But now Christ beside these had outward sufferings he was made a reproach and was buffetted he was nailed to the Crosse and he was peirced Now the reward must be as large as his sufferings if the reward were onely a spirituall reward that would answer onely the spirituall part of Christs sufferings for so great was Christs spirituall sufferings that what ever he receives from the Father in a spiritual way is but a full sufficient reward for them Now what shall Jesus Christ have for all his outward sufferings why surely he must have some reward for these also there must be something that must be given by the Father to the Son as a reward of these therefore I take it that these words they are mainely that part of the reward they doe hold forth the outward part of the reward God had told him before that he should see his seede and that he should Justifie many I but now because Jesus Christ met with a great deale of suffering from the world too therefore saith God I will give him a portion among the great and he shall divide the spoile with the strong because he was buffeted and nailed to the Crosse and peirced therefore the Father will give him a portion among the great and he shall devide the spoile with the strong therefore I will honour him and set him above the great and above the strong and this shall be the reward of his sufferings that the Father will give him a kingdome and glory and that as a reward of his sufferings Isai 52.13 14 15 ver Behold my servant shall deale prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high As many were astonied at thee his vissage was so marred more then any man and his forme more then the sons of men so shall he sprinkle many Nations the Kings shall shut their mouths at him for that which had not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider My servant shall be exalted and extolled and be very high who is this Gods servant why Jesus Christ he whose vissage was more marred then any mans and his forme than the sons of men to speak of Christs suffering day in Christs suffering day his vissage was marred and he was without forme or comelines that is he had no beauty men were astonied at him to look at him seeing him so poore and so despised that this should be the Messiah and the Saviour of the world well saith God though my Son hath been so debased so dishonoured in the world yet I will exalt him above the great men of the world and as the world have been astonied at him and despised him Kings shall shut their mouths at him as much as to say as men when in the presence of a Prince or great man hold their tongues and are silent out of respect and honour so Kings and Potentates shall be silent in his presence in the day of Christs glory though in Christs suffering day every one spake against him called him deceiver and Belzebub and trampled upon him O yet there 's a day saith God wherein my Son shall be exalted shall be very high and then the Kings shall shut their mouths at him the great men of the earth shall be dumb they shall not dare to speake a word in the presence of him there shall be such a dread in the day of his Glory and truly this too you shall see Phil 2.6 7 8 verses Because Christ when he was in the forme of God and thought it no robbery to be equall with God was willing to be vilified and to be trod upon was willing to be of no account that he might thereby glorifie his father and save sinners therefore saith the Lord I will highly exalt him Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow so exalted as every knee shall bow before him we are not to understand this of the Popish bowing of the knee at the name of Jesus for such creatures are said here to bow the knee that have no knees and then too as well every tongue shall confesse him as every knee bow to him But the meaning is this that as Jesus Christ had been dishonoured in the presence of men and Angells so a day shall come that Jesus Christ shall be so exalted by the Father and that in the presence of men and Angells that all men and Angells all creatures in heaven and earth and under the earth they shall all bow to Christ that is subject to him worship before him and every tongue shall acknowledge that this Jesus that was crucified and made a reproach at Jerusalem that he was the Lord Christ the glory of God the Father so that Jesus Christ is to have a kingdome wherein all his enemies are to be under his feete subjected to him and this as the reward of his sufferings This is the sum of that that hitherto I have been speaking of that it was a thing that was concluded upon between God and Christ even in Eternitie when the first foundation of the Covenant of Grace was laid that the Lord Jesus Christ in recompence of what he was to doe here on earth for the bringing about the salvation of sinners shall in reward of his worke have a glorious kingdome given to him by his Father so that this kingdome of Christ it s founded in the new Covenant in the very first striking of it up betwixt the Father and the Son But then Secondly It s cleare if we looke unto the Promulgation of it the first Promulgation of the new Covenant was to man immediatly upon the fall so soone as Adam was fallen the Lord comes to him and in the Lords first words of promise to him we have couched this thing that we are speaking of namely the kingdome of Christ yea it was one great part of it that Christ should have a visible kingdome I take it that that promise that we have in Gen 3.16 The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head that it doth very clearely hold forth this thing as will appeare if we doe but consider as Who is meant by the seede of the Woman so likewise What we are to understand by breaking the head of the Serpent It s not questioned but that the seed of the Woman is Jesus Christ who was borne of a woman in the Fathers due time Now about the breaking the head of the Serpent is the Question There may be a question Whether that the breaking of the Serpents head were onely a spirituall victory conquest obtained by Christ over the Serpent his seed or whether there be not something further in it Now indeed I conceive that though there is that in it namely Christs spirituall victory and conquest yet there is more in it viz. that this breaking the head of the Serpent doth
Mr. Tillinghasts EIGHT LAST SERMONS I The Fifth Kingdome or Kingdome of Christ founded on the New Covenant one Sermon on Jer 33.20 21. II Signs of the Times two Sermons on Matth. 16.3 To which is added six Signs as they were in his Notes III Christ the only Foundation one Sermon on 1 Cor. 3.11 With the prosecution of the point as it was in his Notes IV The Promise of the Father two Sermons on Act. 1.4 V The evil of the Times one Sermon on Mal. 3.16 17. VI Look to your Aims and Ends one Sermon on Matth. 11.7 To which is added The Idols abolished being his Notes on Is 2.18 Matth. 3.2 Repent yee for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand LONDON Printed by M. S. for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1655. A PREFACE TO THE READER THe Lord upon my frequent remembrance of the depth of the Riches both of his Wisdome Rom. 12.33 and of his Knowledge hath given me many and manifold occasions to break forth in the words of the Apostles sudden exclamation How unsearchable are his Judgements and his waies past finding out Yea such hath been the tenor of his dispensations and of the Appearance of some of them of late years from out of those unsearchable depths as may well induce us in the midst of such musings to cry out in the words of the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Rev. 16 3. Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who will not fear thee Oh Lord and glorifie thy Name But Oh ye faithful followers of the Lamb who shall be able to fathom and to measure the depth and heighth the breadth and length of those judgements which are yet to come upon the people and the Princes of the earth Wo Wo to the worshippers and admirers of the Dragon of the Beast and the false Prophet how terrible will Jehovah be unto the little Horn the last power which lifts it self up against the Saints of the most High after the expiration of the two and forty months How will this little Horn which goar 's our sides and pusheth us into corners roar when the Judgement shall sit and they that is the Saints shall take away his Dominion Dan. 7.26 to consume and to destroy it unto the end And with what consternation of mind will the proud Nimrods of the world flye before the Lamb and his followers when the mighty Hunters themselves shall be hunted from Mountain to Hill by the little handful of those who ar redeemed from the earth And whitherwill ye rune for shelter Oh ye Tyrants Who shall be your Lord Protector in the Day when Jehovahs fury shall be powred out like fire Nâ—humâ— 6 And if the Rocks are thrown down by him what will become of Reeds If the Sons of ancient Kings be hurried out of the world to their own place for their oppressions and persecutions for their contempt of God his Word and his Works what will be the portion of the New Monarchical Tyrants who are but of yesterday and have not had time to take root in the earth neither shall ever be able to confirm or establish their Domination But to contract and call off my mind from expatiating upon this point It cannot but be confessed That the sudden loss of so blessed an Instrument in the hand of Christ in such a juncture of time may well be matter of astonishment or of great grief to those poor souls who beginning to halt betwixt two opinions found present help and strength administred to their feeble knees by his Ministry and having also their eyes anointed with Gospel Eye-salve for the discovery of the present and other Truths It was no marvel that they became so sensible of the usefulness of such an Interpreter in that populous City as the deceased Author of the insuing Sermons And indeed We Prisoners your Brethren and Companions in Tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ could not refrain rejoycing with you for the hopes you had that he should have been as an Arrow or a polished shaft in the hand of a mighty man even the man Christ Jesus in such a day as this But as the heavens are higher than the earth Isa 55.9 so are the Lords ways higher than our wayes and his thoughts than our thoughts We are taught to say It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3 18 let him do with us also as seemeth good to him for indeed we are not our own 1 Cor 6.20 we are bought with a price whether we live or dye we are the Lords Rom. 14 8 and therefore we are obliged to glorifie him in our bodies and in our souls But to proceed to a brief Narrative of some particular passages and circumstances which may be of use for the Christian Readers who are far remote from the City to know It is to be remembred That this Servant of the Lord had waited for some space of time viz. about a year of daies