to the rule of his word here Christ is Lord and King the chief Shepheard and Bishop of souls 1 Pet. 2. 25. and the great shepheard of the sheep Heb. 13. 20. He walks as chief in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks And here wee may more truly say of him than the Jews Rev. 2. 1. of Caesar We have no King but Christ the Church is Christs family governed by his own Laws aliae sunt Leges Caesarum aliae Christi saith Hierome Christian Governours rule in the Church not over it or if in some sense over the Church yet not quatenus a Church but quatenus a Common-wealth as learned Salmasius distinguisheth vid. Gillesp Aar rod. p. 210. No power on earth may impose or continue any way of Worship upon the consciences of Gods people which Christ hath not prescribed Moses though the greatest Prophet and wisest Governour in Israel yet must keep himself close to the pattern shewed him on the Mount For the building and ordering the Tabernacle and the religious Rites of it and Solomon though wiser than all men is not left to his 1 King 4. 31. own wisdome in building the Temple and regulating the Worship of God there but he must have a pattern also 1 Chron. 28. 11 12 13. David the Man of God gave him a perfect pattern of all that he had by the Spirit And so hath Christ given in his Gospel to his Substitutes and under-Rulers at least in respect of Substantials and Essentials of Worship and Government a perfect pattern likewise which they must hold fast till he come Rev. 2. 24 25. Hee will lay upon his Church no other burthen than what they have already This Kingdome of Christ as spirituall is as yet shut up in a very narrow compasse Oh what a little part of the world doth Christ as a spirituall King reigne ovet according to his own Laws and Prescriptions 1. The Prince of the power of the air that rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience he as God of the world Lords and Kings it over Jews Turks and Heathens they are his vassals 2. The man of sinne hath exalted himselfe and he as God sitteth in the Temple of God and keeps Christ out of his regall Throne and how many followers hath he 3. And in that little spot of the world where this our King sits on his Throne and rules how few real Saints and subjects hath he and of them how few that can agree in one way of serving him But the time draws near when the Angel that hath the Key of the bottomlesse pit shall lay hold on the Dragon that old serpent which is the devill and sathan and bind him up that he shall deceive the nations no more c. Rev. 20. 2. that the ten horns shall hate the whore and burn her with fire Rev. 16. 16. that the water of the great River Euphrates shall be dried up that the way of the Kings of the East may be prepared Rev. 16. 12. that the Marriage of the Lamb shall come and his Wife shall make her self ready Rev. 19. 7. that the Gentiles shall slow in abundantly to Zion the city of the Lord the holy one of Israel and the nation and kingdome that will not serve her and her king shall perish yea those nations shall be utterly wasted Is 60. 12 14. That there shall bee a glorious resurrection of Churches from their dead condition in Idolatry Superstition and Apostacie and put into a right and holy frame when the temple of God shall be opened in heaven and there shall be seen
in his temple the Ark of his Testament Rev. 11. 19. And the Lord shall shew his people the form of his house and all the Laws and Ordinances thereof and write it in their sight that they may keep the whole forme thereof and all the Ordinances thereof and doe them Ezek. 43. 11. Then shall the Church enlarge the place of her tent and stretch forth the Curtains of her habitations lengthen her coards strengthen her stakes and break forth on the right hand and on the left Isa 54. 2 3. Ezek. 48. 35. And then shall the Lord be King over all the earth In that day there shall be one Lord and his Name one Zech. 14. 9. And the Name of his Metropolis shall be Jehovah-Shammah the Lord is there These things in respect of the substance of them I beleeve and expect if I fail in any particular circumstance I submit to the censure of the Prophets If any ask when shall these things be I answer as Christ did his Disciples in the like case Mat. 24. 36. Of the day and hour knoweth no man Brightman on Dan. Rev. Mede on Rev. Dr. Wilkinson his Sermon coram Parl. on Zech. 1. 19 20 21. Mede Apostacy of the latter times p. 69. 78. 