Princes So that to withdraw from the protection of a Soveraigne it is to despise and throw off a Saviour He who was the Saviour of the world he is also King of Kings and as St. Paul speaketh The only Potentate And he under whose wings we have been securely safe let the sad want of him now say it was Christus Domini the Lords Anointed the only Potentate the only supreme Governour of this Kingdome Or take the point thus Is it so that he whose Kingdome is not of this world hath for all that Power and Dominion over all the Kingdoms of this world Maugre then all the designes plots jealousies and fears that Devill or Man can set on foot Our Lord the King shall reach his end Our Lord the King shall break their Bonds in sunder and cast their Cords from him For to him all power is given Indeed if in the perusall of the Gospell we should stand to observe the Industrious malice of his Enemies we shall find their plot and designe was even root and branch to cut him off they endevoured to kill him with shame and to bury him with Infamy For when as a Malefactor they had put him to death their greatest care and thought of heart was to prevent his Resurrection And therefore their great suit to Pilate is Command that the Sepulchre be made sure Rebels are afraid of a King though he be in his grave And indeed they had cause so to be for though his Kingdom was not of yet I have shewed unto you it was over this world over their Designes over their Plots over their Malice in so much that you may read that very stone which they rejected it became the corner stone And that very Soveraign whom they ignominiously laid in the grave and thought to secure by Souldiers he had witnesse those very Souldiers a glorious Resurrection so that indeed there is no contesting against Soveraignty As the Kingdom of Christ is over this world even so Christ whose Kingdom is not of this world yet hath a Kingdom in this world If you peruse the Gospell you cannot but finde that even then when the major part and prevailing party was most against him even then this Soveraigne had some Loyall Subjects he had in his lowest condition some who though timorously yet most cordially stuck unto him so that he alwayes had a Kingdom even in this world And this is apparent from that last solemne prayer of his where when he prayed for these for these who were Loyall and true of heart his Petition runs thus I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world Out of the world he would not have his Subjects taken for though not of the world he was resolved and doth to this hour preserve a Kingdome in this world And this the Jews his Adversaries did too well perceive for such was his goodnesse such his meeknesse such his charity that he did indeed draw all men after him Whilest he was yet at liberty and the people might have accesse unto him they flocked unto him from all places and he healed them Multitudes followed him and he without respect to what part they took touched and cured such as came unto him In so much that his Malignant persecutors are not ashamed to vote what was done digito Dei with the finger of God to be done by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils not ashamed to say If we let him alone all men will believe on him If we let him alone the people will leave us if we let him alone he will recover his kingâ—ome if we let him alone what will becâ—me of us So apparent it was 〈◊〉 to his Jews that he had a party 〈◊〉 he had a Kingdome in this â—â—â—ld â—nd indeed a Kingdome he hath in this world a Kingdome whereof it concerns every one of us to be a Subject for those only who have been Zealous of his Laws and Loyall to his person Those only are they who shall sit upon Thrones those they who shall reign with him hereafter Indeed we have now amongst us a Generation of Saints who reckon much upon that old Millenary error who believe those thousand years are now approaching in which the earth shall abound with peace plenty pleasure in which the Saints shall reigne rule and enjoy what ever their souls lust after in which Christ shall descend manifest that he hath a Kingdome in this world And unlikely it is not but the conceit of this Epicurean paradise may be a cause that many run such mad couses as they do confidently believing they shall presently have a Kingdom in this world Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day on the earth Now if it must be the last day before our Redeemer shall manifest himself and stand upon the earth Or if as it is Heaven must receive him untill the times of restitution of all things How then can he be a thousand years with his Saints upon earth before the last day Yea how can he be expected to live upon the earth at all whose last coming is described to be not on the earth but in an higher Element For The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the Trumpe of God And then observe the sequell The dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are olive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord Observe where not below but in the clouds not on the earth but in the Aire We shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the Aire and then lest peradventure it might be thoughts he would descend lower and live upon the earth with us it immediately followeth And so shall we ever be with the Lord As Loyall Citizens to entertain their long absent King put on their best roabs and go out to meet him Even so when Christ the King of glory shall return all who have been Loyall Subjects all who have been obedient Christians all who have faithfully kept their Allegeance to this Soveraign all such they shall be caught up in the clouds they shall go out to meet the Bridegroom yea they shall ever be with the Lord their King Rom. 8.17 If so be that we suffer with him we shall also be glorifyed with him Those who have stuck to their King in his low condition those who have been content to suffer for him those who looking upon his bitter sufferings have been moved by so patient an example to suffer with him those also shall fare as he fareth they shall be glorifyed with him Mat. 19.28 Verily I say unto you saith the King in my Text ye which have followed me in the Regeneration ye who for my sake have been Sequestred from Houses Lands and the comfort of wife and children When the Son of Man shall sit in the
