contrary to the world for so the world is conquered and hee that suffers becomes subject to another but we are slaine saith the Apostle and our slaughter is our victory nay more than victory in so doing we conquer the conquerours and command our oppressors More than conquerours is more than any Caesar achieved unto or ever Monarch effected in his greatest victories Who can say so but Christians Emperours have conquered with difficultie and lost with greater facility all their kingdomes They have beene lesse than conquerours and never gotten victory but left it to others to gaine it from them O the honour of this spirituall kingdome and excellency of grace that even thriveth best vnder oppressions and worldly violence The regression of the Kingdome All the honour of this Kingdome redoundeth unto Christ and shall then appeare when he appeares to take his Kingdome great dominion He should have had no subjects but for the Spirit and none so victorious but for Martyres who as they have first honoured Christ by death shall of him againe bee first graced with life Those that are alive and converted shall bee a glory to Christ as hee will bee a glory to them It is for the persons in the sacred Trinity mutually to raise glory one to another Wee are therefore ordine retrogrado come from the kingdome of grace to the Kingdome of power from the administration of the Spirit to the administration of the Son and seeke after three things as glorious as the former and yet more outward but not lesse spirituall for perfection in the Trinity is both wayes obserued and effected in progression the Father perfects his worke in the Sonne and the Sonne in the Spirit so in regression the holy Ghost perfects grace in power and the Son perfects power in glory We will speake of the Sons taking ruling and delivering up of this kingdome of power Christs taking of the Kingdome of power Heb. 2.5 mention is made of a world to come and the subjectioÌ„ thereof to Christ This wee see not saith the Apostle as yet accomplished but wee see Iesus Christ crowned and made a King in heaven His presence on earth as yet wee have not save in the holy Ghost But hee will appeare in his body and take this Kingdome and whole world to himselfe and turne out of it all the ungodly in the earth His enemies that would not suffer him to reigne over them by his Gospell are then to bee brought before him and slaine in his presence The taking of his great power Revel 11.17 At the last trumpet and the last woe all Kingdomes fall to Christ But how I pray you marke the text He shall take to himselfe his great power and reigne To himselfe immediately to himselfe for forme and manner of government He left it in the hands of the Spirit and now takes it againe to himselfe no more depriving the Spirit of the honour of it in the re-assumption than hee did himselfe when he deposed it into the hands of his Spirit Now the question will bee how this is done The answer is with great power greater than ever before for it destroyes them all that now destroy the earth How is it taken Daniel assoiâ—es this doubt and makes it glorious and wonderfull in his extraordinary description of it Dan. 7.9 10. c. First the Lord Iesus takes it from his enemies and casts downe their thrones and makes them seates for his Saints Rev. 20.7 he takes it from the last beast even because of the little horne and his blasphemous and bloody words Secondly hee takes it from the Ancient of daies who in a glorious and most illustrious manner installes the Lord Iesus into his kingdome Thirdly he is attended and waited upon by the innumerable company of Angels by whom hee is brought to the Ancient of dayes Reade the rest and admite at this inauguration and solemnization of the day of Christs coronation upon earth who now in heaven is crowned with glory and immortality When it is taken 2 Tim. 4.1 At the Epiphanie of his kingdome Marke 13.26 Luke 21.27 when the powers of heaven are shaken and the starres that shine in them are humbled to the ground Earthly potentates that are advanced above others shall bee made low The fall of such starres will not hinder the sight of Christ but honour it Other starres being bigger than the earth would overlay it and men and suffer no man to stand upon earth to see the Lord Iesus come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory Hee must bee seene of all eyes and therefore it is most safe to give the sense of the Scriptures by the Scriptures and to say of this day as of the former shadowes of it in Babylon and Aegypt Isa 13.10 and 14.12 13. Ezek. 32.7 8. The starres of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light The Sunne shall bee darkned in his going forth and the Moone shall not cause her light to shine the bright lights of heaven are put out when Pharaoh falleth by the Babilonians and Lucifer sonne of the morning ascended into heaven above the heights of the clouds and starres themselves to bee like the most High comes downe to the ground when by the Medes and Persians Belshazzar is pulled from the orbe of his height and honour Christ the bright shining starre of Iacob and the advanced Scepter of Israe is risen and shall rise to smite all corners and subdue all Nations Let us therefore advance him from the taking of the kingdome to the ruling of it Christs ruling and reigning in his kingdome Dan. 7.14 On this day dominion is given to Christ Zech. 14.9 One Lord one name and that over all the earth In this day will hee reigne in and over all mankinde Rev. 11 15. Now the world does not acknowledge him for one Lord as being ruled by many neither does it worship him by one name as being distracted into many religions but this will Christ remove at his day and rule by a more equall power and uniforme worship Paul is our witnesse 1 Cor. 15.24 25 26. c. that the end and delivery up of this kingdome to God even the Father cannot be till rule authority and power of devils in hell men upon earth and even death the last of enemies be fully vanquished and subdued and for this purpose I might produce all the Prophets and holy Apostles speaking glorious things of Christs reigning and ruling at the sound of the last trumpet and comming of the last woe Rev. 10.7 All the Prophets are witnesses and St. Peter speaking of the same thing adds to them all the Apostles 2 Pet. 3 2. They have ill done that have muzled up the mouthes of the Prophets with a Consummation and conclusion in Christs incarnation The Iewes dispute Dan. 2.35 and 7.11 That Messiah must come when the Monarchies are as chaffe before the winde and quite blowne out of the world When the
