shall begin his reign until his apearing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in flaming fire mentioned 2 Thes 1. 8. which assertion I conceive to be exceedingly injurious against the divine and humane Nature of Christ and also contrary to the Holy Scriptures For to deny the Kingdom of the Son or Word considered before or without his incarnation in his pure Divinity is all one as to deny his God-head for who can doubt but that he who is the Creator and the only and eternal God both doth reigne and hath reigned from the beginning of the World and shall reigne until the end thereof and after also to eternity and that he hath and doth govern all things in Heaven and Earth working together with the Father as himself saith The Father Ioh. 5. 17. worketh hitherto and I work and both these work by the Holy Ghost which is the Spirit of both The Kingdom of the God head is by divines thus distinguished 1. The Kingdom of power which even Heathens acknowledged in their supposed God O qui res â—ominumque Deumque Virg. Aen. â— Aeteruis Regis Impâ—riis fulmine terris 2. The Kingdome of grace whereby he reigneth in the hearts of the people inclining them to obedience by the Scepter of his Spirit against their carnal inclinations either lucriferous or voluptuous for this wee dayly pray Thy Kingdom come thy wâ—ll be done as on the contrary Satan or Sin is said to reign in the disobedient drawing them to evil 3. The Kingdom of Glory in Heaven in respect whereof the Son is expresly called The Psal 24. 7. King of Glory This I presume no Christian will deny But our question now is not concerning the Son as he is in his single and pure divinity or as he is God the Word or the Son of God But we must now consider him as he is The Son of Man and since his incarnation as he is Emanuel or the Word made flesh or the Anoynted of God or Christ for the pure God-head can not be anoynted because it is the anoynting neither could the Son of God be called Christ until he was incarnate nor can Christ be said to reign until he was made Christ that is until the Son of God by his humane nativity became the Son of Man For though the Son of God hath been a Son from eternity yet he was not Christ or Anoynted from eternity but his unction and title Christ began then as the Apostle saith Gal. 4. 4. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman By this double consideration of Jesus wee may perceive the reason why the Scripture distinguisheth between God and Christ as 2 Tim. 4. 1. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and why we so often read The Lord Christ and the Christ or Anoynted of the Lora as Act. 4. 26. Ps 2. 2. The Lord Jesus in respect of his God-head is called Christus Dominus and the same Lord Jesus in consideration of his humane nature assumed is called Christus Domini i. e. he is both the Lord Christ and The Christ or the Anoynted of the Lord. So that we may truly say The Son of Man is the Christ or the Anoynted of himself as he is the Son of God These considerations being premised Our Question of Christs Kingdom is thus to be stated QUESTION Whether our Lord Iesus Christ ever yet had or now hath any Kingdom in and over this World FOr if it may appear that Christ formerly had and still hath a Kingdom here there will be no need of his corporal descending from Heaven in this fag end of the World to take possession of that which he had before and still retaineth Answer The answer to this question is That Christ now reigneth on earth and hath so done ever since he was Christ that is from the time that The word was made flesh that he reigneth in this world though his Kingdom is not of this world because it is not a visible reigning after a worldly way but in a heavenly manner he beareth not the Sword Material but a Spiritual Sword he raiseth not Armies of men but commandeth Legions of Angels his strong hold is Heaven his prison is Hell as 1 Pet. 3. 19. his Jaylors Divels his executioners Plagues Famines Winds Storms Serpents Wild-beasts evil Angels Sicknesses Deaths Temporal and Eternal his Laws are mild written in Milk the easie yoak of the Gospel his tribute and taxes are faithfulness and obedience his Kingdom doth not invade or disturb other worldly Kingdoms but establisheth them for he refused a worldly Kingdom when it was offered and refused to judg or arbitrate in a petty title of inheritance between two brethren much less will he in this world judg the grand titles of Monarchies and great possessions to be taken from the rightfull possessors to the use of Pretended Saints Let us see what the Scriptures say concerning the Kingdom of this Emanuel here on earth Isaiah saith of Christ as of a child born whom Isa 7. 14. he called In manuel which must needs be meant of the Son of God considered as incarnate That the government shall be upon his shoulders of the increase of his government and peace there shall Isa 9. 