'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
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
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
restore the Heire unto his owne and to recount unto Christ all glory possible I am even asham'd to say it and yet most true it is thousands and ten thousands take more pains and are at more cost to descend to Hell than the most of Christians are to ascend and get to Heaven So that they who injure wrong and abuse the Heire they who killed and cut off the Lords Anointed they did and doe it a great deale more heartily than doe we who professe to Honour Worship Glorifie and be loyall Servants to him Rom. 8 29 Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son To the glorious and Beatificall Image of the Son to this we all would and desire to be conformable But to the Passionate Image to the suffering condition of him to be cast out of our own Vineyards for him as he hath been for us this we have not Christian patience enough to heare of And yet this witnesse St. Paul even the Fellowship of his sufferings a Conformity to his death as well as to his glory is to be expected by us God forbid God forbid we should have such Difficulties between us and Heaven as necessarily are between Husbandmen and a Kingdom And yet as it followeth the Husbandmen did so combine and so associate they mastered all their Obstacles And therefore if we would have a Kingdome and that a Heavenly one we must so resolve as to Master all lets which the better to incourage us in we shall passe from the Confession to the Combination to see whether this their Industrious mischiefe will not shame us into an Holy Industry For that Husbandmen Men of Earth Terrae filii that such as these should bee able to undermine such an Heire This must needs inforce an unwearied Industry Passe we then to a survey of it in these words Venite Occidamus Come let us kill him And here I premised these foure particulars 1. The quality and condition of the Combiners Coloni Husbandmen 2. The manner of their Combining They associated Venite Come 3. Their consultation They reason'd among themselves 4. Their Conclusion Let us kill him First of the quality and condition of the Combiners and that you have in the beginning of this verse When the Husbandmen saw him By Husbandmen we must here understand even people of all Conditions and indeed people of All Conditions are accessary to the Murther of this Heire First that by Husbandmen we are to understand not only Coloni but as the Italian Colonelli not only the base but the Honorable not onely Clowns but Colonels not only the people but also the Priests this is apparent for it is written The chiefe Priests and the Scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him And that as it followeth for this very reason because they perceived He had spoken this Parable against them They perceived that they were in the account of these Husbandmen Secondly not only chief Priests and Scribes Lords and great ones but also vulgar and meane ones the very sâ—umme of the people were also concerned in it And therefore you shall reade He began to speak this Parable ad plebem He spake it to the people to the Vulgar to the Meaner sort And indeed he very well knew it was their madnesse that was to compleat this mischief and their many hands that were to divide this Inheritance Point 4 The point then for our instruction is that whether High or Low Rich or Poor we are in the esteem of God Coloni Husbandmen That is every one of us hath somewhat so to Husband as we will answer the Husbandry of it to God himself Viro sapienti vita sua est vinea Every wise mans life and Conversation is a Vineyard whereof the Heire in my Text is and ought to be the Lord So that indeed unlesse we bring forth fruit to him unlesse we yeild to him the due Harvest of Tribute Honour and Obedience unlesse our lives be such as speak his glory we can scarce avoid the very guilt in my Text which is the casting him out of his own For though the Heire in my Text and the Lord of our Vineyard is now taken away and in the Heavens yet he may be and daily is cast out of his Vineyard For if we obey not whom he hath appointed to succeed him if we obey not his Lawes and so order our lives which are his Vineyards as he hath given in command what doe we but cast him out of his Vineyard If our obstinate wils like those Rebellious Citizens cry Noâ—umus hunc Regnare we will not that he rule over us but we will be Laws unto our selves are we not then resolv'd to be the Lords and no more the Husbandmen Again that all conditions are couched under this homely Appellative Coloni Husbandmen This should teach us that the proudest and the highest of us are but in a subordinate condition we are not Pares we are not Peers we are not Equals we are not Co-ordinate with the Heire of the Vineyard for we are Coloni the Husbandmen but the Heire he is Dominus Vineae He is the Lord of the Vineyard Lastly Whereas the Lord when he spake this parable directed his speech {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to the Plebeians to Commons to the Vulgar a reason of this may be because they are commonly sensible of noâ— injury but their own at least of none above their own Like that rich Churle Nabal they are ready to say who is David Though David Gods Anointed was a Protection and a Wall of Defence unto him yet when David was in distresse so little was this Clown affected with the Sufferings of a King that you shall finde he prefers his Sheep shearers before a Soveraigne he would not spare of what he had provided for them to give part unto a King And just so it was with the Hinds and Husbandmen in my Text Of the Heire and of his sufferings of the Lord and of his losings of the Sonne and of his losses the Husbandmen the Farmers the Occupiers and Tenants to the Vineyard they had no regard Yea as if the very Demand of Rent it selfe had beene a grievance when the Heire came in Person to demand his Due they presently combine and say come come this is the Heire come Now this is the Time Now we have the Heire in our power now or never is the time to make us a Free People And this is the second considerable in the Combination They associated Venite Come And indeed without an association it could never have been done For so just an Heire one who could doe nothing to forfeit his Inheritance so great an Heire one who had no Judge upon the Earth above him so strong an Heire as had the power of Kingdomes in his hand so wise an Heire that they Trembled to Treat with him being as