of them in the I ather O ravishing Societie and blessed Communion wee shall enjoy in our Fathers house when all is given up unto him and yet in him all to be enjoyed In him we enjoy Christ and the blessed Spirit we are no losers but gainers by these wayes of Divine and deepe wisedome The regression of the Kingdome to the Father 1 Cor. 15.28 That God may be all in all v. 24. God even the Father God essentially shall blesse us but the Father in speciall shall be glorified in us This was Christs prayer upon earth Iohn 17.21 That we might be one in the blessed Trinitie as they are one in themselves and have all conspired to make us happy Christ prayeth they may be perfect in one that they may be where he is now c. The holy Ghost and the Sonne conclude in the Father and so must wee for our full happinesse Zech. 14.16 Why not the Passeover to be kept in the great day spoken of before this was the greatest feast in Israel but the feast of Tabernacles hath a more apt allusion to those times Our Mansions are in heaven as long as we stay upon earth though under assured safety and freedome from danger yet we are not at the best In the Kingdome of Grace we are well and happy In the Kingdome of power we are better and more happy but in the Kingdome of Glory we are best of all We have thus farre digressed and I hope transgressed no rule in Religion Wee can easily recall our selves to our first intention concerning the comming of the holy Ghost And when he is come he shall convince the world of sinne and of righteousnesse and of judgement Of Sinne. That is want of faith in Christ the signe of all sinne for we can expect no discharge without it All sinne in one sinne is convinced of the Law we are guilty in Adam and of this sinne wee are guilty in the Gospel The sinnes of the Law are strong enough to condemne us but this firme brings in our great condemnation Ioh. 3.19 the Law is not that light that containes life in it that light is Christ Ioh. 1.14 He came into the world both as the light and life of it and yet men loved darkenesse more than light not onely because their deeds were morrally evill but because they esteemed not to have them mended by this new principle of faith in Christ Infidels come not to the light of the Gospel because that does most convince them of sinne The Law is more sparing than the Gospel for it chargeth man no further than of originall and actuall sinne But the Gospel extends to his wants of such faith righteousnesse and holinesse as the Law leaves at liberty It commands us faith in God and is silent of faith in Christ It bids us bee righteous but not in another It bids us be holy but that is from our owne vertues and not spirituall graces The Spirits light is too strong for weake eyes to looke upon it It blunts and blindes him to thinke his deeds so ill as God does not approve the best of them It is strange to him to beleeve that without faith in Christ nothing that is done by him is accepted of God He conceives better of himselfe and trusts that his good meanings and vertuous actions are not so out of request with GOD but he shall gaine some favour and friendship at Gods hands to be esteemed of better then of the worst and most wicked man Hee must therefore know that if the Gospel prove him guiltie of the want of faith no sinne is spared or pardoned any more to him than the lewdest liver in the world Hee must therefore learne to love the truth of the Gospel and come to the light thereof that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God and the power of his Spirit and not in or by any of his good dispositions Let us in the holy feare of God looke to our lives and never applaud our selves by our owne vertues The whole world is guilty of a sinne it hath no sense or feeling of and even the best are in worst case let thē come to triall and by a conviction more than legall see what the Gospel reproveth let them thus reason with themselves It is too grosse and sottish to say I am a sinner I am worse I am an Infidell and wrapped up in the worlds condemnation It is high time for my soule to bee dealt withall and that by a more powerfull cause than the morrall Law or mine owne conscience I must to the Gospel and conviction of Gods Spirit and never rest till I finde the Spirit present and come home to my heart I shall afterwards intreat of all the heads of this first conviction I will first open the sinne secondly who are guilty of it Thirdly how they must be dealt withall Fourthly by whom Fiftly in what manner The same methode shall be observed in both the other convictions that by the instance in my Text of the Iewes disobedience and judgement we may learne to tremble and feare to live either without Evangelicall faith Evangelicall righteousnesse or Evangelicall judgement Three things in the Gospel inseparably lincked together He that beleeves in Christ hath righteousnesse imputed and hee that hath righteousnesse imputed hath holinesse