Paternall and a Regall Goâ—ernment My servants that is My Subjects As if it were said If my Kingdome were of this world my Subjects would fight for me Indeed if we look upon the King in the Text as we are Christians we cannot but acknowledge that His Kingdome it is of all Kingdomes the most absolute in so much that Kings our Soveraigns they are but his Servants Yea Angels and Devils Heaven Earth and all that therein is are his Subjects and all if he please ready to fight for him according to that Judg. 5.20 The Starres in their courses fought against Sisera Or according to the saying of his at his apprehension Mat. 26.53 Where for his King he might have had more then twelve legions of Angels But being as you have heard his Kingdome is not of this world we are to look upon this reason of his only as it relates to the Kings of this world for upon that supposition doth he make this inference Then would my Servants fight for me My Servants would fight My Servants They must be the Servants of a Royall Master the Servants of a King or no fighting for Fighting it is the ultimate and last refuge in so much that not the Sword but the Laws must decide all private quarrels No fighting where an Appeal lies and appeal we both may and must till we come to the Supreme But when the Supreme is violated he may take up the phrase in my Text and say Then shall my servants fight Mat. 26. When St. Peter in defence of his Master drew his Sword the King in my Text to shew that his Kingdome was not of this world commands Put up againe thy Sword into its place vers. 52. As if he had said let the Sword rest there till some temporall King commands it And then adds this reason For All they that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword All those who are not as the Text implies Regis Ministri the Kings Men the Kings Servants All such for drawing their own Swords deserve to perish by the Sword by his Sword who may say in the words of my text for as much as I have a Kingdome in this world my Servants shall and will fight for me My servants would fight To fight is to hazard Life and Limbe the dearest things of this World To fight it implieth the leaving of Wife and Children house and home and to go where the Fight is So that it may very well be doubted whether those servants have done their Duties or those subjects discharged their Allegiance who have lost only the paring of their nailes or the Haire of their head I mean nothing but their extraordinaries nothing but their wonted wantonnesse and fulnesse for the Redemption of their Soveraign The King in my Text tells us The Servants of a distressed King they should rather be Commanders then Compounders they should resolve as did good Vriah whilest The Arke and Israel and Judah abide in Tents and my Lord Joab and the Servants of the King are encamped in the open field so long they will not joy in their own houses they will not eat and drink and lie with their Wives If my Kingdome were of this World saith our Saviour then would my Servants not plot how to save restore and secure themselves but my Servants would fight Those who are able and have hearts they should not spend only their Breath but even their Bloud not only their Estates but even themselves when the case is so sad that if they fight not the King must suffer Were my Kingdome of this world my servants saith our Saviour would fight yea {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they would fight even to an Agony rather then permit me thus to be delivered to the Jews And so we passe to the last particular the cause which may both move and warrant for to fight and that is injuries against Royall Majesty Subjects must rather fight then see their Soveraign delivered up to Jews 2. My Servants would fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews The Jews considered before they proved Rebellious and did despight unto their King they were the most glorious Nation under Heaven Gods people a people Honourable at home and Feared abroad but when they had so far degenerated as to fall foul both upon Gods Prophets and Gods anointed when they Ston'd the one and Blasphem'd the other from that time even unto this day they are become the most hatefull and odious people under Heaven a people into whose hands rather then a King should come my servants would fight saith the King in my Text By Jewes in the Text then we may aptly understand not only the people of the Jews but people of any Nation or language whatsoever that shall be so Jewish as to endevour to make their King odious so Jewish as to assault Arraigne and Crucifie their King Subjects or Servants ought to fight rather then to suffer their King to be in such hands Maximilian