the Members and have like power over them as Man hath dominion over the Beast of the field For as these two Sense and Reason make the specificall difference between Man and Beast even so doth it between Mind and Members the Mind is that part of the soul in which God placed Reason Understanding Judgement that part of the soul in which Grace freedome of will and choice of good is fixed and seated whereas on the other side by the Members we are to understand either the outward Senses and corporall Members of the body the sensual appetite whether Concupiscible or Irascible that is all our Passions and Affections such as are fear joy wrath love hope grief or the like In a word all whatsoever which is indeed the Totum and all all that we have and may find the like in Brutes all such whether Passions or Desires or Affections they are comprised and comprehended under this word Members If then Man himself because he is the Image of God is therefore made superiour to the Beasts which have no understanding certainly then that part of man in which this similitude or likenesse doth consist that power and portion of the soul in which this Image of God is that must needs be the supremest noblest and chief commanding portion in that doubtlesse if in any there must reside the power of Law War and direction in all proceedings Now the Apostle plainly tels us the New man that is that part of man which beareth the Image of his Maker and the likeness of his God is that portion of the soul which is capable of Knowledge capable of Righteousnesse and true holinesse And this must needs be the mind of man for the Affections and Members they cannot rise to so high a pitch hinder they oft both may and do but lead or guide they cannot into the paths of righteousnesse Col. 3.5 You have these words Mortifie your Members which are upon earth The power of life and death cannot be in any other but the supreme hand whereas then the spirit of God saith Mortifie your Members whereas it puts a kind of killing power and that over the Members too this manifestly infers the mind to be the superiour faculty yea the Mind is that in which God hath placed the power of both Law and War Again if as before I have proved Eve was therefore subject unto Adam because she once daring to direct misled her husband then for certain the Affections Senses Members they must all be captivated and subject to the Mind for they never lead but they misguide the mind they never counsell but as we very well phrase it they Transport the soul That this our Kingdome is not now as in our state of more innocency it was wont to be a pleasing paradise that now so many Swords are drawn and so many sluces of bloud let open is not this because we have even yet too many uxorious Adams because we have yet too many that suffer their Eves to lead them or to give it in the phrase and bounds of my Text is it not because things are managed rather by disaffected passions then by Law and Conscience rather by jarring Members then a composed Mind The Scripture assureth if the blind lead the blind both will at length precipitate both will fall into the ditch the eye and light of the soul is the mind of man in it and it only shineth the light of grace all the Affections Passions and carnall Desires they are as so many Clouds darkning and eclipsing this blessed light and therefore if by them we shall suffer our selves to be led if we shall square our actions by their Law and order all our doings to give them content we shall too late finde we have followed a blind guide and that both Mind and Members must infallibly perish in this course In the first vers of the following Ch. they who are in Christ Jesus they who in him would be found without condemnation they must walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit a plain evidence that not the Passions Lusts and Affections not the Flesh and Members thereof but the Spirit that is the mind of man endowed with the Spirit that is it that must lead the way that is it that must give the Law and Rule of walking we must not walk after the Flesh but after the Spirit not after the Members but according to the Mind Ecclus. 37.16 Let Reason go before every Enterprise and Counsell before every action That part and portion of the soul in which God hath placed Reason Counsell Conscience Grace that is it which must give direction to every Enterprise our judgment and not our lusts our Mind and not our Members which have the power of Law and War Pass we then to the second Considerable let us see what is the Law of the Mind and what is the Law of the Members The Law of the mind is indeed no other but the Law of God for I delight in the Law of God concerning the inward Man The inward Man that is the Mind Spirit and better part of man that acknowledging like a Monarch no superior but God only will not yeild to any but Gods Law and therefore saith the regenerate mind I delight in the Law of God The Law of the Members that is indeed rather a tumultuous Ordinance then a Law it is rather a mutinous Enforcement then a legall Course it is saith the Apostle plainly the Law of Sin a Law which hath nothing of a Law in it for it is indeed the breach of all Law it is sin saith St. Paul and yet because the Members have so voted it it must be called a Law I see saith the Text Another Law in my Members Another Law a Law clean contrary to the Law of the Mind a Law I may well say clean contrary to the Law of God For as in all Monarchies it is the Law and Order of God Almighty that Subjects receive from and not give unto their Soveraigne Laws even so it is the Law of God the mind unto the members not the members unto the minde prescribe a Law all our senses all our members all our actions and all our thoughts are bound to follow her guidance they must come and go do and suffer when and what she prescribeth Sure I am it hath been resolv'd of old but wanting books I cannot cite the Authors in matters of high consequence and concernment that they who are bound to obey are not so much to attend the reason as the authority of a command the Subject is not bound to sift his Soveraign for if he were I see not how it could be said The Kings heart can no man search out yea very good proof I have to say our Saviour commanded St. Peter to do what he understood not What I do saith the Master thou knowest not now and yet under a fearfull commination he urged his Obedience And indeed
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