infused to reject Satan and his service and receive the true judgement of the Spirit to bee at his command and Kingly government I shall wish every head propounded may have it's use and application Vse 1. Let the want of faith in Christ and righteousnesse from him and an holy subjection to Gods Spirit more perplex us than all earthly wants Let such especially as are profane thinke of it who beside the burden of the Law grosly abused have the Gospel to beat home their condemnation and beare them downe headlong to hell for contempt of great salvation tendred them in their sinnes But especially let the more morall men marke themselves if they were as forward as Paul to know none or little evill by themselves yet to thinke they are not so justified but the Gospel can bring upon them a greater condemnation than the Law and challenge them for more than ever was dreamed of by their owne account and reckoning by the Law Lastly let carnall Gospellers descend and see their presumption that will bee sure of faith without conviction They suppose it is soone gotten and lost and that to play at fast and loose with God is no danger They will have faith when they list and easie convictions leade them any wayes It is time for them to learne a better lesson and to bee soundly lashed from our Text that the convictions of Gods Spirit are no easie and morall perswasions fitted to our inclination but sound convictions taking from us all excuses be they never so witty and laying us low before God to be dealt withall at his pleasure Vse 2. These wants are
the dead conferreth forty dayes of this Kingdome Act. 1.3 and so departeth into heaven and makes further way for progresse in this kingdome and to perfect this sends his Spirit telling us of a truth how expedient this is for them that are now to bee left to preach his kingdome to have him depart that the second Doctor may come Expedient and necessary for all that are to be saved for Christ being risen againe had all power and iudgement from his Father Mat. 28. c. The present execution of this power had beene a woefull thing with the world being both unrighteous and unholy Christ redeemed it and therefore will not presently destroy it but commands in the same place that proclamation of his power bee made and being with his Heraulds unto the end will in the end call the world to an account and shew both his power their iudgement This great Embassage into all the world had need of some noble Agent to leade the way and bee present with the holy Apostles and their successours and this honourable person is the third person in the blessed Trinity in whose hands and administration Gods Kingdome is for this present age and of which wee are now to speake The Kingdome of Grace In the Lords prayer wee petition Thy kingdome come our understandings at this day abbreviate this petition and are defective in the expression of it and so consequently our prayers come short of their dutie deale with God for no more than they know We wil God assisting inlarge our thoughts in the regression of the Kingdome from the Spirit to the Father againe and shew First the administration of the Spirit Secondly of the Sonne Thirdly of the Father and so teach you plainely to pray for the Kingdome of grace Kingdome of power and Kingdome of glory when all is returned to the Father The Kingdome within and seated in mens hearts Luke 17.20 21. The Pharisees would have a Kingdome by observation but Christ knowing the Kingdomes administration first to rest in the Spirit and grace thereof takes away that error and according to the nature of the Kingdome sets and seates it within for such as is the government such must bee the Kingdome The government spirituall therefore the kingdome spirituall Grace and the Spirit of grace carry no outward pompe and externall state but are all glorious within And this is that kingdome that suffereth violence without and is oppressed by rebels and traitours to the Lord Iesus and their owne soules The Kingdome of violence The Kingdome of Gods Spirit is the most pious and peaceable Kingdome in the world yet suffereth more than all kingdomes as shall now appeare Math. 11.12 Luke 16.16 Gods kingdome under the Law and the Prophets suffered violence and so shall it under Iohn Christ his holy Apostles and Ministers doe for the time of the Gospell I know these texts are strained to another sense and so my selfe have beene a follower of this violence till that man of God M. Ioseph Meade cleared my sight by his industrious and judicious observation of the text It may bee we are both deceived it becomes humble men not to bee peremptory in crossing and controlling others We all agree of the violence offered to the Kingdome of grace and disagree in the proofe of it by these texts Heare then mine arguments and reasons which I subject to the spirit of the Prophets 1. Christs answer by the Law the Prophets sheweth the conformity betweene the old and the new Testament the ancient and surrogate Israel of God Violence waited upon the Church before Christ and so will it now and after him It is your error O foolish Iewes to looke now for a kingdome by observation and to see your selves more redeemed from the Romines and men than from devils your sleves more deadly enemies You have more neede to have Sathan displaced than your selves placed in a temporall Monarchy I am come to save your soules from sinnes and not your bodies from bondage Secondly Iohn that now preacheth the new Kingdome is in prison Math. 11.2 and must lose his head I looke for no greater favour my Apostles will succeede mee and by succession it will last till I come and take the Eagles off the carkeise Luk. 17.37 3. The Kingdome is preached a thing that the world hateth and therefore will every man have a