6. 7. be no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it from henceforth for ever Surely Davids throne must be upon this earth although it signifie the Church whilest it is Militant Consider we next what David himself saith concerning this Son of David in that memorable passage Psal 89 I have sound David my servant Psal 89. 20. 27. 29. 36. I will make hiâ— my first born higher then the Kings of the earth his Seed will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven and as the Sun before me The David here meant must needs be this Son of David that is Christ who is often called David as Jâ—r 30. 9 They shall serve the Lord and David their King whom I will raise up and Ezech. 34. 23. My servant David shall feed them so Hos 3. 5. The children of Israel shall seek the Lord their God and David their King These Prophecies must needs be meant of Christ because the old David was dead before any of those Prophets were born Christ is called David because he was to be the Son of David and so is called by his Fathers name as o her children now are and the prophecies must needs be understood of the Man Christ because by his manhood only he is the Son of David and not otherwise nor can these sayings be verified of any other seed or Son of David Besides These speeches can not be meant of any worldly temporal Kingdom of David for that was taken of Davids posterity long before the birth of Christ and this David himself foresaw and confessed in the same Psalm But thou hast cast off thine Anoynted Thou hasi
41. 1. as Christ in the Gospel promiseth an hundred-fold reward in this time to them that for his sake leave Houses Brethen Sisters VVives Children and Lands which promise is warily to be considered because some Millinarians would have it to be meant grosly and literally as if for one house or one Father they must have an hundred houses and Fathers here a false gloss surely For I trow they expect not to have an hundred Wives neither doth the promise mention Wives though the condition do The meaning is That they who so part with estates and friends shall have both multiplied unto them for to them every true Christian Man and Woman shall be by love care and tender affection as so many Fathers Brethen Wives or Sisters ministring comforts to them The Fortunes and estates of one shall serve the necessities of the other All the houses of the faithful shall be open to them as if they were their own houses For therefore did the primitive Christians call one another Brethren and Sisters Act. 4. 32. The Apostles who left their nets instead thereof had all the wealth of Christians laid at their feet their wealth was common to the whole fraternity in so much that no man called his estate his own propriety Gal. 4. 14. Paul was entertained by the Galatians as if he had been an Angel of God or as if he had been Christ himself And this charity lasted a long time among true Christians Tertullian for his time reports a Tert. Apol. c. 39 Christianis omnia indiscreta sunt praeter Uxores i. e. That all they had was communicated to their fellow-Christians except only their Wives and that the heathens hereupon would say See how the Christians love one another But such Charity is now hard to be found as Christ fore-told nor may we in these dreggs and bottome of the world expect such temporal retributions God hath given some that men may know there is a reward but he doth not so reward all here least men should expect none other elsewhere St Ambrose saith a Ambr. de offic l. 2. c. 16. He knew some Priests who by giving to the poor increased more in wealth The Roman History observeth that the charitable Emperor b Paul Diac. in Tib. c. 2. Tiberius II. was rewarded here by finding vast hidden treasures as the poor Widow of Sarepta was also for relieving the Prophet but such returns are not now to be hoped nor are we to forbear the acts of charity although we find not such mundane retributions It is the good Counsel of St Austin That we should not thus say or think with our selves I will do good to some poor Christians that so my store may increase c Aug. lib. Homil. Hom. 18. Noli hoc quaerere messis tua seriùs venit i. e. expect not your reward here for that harvest will be much later VVhen one brought to Luther a legacy which a certain thankful Auditor of his had bequeathed him the poor man took it with trembling and said d Melch. Ad. in vita Luth. Metuo ne Deus his praemiet i. e. he was afraid least God did reward his labours in this world for verily the with-holding of rewards in this life is a certain pledge that charitableness shall be rewarded elsewhere Madam There is yet a more noble and Heavenly hospitality to be practised by Christians for the exercise whereof I here present unto you Three Guests worthy of admission into the Tabernacle of your beautiful body and Soul because the