King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Lord of all By these Titles is he known in the way of eminencie What is most eminent in Rulers Princes or Kings all their excellencies and flowers of perfection are most eminently and egregiously found in him in the way of negation all their errors infirmities and imperfections which are many and too many are farre from him and in the way of causation as they speak for with him is the originall and prime cause of all that is excellent in them Secondly by the many great and glorious promises and prophesies of the Kingdome of Christ which cannot be reckoned up so many are they in this shortnesse of time and are to every one that readeth the Prophesies of the old Testament so obvious Thirdly the same is manifest by the administration and execution of his office in giving lawes unto his people and executing them in giving gifts unto his servants for the good of his people in ruling his people by his Word and Spirit in defending and delivering them from their enemies and in subduing and destroying their enemies in the end Fourthly the same is evident also by the homage and honour which the whole Church militant and triumphant give unto him And I beheld and I heard the voyce of many Angels round about the Throne and the living Creatures and the Elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a lowd voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are of the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Rev. 5.11 12 13. It requireth an heart ready to indite and a tongue as the pen of a ready Writer to set forth the praises of this King Psal 45.1 Only three things I would say from the descriptions which we have in Scripture One is that the Kingdome of Christ was first made known to the Church when the promise was made to our first parents The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent Gen. 3.15 The second is that since that time till this day he hath been reigning in the midst of his enemies not onely after his coming in our flesh but before the times of the Patriarcks and Prophets and ever was known to the subjects of his Kingdome The third is that his Kingdome hath been sometimes more obscure and under a cloud as in the times of the old Testament howsoever even then his hand was stretched out in delivering his people out of Egypt in leading them through the wildernesse and possessing them in the land of promise And at the time of his suffering howsoever the beames of his bringhtnesse did shine through the dark cloud at other times the lustre and brightnesse thereof hath been more apparant as at the time of his exaltation Thou art my Sonne this day this day of thy glorious resurrection have I begotten thee fulfilled the decree and declared thee to be the Sonne of God A Commentary whereof we have Phil. 2.9 10 11. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earch and things under the earth And that every tongne should confesse that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father And Ephes 4.8 When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men These were his servants who were sent forth to preach and proclaim him to be King And although men ought to be sparing in determining the manner the measure the time and indurance of a greater glory of the Kingdome of Christ on earth to come yet have we reason to hope for great things at the bringing in of the ancient people of God but ought so to hope for it that for the present we may behold Christ reigning in his spiritual Kingdome and to take heed that the expectation of that which is future be not a prejudice to that which is present and is come to passe in our dayes more then in former times Some perhaps may think that this is no great matter or deep mystery since no man can acknowledge Christ to be the eternall Sonne of God but he must also confesse that he is King and Lord and that all honour and Titles of honour are due unto him To which I answer first that there be many whatsoever for their credit they may professe to the contrary who do not in their hearts beleeve that the Lord God as a great King ruleth the world for they fight against the light of Nature and abuse their power and policie no lesse then if they could rule the world without God God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 Secondly a man may know that God is King and Ruler and yet be ignorant that Christ God and Man is King Nature which teacheth that there is a Godhead leadeth also to a providence but the other is a grand mystery which cannot be conceived but supernaturally Thirdly we are to understand that Christ hath a twofold right unto his Kingdome one by nature as he is God the other by donation as he is Man To me is given all power in heaven and in earth so that the man Jesus Christ which is a great mystery and which the world beleeveth not hath prerogative and power above all creatures in earth and in heaven above all Nobles Princes and Kings and which is more above all Angels Principalities and Powers Having thus shewed that Christ hath a Kingdome which made him to say My Kingdome I would now make some use of this point but that I conceive it to be more convenient first to speak