blow at it and violent men will prey upon it this reading the texts will render without all renting and tearing the phrases 4. The word signifying violence or violent men was never taken by any Author for inward violence or motions free and voluntary but for outward force and externall power putting others to be patients of their persecutions and punishments The Spirits conquest God is not wanting to his poore servants but gives courage and consolation in all their oppressions The Spirit sets up such a Kingdome in the heart and soules of Gods people that no paine or perill can prevaile to conquer their faith and confidence They are resolved to carry their lives in their hands rather dye than deny that truth that the holy Ghost hath taught them This spiritual I Kingdome subdues all Kingdomes yea more than all Kingdomes for it gaines that victory over our selves which is more than any earthly conquest Conquest by convict on The greatest opposition to the Spirit of grace is in our selves It were easie to ruine all the world and in such conquests and conversions men have shewed their might and manhood but to enter the house held by the strong man both of corruption in our selves and suggestion of Sathan out of our selves is a potent and powerfull worke of grace Gods Spirit alone is able to beate downe these holds helpe in the conquest of our selves and subjection to the Kingdome preached and offered vs in the Gospell He it is that brings in faith to beleeve and excludes infidelity That raiseth up in us the comfort of Christs righteousnesse and rejecteth our owne That teacheth us holynesse and how to deny all ungodlinesse and every worldly lust and to live soberly in our selves righteously to others and godly to our King and Commander of the severall branches of conviction we shall intreate afterwards and shew what sinnes are convicted and controuled in us and how wee ought to see them and sorrow for them c. Conviction by supportation The Spirit in this Kingdome of grace worketh effecteth another strange worke and operation upon the world in giving his subjects power of conquest in trials and to triumph over the world and all its workings and mischiefes Rom. 8.37 In all these things we are more than conquerours What things even the worst that the world can doe unto us and that is to make us Martyres and themselves murtherers yea even to murther themselves to see us so little affected with their torments We stand still and do nothing and see our salvation of God To conquer by passion is cleane
feete and foundation even the ten divided toes in the bottome of that terrible image are crushed and conquered by the victorious stone whose kingdome becomes a mountaine filling the whole earth Hee must then take place when the last beast is slaine his little horne having eyes to watch the ten hornes and to speake blasphemies against God is consumed Vtter ruine must befall all Christs enemies before he take from the Ancient of dayes his dominion and universall command over all the world Hence they would conclude against Christians that their Messiah is not come for they urge us by our owne confession that hee came in the dayes of Augustus Caesar when the last beast flourished most was farre enough from chaffe or clay it was not then come to the tenne toes or ten hornes in which it hath held to this day and therefore as yet Messiah is not yet come Stay stubborne Iewes wee will not take these texts from you but grant them and yet deny your consequent for Messiah by the testimony of the same Prophet must first come to redeeme Dan. 9.24 Your weekes are gone and might assure you Messiah is come and hath made reconciliation for you us He is gone to heaven and hath left his kingdome in the hands of his Spirit against him you have rebelled and brought upon your selves the end in my text repent and hee will returne to you and you shal see him as Daniel hath delivered unto you and witnessed by an Apostle of Christ Act. 3.19 20 21. and is the onely and last reason of the stay and slackenesse of his comming and performance of his promise to you in special 2. Pet. 3.9 Would God you were at as good agreement with our holy Apostles as wee are with your Prophets we should soone and suddenly both meete in this kingdome of power Balaams prophecie Numb 24.15 to the end Of this kingdome Balaam is forced to speake and by a starre and his shadowes gives in parables an excellent prospective for the view of things a farre off but not nigh at a great distance of time but not present in this age The star smites Moab in the shadowes of it but it shall unwall all the sonnes of Seth immediately by it selfe and last appearance Amalecke the first of Nations is destroyed by the prayers of Moses and sword of Ioshua true types of Christ and Chittim the last of Nations shall by Christ himselfe immediately perish Of both these it is said more than of all the rest They shall perish for ever The reason is plaine Amaleke was the first that fought with the ancient Israel in the wildernesse to hinder their passage into Canaan and therefore must be smitten for ever Now is the surrogate Israel of God in the like wildernesse Rev. 12.6 14. and Chittim onely makes warre with it and therefore as Amalek of old must perish for ever To Ashur all Nations were smitten by the shadowes of the rising starre but from Ashur to Chittim the starre Christ by conjunction and secret influence makes one Starre smite another and as he sets the. Egyptians against the Aegyptians Isa 19.2 so be sets Ashur against Ashur Chittim against Chittim both against Heber till his honour come by Christ Ashur is the land of Assyria Chittim is put for the Iles of the Gentiles Ashur begins with Nimrod Gen. 10. a sonne of cursed Cham. He is the first mighty hunter after honour and begins his kingdome with Babylon the building of confusion both for religion language and love From Babylon hee hunts into Ashur or the land of Assiria and builds Nineveh and at length fils the great Continent of the world with his Monarchy The Babylonians take it and hold it till the Medes and Persians become Lords of their kingdome and Continent Thus the Lord dasheth kingdome against kingdome and like a potters vessell breaketh them one upon another From the Continent to the Iles of the Gentiles the same Christ translateth the Monarchies and ends them in the Sonnes of laphet Chittim a sonne of Iaphet Gen. 10. being divided from the Continent by the Seas finds posterity in time to passe the Seas and by ships from his Coasts carrieth Alexander the Great Dan. 2.32 and 7.6 and 11.3 1 Maccab. 