beauty of both was their gift as one saith a Ovid. Forma Dei munus They are the same Guests that were formerly entertained by your Father Abraham They are Travellers yea and Gen. 18. Wanderers and have suffered repulses in many places of the Christian World and by many persons among us even as our Christian Religion hath been abused by those who professed themselves to be lovers thereof just as Potiphars VVife Gen. 39. loved and yet persecuted Joseph And as the VVatchmen smote and wounded the Spouse even so some that should be the Watchmen of our Israel have uncivily Cant. 57. abused these holy Guests and thereby wounded the very head of Christianity I am firmly confident that you will joyfully admit them by faith and accommodate them by charity and piously treat and retain them with cheerful perseverance This treatise is as the knocking at the dore which is mentioned Rev. 3. 20. At which when you have opened you will find that gracious promise to stand firm which is recorded in the Gospel That the Father and the Son and the Holy Comforter will come in unto you and make their abode and continue Joh. 14. 16 23. with you for ever I crave your patience good Madam whilst I relate unto you one other grand motive besides the above mentioned and my thankful acknowledgement of your many favours why I have used your name in the Dedication of this book St. Ambrose considering those words of Christ Math. 25. I was in Prison tells us That in the last judgement Christian Professors will be asked a Ambr. Serm. 64. whom they have delivered out of Prison In the beginning of the sorrows of this Land when the unmerciful Pentephobers raged among many others far better then my self I also was imprisoned and then first understood the words of Tertullian who said that b Tert. ad Martyr Câ—rcer est Domus Diaboli a Prison is the house of the Divel So much harshness and tedious restraint we suffered that truly my life was dwinling and I was even at Death's dore * The Lady Hewet your Dear and vertuous Mother who is now with God did much comfort me by her personal visitation But your self did negotiate and effect my deliverance The said Tertullian mentioneth c Tert. cont Valent. p. 375. Angelam i. e. a she Angel verily you were the good Angel that lead me out of Prison and thereby prolonged that Life which in just gratitude ought to serve you whilst it lasteth and I trust that this piece of your Christian Charity among the rest will be to your comfort remembred at the great day of the Lord. In Psal 41. 1. the mean time Davids Prophecy of blessings on the merciful shall be my Prayer for you The Lord deliver you in time of trouble The Lord preserve you and keep you alive that you may be blessed upon Earth and not delivered unto the will of your Enemies The same Lord multiply his favours on you here and augment his own Graces in you and in the end crown them with Glory So prayeth Madam Marsham in Norf. Your most obliged Servant EDM. PORTER The Contents of each several Chapter 1. Chapt. HOw Christ is peculiarly the Son of God How he is the first begotten and yet the only begotten That the Holy Ghost cannot be called the Son of God That no Creature is the Son of God so
any form of prayers used by the Christian Church that ever it was said Domine Jesus ora pro me Lord Jesus pray for me was never said nor never will be in any Church Catholick therefore the Apostle when he mentioneth Christs praying writeth circumspectly as it were on purpose to prevent this error saying Heb. 5. 7. That in the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers thereby limiting the time of Christs praying to be before his death Indeed we find often mention of his prayers on earth by all the four Evangelists but not one of them Mat. 14. 23. Mar. 6 46. Luc 22. 32. Ioh. 14. 16. speaketh of any prayer of Christ after his resurrection nor any Apostle mentioneth his praying after his Ascension The Socinians would have us beleeve that Christ Sacrificeth or prayeth in Heaven because themselves do not beleeve that Christ is the Supream God for one of their arguments against his God-head is this That the Supream God doth not pray Therefore because Christ prayed they say he is not God This was an old cavil of the Arians and was often answered by the Fathers as I have partly shewed before One saith b Iustin Mart. n 32. Quaest ad Orth Christus crebrius orabat ut inde homo esse appareret because as another saith c Theod. in Ro. 8. 