of the quality of the Kingdome of Christ and having joyned both together That he is a King and that his Kingdome is not of this world to give the uses of both at once The quality then of the Kingdome of Christ negatively is this That his Kingdome is not of this world it is not an earthly or worldly Kingdome and therefore by consequence must be a spirituall and heavenly Kingdome As it is a Kingdome it hath many things common with the Kingdomes of the world both the one and the other are of God both for God and his glory both for the good of the people This being a perpetual difference between a Tyrant a King that a Tyrant conceiveth the people to be for him and his ends but a King knoweth that he is set over the people for their good both have their Lawes and rule by them both have their enemies which oppose and disturb their peace But this is the great
A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HOUSE OF LORDS IN THE ABBEY-CHURCH AT Westminster Wednesday the 28. of May 1645. Being the day appointed for solemne and publick humiliation BY ALEXANDER HENDERSON Minister at Edenburgh MAT. 6.10 Thy Kingdome Come LONDON Printed by F. N. for Robert Bostock dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Kings-head 1645. To the Christian Reader NOt any desire or confidence of mine owne but submission and obedience made me first preach and now print this Sermon Not any opinion or esteeme I have of it but example and custome have moved mee to set some words before it These have I directed generally to the Christian Reader that I may not onely include the Noble Lords of Parliament if any amongst them shall be pleased to looke this way but may also invite all other Christian Readers and such I wish all Readers to be to bestow some of their most serious thoughts upon so precious and excellent a subject as is the Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which is here but generally hinted and briefly touched but is represented to the life in Scripture and to the full treated and debated by Divines Jesus Christ by vertue of the three Offices of his Prophesie Priesthood and Kingdome is made unto us of God Wisdome and Righteousnes and Sanctification and Redemption His sufficiency and sutablenesse to be unto us a Saviour consisteth in the dignitie of his Person and in his willing undertaking and faithfull administration of these his Offices The Summe of the Grace given us through communion with him is comprised in these inestimable benefits Without the one he could not be a perfect Saviour without the other our salvation cannot be perfect It hath been of old and is at this day a just complaint that of the Offices of Christ his Kingdome is least considered of and most mistaken Which as it is dishonour to his Name so is it a mightie hinderance to the comfort of some to the sanctification of others and to the salvation of many and is a maine cause of the many disorders and scandals in the Church of Christ The Papists will have their Pope by reason of the Kingdome of Christ to be the head and which is the same the King of the Church and at least in ordine ad spiritualia to be the head and King of the Kings of the Earth A seect of Politicks which subject Religion to Policie and Christ to the world will have the supreame civill power at least in ordine ad temporalia to be the Head and King of the Church And both the one and the other doe turne the Kingdome of Christ into a worldly Kingdome Ignorant and carnall Professors are content to be served with Christ as a Prophet to teach them and a Priest to satisfie and make intercession for them but are not willing to serve Christ as their King that he may rule over them And many modest and peaceable Christians suffer themselves to be robbed or cousened if not of the one halfe yet of a necessary and large part of the Kingdome of Christ while they either satisfie themselves with the internall influence of Christ their Head upon their own spirits or give way to such as for their owne ends would have them beleeve that the whole administration of the Kingdome of Christ is internall not distinguishing betwixt that which is spirituall and that which is internall nor considering the externall administration of the Kingdome of Christ although it be in this world yet to be spirituall and heavenly and not of this world Judicious Martin Bucer in the beginning of the Reformation wrote to pious Prince Edward the sixt two books of Church-policie to which he prefixeth the title De Regno Christi of the Kingdome of Christ The complaints powred forth by him at that time against the wise-men of this world and the common sort of people as enemies to Christs Kingdome may be now renewed and with new aggravations so rare a thing is it in any age to finde a people disposed to receive the whole Kingdome of the Sonne of God It should not seeme strange that formerly such as desired to decline the one extreame of Prelaticall tyranny having nothing to stay them in their way nothing in the middle to rest upon and to associate themselves unto did run to the other extreame of popular Anarchy But now when from the mercy of God by advice of the Assembly and Authoritie of Parliament the case shall be changed and