to understand the mind of God in reference to the work which was upon his heart to do for the Lord Jesus at length perceiving his way to be plain before him he came up to the City of London where it pleased the Lord to put a period to his dayes within a very short space after he was arrived But how diligently he improved his time and his talent I need not declare for it s well known to thousands that he laboured as if it had been for his life to promote that glorious Cause which was once the joy of the Saints generally throughout the Nation although now it be almost forgotten by the most and the concernments of Christ and his people in the midst of a generation of Revolters and Backsliders from the work of God in their day Three principal businesses he had upon his spirit to dispatch The first was to speak his mind freely to the Great Man as they call him which accordingly after solemn seeking the face of the Lord with some Brethren he did and did bear his Testimony to his face in the first place in the presence of divers witnesses in such a way of plaineness and pity towards him who was guilty of such open Abominations that undoubtedly it will be of use hereafter to the stopping of the mouths of all Court-flatterers who are one of the worst sort of creeping Vermine in the world purposing moreover to proceed to an higher and more publick Testimony as God should give him a spirit and opportunity thereunto In the next place like another young Apollos Act. 18.27 28. being come to the City he helped them much who had beleeved the present Truth through Grace for he mightily convinced many and that publickly that the Kingdome of Christ is not only a Spiritual Kingdome but an outward visible Kingdome as his words are that this is a branch of the New Covenant That this
then againe Vse 6 If it be a new Covenant mercy it will be a spirituall thing though some may call it a carnall and a low thing yet it will be a spirituall thing the Lord teach us to waite upon him to looke up to him to trust in him to relye on him for there shall be a day of his kingdome our worke is to waite seeke pray and waite in these day's the Lord teach his people to goe along with him as the little Children at his entrance into Jerusalem cryed Hosanna Hesanna he rides upon a poore meane creature the foale of an Asse and the Children follow him crying Hosanna Hosanna so we should eye the Lord Jesus now in the meanest appearances and follow him crying Hosanna in the Highest this we should doe The Lord make us waite on him for his owne Time and that time is not farre off I cannot thinke its farre off because many thinke it a great way off it s an argument to me its neare for God comes upon his people when he finds not faith on Earth when Gods people say its farre off then its neare as when God sent Moses to tell the Children of Israel the Lord would deliver them but before deliverance thesentence of death comes and O say they to Moses Aaron what have you brought us to where is their faith now expecting deliverance at the hand of God Now it was worse with them than before and their bondage is encreased and their deliverance was thought further off O but then was the Lords time he Immediatly brought it to passe then was the Lords time come when their faith was gone So when David stood up first upon the account of his kingdome saith he to Abiathar Come with me and thou shalt be safe I am sure God will give me the kingdome though Saul be a Potent Enemy and mine Enemies many yet I am sure God will give me the kingdome but yet after that when Saul pursued him that he was forc't to fly out of one Hole into another Now saith he shall I perish one day by the hand of Saul then when he thought it thus farre off then the kingdome comes forth the hand of the Lord cutts off Saul and the kingdome Immediately comes to David As when the Children of Israel came out of Babylon they thought they should have all things then Jerusalem built and the Temple and all things but when they were about it building the Temple now a stop is put upon the worke and they cry The time is not for the Lords worke yet till that Haggai and Zachary tells them Now is the Time for building the Lords Temple As it is with private Christians in a doubting houre Saints usually conclude we are too forward for that time observe Then is Gods time they had faith at first and after their faith fayles from the worke and they said it was not time mark then was the time the Lord sends Haggai to tell them they liv'd in their Ceiled Houses and neglected Gods house O now was the time when they thought not of it And just so when Christ suffered on the Crosse We thought say the Disciples this was he that should have delivered us their hope was gone of any deliverance by him yet then was their Redemption at hand their Redemption comes forth Immediatly he finishes the worke of Redemption at that time so that to have faith struck dead is not an Evidence that the worke stands a great way off but that its neare and approaching surely the Lord will come forth in his Time and he is not farre from doing some great and glorious thing in the world Gods peoples faith is not grounded upon fancyes but they see and know that God is doing some glorious thing in the world he is overturning kingdomes and setting up the kingdome of his Son O that we could quietly looke up unto the Lord and waite upon the Lord Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with Trembling kisse the Son lest he be angry yee great ones of the Earth lest his wrath be kindled and you that follow the Lord O doe you rejoyce with feare and serve him with Trembling they that stand may fall O when was there such a falling as now shall be when the Lord saith I will arise to shake terribly the earth no History can paralel such shakings as have been in these last dayes therefore we had need take heed lest we fall and looke up to the Lord that we may stand Indeed it s a blessed truth what ever men may thinke of it so sure as my hand is upon this Bible so sure shall such a thing come forth in due time for as this is the true word of God of a true God that cannot lye so certainly it shall come to passe I have onely insisted on one particular the kingdome as a Branch of the new Covenant but to speake of the kingdome as it s held forth in the Word would take up a large time for there 's not any one truth hath more to be said from the Scripture for it than this of Christs kingdome for as the end of all is Gods glory so this is that concerns Christs glory there 's a vane of it running through the Scripture from the first promise made to Abraham to the last spoken of in the Revelation The Lord give us hearts to looke up to him for the accomplishing of it in his Time FINIS Signes of the Times MATHEVV 16.3 O yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the Times THese words are spoken by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ unto a generation of men which came to him tempting him desiring him to shew them a signe from heaven in the first verse The Pharisees also with the Sadduces came and tempting desired him that he would shew them a signe from heaven The Pharisees and Sadduces they were in their Principles contrary and opposite one unto another and yet they can either of them very well agree and comply against Christ and both joyne hands and heads in tempting our Lord and their Temptation it ly's in desiring a signe from heaven our Lord Jesus he takes occasion from this to mind them of the signes of the times Can yee not discerne the signes of the times and lest that they should reply that these signes were so darke that they could not be knowne therefore our Lord labours to convince them and that from things that were of a more outward nature you say in the evening it will be faire weather for the skie is red and in the morning it will be foule weather to day for the skie is red and lowring O yee hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the times As if he should have said what are yee not as wise in spirituall things as you are in Temporall are you not as wise concerning the
stead at all Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation Sixthly Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to Resolutions Vowes and Covenants that is that which many lay their foundation upon truly these are wayes which many honest hearts have run they have trac't them through and there are false hearts too that have run up with them in these wayes when a soule is troubled afflicted and burdened he will resolve vow and Covenant I will never doe so more and after that they have some ease and are at quiet and so long as they keepe their Resolutions Vowes and Covenants they are in a good condition as they conclude so it was with Saul Returne my Son David I will seeke thy hurt no more I will no more persecute David I will no more walke on in these wayes but afterwards he falls upon him againe and againe and David is forced to fly the land these Vowes Resolutions and Covenants will not hold now Christ is a foundation in opposition to this Christ is the onely foundation Seventhly Jesus Christ is a foundation In opposition to Selfe-revenge in opposition to those Acts of revenge that men are ready to put fotth upon themselves it s a thing that is very ordinary among Christians honest hearts as well as others and that through darknes in the new Testament Administration of Jesus Christ and the Covenant of grace they goe to revenge they will be revenged of themselves if they erre in this way or that way if they erre or exceede in Mirth then they will goe about mourning if they have err'd in the use of the creatures then they will not eate nor drinke at all and so they will be revenged of themselves herein they take too much content and too much comfort and they are apt to thinke that because they revenge themselves thus God is pleased with them and he will pardon them Christ is the foundation in opposition to this is this the foundation that my Justification my Comfort my Joy should lye upon my selfe revenge no though a man should goe never so far in this way doe but consider what those in Micah would have done to revenge themselves Micah 6.6 7 verses Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a yeare old will the lord be pleased with thousands of Ram's or with ten thousands of Rivers of oyle shall I give my first-borne for my Transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soule As if they should have said will the Lord accept of any thing let the Lord set me the hardest taske I will doe it if it be to give the fruit of my body or to give away â—ll my estate if I may have the pardon of my sin I will doe it thus I say a man may goe a great way in a way of revenge and yet truly this will be sound nothing it will be but a shaddow and a foundation that will soone shake and fall when a day of Tryall comes Eighthly Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to our