his family unto his children a master as a master to his servants if you will justifie your selves as Fathers or Rulers of your Country you 'll find in your account this to be incumbent on you 2 Take heed of thē that would temper clay iron things that will not mingle that would compound carnall and fleshly things with heavenly things and spirituall that they may not intangle your Spirits the great disigne of grasping temporall power upon a spirituall account will prove at last to be the greatest badge of Antichrist hitherto God hath appeared against it and will no doubt to the end if either you by the Authority God hath given you in the world shall take upon you to rule the house of God as formally such as his house though you rule the persons whereof is it made up or those who are or pretend to be of that house to rule the world on that account your day theirs will be nigh at hand 4. Now because you wait on God for direction in reference to the propagation of the Gospell and the preventing that which is contrary to sound doctrine and godlynesse I shall very briefly give you to this end some Principles whereon you may rest in your actings and some rules for your diectiron and so draw to a close 1. Take in the first place what God hath promised concerning Magistrates Kings Rulers Judges and Nations and their subserviency to the Church what God hath promised they shall doe that is their duty to doe he hath not measured out an Inheritance for his people out of the sins of other men let us a little view some of these promises and then consider their application to the truth we have in hand and what is cleared out unto us by them they are many I shall instance in some of the most obvious and eminent Esai 1. 26. I will restore their Judges and Priests and Councellours as at the beginning it is to Syon redeemed purged washed in the blood of Christ that this promise is made Esai 49. 7. Kings shall see and arise and Princes shall bow down themselves The Jewes being for the greatest part of them rejected upon the comming of Christ this promise is made unto him upon his powring out of the spirit for the bringing in of the Gentiles as it is farther enlarged v. 22 23. Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and their Queenes thy nursing Mothers Isai 60. looks wholy this way taste of the nature and intendment of the whole And the Gentiles shall come to thy light and kings to the brightnesse of thy rising Therefore thy gates shall be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night that mē may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles and that their kings may be brought Thou shalt also suck the milke of the Gentiles and shalt suck the brest of kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy saviour thy redeemer the mighone of Jacob For brasse I will bring gold and for iron I will bring silver and for wood brasse and for stones iron I will also make thy officers peace and thine exactours righteousnesse v. 3. and the 11. and the 16. 17. to which adde the accomplishment of all those promises mentioned Revel. 11 15. and 21. 24. You see here are glorious promises in the literall Expression looking directly to what we assert concerning the subserviency of Rulers to the Gospell and the duty of Magistrates in supporting the interest of the Church let us concerning them observe these three things as 1. to whom they are made 2. on what occasion they are given 3. what is the subject or matter of them in generall 1. Then they are all given and made to the Church of Christ after his comming in the flesh and his putting an end to all ceremoniall typicall carnall Institutions for 1 They are every where attended with the circumstances of calling the Gentiles and their flowing in to the Church which were not accomplished till after the destruction of the Iewish Church c. So is the case in that which you have Isai 49 v 20. The children which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other shall say againe in thine eares The place is too straight for me give place to me that I may dwell It shall be when the Church shall have received the new Children of the Gentiles having lost the other of the Iewes which he expresseth mgre at larg v 22. Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sonnes in their armes and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders So also are the rest When God gives the Nations to be the inheritance of Christ the Holy Ghost cautions Rulers and Judges to kisse the son pay the homage due to him in his Kingdome Psal 2 10 11 2 Because these promises are pointed unto as accomplished to the Christian Church in that place in the Revelation before mentioned And the seaventh angell sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever and ever Chap 11 15 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the earth doe bring their glory and honour into it Chap 21 24 So that there are plainly promises of Kings and Princes Iudges and Rulers to be given to the Church and to be made usefull thereunto and Kingdomes and Nations people in their Rules and Governments to be instrumentall to the good thereof so that these promises belong directly to us and our Rulers if under any notion we belong to the Church of Christ 2. Fot the Occasion of these promises it is well knowne what a trust by Gods own appointment there was invested in the Rulers Judges Kings and Magistrates of the judaicall State and Church under the old Testament in reference unto the wayes and worship of God the prosecution and execution of the Laws of God concerning his house and service being committed to them further when they faithfully discharg'd their trust promoting the worship of God according to his Institutions incouraging supporting directing reproving others to whom the immediate and peculiar administration of things sacred were committed destroying removing what ever was an abomination unto the Lord it was well with the whole people and Church they florished in Peace and the Lord delighted in them and rejoyced over them to doe them good and on the other side their neglect in the discharg of their duty was then commonly attended with the Apostacy of the Church and great breakings forth of the Indignation of the Lord this the Church found in those dayes and bewailed To hold out therefore the happy state of his people that he would bring in he promises them such Rulers and Judges as