the Emperour passing his censure upon four great Kingdomes Germany Spain France and England He makes the King of England to be worse then Rex Judaeorum then King of Jewes for he plainly cals him Rex Diabolorum the King of Devils conceiting that none but Jews or Devils would lay hands upon Gods Anointed So that indeed were it only to avoid this Scandall only to prevent the Dishonour and Curse which Rebellion brings upon a Nation Subjects ought rather to fight then to see their King delivered up to the Power and Malice either of Jews or Devils My servants would fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews saith the Text Would fight Fighting I have shewed and we all know it is the hazard of our lives a hazard that may not rashly and for every punctilio be undertaken A man who would fight and die as a Christian he must first sit down and consider whither his soul shall go if he die in that fight It is well known there are in the World who will sooner fight for a Mistris I had almost said a whore then for a King who are hotter in vindication of a lie then of ten thousand lies put upon a Soveraign who will sooner draw upon refusall of the Kings health then to keep a Kings Head upon his shoulders rather upon a Rescue though for just debt then for the Redemption of a King suffering even for their Liberties But for these and the like fights Scripture hath no warrant for these and the like quarrels no good King would say Then shall my servants fight To speak then only a word of so great a point I conceive this is a sure foundation No man may fight or venture his life for that which in cool bloud judgement and right reason is not dearer then life and of this nature there are not many things in the World No profit no pleasure can be this good for skin for skin and all that a
so much mischief to and dishonour against is the Heir Even so which of us is it that cannot say this is the will of God thus God will have it and yet for all that as the Husbandmen against the Heir even so we Rebell and engage even against Gods will This is the Heir and this Heir he was Christus Domini the Lords Anointed for this is that Heir of whom it is written Heb. 1.2 In these last dayes he hath spoken by his Sonne whom he hath appointed Heir of all things This is that Sonne and Heir who is said to be the Lord the Christ the Anointed of God And indeed his being thus his being Gods Anointed his being such an Heir as had no superiour but his Father no equall upon earth His being such an Heir as was next and immediate under God such an Heir as was not simply the Landlord but the King of the Vineyard The Covenanting and Combining and making an head against such an Heir This this is the Treason the Villany and the abomination in the Text So that the point for instruction may be this Point 2 Persons Eminent either for Honour or for holinesse they are of all other the most liable to Envy Spleene Hate and Malice Vncti Domini The Lords Anointed Priests and Princes they are of all conditions most hated and to their power most abus'd and scorn'd by Vulgar people Psal. 98.1 Dominus regnavit iraseantur populi The Lord hath raigned and as St. Augustine infers the people are vext and angry at it They would not that God himself should be a King for the most part the people are of their seditious temper who cryed out All the Congregation is Holy all as fit to rule as Moses and Aaron Homines nulli magis repugnant quam illi contra quem sentiunt imperium tenere Xenophon long since though he excepteth Cyrus told the World men are so averse to none as to him they finde to hold the Reins and to beare rule over them And Plutarch in a Tract of his Omni populo inest aliquod Malignum querulum in imperantes People are generally Malignant and querulous against their Governors yea saith Seneca quamvis id agat princeps ut ne quis merito te oderit erunt tamen semper qui te oderint Though thou being a Prince dost nothing whereby any one should deservedly hate thee yet for all that there will be alwayes some that will hate thee And though our English Translation doth not speak it out Tremelius as a Text of Gods owne word thus translates it Non esse finem ulli populo de ullo qui praesit ipsis The people are never content with their Governour And then in his Comment addes Populus ne quidem in Sapiente principe sive Rege acquiescit The people will not be content no not with a wise King And indeed we have had evidence enough yea too much of this truth For though the Heire in my Text was Gods owne Sonne of the same Essence Wisdome and goodnesse with the Father yet content he could not give you such discontent the Abjects and his Subjects tooke at him that they fear'd not to say This is the Heire this is he that stands between us and a Kingdome come let us combine and kill him So averse to Honour and Authority are an undisciplin'd Multitude that though God send them a King from Heaven send downe his owne Sonne to be their King they will not Reverence nay they will not suffer him so much as to live among them This is the Heire come let us kill him Secondly as I have shewed who this Heire was Christus Domini the Lords Anointed we must now consider what he was Heire of And for that to any one who please to peruse his writings there will appeare evidence enough for whether we consider his Birthright or his Inauguration whether we consider what he was born to or what he was invested with we shall finde he had a Princely yea a Royall Inheritance His Birth-right that we have in these words Where is