Reformation many there are that goe higher than all this many struggle in their Vowes and Resolutions but never come to Reformation but some there are that come to Reformation they have gotten the power and the victory as they say over their sins and here they lay the foundation of their Comfort for certaine saith such a man I am the child of God but Christ is a foundation in opposition to this if we lay our foundation here we shall be deceived this Herod did he reform'd himselfe and did many things the word of John comes to Herod's heart and his heart is so troubled that he did many things so that there may be a reformation in very many things and yet notwithstanding the soule not upon a true foundation there is a vast difference betwixt Cessation â—f sin and Mortification of-sin there may be a Cesation of sin where there is no Mortification of it it may be the Devill he may let a soule alone that he may settle him the faster upon a false bottome men cease from their Iniquitie they were addicted to when they were young and they are apt to lay a foundation upon this and this may be and yet not a true foundation laid a meere Cessâ—tion from sin or an outward Reformation in respect of the acts of sin this may be and yet the soule miserable Jesus Christ he is a foundation in opposition to this foundation Ninthly Jesus Christ he is a foundation in opposition to all outward Priviledges there is a very great deale of confidence that men lay upon their Priviledges O saith such one I keepe many day 's of prayer I am of such a Church and saith another I am Baptized and saith another I am so and so and they glory much in these outward Priviledges as the Jewes did we are the Church of God we are Abrahams Children we have the Oracles of God can we be amisse but saith Christ ye are of your father the Devill and the workes of your father ye will d ee notwithstanding all your boasting and glorying in your outward Priviledges this not the foundation Christ is the foundation in opposition to this Tenthly Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition tâ— those good fitts that semetimes a man or a woman is in unto a duty I doe not speake any thing to shake any poore Saint but would have every Saint have a bottome while God is shaking all Nations and the foundations of the earth doe shake if the foundation be upon a rocke it will stand therefore in this shaking day the good Lord helpe us all to looke to our foundation Christ is a foundation in opposition to those good fitts that men are in to a duty a man may be in a good fit to a duty now and then and when men find this they are apt to rest on it and lay much weight upon it and draw much comfort from it now I say Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation O what a good fit and a good mood was Saul in sometimes 1 Sam 10. he comes among the Prophets of God at the 9 10 11 verses he prophesies among the Prophets here was a good fit to a duty 1 Sam 10.23 when he was going on in persecuting David he had a good fit therefore Saul might say well I feele God working in my heart what ever others judge of me or censure me Saul went on and prophesied before Samuel and lay downe naked all that day and all that night even then when he was going on persecuting of David I bring this to shew you that this is no foundation it is a good thing a sweet thing to have a heart fit and dispos'd to a duty but when I will build upon this this is no foundation but Christ is a foundation in opposition to
it may be I am glorious in the outward parts of obedience and it may be in Comfort too O but is Christ my foundation is Christ at the bottome of all my comfort It may be I performe a great many duty 's but is Christ at the bottome of all my duties O have I yet the Lord Jesus Christ as the foundation for my soule to looke unto O Christians if ever there was a day now it s a day to looke to your foundation when the Lord is shaking heaven and earth even shaking the world and shaking it to peices he will yet shake more than ever he hath shaken till he hath shaken out all the rotten professors that are not founded upon himselfe the good Lord make you to looke to your foundation what a good thing is it to stand firme upon Christ when heaven and earth and all the things of the world shall be shaken yet we shall not be shaken being upon the right foundation the Lord build all your soules upon his Son if you would be upon this foundation say good Lord doe thou come and build how long have I been building and how long have I been working but good Lord come thou and build O that every one of you would but learne thus much as to goe home and say to the Lord Jesus Christ Lord come thou and build good Lord take the worke out of my hands and build thy selfe I shall lay all beside the foundation but come and take the worke out of my hand and if God will come and settle us upon his Son as the foundation of all then shall we have Joy unspeakable and full of glory then shall we Joy and glory in our God then shall we have that comfort and peace which passeth all understanding then shall our soules have heaven begun here that shall last to all eternitie O the Lord build all upon this foundation and let no poore soule here be discouraged those oftentimes that have least cause to be shaken are most shaken and the hypocrite that hath most cause is least shaken poore troubled soules they are apt to be shaken when they heare these things but art thou convinced Soule that thou hast built upon a false foundation do'st thou say thou art undone for ever that there is no hope for thee no rather say blessed be the Lord I have seene my false bottome now I come to the Lord O Lord doe thou build me O Lord doe thou take my soule into thy hand the Lord doe this for every poore soule here that you may all who meete here together meete with the generall Assembly of the first-borne whose names are written in heaven and then shall you not count it in vaine that you have followed the Lord and laid the foundation not in your selves but in the Son of God which the Lord Grant Here followeth the Prosecution of the Point as it was found in the Authors Notes QVest 3. What is Christ the foundation of Ans 1. Of the Fathers Eternall Election Election is built upon Christ he is the bottome stone thereof Eph. 1.4 5. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Christ is the first of the Fathers Election if I may so say Isai 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soule delighteth and all others are Elected in him Hence the Apâ—stle concludes that the foundation of God standeth sure that is Gods decree of Election cannot be overturned it hath such a bottome Stone Secondly Of the Covenant of Grace The Covenant of Grace is the most blessed thing in the world it s the Magazine of faith Comfort and Holines a Saints strong Tower of defence against all assaults Now Christ is the foundation of this glorious Covenant of grace Hence it s said to be made with him Psal 89.3 I have made a Covenant with my Chosen He is called the Mediator of this Covenant Heb. 8.6 But now he hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises And Chapter 12.24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant his blood is called the blood of the Covenant Zach 9.11 As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant Heb. 13.20 Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant Yea he is called the Covenant it selfe Isai 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousnes and will hold thine hand and will keepe thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentills Chapter 49.8 I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherite the desolate heritages Thirdly Of all the Promises of God this followes upon the other if of the Covenant then of the promises every promise is built upon him Hence observe the promises still run to Christ the first promise that ever was made runs to Christ the Womans seede the promises afterward given to Abraham looke to Christ Gal 3.16 Now to Abraham and his seede were the promises made he saith not And to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seede which is Christ All the Leviticall Types and shaddowes which were a representation of things to come did looke to Christ the great Sacrifice Hence the Apostle concludes all the promises of God to be in him and because in him to be firme and Immutable 2 Cor 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us Fourthly Of all a Saints speciall priviledges as First Reconciliation 2 Cor 5.18 19. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himselfe by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not Imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation Rom 5.10 11. For if when we were Enemies we were Reconciled to God by the death of his Son much mere being reconciled we shall be saved by his life and not onely so but we also Joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the Atonement Coll 1.20 21 22. And having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
Kingdome shall very shortly begin to break in peeces and consume all these Kingdomes Insomuch that the spirits of many precious ones were revived their minds inlightened Insomuch that methoughts I heard one Disciple that had been ready to faint and quail saying to another Disciple in Jonathans language See I pray you how mine eies have been inlightned because I tasted a little of this Hony This word of the Lord concerning the glorifying of his Son in the sight of all Nations is sweeter than the hony or the hony comb Oh dear hearts you who heard a proof of Christ speaking in him Tell me Did not your hearts wax warm nay did they not burn within you while he spake of those things to you and while he opened to you in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power those Scriptures which do so neerly concern the King of Saints and his Cause at this day His next design was to travel from Prison to Prison where any of the Servants of Christ were shut up and accordingly made an entrance upon that work in coming to this Castle to visit us as not being ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of us his Prisoners 2 Tim. 11.8 but appeared very willing to be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel of the Kingdome according to that measure of the power of God which should be given him even to suffer bonds in the maintenance of that Cause and glorious Truth which formerly had been owned but is now rejected by the General and his Men of War Insomuch that he would in private discourse with some friends declare That a Prison was like to be his portion ere long And no question if he had lived to have inlarged upon the signs of the times and the Spirit of God had come upon him with power the Supreme single Person at his Head-quarters at White-hall with the advice of his Cabinet Councel would after grave and mature deliberation have found it very necessary absolutely