a remedy provided the people of God will know where to fix their judgement and choice Can any wise-man imagine that such a Chaos of Anarchy Libertinisme and popular confusion as now covereth the face of this Kingdome and wherein all errors and sects cover their Heads under the Catholick Buckler of Independency that such a Tohu Vavohu can be the face of the Kingdome of Christ or the work of the new Creation of which it may be said And God saw that it was good Can any of the godly think that the Kingdome of Christ draweth the minds of men from the humble exercise of faith to the ambition of new and vaine opinions that it transformeth Religion into fancy vertue into speculation zeale into contention truth into policy and charitie into faction Doth not the present posture of Religion and the constitution of the Church which yet is not so Independent as it is by some desired to be call as loud for a Reformation and for setling of Religion as the former did before a Reformation was begun And may wee not say that wee have spent our strength in vaine and purchased our misery at a great price if wee shall rest where wee are that is in Independency I should not exceed if I should say Were wee all agreed in all things except in the point of Independency wee would quickly run againe into divisions And that nothing in a Family in a Citie in a Kingdome in a State or in a Church hath more need of Reformation then that Independency which all men in all Societies naturally love and seek after The Government of the Church by subordination of Assemblies hath endured much opposition and many tryals and is at this day set upon at all hands yet is the Proverbiall speech of the Hebrewes verified concerning it Myrtus stans inter urticas Myrtus tamen est vocatur Myrtus The myrtle standing amongst nettles is for all that the myrtle and is so called And necessitie will drive all that love the preservation of Religion and peace of the Church unto this shelter and sanctuary at last although in faire weather some kicke against it and would not onely pull at the branches but pluck it up by the roots When after all these tempests and troubles the Kingdome of Christ is uniformly setled in the Land Christ Jesus will be seene in his beautie and strength his people will be filled with truth and peace and the
difference that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world For first Christ being called before Pilate and being demanded whether he was a King answered That his Kingdome was not of this world therefore his Kingdome is not a temporall and earthly Kingdome nor would Pilate have pronounced him innocent and guiltlesse if he had made any claime to Caesars Kingdome This is very strongly proved by the following words If my Kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews which yet maketh nothing against the taking of Armes by such as are in authority for the defence of Religion and the just Liberty of the Professors thereof Secondly Christ refused to be a King when it was offered unto him and told his Disciples That the Kings of the Nations have dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority but that it should not be so with them but that whosoever would be great among them must bee their Minister Matth. 20.25 Thirdly he refused to be a Judge of secular quarrels or a divider of inheritances Luke 12.14 He came from heaven for things divine to work upon the consciences of men and was appointed to be Judge of quick and dead but never medled with the office of a temporall King Fourthly he acknowledged that Caesar was King saying Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars Nor did the Prophets prophesie of any earthly Kingdome of Christ For the Kingdome that they prophesied of was to bee established and confirmed by him but the Kingdome of Judea was ruined and overthrown for refusing him to be their sprituall King There shall not a stone be left upon a stone in Jerusalem the chiefe Citie of that Kingdome because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation saith Christ This yet appeareth further if we consider the qualities of these two kinds of Kingdomes more particularly The Kingdomes of the world endure but for a time and the periods and endings of them are matter not onely of discourse before they come but of tragedies after they are come but the Kingdome of Christ shall not be destroyed for ever And of his Kingdome there shall no end Dan. 2.44 After his departure out of the earth his Kingdome was in the greatest strength and in a most flourishing condition he then was gloriously manifested to be a King The Kingdomes of the world are governed by the rules and counsels of humane prudence and policie but the Kingdome of Christ by lawes of another kind by the simplicity of the Gospel which to the naturall man is foolishnesse The Kingdomes of the world are supported by taxes and tributes ceasments and subsidies but no such thing in the Kingdome of Christ The Kingdomes of the world consist in riches honour power of men externall splendor and earthly greatnesse but in the Kingdome of Christ poverty and humility triumph over the world under the Standard of the Crosse The Kingdomes of the world have carnall