1.1 with his Army who killeth Darius and from Ashur to Chittim translateth his kingdome The rising starre knowes how by his secret opperation to stirre up Chittim against Chittim and to punish the Iles for Idolatry and tyranny he sets the inhabitants thereof together by the eares for their sinnes and by the Romanes at length brings the Monarchy from the Graecians to us and settles the glory of it in Rome where it slourished to the birth of Christ and long after At length this massie monarchie drencht in blood even the best blood the blood of Saints began to reele and totter and from one Caesar fals to ten Kings from yron legs strongly united to ten toes weakely divided they hang upon the same feet of the Image but their division is fatall to the Empire These toes in the Image and ten hornes on the head of the last beast are the last of Chittim and remaine to this day for perdition by Christ as farre as Iaphet is not perswaded to dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9.22 what now remaines but that the third Sonne of Noah alwayes chosen of God for his chiefe servant should obtaine the kingdome and that Heber hitherto afflicted by Ashur and Chittim should be made glorious at the comming of the Lord Iesus The promise of the new heavens and the new earth is made to them Isa 65.17 18. and 66.22 this quoted by S. Peter 2 Pet. 3.13 applyed by him to the Iewes and by them to be expected in the day of judgement when hee takes his great power to reigne The same is repeated Rev. 21.1 and applyed to Ierusalem vers 2. of this as a mystery S. Paul speakes Rom. 11.25 and quotes Isaiah who Isa 59 18. brings it in with the subversion of Chittim or the Ilands What shall I say more let Peter expound Isaiah and Isaiah Peter and we shall quickly resolve of this mystery Of the length of the day of Iudgement Zech. 14.7 Having spoken of Ierusalems desolation as Christ did Math. 24. comes in the like manner to their consolation and saies The Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee then describes the day of judgement 1. by light to manifest all deeds of darknesse 2. by the purity of this light it shall not be cleare and darke that is one part light and another darke like a day of creation but it shall be light without darknesse 3. the unity of this day it is to be one how long soever Christ will not be interrupted in his kingdome or stayed in his judgement 4. the knowledge of this day both when it shall begin how long it should continue and when it shal end is onely belonging to the King that
shall rule in it 5. to take away all doubt of a day it shall not consist of the parts of a naturall and created day not night and day which by the ordinances of heaven are perpetual but this shall be a voluntary and arbitrary day depending upon the will and motion of Christ and no measure of starres 6. contrary to all the dayes of the creation this shall bee light at the evening yea then shall bee the greatest light in the regression of the kingdome triumphantly from Christ to his and our Father The light of grace breaks forth into the light of power and the light of power into the light of glory What then shall be the glory of this day called the great notable and terrible day of the Lord Ioel 2.32 Iude vers 6. Rev 16.14 c. shall it vanish in the twinckling of an eye and that mystery Rev. 10.7 passe in a moment No assuredly wee are resolved by Christ that it shal be a day comprehending dayes Luke 17.22 26. many dayes that shall affoord times of refreshing and restitution Act. 3.19 dayes and times shall be upon this great day and reason is faire to favour this sense Christ takes his kingdome and power upon this day to reigne and rule and therefore it is reasonable to yeeld him some time before the delivery of it up to his Father to shew the glory and the excellency of it It agrees well with the regression to perfection that some stay should bee made for the honour of Heber and glory of the King Shall I offer other texts and tell you what they teach you to beleeve I will not command your faith where it is fit for me to suspend my owne It were presumption to resolve before the issue and reade the ridle before it be plaine in the action and event as well as in the prophecy and prediction Zech. 14.8 the Prophet seemes to describe unto us the day of judgement and to compute it by a day in summer and in winter and then the great day will mount to a yeere at the least Isa 65.20 If the new heavens and the new earth fall out upon this great day as Peter seemes to expound it 2 Pet. 3.13 then Isaiah will seeme to speake of an hundred yeeres at the least 2 Pet. 3.8 Rev. 20.4 If one day in Peter bee a day of judgement as the verse upon which it is inferred seemes to speake plainely then such a great day with the Lord Christ or to the Lord Christ as Zechary phraseth it is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as such a day One day saies Zechary one day saies Peter and both