80. Yet many learned Divines have given their several guesses which I will not undertake to mention in such an auditory only give me leave to tell you what I have long since observed in Gerhards Epist Dedicatory prefixed to the second part of his Gospel-Harmony where he makes a collation between Christ and his Church and undertakes to demonstrate these five suppositions 1 That there may and will be made a comparison between the years of Christs life and the Jubilees of the Church 2. That Christ lived on the earth 33 yeares and a half 3. That to every year of Christs life there is answerable a year of Jubile of the Church 4 That a Jubile containes 7 weeks of yeares i. e. 49 yeares 5. That the Jubilees are to take their beginning from the preaching and Baptism of John and so makes the Jubilees to end in the year 1670. in quem annum saith he fines temporum in Scripturis revelatorum desinunt But I would not be wise above what is written and I remember what our Saviour said to his Disciples when they propounded that curious question to him Act. 1. 7. It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power I shall conclude this with what the Anglel said to Daniel chap. 12. 12 13. Blessed is he that waiteth and commeth to the 1335 dayes but goe thy way till the end for thou shà lt rest and stand in the lot at the end of the dayes Thus much for the Explication Now secondly I am to demonstrate 1. Why the Lord hath set up Christ to be King 2. Demonstration 2. That Christ Jesus this King hath many and great Opposers and why 3. That he shall reign and prevaile against all oppositions till his Kingdome be perfected 1. Why God the Father hath set up Jesus Christ as Mediator to be King 1. Reason 1. God hath put this honour upon him as a reward of his obedience to his father in taking upon him the great work of Redemption and abaseing and humbling himselfe so low Phil. 2. 7 8 9 10. He made himselfe of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and humbled himself to the death wherefore God hath highly exalted him c. Reas 2 2. Indeed it is due to him by the rule of Equity Judg. 8. 22. what the men of Israel said to Gideon Rule thou over us c. for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian And what Jepthah said to the Elders of Gilead Judg. 11. 9. If I fight for you against the children of Ammon and the Lord deliver them Aug. in Psal 145. 3. Magnus magnus magnus nimis volebat dicere quantū magnus si tota die magnus magnus diceret tota die dicens magnus siniret aliquando quia siniretur dies magnitudo illius ante dies ultra dies sine die c into my hand shall I be your head T is but reason that our Saviour should be our King 3. Because none so fit as he to have the government upon his shoulders none but the Lyon of the tribe of Judah fit to be intrusted with such power and imployed in this office none so well qualified as he Isa 6. 9. See four excellent qualifications quatuor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or combinations 1. He is the wounderful Counsellour there 's his eminent wisdom Solomon to qualifie him for his kingdom begs wisdom of God a wise and understanding heart that he might govern his people behold a greater then Solomon is here all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Admirabilis est in nativitate consiliarius in praedicatione Dens in operatione fortis in Passione pater futuri seculi in resurrectione princeps pacis in perfecta beatitudine Bernard ad Isa 9. 6. Rev. 4. 8. are in him he only can say I am understanding Prov. 8. 14. The deepest polititian in the world is but a fool to him 2. The Mighty God there 's unparalleld power and strength he can say both I am Vnderstanding and I am Strength He is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas all the power of Men Angels is bounded to the Sea Hitherto shalt thou goe and no farther 3. The everlasting Father When Joseph was advanced by Pharoah he caused it to be cryed before him Ab-rech tender Father Gen. 41. 43. This our King is our Father full of most tender bowells an eternal father that will never leave his people Orphans I will not leave you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Joh. 14. 18. 4. The Prince of Peace the true King of Salem indeed he can create peace and bring peace out of trouble Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you Joh. 14 27. and an other manner of peace then the world can give c. Lay all these together and what can be wanting to make him a compleat King Of whom it may be more truely said then it was of Mordecai Esth 10. 3. He was seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed 2. That Christ as King hath many and great opposers and why This we have at hand in the three first verses of this Psalm fully set down All sorts of men by all kinds of wayes fighting against Christ and his Scepter Totius mundi est conspiratio 1. The people rage ragesshu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are without 2. The people imagine jehgu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these within the pale with continuall unwearied care they study to find out wayes to hinder the setting up Christs rule and government