necessary to have suspended and silenced such a Preacher as neither knew how to hold his peace nor yet to pipe to the tune of the New Instrument for we must know that this New Monarchy is founded upon NECESSITY Necessity is the Father and Mother Necessity and Policy are the Nurse and the Guardian of this young Government Alas poor creature it was born in a Consumption and besides that hath had many Convulsion fits since it came into the world insomuch that its Friends and Physitians have had much ado to keep life in it at several critical hours since its Nativity And beside we shall find that Maxime true Nullum violentium est perpetuum violent Motions will quickly work Commotions Confusions and Destructions Let none take offence at this Language for I cannot forbear vilifying the Kingdomes of the fourth Beast when my thoughts are upon the magnifying of the Kingdome Power and Glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Isa 37.22 And if the Virgin Daughter of Sion without any disparagement to her holy modesty might of old be allowed by God himself to despise the great King of Assyria and to laugh him to scorn I know no reason to the contrary but one of the Lambs followers may without breach of rule in an holy triumph of Faith express contempt of the Kings of the Earth who are all of them the lovers of the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth But to return from this digression of Necessity Both Friends and Foes may easily conjecture how warm an incouragement it would have been to all of us to be refreshed with his company in the several Prisons where wee and our Brethren are shut up if it had pleased the Lord to say Amen and so have given the word for the undertaking of his intended spiritual Summer-progress for wee found him to bee indued with such a Spirit and to have so much acquaintance with the Lord and his Word concerning the present oppressed Truth and Work that undoubtedly the Glorious Cause wherein we are ingaged would have been so much the more inquired after and searched into by many of the Saints But the Counsel of the Lord must stand By conference also with him here in my Prison-chamher I understood how long since and upon what occasion the Lord had taken him by the hand and brought him into his spacious Galleries to walk and take a prospect of that part of Christs Kingdom and glory which is now ready to bee revealed in these last times So that I now plainly discern this in regard his day was to be so short he was thereupon spirited from the Lord to do much work in a little time for those Generation-works of his his Books so called together with his knowledge of the times are no question a special product of Providence in this season and may serve for the rouzing up and quickening of such as are upon their watch to look about them that they may not be surprized And for the rendring unexcusable that Generation of drousie Professors and Apostate pretenders which this Nation swarms with at this day Neither let it seem strange to thee whosoever thou art that readest this that the learned Rabbies and the Orthodox Doctors of these times are so exceeding dumb as to this point for first consider It is not the high-way to Ecclesiastical promotions it is impossible they should get or keep any great Church-livings if such Doctrine should be preached by them or imbraced by the people as these Fift-Kingdom-men desire and indeavor to leaven the land withall And then secondly It is according to the tenor of Gods working in the Generations before us such mysteries use to be hidden in their first discoveries at least from the wise and prudent and were revealed unto Babes that so no flesh might glory in his presence Wherefore let no man find fault that the Lord takes such unlikely Instruments to break the Ice to prepare the way nor yet take offence at that diversity of Opinions and Apprehensions which is and will be found for a little while among the Assertors of this Doctrine of Christs Kingdom in the approaching glorious ministration of it It is true such a thing is intimated and handled by this Author in his second Sermon concerning the signs of the times at the 52 page c. But this will occasion the true children of the true light to search the Scriptures daily whether those things there discussed be so or no I confess I have some hope to be successful in reconciling the matter betwixt those good men by communicating ere long to publick view if not prevented what I apprehend to be the mind of God in that particular In the mean time I desire the Lords little remnant whom he hath reserved to himself in this general Apostacie waiting for the breaking forth of the next dispensation from under this dark cloud to entertain these Sermons of this Disciple lately deceased taken in short-hand from his lips
spirituall as the naturall the Gentills as the Jewes which should in this day become one with them it s founded and that upon the Covenant of David and that is the Everlasting Covenant the new Covenant the Covenant of grace so that there ly's this truth before us Obser That the kingdome or visible kingdome of Christ its founded in the new Covenant or The doctrine of Christs kingdome it s a part or Branch of the new Covenant Something I shall speake as to the clearing of this and then speake a few words by way of Application As to the clearing of the Point that it is so that the kingdome of Christ its rapt up in the new Covenant the glorious and blessed Covenant of Grace hath this lodged up in it as one maine peice of it namely a visible kingdome This is cleare if we doe but looke to the first striking up of the Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son between God and Christ in Eternitie The new Covenant though it did come forth in Time the promise of Eternall life came forth in Time yet the foundation of it was laid in Eternitie in hope of Eternall life saith the Apostle which God that cannot lie promised before the world began so that the promise of Eternall life that great blessing of the new Covenant the foundation of this Covenant it was laid in Eternitie before the world began Now if we doe but looke to the transactions past between God and Christ in Eternitie at the striking up of this Covenant we shall finde that this was one great branch one great peice of the new Covenant namely a visible kingdome that Jesus Christ should have a kingdome and be king and have all his enemies under him here it was one great peice of that Covenant that was made between God and Christ in Eternitie In the 49 of Isaiah which Prophesie is applyed by a worthy man unto the thing I am speaking of namely the striking up of the Covenant between God and Christ in Eternitie its cleare the Prophesie doth run upon Christ and in the two first verses as he conceives The Lord Jesus is brought in declaring how that his father had called him and what worke his father had put into his hands for him to doe and so he doth aske what he should have for his labour what wages he should have for the doing his worke And in the third verse the Lord comes and he doth offer to Jesus Christ as his reward and wages Israel thou art my servant O Israel in whom I will be glorified Now as the said person observes Christ considering that these were but a handful that they would many of them stand out against him and oppose him he thereupon complaines my labour is in vaine and I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine If this be all my reward for my worke in dying if I should have no other reward then Israel truly then I should labour in vaine and yet notwithstanding Jesus Christ is so willing to the worke that he undertakes it however saith he my worke is of God I will doe that worke and I will even leave it to himselfe what reward he will give me Now the Lord seeing Christ willing to take this worke upon him he comes in the 6 â—h verse and proffers more largely to him And he said It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentills that thou maist be my salvation unto the end of the earth Here the Lord comes in and doth proffer more largely and fully he opens his heart more fully to Christ Indeed here is the very conclusion the result of all that did passe betwixt the Father the Son now observe among those things that the Lord doth promise to the Son this is one that he shall have a kingdome in the 7th verse Thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel and his holy One to him whom man despiseth to him whom the Nation abhorreth to a servant of Rulers Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithfull and the holy one of Israel and he shall choose thee This is one great thing which was promised by the Father to the Son and that from Eternitie namely a kingdome that Christ should have a kingdome wherein Kings should worship him wherein Princes should fall downe before him and submit to him so that these things are spoken by the Prophet in Time yet as they were transacted betwixt the Father and the Son they were before time and so the Lord had assurance of the kingdome wherein Kings should fall downe and worship him and that in Eternitie But more clearely Isai 53.10 11 12 ver where we have likewise the substance of the Covenant that was betwixt God and Christ the Father and the Son and the tearmes and conditions of either party Jesus Christ for his part he is content that God should bruise him and to be greived and that his soule should become an offering for sin and make Intercession for Sinners then the Father againe he promises on his part that Jesus Christ should see his seede that he should Justifie many and the like but observe among other one speciall thing that the Father promises is that Christ shall have a Portion with the great and shall divide the spoile with the strong this of all other is the great promise Quest Now the Question may be what are we to understand by Gods dividing to Christ a portion with the great and the spoile with the strong Answ Why surely these words they cannot be meant onely of Christs spirituall tryumph over his enemies and Christs spirituall reward because these words they are brought in as the reward the Father gives him for his suffering because he powred out his soule unto death and was numbred with the Transgressors and bare the sins of many therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoile with the strong therefore it cannot be a spirituall reward and the reason is because the reward the Father gives to the Son must be Equivolent unto his suffering for the Father would not give unto his Son a reward that is short of his sufferings this were to look upon God as straite handed when Jesus Christ had done his worke to give a reward short of his worke therefore the reward must be as large as his sufferings Now looke upon the sufferings of Christ and they are of two sorts There was spirituall sufferings and that in undergoing that bitter agony he underwent in the garden in encountering all the sore Temptations of Satan and all the frownes of his Father upon the Crosse here was aboundance of spirituall sufferings and he had the sting and torment of our sins his very soule was powred out unto death with it