he that is borne King of the Jews He was borne a King but indeed it was but a petty Kingdome he was born to The Land of Jury and the Kingdome of the Jewes it was but a small Dominion But if we consider his Inauguration and the Additionalls to his Birth right we shall then finde him an Heire of great Consequence For though where his Birth-right is spoken of he is onely stiled King of the Jewes yet if we looke upon his Investiture and Gods Designation we shall finde it was not onely the Land of Judea but even the whole World was his inheritance And therefore it is written The Son who though born only King of the Jewes yet Haeredem constituit Hee hath appointed and made him Heire of all things And Aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy possession So that as the Poets fondly intituled a Goddess of theirs to three Dominions Diana upon Earth Luna in Heaven and Proserpina in Hell even so really and truly this Heire had just title to Three mighty Kingdomes To Heaven and the Inhabitants thereof by Creation To Earth and people thereof by purchase To Hell and the vassals thereof by Conquest for it is written Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into his hands And yet against a King of three Kingdomes behold a Conspiracy This is the Heire come let us kill him Whence the point of Instruction may bee this Point 3 Since the Covetous and Ambitious feare not difficulties the Religious and Conscientious should much lesse doe it Behold in my Text a Prince of Power a Solomon yea a greater than Solomon and yea behold the Covetous and the Ambitious They neither feare his Power nor Reverence his Wisdome neither Regard his Majesty nor feare his Judgements But on they go yea on they so industriously did goe that notwithstanding he was Gods Anointed notwithstanding their King notwithstanding so True and so Right an Heire they kill and cast him out of his own Inheritance Shall now Rebellion be thus active and shall Religion bee dull and sluggish Can Covetousnesse and Ambition so heat and heighten the Spirits that men attain to base ends will venture through a Sea of Bloud yea to unthrone a King Certainly then to attaine the Kingdome of Heaven to be a co-heire with the Heire in my Text and to gaine a glorious and Righteous Inheritance This should move the Conscientious and the Religious to Master all Difficulties For if the Husbandman spared nothing they could doe to take away the Glory and to take away the Inheritance from him whom they knew and confessed to be the undoubted Heire What should not we who are listed under his name what should not we who glory to be called Christians what should not we doe to
's our King that 's our Governour ambition luxury covetousnesse malice these are they which would reign these are they which would give Law unto us but I have abundantly shewed you it is the Mind and the Mind only which God hath entrusted with this power not sin under any pretence of Law whatsoever but the regenerate Mind is that must reign over our mortall bodies not the Law of the Members but the Law of the Mind is that we must hold to yea for this Law we must war in defence of this Law we are bound even to die the Death So fight I saith St. Paul not as one that beateth the Aire but as one who had a reall enemy to subdue for it straight followes contundâ— corpus meum I beat I chastise I bruise my body he would rather live upon Bread and water then suffer his members to give Law unto him And indeed this is the fight that good fight we are all to finish this that fight in which striving we must resist unto bloud every imagination every thought every desire lust or act which exalts it self against that knowledge and Law of God This we are to bring under this we must lead captive for not a member can go to Heaven which doth not orderly follow the Mind thither In a word to conclude all It is an observation amongst controversall Writers and too true That when mens affections and Members do frame Opinions and pass Lawes men are much more earnest in defence of such errors then are sober Christians in the maintenance of what the mind and solid judgement proposeth to them there is no diligence no care no means wanting in the pursuit of that which the affections and members declare expedient And indeed in this my hearts desire is the minds of us all should be instructed by our common enemy that is to follow with more earnestnesse the War and Duties which God requireth we should manage against the Rebellious Members so shall God of his Mercy then give grace unto the Mind that it may subdue the Members that so the whole man may from this his Militant Kingdom of Grace be translated and advanced to his Eternall and Triumphant Kingdom of Glory and that for Christ Jesus sake the only King without rebellious members To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen Sit Deo omnis gloria THE GRAND CONSPIRACY OF Jews against their King A SERMON Preached in August 1647. ROM. 5.7 Scarcely for a Righteous Man will one dye yet peradventure for a Good Man some would dare to dye LONDON Printed by E. C. for R. ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1654. SERM. II. Preached 1647. JOHN 18.36 Jesus answered My Kingdom is not of this World if my Kingdom were of this World then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews OUr Blessed SAVIOUR Born King of the Jewes is in this Chapter brought in question for his life accus'd arraign'd and condemn'd for the defence of his Birth-right A dangerous thing it seems to be born a King But yet behold he hath a Personall Treaty for it and that not in Patmos but in the City Royall he is brought before Pilate to whom even in Jerusalem as my Text tels you he put in this answer My Kingdom c. In the words are here two generalls I. An Assertion a Kingdom I have but my Kingdome is not of this World II. The Proof of this Assertion If my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight c. 1. Oâ— the Assertion a Kingdom I have but my Kingdom is not of this World That Christ had and hath a Kingdome this the very first Particle in his answer doth imply Regnum meum my Kingdom now a Kingdome there must be in which he hath a property or else he could never have said My Kingdome is not of this World and again If my Kingdom were of this World then would my servants fight And indeed thus Pilate understood him for in the verse immediately following Pilate replieth Art thou a King Yea in his Condemnation Pilate thus testifyeth of him Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews A King he was and a King of the Jews too for Tell the Daughter of Sion Behold thy King cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an Asse The King of Sion a meek King and this was indeed his ruine for a meek King is no fit King to be King of Jews Had he come to Sion as a Lyon of the Tribe of Judah had he come in fury had he manifested his power in the confusion of some thousands of them then he should have been King then Grandees as well as the Boyes would have cryed out Hosanna in the Highest But if he come without his Militia if he come meek and sitting upon an Asse if he be content for the peace and happinesse of his people to make himself a Sacrifice to vail his Majesty and lay by his Scepter Then as if he were in a condition not fit to governe they apprehend his person Declare against him and though they can prove nothing they deliver him up to be judged by a Foraine power So that what we sometimes said of a neighbour King that he was Rex Galliae but not Gallorum King of France but not of French men Even so might our Blessed Lord and Master say he was Rex Mundi sed non Mundanorum He was King of the world though not King of the Men of this world a Kingdom he had but saith he My Kingdome is not of this world Now for the better explication of this assertion we shall proceed by these three degrees 1. The Kingdome of Christ is over this world 2. Christ hath a Kingdome in this world 3. The Kingdome of Christ is not of this world First The Kingdom of Christ is over this world Psal. 99.1 The Lord is King be the People never so impatient The Lord is King even our blessed Lord and Saviour and that not only as God but even as Man also For being it is said that All power is given to him both in Heaven and in Earth Clear it is that he hath and that he hath as Man too power and dominion even over the whole World For being it is said All power the Power of Soveraignty and Dominion cannot be exempted And being it is said All power is given This shewes in what capacity he hath this power to wit in that by which he is lower then the Father in that by which he is made capable to receive ex dono to take of gift in that by which he is become the Saviour of the world So that indeed the same person who was the Saviour he is also the Soveraign of mankinde And this may not improbably teach us that Kings his Vice-gerents they are proportionably Saviours as well as Soveraignes nursing Fathers as well as potent
have somewhat so to Husband as they will answer it to God himself V. Combined wickednesse and united Malice produceth strange villanies what great great things then might united Devotions and an associated piety bring about VI Deliberation and reasoning within our selves and among our selves more requisite in Religion and what concerneth God then in Rebellion and murdering of the Heir VII Sin must be nipt in the bud for incredible even to sinners themselves are the mischiefs to which a prevailing wickednesse may bring witnesse Hazael David the Husbandmen in my Text SERM. IV. Preached 1649. LUKE 20.14 This is the Heir come let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours IN this Parable you have the Character of as good a Lord and of as ungratefull a people as ever lived a Lord who for the good of his Vineyard and for the welfare of his people did all that could be done And a people who for the Ruine Dishonour and Disadvantage of this good Lord most unthankfully did no lesse then even all they could doe The good endevours of the Lord you may read in these words O Inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah judge I pray you between me and my Vineyard what could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done to it The good Lord though indeed our God and our King He puts himself upon his people he would have the Vineyard to say whether he had not done his part And indeed for a thriving Vineyard or for an happy people what had he not provided What had not he condescended to A good Soil Heaven watered not a better A good fence for no Nation better Laws A strong Tower no Church better Ordinances And to keep a right understanding between him and his Messenger after Messenger Prophet after Prophet yea he sent his own Son to compose all differences But see the Rebellious ingratitude of an ungodly Nation That Lord who crowned their Earth with fatnesse him they crown with thorns That Fence which for their security this good Lord planted they pull up That Tower which this good Lord fortified they dismantle Those