34. ut Deus non perit sed suppeditat So Chrysostom answered d Chrys Hom. 32. Antioch Christus orabat ut homo nam Deus non orat and Austin often e Aug. in Ps 20. Ps 34. Ps 87. Secundum quod verbumest non orat sed exaudit humanitas interpellat Divinitatem and again Habes Majestatem ad quam ores humanitatem quae oret prote orat verbum caro factum and in another place Christus oravit non secundum formam Dei sed secundum forman servi i. e. Christ prayed only as he was man as he was made flesh as he was in the form of a servant his God-head did not pray But is prayed unto c. If it be demanded why Christ doth not pray in Heaven as he did on earth before his death We answer 1. He prayed before his death because till then he had not paid our ransom by his precious blood and death 2. Because he had fully satisfied the Justice of the God-head before his Ascension even to the utmost farthing therefore after this satisfaction there could be no need or use of further praying 3. When he ascended he took possession of Heaven not only for himself or for his own proper humane nature but also for and in the behalf of his whole mystical corporation and every member thereof therefore now no need of praying for that for neither do we petition for things that are already granted and by us obtained and possessed Our Saviour after his meritorious life and perfect obedience Active and after his satisfactory death and thereby his perfect obedience passive whereby the Covenant and Law was fully performed and executed had no cause at all in his own or our behalf to petition but might and did justly challeng Heaven as due to himself and in him to his whole body and every member thereof But then if Christ do not pray for us it would be inquired what the meaning is of those Scriptural words which signifie his acts and demeanour in Heaven and seem to imply his praying as when he is called a Priest Heb. 7. 17. should not a Priest pray So he is called our Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. and our Mediator Rom. 8. 3 4. 1 Tim. 2. 5. And he is also said to make intercession for us Rom. 8. 34. To this we answer First For his Priesthood in Heaven that it is a Priesthood only according to the order of Melchisedech Heb. 6. 20. Therefore it must correspond to that Priesthood only and no other now we find not any act of Priesthood performed by Melchisedech but only Blessing of Abraham Gen. 14. 19 for there is no mention of his praying or sacrificing Therefore the only Priestly act of Christ in Heaven is blessing the children of Abraham And this he doth not verbally or affectionately only but really and effectually by pouring down manifold blessings favours and graces and wonderfully protecting and supporting his Abrahamites or Church here on earth in all assaults and persecutions Secondly For his intercession The Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 7. 25. which doth not signify any supplicating intreating or oral pleading for us but only that in Heaven he is for us or standeth and is present or appeareth for us as is expressed by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9 24. i. e. To appear in the presence of God for us that is to be ready and at hand to succour us yet not by way of supplication for his intercession is real not oral he claimeth Heaven as due to himself and in him to all the memmers of his body mystical and this by vertue of his obedience active and passive He there presenteth the first fruits that is his own holy body and soul which he took from man as free from all matter of reprehension immaculate and innocent because he was incarnate he performed the Law and suffered death for us he overcame Death and Hell and ascended and sitteth at the right-hand of the God-head so that he is not now a petitioner for but a possessor of all glory and power and hath earned Heaven both for himself and us It is said of him Heb. 12. 24. That his blood speaketh better things then that of Abel blood doth not speak literally or orally but as Abels murther did really require vengeance on Cain so the blood of Christ doth really require acquitment of us by his full satisfaction to Divine Justice and this standing or appearing is that by which he is said to offer himself in Heaven Heb. 9. 25. Thirdly When he is called an Advocate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 2. 1. and a Mediator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2. 5. This Mediation and Advocateship of Christ in Heaven doth not consist in verbal mediating and pleading for us as Advocates in Courts do for the Holy Ghost is also called Paracletus Joh. 14. 26. yet no man will say that he pleadeth for us verbally or by intreating Rom. 8. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 4. 6 and praying no more doth Christ because Divine Justice is not satisfied by praying for if prayers or verbal pleadings could serve our turn then Christ's prayers on earth had beē sufficient to have procured our Salvation and so might have freed him from his bitter Passion and Death Indeed before his Passion he mediated for us Precario by the intercession of prayer but now after the Consummatum est that he hath performed all that the God-head required to be done and thereby hath brought salvation for us and fully paid for it his Mediation