engage to restore them and for that he doth engage his Covenant if so be that my Covenant be not firme then saith he may I cast away Jacob and Israel my servant but if you beleive my Covenant doe not beleive I will cast them away Exod 19. When the Lord had cast them off in respect of the old Covenant he gathers them upon the account of the new Covenant his Everlasting Covenant So likewise Zach 9.11 which Chapter is a prophesie that lookes into the last times as is cleare from the first verse for it lookes to the time wherein all the eyes of Israel shall be toward the Lord so you have what is spoken in the 9th ver quoted by the Evangelist Matthew Thy king cometh riding upon an Asse and upon a Coalt the foale of an Asse its cleare it lookes unto the last times so if you looke into the 10 ver And I will cut off the Charret from Ephraim and the Horse from Jerusalem and the battell bow shall be cut off and he shall speake peace unto the Heathen and his Dominion shall be from Sea even to Sea and from the River even to the ends of the earth it lookes to the time of Christs kingdome now in that time God will gather together the Jewes in the 11 ver As for thee also by the blood of the Covenant I have sent forth thy Prisoners out of the Pitt wherein is no water The Lord will gather them in that day and that upon the account of the new Covenant by the blood of the Covenant they are gathered And as the Apostle Paul speakes of the conversion of the Jewes Rom. 11. He speaking of the naturall seede that were broken off that we might be graffed in and how that they should be graffed in againe as he tells us in the 26 ver For this is my Covenant unto them he lay's the foundation of all upon the Covenant they shall be gathered why its my Covenant with them Now observe this is a glorious peice of the worke that that shall be the most excellent peice of the worke in the rise of Christs kingdome in the calling of the Jewes its this that it stands upon the new Covenant The foote of Christs kingdome is bottomed upon the new Covenant it was founded upon the new Covenant in Eternitie it was lodg'd in the new Covenant in the first Promulgation of it to men it was a peice of the Covenant with Abraham and David and when he tells us the worke of his kingdome shall rise he tells us it shall arise upon the foote of the Covenant now lay all these together and what can be more cleare than this That the kingdome of Christ it s a glorious peice of the new Covenant it s a branch of the new Covenant it s such a peice as I told you before as the Lord hath been pleased in an especiall manner which he hath not done to any one branch of the new Covenant besides it to sweare to againe and againe and againe and againe that it shall be If it be so Vse 1 that the kingdome of Christ is lodg'd up in the new Covenant that it s founded there First Wee may learne this That let men or Satan doe what they can for the crushing and the keeping downe such a thing yet a day there is when it will come forth and that in the spite of all the power of men and hell for its a peice of Gods Covenant and its a peice God hath sworne to and if the God of Heaven be able to make good his Oath and performe his Covenant and if he will not let his new Covenant that he hath spoken so highly of his Everlasting Covenant that he hath laid the salvation of all his Children upon his own glory upon if he will not let that fall he must bring this thing to passe therefore let men doe what they can or let Satan do what he can yet when that all the Power of Hell and all the wisdome of men when it hath acted and put forth it selfe to the utmost for the hindering such a thing that God who made this Covenant and who keepes Covenant and hath sworne he will not alter the thing that is gone out of his lipps and sworne againe and againe that he will make Christ higher than the kings of the Earth this God will bring forth such a thing for his Covenant is a sure Covenant and an Everlasting Covenant and therefore indeed it s not for us to struggle against the will of God and the Covenant of God it good for us to waite upon God for his will in all things so for this the time for Gods bringing forth the kingdome of his Son but for men to struggle against this truth when God brings it forth men may undoe themselves because its striving against God and one great branch of the new Covenant Secondly Vse 2 If it be so that the kingdome of Christ is lodg'd up in the new Covenant we may hence learne That the unworthines of the Saints it cannot it shall not hinder or deprive them of this mercy for new Covenant-mercy's they come riding over the head of all things that stand in the way new Covenant Grace is a tryumphing Grace it s a Grace that rides in Triumph what ever it meets with it rides over it s such great Grace Now this kingdome of Christ comes on upon the account of the new Covenant and its the grace of the new Covenant that shall usher this kingdome into the world and as this grace will bring it through all the oppositions of men and Hell so will it even come over the sin and unworthines of the Saints if so be that it were upon the account of the old Covenant indeed we should have little hope Gods people in this day would have little hope When I have many times in serious thoughts lookt over the generation of the Saints all parties it hath been a greater discouragement as touching the worke than all the powers of the world for upon the account of the old Covenant we are gone to consider the unworthynes of the Saints it s a harder thing to get over this than to get over all other things but consider this is the ground of the worke the new Covenant if this kingdome were upon the old Covenant I have oftentimes thought wee should never have any hope that such a thing should rise up in the world and though God might use another Generation yet this Generation must dye because they have all broken Covenant with God yet now seeing its rising ground is upon the new Covenant though the people of God are exceeding unworthy yet notwithstanding they may have mercy and that soule that is most unworthy yet he may come to be partaker of that blessednes of the new kingdome When the Children of Israel were going through the wilderness and the Lord was dealing with them according to the old Covenant they murmured against
with those that are enemies to Christ and his worke And then another signe of the time is there shall be a very great sleepe upon the virgins that is in the next Chapter a great sleepe among professors those that stand up for the wayes and truth of Christ There are many other signes of this time but I cannot run over all so that all the times of Gods more glorious appearance and manifestation of himselfe they are such times as the Lord hath mark't out and set evident signes upon them whereby they may be knowne And indeed God hath done it to the end Reason 1 that he might thereby strengthen the faith of his Children what strength was it to the faith of Daniel when once he came to find the signes of the times when he came to find the time was expiring the time of the Jewes captivity why this sets his faith on worke and sets prayer on work as you may see Dan. 9.2 3 verses I Daniel understood by bookes the number of the yeares whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish 70 weekes in the desolations of Jerusalem and I set my face unto the Lord God to seeke by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes The seeing and the knowing of this time the 70 yeares were now expiring set Daniels faith on worke and makes him goe fall upon his knees before the Lord this was that that stir'd up his faith he saw the signes of the times the time was now expired or expiring our deliverance is neere saith he and therefore he goes to seeke the Lord by prayer and supplication so that its that which is a great strengthning of faith and indeed our Saviour seemes to make this one of his maine ends in laying downe so many signes of the time of his second coming that his Children might have their faith strengthened in the truth when his coming draw's neere therefore he saith when you shall see all these things know that its neere even at the doore that is when you shall see these signes come to passe know that its neere even at the doore and so likewise in another Evangelist When you see these things come to passe lift up your heads with joy for your redemption draw's nigh as if he should have said when you see these signes fulfilled then know that your redemption draw's nigh let this raise up your faith let this encrease your joy as here when in the evening the skie is red it doth strengthen our reason it doth prognosticate faire weather and in the morning when its red and lowring foule weather so when the people of God see the signes of the times they doe prognosticate to their faith the event of the times what God is doing and what God will doe in the time as the other those outward signes doe prognosticate the event of weather to our reason Againe Reason 2 our Lord hath left such remarkable signes of the times that he might hereby leave his Enemies inexcusable Christ makes this a great aggravation of the sin of the Pharisees that they had signes of the times O yee hypocrites can yee not discerne the signes of the times as if he should have said yee have the signes of the times by which if yee will not be wilfully blind ye cannot but understand something if yee had not these signes of the times there might be some excuse and plea for you O but you have the signes of the times Thus he doth aggravate their sin rendring them inexcusable the great workes that Jesus Christ did when he was here on earth as his working of miracles they were one of the signes of the times and the Lord Jesus Christ doth endeavour to render them inexcusable and that by his workes and in the 15 of John 22 24 ver If I had not come saith Christ and done among them the workes which none other man did they had not had sin but now they have no cloake for their sin When they had such an evident and remarkable signe of the time as Jesus Christs doing such glorious workes among them that they might indeed say we have the Messiah when they rejected Christ in the face of such a cleare signe it rendred them inexcusable so when the signes of the times doe point at such a worke the Lord will have done that signe of the time will render men inexcusable before the Lord that doe not do that worke that by which the Lord Jesus Christ did silence the Scribes and Pharisees namely the signes of the times he will silence many with one day when men shall be excusing themselves and saying Lord we would have served thee but we did not know thy work he shall say what did ye not see the signes of