Messengers which this good Lord sent them they Murder yea to himself who gave them Wine they give Gall and even him who kept every one of them peaceably under his own Vine even him they Maliciously and Treacherously cast out of his own Vineyard for so it is in the very next verse They cast him out of the Vineyard yea they said This is the Heir come let us kill him c. In which words these generals are considerable 1. A Confession This is the Heir 2. A Combination Come let us kill him 3. An Ambitious instigation That the inheritance may be ours In the confession these particulars 1. Who this Heir was Christus Domini The Lords Anointed 2. What he was Heir to A Kingdome at least Rex Judeorum In the Combination 1. The quality and condition of the Combiners Agricolae Coloni Tenants Husbandmen Farmers 2. The manner of their Combining They associated Come 3. Their Consultation They reasoned among themselves 4. Their conclusion Let us kill him In the Ambitious Instigation 1. An acknowledgement of the Heirs just Title No Feoffee in Trust no Elective owner but an Inheritance 2. A Resolution to make themselves Successors to what he was Heir That the Inheritance may be Ours First We are 〈◊〉 to begin with the Confession This is the Heir Whether we look into the Acts or into the Epistles of Saint Paul we shall finde there was in this great businesse in the making away of this Heir and in the making away for his Inheritance two sorts of people one whose Originall designe it was and others who meerly through Credulity and Ignorance were engaged in it 1 Cor. 2.8 Had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of glory And I wot now Brethren through ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers Whether we look upon the Princes and Lords of Israel or whether we look upon the Vulgar and Commons of the Land some of both the Apostle doubteth not to say through ignorance they did it some of either knew not that that was the Heir But as some knew not even so my Text positively affirms of other some they knew it well enough for they could directly say Hic est Haeres this is the Heir This is the person that is most considerable this is he that must be remov'd this is he that must be caught Our plots are vain the Dominion and Inheritance cannot be ours unlesse this this the Heir be taken away Point 1 The lesson then for our Instruction is That there are sins of Ignorance and that there are sins of Knowledge sinnes of Infirmity and sinnes of Obstinacy some wittingly and some unwillingly killed the Heir Some resolv'd to do it though they knew it some others indeed did it but they knew not what they did Now it would seriously be considered whether the sins that we do commit yea and have committed even against the Heir Gods Anointed be sins of Ignorance or sins of Obstinacy Whether we sinned against this Heir as not knowing of him to be our Soveraign or because we knew to do our duty might be a crossing of our Lusts and an undoing to us Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea these both knew and were well enough informed that this was the Heir they knew he was the King of Israel But such was the fear and awe of the Jewes upon them that they durst not appear for him They durst not confesse and say this is the Heir for though Joseph consented not to his death yet we never finde that in his life he durst shew himself cleerly on his party Indeed Nicodemus once gave him a visit but it was in the night as if it had been a work of darknesse to adore the light or an act of Rebellion to do homage to his King The Rulers Lords and Councell of State what by his Declarations published by his Prophets Treaties with him and Answers from him they were so far convinced that even at their very Councell-Table they were forced to say If we let him alone all men will believe on him yea so great and clear was the manifestation of his worth and wisdom that so far were the people undeceived that even they cryed out Bene omnia fecit he hath done all things well So that though ignorance in some might abate more then in some others yet so clearly were most convinced this was the Heir that the guilt of wilful Murther it came heavily even upon the whole Nation It would then by us be seriously and timeously considered whether those sins will be allowed as sins of Ignorance which we act against Knowledge or those sins of Infirmity which we act meerly to save a peny or to satsfie a Lust This is the Heir As the ungratefull Husbandmen could not but confesse this whom we intend
it is astonished at his understanding and Answers Such an Heire could not be robbed of his Birth-right nor deprived of his Inheritance but it must be done with violence and that violence could never had hands enough without an Association Point 5 The point then for our Instruction is to behold the strength of Combined wickednesse How an united Malice produceth strange Villanies Of the Devill himself it is observable though he be the Prince of Darknesse and hath in himselfe a very powerfull Malice yet even he unlesse united cannot doe nigh so much mischief as in Conjunction And therefore when he hath any notable Villany to bring about when he would effect and do such a Master-piece as this in my Text to disinherit an Heire Royall or subvert Kingdomes he then doth just as the Husbandmen in my Text did He associates He saith to the discontented and disaffected Sons of Men Venite come Come and joyne but your Hands to my Head and we will have our wills such and such shall not raigne over us And