seeme to say one thing But a thousand yeeres will be put for eternity and so no time is expressed but that which waits upon God and sheweth him to be eternall but yet S. Iohn will answer this and by an invincible argument take it from us if his thousand yeeres have relation with Peter to the same day for after eternity there is no history of time or relation of any succession but S. Iohn placeth a little season after the thousand yeeres and that wipes out the opinion of a thousand yeeres to be put for ever I will neither dispute nor relate any more wee have too many new opinions this is old enough and by carnall Chiliasts made both odious and erronious It is fittest wee bee silent and prepare for this great day let it bee of what sength the author pleaseth for to his liking must it last not in living to carnall lusts but heavenly joyes God give us grace to looke for it and inlarge our petition with calling for the perfection of grace in the perfection of power Wee live God knowes as if we were some seven months birth vitall but weake The kingdome of power will rouze us up for Christ takes it not onely to destroy our enemies but to stirre up our graces In the new heavens and new earth righteousnesse shall dwell it is now banished from kingdomes Chittim oppresseth it and a few sons of Iaphet are perswaded to imbrace it but the time shal come when it shall possesse mankinde plentifully and not Shem but all the sonnes of Seth shall imbrace it Numb 24.17 Moab as an enemy perisheth Sheth as a friend is subdued that Christ may have subjects I will touch the great change that Christs kingdome shall make in the world at his comming and so hasten the returne of it to the Father Alterations by Christs comming Isa 32.15 16 17. c. The Spirit that now is come to the Gentiles and departed from the Iewes must againe be powred on them then is wrought in the world wonderfull change 1. The field of Chittim that now flourisheth in the hands of wicked men shall bee turned into a forrest and made as barren and desolate as the wildernesse 2. The forrest of the Iewes shall alter into a fertile field and by Christ himselfe shall be made giorious Thirdly this goodly and flourishing field shall be planted and sowne with judgement and righteousnesse they shall even dwell in it and take up the whole possession of it Fourthly the fruit shall be peace and quietnesse no warre no molestation shall disturbe them Fiftly this Harvest of happinesse shall be with assurance for ever When Christ takes his power to reigne none shall any more rule over him or his Both hee and his Saints have suffered of this wicked world but the woe thereof commeth quickely and speedy vengeance will pay for all delayes Be admonished my brethren you are by the consent of Divines come to the second woe Rev. 9.13 above 300 yeeres agoe The next is the day of judgement and is ever delivered with this Item Behold it commeth quickely Rev. 11.14 adde to this Luke 18 8. Revel 3.7 and 16.15 and 21.12 Other woes linger and last long as being executed by men but this will be speedy as being immediately done by Christ himselfe who will not stand long about his enemies though his friends may enjoy a longer time of rejoycing in his presence The delivery up of his Kingdome to his Father 1 Cor. 15.24 compared with 2 Tim. 4.1 teach us the Epiphany and end of Christs administration and wee have heard what falls out betweene these two termes I must needs conceive it absurd till better reason convince me to conceive of an Epiphany of a kingdome and an end together let who will so conceive and conjecture I am not as yet of their minde some duration and succession of time will be from the Epiphany to the end when the end is come best knowne to Christ hee will returne all to the Father but you will object Revel 11.15 Hee shall reigne for ever and ever I answer the delivery up of the Kingdome is not an exclusion of Christ from reigning for as the Father reigneth in the Sonne and both of them in holy Ghost so in the regression the holy Ghost reigneth in the Sonne and both
Common-wealth It was that the woman travailed for Rev. 12. She lives in the Pagan Empire and is pained as much to make it a Christian as she is pinched by it The strong argument of perswasion is that Christ by his death and resurrection hath judged the prince of the world and defeated him of all judgement He held a right in the world till Christ removed it Hee is a Father of all that hee murthered by his lie in Paradise and therefore challengeth a right in his children Christ to bee partaker with these children takes their flesh and by death subdues the murtherer and delivers them from bondage Hebr. 2.14 15. It is therefore good reason that the children should be subject unto him leave the lyer and live in conformity to the new Law of the Gospell The Spirits application of judgement It is just Satan should bee expulsed and cast out by Christ and hee confesseth against blasphemers that his command over Divels was executed and effected by the Spirit Matth. 