weapons and strength of Armes to pursue their ends but the weapons of the Kingdom of Christ are spiritual to procure spirituall obedience unto him Many such differences may be observed by which we may clearly perceive that the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world Yet one thing we must remember for preventing mistakes and which being rightly taken understood would put an end to many of the questions which are so much debated at this time about Chruch-government It is this That we are to distinguish between that which is of this world and that which is externall and visible in this world The Kingdome of Christ is not of this world yet some part of this Kingdome is externall and visible in this world for there be two parts of the spirituall administration of Christs Kingdome the one is the internall operation of the Spirit accompanying the externall means which are his Ordinances appointed by himselfe and his owne authority the other is the externall dispensation of these means and Ordinances by such officers as are called the Ministers of the Kingdome of Heaven This doth appertaine to the Kingdome of Christ and shall continue no lesse then the former till he render up the Kingdomes into God the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 This part of the administration of Christs Kingdome although it be externall yet it is not of this world but spirituall for it comes from the Spirit and is done by the gifts of the Spirit The Word and Sacraments which are the matter of it are things spirituall for the manner of doing it is by the evidence of the Spirit the spirits and souls of men are the object of it the end thereof is spirituall edification and the effect the ministery of the Spirit So that in this respect also the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world but a spirituall Kingdome in both parts of the administration theoreof The Text thus expounded is a fountaine full of springs of Doctrine As first that although Christ was a King a Governour and Commander as hath been formerly shewed and was a Prophet also and it may be now exercising that office and testifying of his own Kingdome before Pilate yet is it no warrant for Captaines or Commanders to preach the Gospel and to become Prophets because first he was a spirituall King and Commander and not a temporall and next because he had a speciall calling The Apostle Rom. 10.14 telleth us that men cannot preach unlesse they be sent And this calling the Apostle judgeth to be so necessary that the Son of God would not undertake that charge without a singular vocation Heb. 5. Although a private man who runneth unsent and an Ambassador who is authorized and sent speak the same things yet the one wants the authority which the other hath Secondly although Jesus Christ knew well that all that he could say was not able to deliver him from death or to do any good to the heart of Pilate for his conversion yet he findeth himself bound to answer calumnies and unjust accusations and to give a testimony of the truth And so must the servants of God do although their words do no more but serve to blindfold and indure blind and hard hearts yet must they speak out the truth It was the practice of the Prophets Apostles and holy Martyrs and in this as in other things Ministers and all others who have by their place any calling to give testimony to the truth must do their duty committing the event unto God Thirdly although Christ at this time was brought very low in the eyes of the world yet he spareth not to speak of his Kingdome and to call himself a King Humiliation and exinanition is in it selfe no derogation to right but the right is the same in the estate and case of humiliation and in the estate and case of exaltation the case may change and the estate be altered but the right is without change and standeth unalterable So was it with
be in Church or Parliament and I may adde that they are foolish spirits seem they never so wise for being once imbarked how shall they hope to escape if the publick shall perish Another sort of selfe respect is publick which may seem a paradox and yet is it a certain truth when men would draw all to the Parliament not only negotia Regis Regni the matters of the King and Kingdome but negotia Jehovae Ecclesiae the matters of God and the Church Many things indeed may yea must be done pro tempore and in this corrupt state of the Church but it is the worst kind of sacriledge to take the power which Christ hath given to the Church and put it in the hands of the State 2. Beware of luke-warmnesse and indifferency in matters of Religion that we be not like Gallio that cared for none of these things or like Pilate in this place who spoke so coldly of the truth What is truth He declared by his question that it was a thing he cared not for or like Saul I Sam. who when he had commanded to advise with the Oracle of God what he should do yet before he received an answer led forth the Army into battell It is a rare thing in great men to take Religion to heart and to be solicit about it There may be here a twofold indifferency one is when matters of Religion come in debate we care not what way they go nor to what side they be