the times did not my Prophets speake to you of the signes of the times did not my Prophets speake did not my providences worke did you not see the signes of the times were not things publicke enough and visible enough this will leave poore soules inexcusable men may perish through not observing the signes of the times Doe but a little consider this Generation of men they doe professe much willingnesse to come to Christ they desire a signe from heaven we would faine know that thou art the Messiah could we but be convinced of it Oh saith Christ yee hypocrites can ye not discerne the signes of the times he bids them presently looke into the times they perished upon not observing the signes of the times so the Jewes we would receive Christ if we had but a signe the Jewes require a signe and the Greekes seeke wisdome but they have the signes of the times the Scepter is departed from Judah miracles are wrought by Christ and they had also the signe of Jonas Christ is buried in the wombe of the earth three dayes and rose againe but they did not observe the signes of the times many men will be found in that very case the Scribes and Pharisees were in splitting upon this rocke not minding and observing the signes of the times Quest How comes it about or what hinders men that they cannot see the signes of the Times Answ Severall things hinder men and blind them that they see not the signes of the times though they be never so evident First Their own Interest being exceedingly advanced and set up very high in their owne hearts and love to that above all other things whatsoever men will not see the signes of the times when ever they come forth when their hearts are set upon their Interest for whensoever the signes of the times come forth it s a hundred to one if they doe not run crosse to that mans Interest and if so be mens hearts are set upon their Interests then they will be blind and not see the signes of the times And indeed so it was with Pharaoh there was a great Interest that Pharaoh had there was an
make both good looke the 21 22 verses of the 7 of Daniel I beheld and the same Horne made warre with the Saints and prevailed against them untill the Antient of dayes came and Judgement was given to the Saiats of the most high and the time came that the Saints possessed the kingdome And againe looke into the 25 26 27 verses And he shall speake great words against the most high and shall weare out the Saints of the most high and thinke to change times and Lawes and they shall be given into his hand untill a time and times and the deviding of time But the Judgement shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end And the kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdome is an Everlasting kingdome and all Dominions shall serve and obey him So that observe the very people that the little Horne warr 's against in the day of his raign that very people at the ending time of his Dominion shall take his Dominion from him but they are Saints I say Saints must be considered under that notion in taking the kingdome and Dominion of the little Horne as they are considered in the little Hornes warre against them why if we consider that in the time of the little Hornes warre against them he doth not war against them as they are nations but against Saints as Saints therefore when the ending time of his Dominion comes Saints as Saints not Saints as the body of nations for there was never yet a nation made up of Saints but Saints as Saints cul'd out shall execute the vengeance of God upon this little Horne that hath warr'd against them and troden them underfoote so long Thirdly Reason 3 That generation of men shall destroy the kingdome of the Beast in the time when his kingdome is to be destoyed that did beare witnes against the Beast for Christ all the time his kingdome stood this is grounded upon the cleare truth of the 11 Chapter of the Revelation which tells us that the witnesses for 1260 dayes prophesied in the end of this time they are kil'd by the Beast they rise up againe and rising up they knock the Beast downe for Immediatly thereupon the tenth part of the Citie fell and there was a great earthquake and there were slaine of men seven thousand and great feare fell upon all the rest and they gave glory to the God of heaven This is done by the rising witnesses therefore that generation of men that have borne Testimony against the Beast in the time of the Beast's kingdome that generation of men when his time runs out shall give the deadly stroake to the Beast and his kingdome but that generation of men that have borne their witnesse hath not been in the world it hath not been the nations of the earth for all the world saith John wondered after the Beast and all the Hornes and that with one mind and with one consent give up their power kingdome to the Beast and therefore not the powers of the world but they that have borne witnesse against the Beast all the time of his kingdome and they are the poore despised handfull of Saints that have been in the world that have borne their testimony against the Beast and therefore they are those who at the expiring time shall come forth and give the deadly Blow to the Beast Fourthly Reason 4 The Angel that enlightens the earth with the glory of the truth of the Lord that is that Angel or Instrument that shall ruine Babylon Revel 18.1 And after these things I saw another Angel come downe from heaven having great power and the earth was enlightened with his glory The Angel that enlightens the earth with the glory of God carry's on the worke against Babylon but the earth hath not been enlightened with the glory of God by the generation of the world but the world hath been enlightened by the generation of the faithfull that God hath revealed his truth to they have been the light enlightening the world with the glory of Gods truth and this Angel that enlighteneth the earth with the glory of God he gives the deadly blow unto the Beast there where light comes forth God will carry on the worke by those hands Fifthly Reason 5 Those which have had a Bloody Cup fil'd to them by the Beast all the time of his kingdome those shall give forth a bloody Cup double to the Beast when his kingdome doth expire that is grounded upon Revel 18.6 Reward her even as shee rewarded you and double unto her double according to her workes in the Cup which shee hath filled fill to her double Whence I reason thus the Generation of men that have had the bloody Cup fil'd to them by the Beast all the time of his kingdome they shall fill the bloody Cup to the Beast in the ending time of his kingdome for reward her as shee hath rewarded you and give her blood to drinke give her double according to her workes But they that have had blood from the Beast all the time of his kingdome have not been the nations of the earth as nations for the Beast sits upon the nations the waters upon which the whore sits are nations and peoples and multitudes and tongues The Beast is strengthened by the nations that oppose the Saints and tread underfoote the holy Citie but they have been the Saints that have had the bloody Cup from the Beast The Horne made warre with the Saints I saw the woman drunke with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Now they that have had the bloody Cup shall give the bloody Cup they that have been thus dealt with by the Beast shall thus deale with the Beast they are the Saints and therefore the glorious worke is carryed on against the Beast it shall be done by Saints as the leading Instruments I shall speake yet a little more to this because many begin now to thinke that this worke must be carryed on thus and thus by States and Kingdomes Sixthly Reason 6 Another argument to prove this is The worke of God against Rome shall be so mannaged as there may be singing of Hallelujah's in the Churches for the carrying of it on this is cleare from Revel 19.1 After these things that is after the ruine of Rome spoken of in the foregoing Chapter I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Allelujah Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lordour God here 's singing of Hallelujah's upon the destruction of the Beast but now if this should be done onely by the clattering of a company of nations falling upon the Beast and ruining him what singing of Hallelujah's would there be in the Churches for this what would there be more in this than in the worke
the worke a glorious light so if you looke into Revel 14 6 7 verses we have an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the Everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people saying with a loud voice feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his Judgement is come and what then why in the next verse there followes another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen an Angel goes forth and enlightens the earth preaches and declares it in the world that now the houre of Gods Judgement is come the houre is come saith he and presently another Angel cryes out Babylon is fallen is fallen the worke of God comes on presently after the revealing of light Revel 18.1 2. The earth was enlightened with his glory and then presently verse 6. Reward her even as shee rewarded you and double unto her double according to her workes in the cup which shee hath filled fill to her double and in the 8 verse Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and shee shall be utterly burnt with fire Observe first here 's an Angel comes and enlightens the earth with the glory of God the earth that was before in darknes and thought nothing of the ruine of Rome and Judging the Beast the Lord lets in wonderfull light into the world and then presently comes forth the work it selfe the Lord doth appeare judging of the Beast Likewise if you looke to the final blow given to the Beast Revel 19. you will see that it follows after light that doth forerun it 17 and 18 verses And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voice saying to all the fowles that fly in the mid'st of heaven come and gather your selves together to the supper of the great God that ye may eate the flesh of kings and the flesh of Captaines and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of Horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great Here 's the last overthrow the deadly blow the Lord gives the Beast and there foreruns it a wonderfull light an Angel stands in the Sun that is in wonderfull cleare light he stands holding forth and declaring the coming of that terrible day and presently upon that light the worke comes on I say this is a signe of the time that the worke is at hand The great discovery of light as to the worke the Lord brings forth And the Reasons why God will send forth light before his worke are First Because he would not lead his Children to his worke blindfold but by light Antichrists followers they follow in the dark in the mist of Implicit faith but the Lambs