12.28.29 He enters into the strong mans house and being stronger than hee bindes him and spoyles him of his possession Hee casts downe in us the strong holds of this adversary and brings us into subjection and obedience to Christ and his rule and regiment and for this end also must the Spirit descend and dwell with us Thus have we the sinne of disobeying the Gospell in want of faith righteousnesse and holinesse the use followeth The worlds insufficiency and danger First I looke upon the world and wonder at pride and arrogancie Men neither know their debt nor danger They see not the charge of the Law nor discharge of the Gospel They live as men set at liberty by their owne lusts They looke up and feare no account Faith they minde not neither doe they feele or finde any want of it to get them a discharge Insufficient to beleeve and yet confident all is paid Trusting they are righteous and yet scorne to be beholding to any for justification They will barter with God and by commutative justice give him as much as they receive They pleade innocencie and yet impleade holinesse They will be honest and yet hate sincerity But seeing the guilt is most where the Gospel is preached let vs see our professours and pry into their sufficiency Many we have lesse morrall than Turkes and more ignorant than Heathens of their owne Religion They heare the Gospel and understand nothing Better these men had lived Turkes than Christians in name to incurre all the guilt of the Gospel Others presume they have faith and never knew they wanted it They were never acquainted with the conviction of Gods Spirit whose office is first to perswade men they want faith in Christ before he worke it in them They would loath be such Infidels as once to know or acknowledge the time when they beleeved not Ever since they were borne they have had a good faith and they hope they shall dye so God helpe them by his Spirit to search their deceitful hearts and to change the time of their untimely beliefe and learne to know that the first of convictions is to finde faith wanting in the heart Either conviction of the wat must precede or the gift will never follow but this was touched before though never too much The Spirits sufficiency Second Vse is to see how well Christ hath left us not to an insufficient and deficient Teacher but to a compleate and perfect Doctour armed with all arguments of conviction to bring us from infidelitie to faith from condemnation to justification and absolution from all our sinnes from uncleannesse to holinesse and from the thraldome of Satan to the liberty of sonnes God bee blessed for his Spirit hasten his kingdome that we may bee prepared for Christ to reigne and rule in us when hee destroyeth the world and triumphantly having ended all his victories hee may bring us bodies and soules to his Fathers house Amen The Christians triall Third Vse Disobedience to the Gospel is a fearefull sinne and brings a fearefull end we may by degrees make sure our safety if wee search and seeke to climbe to heaven by these staires or staves in Iacobs Ladder Matth. 5.3 First gaine poverty of Spirit labour to bee an indigent begger Know thou hast nothing but what must come from Christ Secondly be sensible of thy povertie be no sturdie begger that will not stoupe and stirre from his flashes and flourishes in a bold and impudent seeking as if the giver were as much in his debt for the receit as hee will be in the givers for the gift Verse 4. learne thou to mourne and to grieve that ever it was thy hard hap to fall into such misery as to incurre Gods displeasure of all plagues the greatest greater than Hell it selfe Mourne to have that taken off more than any judgement Say not with Pharaoh take away the plague of my Land but the hardnesse of my heart Say with David take away the trespasse and for the rest say no more but this here I am Lord doe and deale with me as thou pleaseth Thirdly ascend yet higher and be possessed of a meeke spirit even to the Lord as well as to men A man may mourn and remaine stubborne and unbroken but verse 5. bee thou blessed with a meeke and milde heart Mourne till thou be meeked and tamed for the Lords use Fourthly raise up thy selfe to hunger and thirst verse 6. even for that righteousnesse that will satisfie thy meeke and mournefull spirit Empty thy selfe first with sorrow and subjection to Gods will and then bee assured thou shalt be filled Fiftly blesse thy selfe with a mercifull heart to others Say unto God if thou hadst mercy in store thou wouldst bestow it liberally say thou art so eager for it that it would doe thee good to see God in denying it thee to give it to others It is that above all thy hunger and thirst is bent upon and by the want of it thou knowest the worth value and price of so rich a commoditie Certainely it cannot be long before the Lord will reach mercy to thy heart that art so mercifull to others and even fill all thy desires verse 7. Sixtly having obtained mercy to pardon all thy sinnes and to justifie thy person forget not the third conviction in studying for holinesse gaine a pure heart for that will bring thee still nearer unto God to see him in his Ordinances in this world and in his glory in the world to come verse 8. Seventhly being at peace with God thy selfe become a peace-maker for others Study that all may be partakers of thy peace both with God and man verse 9. Eightly and lastly take in the last beatitude and thinke thou hast made no ill bargaine to suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Thou thy selfe art at peace with heaven and earth and desirest warre with no man If they make warre with thee and falsely smite thee with their tongues be patient and