determined The other is that having past an Ordinance we care not what become of it whether it be put in execution or not or whether it be spoken or written against or not which is nothing else but a vilifying of the Ordinance of God and the prostituting of that authority which God hath put upon men unto contempt and reproach 3. Take heed of division the most destructive thing both to your selves and the cause that can be There be many causes of division from Satan who is a factious and schismaticall spirit from the world which delighteth to run in divers channels and from our selves every man having a seed of division in his own heart It is true that all men by nature love unity as well as being for unity preserveth but all men through the corruption of nature incline to division and destruction yet there be some spirits whose predominant it is to be hereticall schismaticall and factious and it is as naturall to such to delight in divisions as it is for others to wallow in uncleannesse or excesse If we will have the Kingdome of Christ setled these are to be noted and either avoided or kept in order otherwise there will be no end of division in the State and of schisme in the Church And take heed of division from the Kingdome of Scotland with whom ye are so neerly united both by nature and covenant were I there I would say no lesse unto them in relation to this Kingdome There be some pernitious instruments who bufie themselves in fishing of faults and use the damnable art of Tyberius he was earnest to have a Virgin strangled some mention particularly the daughter of Sejanus others as Suetonius more indefinitly speake it of Virgins but because it was not lawfull amongst the Romans to strangle a Virgin he will have them first defiled by the Executioner and thereafter strangled Immaturae puellae quia more tradito nefas esset virgines strangulari vitiatae prius a carnifice dein strangulatae I leave it to your own application It is knowne amongst the people that he that would kill his Dogge can easily find a staffe and it is not unknown to the State that they who would be rid of a good subject or servant can easily lay treason to their charge But so long as that Nation abideth constant to the cause of God and honest in their endeavours towards you ought they to be so talked of as they are by many If in saving themselves and serving you they should be disabled from saving themselves and serving you ought ye to adde affliction to the afflicted When the truth which is the daughter of time shall appeare I hope men will be ashamed of their speeches and eat up their own words and therefore I will speak no more of this sad subject 4. Beware of delayes and procrastinations in setling of Christs Kingdome The setting up of the Discipline and government of the Church had been a more easie work long ago then it is now and is more easie now then it will be afterward For the longer we go down by the river side wee will find it grow the deeper broader and parting if selfe in more divided channels Had the Discipline and Government of the Church been set up at first it would have proved very serviceable to the Parliament and saved them much labour in the doing of their work The ordinances of Christ have much power and strength in them and they are accompanied with many blessings The spirituall and secular Arm like the two Arms of the body when both are stretched out and exercised are very effectuall for the publick good 5. Beware of discouragements from the power of the world the Kingdomes of the world or any other kinds of oppositions whatsoever while ye are about the building of the House of God and establishing of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ If the enemies had been able to hinder it it had never found any setling on earth Principalities and powers in high places the Kingdomes of this world and the spirits of men have been alwayes bent against it no power no plot or policy hath been or wil be unassaied Beside many particular hinderances of the setling of Religion in particular places and Nations do but lift up your eyes and look back to the course of the world in the generall In the first Monarchy we find a fiery Furnace in the second a den of Lions in the third the madnesse and fury of Antiochus justly surnamed Epimanes which exceeded the former two and in the fourth Monarchy the ten Persecutions ten times more bloody and grievous then all that went before The Kingdoms of this world are resembled by most bloody monstrous wild beasts Dan. 7. and by mountaines that are full of wild beasts because of their craft and cruelty against the Kingdome of Christ Psalm 76.4 Cant. 4.8 But we may bee comforted by that Zach. 4.7 What art thou O great Mountain And I may adde All yee wild Beasts Be not troubled with the feares of the Kingdomes of the world in building the Kingdome of Christ For my part I think it nothing strange that the world and the God of this world stand in a continuall opposition It is a greater wonder that any especially of great Ones are found to have any courage for the Kingdome of Christ It is a miracle which we heare of Isai 11. The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard with the Kid and