followers they are led by light Practice without principle hath ever been the way of the Beast but Principle as the rule of practice is Christs Method Secondly Because a Saint though the thing he doe be good and the will of God yet can never have comfort in doing it if it be not done from light My Comfort ly's in this that I know I follow the Lord and this bore up Paul when Brethren Censured him and others accounted him a mad man Now observe when God let 's forth a light it s in order to a worke thus when God began with the Papacy to overturne their grosse Idolatry's God by Luther and some few others brings forth light to discover these and upon that discovery they fall So afterwards when God went to Judge the Prelacy here in England first he brings forth light and discovers them to be a peice of the Beast and of the mystery of Iniquity and presently upon the coming forth of that light they fall when God sends light he will bring forth the worke suddenly Object Wee have had light of this a great while and pleaded for the kingdome of Christ and therefore this cannot be a signe Ans To that I answer We must consider there is a difference between the breaking forth of light as it is the light of some particular persons and as its the light in a more generall way among many then is the worke coming forth John Hus and Jerome of Prague held forth Luthers light before Luther and while it was but in the breasts of some few persons it did no great matter against the Beast's kingdome but when it came to be generall in the world then the Blow came the kingdome of the Beast was destroyed by that light so much of it as that light serv'd to destroy Whilst that light that opposed the Antichristian Prelacy was lodged up onely in some few breasts it produced little save onely a witnesse against them but when it began to be generall it tossed them out of their seates So I may say concerning this light the light of the kingdome of Christ it hath been in some few breasts a great while but it never began to be so generall untill now that its run among the Churches Indeed never was there a Principle that did run so much among the Churches of Christ as this hath done within these twelve moneths since some Eminent servants of Christ have been shut up and thrust into holes this light hath been encreased and embraced among the Saints so as never any light encreas't more in such a little time than this hath done and when light begins to be so generall it s an argument now the worke drawes on it begins to be hot as we say and indeed the light growes so generall that the persecuting adversary who not long agoe would not acknowledge any kingdome at all but the spirituall yet now they acknowledge such a thing as the fift Monarchy in the world though they would set it far off that it might not hurt them and are driven to confesse that that very principle for which Saints suffer at this day is in the substance of it a truth Light is coming forth apace and blessed be the Lord that hath been so mercifull to his people at this day that the proud Adversary's of the truth cause of God shall one day be Judged out of their owne mouths they themselves know that there is such a kingdome they have gotten some light into it and they shall one day be Judged out of their owne mouthes Secondly Signe 2 Another Signe of this time that the worke of God of Christs kingdome is neere upon us is this Syons Children favouring of her stones and dust the ground of this we have in Psalme 102.13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Syon for the time to favour her yea the set time is come That this Psalme look's to Christ's outward kingdome the 15 18 22 verses Evidence But what signe is there of it that the set time is come why in the 14 verse When the Saints of God take pleasure in the stones of Syon and begin
that it ly's before God Lord here I am I am nothing I can doe nothing I cannot doe this or the other duty I cannot get up a desire I cannot get up a groane I am a poore miserable helplesse creature and Lord if thou wilt trample upon me Lord here I am thou mayest and if thou hast no pleasure in such a one as I am here I lye tread upon me doe what thou wilt I know not what to doe saith the soule now here 's a soule convinc't of righteousnes so as it s come to see if I had all the righteousnes of men and Angells all were nothing though it were as righteous as Adam in Innocency all were nothing if it were as righteous as Noah Adam Peter all were nothing why this it is for a soule to come to be cōvinc't ofrighteousnes Now if in any thing that yet I have said it is here wherein a true sincere heart goes beyond a hypocrite a hypocrite will goe with a true child of God through all the other doth a true child of God confesse mourn for his sin and repent and revenge himselfe and reforme and hath he joy and delight in duty 's and doth he deny himselfe hath he good aymes and ends hath he particular words given in hath he put forth acts of faith so doth the hypocrite all these things though none of them in truth and in righteousnes yet as to the outward act he will goe as far as the sincere heart and it will be hard to find out the one from the other the hardest thing in the world yet in this step of Conviction of righteousnes the childe of God goes beyond the other When a poore soule comes to this Lord I am here I thought I had abundance of things to rest in I thought I was so rich in my prayers and so rich in my Teares and so rich in my resolutions and vowes I had such good fitts in duty 's I had such glorious comfort and Joy but Lord I am brought to this I am nothing here the childe of God gets a step beyond the hypocrite for the hypocrite is never thoroughly convinc't of righteousnes but when he is convinc't of one peice he goes on upon another and when he is beaten off that he creepes on upon another and he is upon some foundation of his owne but now when the Lord Jesus comes to take possession of a poore soule he beates him off all the peices of his owne righteousnes if he will rest upon his confession of sin and mourning he will beate him off there and if he goe higher to resolutions vowes and revenge he beates him off there and if after this he rest upon his Reformation Christ will goe after him and beate him off from peice to peice till he hath wholly conquered the soule to himselfe and brought him off of all those false grounds and quagmires that the soule would have rested upon and perished till he comes to this thorough conviction of righteousnes when they come to great parts gifts and abilities Christ beates them off of this till they come to settle upon a right foundation or else they will drop off if they come not up to the true foundation hence true and faithfull hearts tremble and feare to see these great ones fall upon this account some assert falling away from grace not considering the distinction betwixt the old and new Covenant and the different truth 's that flow from either and not seeing how the same things in appearance flow out of both rootes when they saw the fruit of the old Adam they thought it had been grace and therefore conclude they fell from grace indeed they fall from the grace they had in the first Covenant a man may loose all that but not the grace of the new Covenant the soule that hath it can never fall from that grace but that soule that is partaker of that grace shall stand for ever O therefore looke that ye be rooted upon the new Covenant if you would stand for ever that you may be throughly convinced of all your owne righteousness as nothing And the Lord brings his people to this conviction many times by letting them fall by some Temptation or Corruption and hereby they come to be be beaten off from it God lets out some Temptations or some Corruptions and the soule struggles and strives withall its resolutions and vowes and all its power yet it s beaten downe and cannot stand and then the soule saith verily there 's no hope for me then the Lord brings it to this now I see I have nothing I can doe nothing Lord thou mightest destroy me and tread me underfoote and if thou wilt doe it I will lye before thee I have no hope nor none to turne to thus the soule is convinc't of righteousness and till such time as the soule is thus convinc't of righteousness it will never be able to stand conviction of righteousnes is the removing the soule off all false foundation the foundation of his workes and the foundation of his faith too as a worke and the soule that hath no foundation at all but onely lookes to the Lord Jesus Christ O be thou my foundation When the Lord hath once brought the soule to this that he hath no foundation in the world there is no sinner in the world but he hath one foundation or other he could not beare up else now when the Lord hath brought him to this that he hath no foundation in the world Lord saith the convinced soule I have no foundation in the world I hang between earth and heaven if the Lord bring not Christ as a foundation to me I am undone then is the Lord bringing in his Son Jesus Christ as a foundation of the soule O therefore let us looke into our hearts Professors Christians Saints and Brethren O how have our hearts been rooted have we not a foundation to stand upon of our owne truly the Lord will shake us out of all our righteousnes whether wrought by the Law or Gospel we may be in a miserable condition Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to all false foundations Lastly Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to true grace it selfe This conviction of righteousnes lookes to all the blessed graces of the Spirit faith repentance and new obedience and selfdeniall all these things as they flow from the holy Spirit as they are wrought in us by the Spirit grow up out of the new Covenant why of all these Christ is the bottome Christ is the foundation in opposition unto these these are not the foundation though grace is the most blessed thing in the world the most blessed thing of all yet it s not the foundation of our soules but the Lord Jesus onely must be the foundation O that every soule would now looke to Christ O is Christ my foundation you had need to look to your hearts here 's much preaching and much profession