rejoyce that heaven is and will be more propitious and favourable unto thee than this vale of misery And so I end the Gospels disobedience and come to the punishments leaving the legall sinnes untouched which every mans conscience will touch without an interpretour The Iewes were unbeleevers that was their great sinne but their owne Law of which against the Gospel they made their boast was transgressed in every branch The punishment of the Gospell Consisteth in an end in this world misery in the world to come ignorance of that misery and shame unsupportable as you have heard The unbeleeving Iewes are now within five yeares of their end and yet I know not saith Peter what their end shall be It were well with them if their end here did end their torment hereafter but I stand amazed and confounded to thinke what torments wait upon them living dying and dead such as they shall never bee able to know or understand They shall never see their worst or what woe may further be laid upon them yet so much shall they see and sorrow for as to bee confounded for ever and not to know where to appeare or how to looke up to behold his face whom they can neither avoyd or abide The temporall end of the Iewes Matth. 24.6.13.14 The end is thrice repeated and appyled to Iewes as may appeare by the signes v. 5. I came in my Fathers Name and could not be admitted Others shall come in their owne and bee graced of you with an us recipietis But this will â—ell you roundly in both â—â—ares of what you feared to lose by mee and might have saved The Romans will come and take away your kingdome verse 6. No marvell rumours of warre rise in all places for rebellion but these two signes will not bring the end for others are to follow these are but the beginnings of sorrow v. 9. Persecution beginning at Gods house will bee another signe and sure token of an end upon Rebels more against God than men verse 10. Apostacie will follow persecution and cold Christians will soon shrinke with the first affronts of evill but the promise is if any will ride out the storme at a safe Anchor of hope when the end comes hee shall be saved and not perish with Rebels Verse 14. The departure of the Gospel is another evidence of the end Dan. 9.26 non ei is a short and sharpe speech as abrupt for Ierusalems ruine as they sense To Messiah shall the Iewes be longer a people Matth. 21.43 The kingdome goes in effect when the Gospel departs Dan. 9.27 One weeke is granted for the stay of it that is as before wee have delivered seven yeeres beginning when Christ began to preach to them and so held on all his dayes and three yeeres and an halfe after that is from the thirtieth yeere of his Incarnation to the 38. And in that yeere was the Commission inlarged Act. 10 11 12. c. a vision and voyce from heaven assures Peter he may goe to Cornelius the Roman and preach the Gospel This vision is alleadged often for confirmation of the passage of the Gospel to the Gentiles and is further confirmed by the gifts of the holy Ghost bestowed upon them with the Gospel I take it for certaine that our Saviour in the related places spake of no other end but this of the Iewes which in foure things I will expresse as followeth The history of their calamities upon earth may be as an instance for all people to be warned by it and take example of rebellion against the Gospel The losse of the Gospel Matth. 21.43 The Iewes rejected the stone that God laid in Sion for salvation and all to rest upon for this rejection they are rejected and the first thing that removes from them is the Gospel and then fals the stone Christ heavy upon their Nation They first stumble at it and stirre it by their strength and rebellion and then it rebounds upon them and grinds them to powder Ezek. 9.4.18 and 10 22 23. Divers removes before Gods glory depart and enemies draw nearer The losse of their Kingdome The Kingdome of God goes first and then their Nation perisheth The Gospel moves from them slowly Seven yeeres it stirres not though they ill deserved it It begins with Cornelius in a private house passeth more publikely to Cities and Regions of the Gentiles God still provoking the Iewes to recall it but they rather persecute it and all that professe it and therefore judgement and the end hastned and within lesse than the doubling of thirty eight yeeres the Iewes perished In the first of the last of seventy yeeres Christ came in the middle he died and in the end destroyed Ierusalem Dan. 9.24 Seventy weekes containe seven times seventy yeeres Every seventy is famous but the last excelleth all the rest as being the time of Christs birth passion and perdition of Rebels but we repeate our former notes The Iewes might have been wise out of Daniel and dealt better for themselves but prophecies are of none effect to those that are devouted to ruine Epistles to Iewes that give warning of this end It is observed by a learned Divine that I am to honour with all respects of love and friendship Master Ioseph Mâ—de that Apostolicall Epistles written to the Gentiles expresse nothing of an end at hand but rather upon mistake of Epistles to the Hebrewes give warning to the Gentiles of the contrary 2 Thess 2.2 I will by his directions point out some passages Heb. 10.37 The Apostle exhorteth beleeving Iewes to patience because sudden vengeance is ready to fall upon their enemies the unbeleeving Iewes Christ had threatened their ruine his long stay and lingring was tedious to flesh and bloud especially being tyred by troubles Paul therefore cheeres up the hearts of the hearers with assurance Christ will not tarry long but come quickely and revenge his owne bloud and the bloud of his Saints upon that persecuting Nation It shall glad our hearts to see Christ as good as his word in the ruine of Rome Iames 5.7 8. Be patient c. The same exhortation and the same argument 1 Pet. 4.7 The like theame and disputation 1 Ioh. 2.18 Wee have an Advocate c. and not wee onely that are Iewes but also the whole world c. the Epistle is generall yet may have speciall direction and that to the Iewes in my apprehension He tells them it is the last â—oure for he lived to see it 〈◊〉 the destruction of Ierusasalem and gives one of Christs signes Matth. 24.5 in false Christs flocked after by the Iewes The calamitie of the Iewes Dan. 12.1 Matth. 24.21 never greater 1 Pet. 4.7 the end of all things as if it â—ad beene Doomesday as many understand Peter who should bee crosse to Saint Paul 2 Thess 2.2 except hee were thus understood I writ to you Iewes to be sober and to watch unto prayer for our Nation is ready to suffer and lose