indeed to such an Associate and combined Malice where the Devill is the Counsellor and Man the Actor God permits a great deale more mischiefe to be done than he will to a single Malice Yea without peradventure to an Association of Villanies though all men God permits much more than he will to any single Tyrant Act. 4.25 The Apostles speaking of the very Association in my Text speaking of the people saith The people imagine vaine things But when there was to the people an Association of great ones when as it followeth The Kings of the Earth stood up and the Rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ Then as followeth in my Text the Father gave such way unto this Malice that they took yea they killed the Heir The use we are to make of this point is to take heed that we do not engage and associate with the Devil that we do not strengthen his malice for he was not more busie to bring the Heire to his death then he is at this hour to suppresse his Kingdome he would not by any meanes that Christ should rule or live within us and yet sure we are if we associate not the Gates of Hell cannot prevaile Again Is it so that an Association and a Combination in wickednesse strengthens the hands and impowereth malice what then would an Association in godlinesse and good things doe Indeed Religion it self if we attend the Word it is only an Holy Combination a Religation or Obligation to the things of God Should we then but change that wicked Venite in my Text to that holy Venite of the Church Did we but so come and so worship and so fall down before the Lord our Maker as it behoveth penitents and a chastised people such an Association it would move even God himself to be our Helper such an Association it would preserve every man in his Vineyard and restore the right Heire unto his own And so we shall passe from the Summons to the Meeting from the Association to the Consultation They reasoned among themselves saying This is the Heire Come They reasoned among themselves Their first meeting it is as the French Parlar to parle to consult to lay the businesse And indeed as there were many Hands to do it so there was a need of many heads to plot it And yet if you observe it they were selected Heads {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} They reasoned not before others of another judgement or before such as were true of heart but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} They reasoned among themselves when there was none with them but such as themselves when they were as in a close Committee then they reasoned upon this matter then they took it into debate what should be done with the Heire The point then put to the question and that which they were to reason of we may finde by the connexion of the precedent to this present verse for saith the Father there I will send my beloved Sonne and then followeth to what end and that is to see whether they will reverence him or no Now upon this they meet upon this they consult and in the negative they conclude and vote they will not reverence So that their debate and reasonings was probably upon these two heads 1. Upon what they had done 2. Upon what they were resolv'd to doe And both these we have within the confines of our parable First an Epitome of what they had done we have in the 10.11 and 12. verses and that briefly is A contempt of their Lord in the abuse of his Messengers And indeed the first step to pull down the Master it is to trample upon the Minister They beat they put to shame yea they put to Death such as were sent unto them Not onely did they deny their Duties to pay their Tribute and to send fruit but as if those whom the Father sent had been so many Evill Counsellors they take and hang them up as Male-factors Yea and that they then doe when indeed all their messages were messages of peace Now having been not only rebellious in denying their Obedience but also ungratefull even unto bloud in the slaughter of the Prophets The Husbandmen might very well fall a Reasoning what was now to be done whether Reverence or Resistance whether a Submission to the Heire with an Act of pardon and Oblivion Or a proceeding to higher mischieves which was to Revile Rebell and to cut off even the Heire himself It is Resolv'd upon the question they will owne no guilt They will confesâ— no fault what they have done whether in Vsurping the Vineyard Denying their Dues or Butchering the Messengers they will acknowledge nothing Yea as if the Heire had necessitated and put them upon all these villanies they Resolve further they will be Avenged upon the Heire and that is the second point they Reason and consult about They Reasoned among themselves saying this is the Heire come let us take some order with him let us so deale with him that the Inheritance may be ours so deale with him that he may be countable to us not we to him In a word they Reasoned saying This is the Heire come let us kill him So that the second and maine part of their Reasoning was how to dispose and order what was requisite to this end And indeed this required a great deale of Reasoning too For if we looke but upon vers. 5 6. of this Chapter we shall find they stood in such Awe of the people that they durst not passe a rash judgement no not upon the Baptisme of John much lesse upon the Heire in the Text And therefore they first reason among themselves how to take off the people and how to make him despicable in their esteeme And indeed to summe up that long work in a word this they did by taking his Revenew and