revealed which we shall enjoy and be made pertakers of with this Paul comforts Timothy If we suffer with him we shall also raigne with him And whatever the poor blind world thinks suffering Saints shall be glorified Saints they that suffer with Christ shall be glorified with Christ the great thing that Paul presents to the thoughts of the Saints in suffering times to comfort them and refresh and bear up their hearts is that they shall have a Kingdome they shall come into the Kingdome of God and raigne with him there There 's a most excellent place for this purpose Revel 5.9 10 13 verses And they sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the Booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on earth And every Creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Now look into the next Chapter vers 9 10 11. And when he had opened the fifth Seale I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held and they cryed with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord Holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth And white Robes were given unto every one of them We see white Robes in one place under the Altar crying How long How long O Lord wilt thou not avenge our blood on them that dwelt upon the earth And in another place we see them in their Kingdome sing Praises and Hallelujah's to God and the Lamb there they are in their glory and in their triumph O let us look to our white Robes to keep our white Robes about us for white Robes shall not alwayes lye under the Altar O this we should be often arguing of and speaking one to another of O the sweet and the great and the glorious precious Promises that God hath made of better times to come Let us make it our care I say to keep our white Robes about us that in all our bearing testimony and appearing for God against the sins of the Times we may keep our white Robes And then we shall conquer and overcome all our enemies for that noble Spirit hath overcome come and conquered all along though it hath been in the fewest never so weak despised a company yet that noble Spirit hath conquered all along though it hath been never so low and never so contemptible yet it hath carried it from the great and mighty and high ones of the world O let us speak often one to another of these things and this will quicken us and keep a lively and active spirit in us and among us and therefore see what notice the Lord takes of it The Lord hearkned and heard O God did hearken and listen to hear what his Children did say for him and to him at such a time as this was wherein there was such great and high Apostacies and backslidings It is as when a man hears many speaking against him and his Child stands and looks on and heares them the father will listen and hearken to hear what his Child saith and what his Child will speak for him he will take speciall notice what his Child saith and how he appears and stands up for him Why so doth the Lord when he sees a company fall from him and tread his name under foot then he will take speciall notice of them that speak and appear for him and not onely so but A Booke of Remembrance is written before him Like unto a man that keeps a Note-book about him to write down things that so he may not forget them so doth the Lord to speak after the manner of men the Lord hath a Note-book and he writes downe what they doe that fear him that fear his name and speak and plead for him he writes it downe O saith he there 's such a one he speaks for me and he appears and pleads for me against the sins of the times O writt it downe presently saith God I will not have that forgot I will not loose that note when others revolt and turne their backs upon me and when others look upon my name and see it trodden under foot and blasphemed they will not speak for me nor appear for me but these doe O write it downe I will not forget that For them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name O it 's good to fear the Lord to be of a fearfull spirit lest we should fall and lest we should turne aside with the croud and with the workers of iniquity to fear least we should backslide and Apostatize and see Gods name dishonoured and not appear for him to speak a word for him it 's good to be fearfull lest we should be drawne and carried away with the stream Let us pray often for one another lest we should be led and drawne away But these feare the Lord and thought upon his name though they could not speak for God nor it may be declare for God as others did yet they thought upon his name they thought how is the name of God dishonoured How is it spoken against and blasphemed by this Apostacy How doth the name of God suffer And thus they thought upon his name But now these men to whom the Prophet spake they forget God and yet they say Wherein have we forgotten God and wherein have we done thus and thus Well saith God there 's a company of poor soules that fear me and think upon my name write it downe write downe every thought that they have of me and of my name how that suffers and how that is dishonoured truly if we can doe nothing else let us think of the name of God at this day how that suffers and how that is trodden under foot God took this exceeding well from them and certainly God will take it well at our hands too And saith God They shall be mine in that day when I make up my Jewells Thou shalt be mine saith God and what would'st thou have God say to thee more than this Thou shalt be mine in that day when I make up my Jewels thou art mine now but then at that day it shal appear that thou art mine It doth not yet appear as John saith what we shall be but when he shall appear we shall be like him Poor soule what wouldst thou have God say to thee more then this Thou shalt be mine God's thou shalt be mine is more worth then all the world If we could be but faithfull to God he would gather
Saints And such a time hath not yet been from the beginning of the world to this day Civill Power hath been in the hands of worldly men all hath been managed by them Servants have ruled over Gods Heritage And for the Gospel hath it not ever come out of Universities though Christ no where in the Gospel did ever appoint the building of such Cities to send his Gospel from but hath appointed his City Jerusalem his true Church thence it is sent 3 This relates to a time when the House of Jacob shall be come in or upon coming in for they are called to come vers 5. O House of Jacob come yee and let us walke in the light of the Lord. 4 This relates to a time when God will darken all the glory of the world and exalt himselfe onely from vers 10. to 18. Enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty The lofty lookes of man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day For the day of the Lord of Hests shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oakes of Bashan and upon all the high mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up and upon every high Tower and upon every fenced wall and upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all pleasant Pictures And the loftinesse of man shall be bowed downe and the haughtinesse of men shall be made low And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day Lastly This relates to a time In which God will shake terribly the earth and what time is that Other Scriptures tell us that Christ a little before his coming will shake all Nations Hag. 2.6 7. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry Land And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come quoted Heb. 12.26 27. Whose voyce then shooke the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also Heaven And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remaine To this time this relates so that our Text looks to a time a little before Christs coming and so falls into the lap of our Times Quest What will Christ doe at this day Answ Many glorious things here mentioned which particularly I cannot now handle of which this is one most glorious thing The Idolls he will utterly abolish Of which a word Doctrine There is a most glorious day a coming in which all Idolls shall be utterly abolished I shall shew 1 What is meant by Idolls By Idoll is meant any thing that a man loves honours and prefers before God and his glory So a coverous mans money is his Idoll Hence Covetousnesse is Idolatry the Gluttonous and voluptuous mans belly is his Idoll hence Phil. 3.19 Their belly is their God The ambitious mans honour name and credit is his Idoll The holy mans Grace wheâ— trusted in gloried in and when it 's preferred before Christ his truth and word and when it 's made a thing more infallible than Gods truth it 's an Idoll whatever is preferred loved looked at talked of trusted to and gloried in more than Christ be it a thing good or bad it is an Idoll Quest 2. What Idolls will God abolish Answ 1 The Idoll of Prophanesse Some men make an Idoll of their very wickednes love serve and glory in that God will abolish this Idoll 2 The Idoll of Pomp worldly glory and greatnesse What an Idoll hath this been This God will abolish vers 12. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low That is those persons that are haughty proud lofty puffed up with their dignity honour advancement and preferment the day of the Lord shall be upon them to bring them low to lay them their glory and honour in the dust and vers 13. And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up Cedars tall Trees Ezek. 17.22 Cedars tall Trees upon high Mountaines vers 14. And upon all the high Mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up Men that are in honour and dignity over others to whom therefore others come and bow the knee the day of the Lord shall be upon them 3 The Idoll of Strength Strength is an Idoll the proud King Dan. 11. honours the God of forces in his strong holds vers 38 39. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces thus shall he doe in the most strong holds with a strange God The Assyrian King glories in strength Isa 37.24 By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord and hast said by the multitude of my Chariots am I come up to the height of the Mountaines to the sides of Lebanon and I will cut down the tall Cedars thereof and the choyce Firre Trees thereof and I will enter into the height of his border and the forrest of his Carmell This Idoll shall be destroyed vers 13. The day of the Lord shall be upon all the Oakes of Bashan Oakes the strongest of Trees vers 15. And upon every high Tower and upon every fenced wall Towers and fenced places are the strength of a City the day of the Lord shall be upon these So see Isa 26.5 He bringeth downe them that dwell on high the lofty City he layeth it low he layeth it low even to the ground he bringeth it even to the dust Compared with vers 2. Open yee the gates that the righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in Thus for Land strength Is the strength gloried in Sea strength Navall strength God will take away that Idoll vers 16. And upon all the Ships oâ— Tarshish Whether Land strength which lyes in Armies fenced Cities Townes or Sea strength which lyes in Shipping Navies God will abolish this Idoll 4 The Idoll of Pollicy What a wonderfull Idoll is this and how much adored in the world God will abolish this Idoll Isa 29.14 Therefore behold I will proceed to doe a marvellous work amongst this people even a marvellous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid To what time doth this relate vers 18 19 24. In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the booke and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darknesse The meek also shall encrease their joy