he gave at first who faithfully discharged the trust committed to them not that I suppose them bound to the Mosaicall rules of penalties in reference to transgressions and offences against Gospell institutions but only that a duty in generall is incumbent on them in reference to the Church and truth of God which they should faithfully discharge of which afterward This then being the occasion of those promises and their accomplishment being as before in a peculiar manner poynted at upon the shaking calling and new moulding of the Kingdomes and Nations of the World which had given their power to the Beast and thereupon framed a new into a due subserviency to the interest of Christ here is not the least shadow or colour left for the turning off and rejecting the sweetnesse of all these promises upon an account of their being meerely metaphoricall and shadowing out spirituall glories neither their beginning nor ending neither their rise or fall will beare any such glosse or corrupting interpretation 3. As to the matter of these promises I shall only assert this in generall that the Lord ingageth that Judges Rulers Magistrates and such like shall put forth their power and act clearly for the good welfare and prosperity of the Church This is plainly held out in every one of them hence the Kingdoms are said to serve the Church that is all Kingdoms they must doe so or be broken in pieces and cease to be Kingdoms and how can a Kingdome as a Kingdome for it is taken formally and not materially meerely for the individualls of it as appears by the threatning of its being broken in pieces serve the Church but by putting forth its power and strength in her behalfe Isai 60. 12. and therefore upon the accomplishment of that promise they are said to become the Kingdoms of the Lord Christ Rev. 11. 15. because as Kingdoms they serve him with their Power and Authority having before as such and by their power opposed him to the utmost They must nurse the Church not with dry breasts nor feed it with stones and Scorpions but with the good things committed to them Their Power and substance in protection and supportment are to be ingaged in the behalfe thereof hence God is said to give these Judges Rulers Princes Kings Queenes to the Church not setting them in the Church as Officers thereof but ordering their state in the world Rev 11. 15. to its behoofe In summe there is not any one of the promises recited but holds forth the utmost of what I intend to assert from them all viz. that the Lord hath promised That the Magistrates whom he will give own and blesse shall put forth their power and act in that capacity wherein he hath placed them in the World for the good furtherance and prosperity of the truth and Church of Christ they shall protect them with their Power feed them with their substance adorne them with their favour the priviledges wherewith they are intrusted they shall break their forcibly oppressing adversaries and take care that those who walk in the truth of the Lord may lead a peaceable life in all Godlinesse and honesty If then you are such Magistrates as God hath promised as woe be unto you if you are not know that he hath undertaken for you that you shall performe this part of your duty and I pray that you may rule with him therein and be found faithfull 2. The Second ground that I would poynt unto as a bottome of your actings in this thing ariseth from sundry undoubted principles which I shall briefly mention and the First is That the Gospell of Jesus Christ hath a right to be Preached and propagated in every Nation and to every creature under Heaven Jesus Christ is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Rev. 17. 14. The Nations are given to be his inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth to be his possession Ps. 2. 8 9. He is appoynted the Heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. God hath set him over the works of his hands and put all things in subjection under his feet Ps. 8. 7. And upon this account he gives commission to his messengers to Preach the Gospell to all Nations Math. 28. 19. Or to every creature under Heaven Mark 16. 17. The Nations of the World being of the Father given to him he may deale with them as he pleaseth and either bruise them with a rod of Iron and breake them in pieces as a Potters vessell Ps. 2. 9. He may fill the places of the Earth with their dead bodies and strike in pieces the heads of the Countries Ps. 110. 6. Or he may make them his own and bring them in subjection unto himselfe which towards some of them he will effect Rev. 11. 19. Now the Gospell being the rod of his power and the Scepter of his Kingdome the grand instrument whereby he accomplisheth all his designes in the world whether they be for life or for death 2 Cor. 2. 16. he hath given that a right to take possession in his name and authority of all that he will own in any Nation under Heaven And indeed he hath in all of them some that are his peculiar purchase Rev. 5. 9. Whom in despight of all the World he will bring in unto himselfe To have free passage into all Nations is the undoubted right of the Gospell and the Persons of Christs goodwill have such a right to it interest in it that look from whomsoever they may claim protection in reference unto any other of their most undoubted concernments amongst men of them may they claime protection in respect of their quiet injoyment and possession of the Gospell 2. That where ever the Gospell is by any Nation owned received embraced it is the blessing benefit prosperity and advantage of that Nation They that love Syon shall prosper Psal. 122. 6. Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and is profitable unto all 1 Tim. 4. 8. The reception of the word of truth and subjection to Christ therein causing a people to become willing in the day of his power entitleth that people to all the promises that ever God made to his Church they shall be established in righteousnesse they shall be farre from oppression and for feare and terrour they shall not draw nigh unto them whosoever contends against such a people shall fall thereby no weapon that is formed against them shall prosper every tongue that shall rise against them in judgement they shall condemne for this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord Isai. 14. 14 15 17. To the prosperity of a Nation two things are required 1. That they be freed from oppression injustice cruelty disorder confusion in themselves from their rulers or others 2. That they be protected from the sword and violence of them that seek their ruine from without And both these doe a people receive by receiving the Gospell 1. For the first they have the promise of God
that they shall have Judges as at the first Isa 1. 26. Such as in justice and judgement shall beare rule over them and among them as the first Judges whom he stirred up and gave to his ancient people Their Officers shall be Peace and their Exactors righteousnesse Isai. 60. 17. even the very Gospell which they doe receive is only able to instruct them to be just ruling in the feare of the Lord for that only effectually teacheth the sonnes of men to live righteously soberly and Godly in this present World Tit 2. 12. 2. And for the second innumerable are the promises that are given to such a people whence the Psalmist concludes upon the consideration of the mercies they doe and shall enjoy happy is the People whose God is the Lord Psal 144. 15. The glorious God will be to them a place of rivers and broad waters in which no Gally with oares nor gallant Ship shall passe by the Lord will be their redeemer Law-giver King and Saviour Isai 33. 21. It will interest any people in all the promises that are made for the using of the Church to thresh break destroy burthen fire consume and slay the enemies thereof so farre shall a people be from suffering under the hands of oppressors that the Lord will use them for the breaking and destruction of the Nimrods of the Earth and this blessing of the Nations doe they receive by the faith of Abraham 3. The rejection of the Gospell by any people or Nation to whom it is tendred is alwaies attended with the certain and inevitable destruction of that people or Nation which sooner or later shall without any help or deliverance be brought upon them by the revenging hand of Christ When the word of Grace was rejected and despised by the Jewes the messengers of it professedly turning to the Gentiles Act 13. 46. and chap. 28. v. 28. God removing it from them unto a Nation that would bring forth fruit Math. 21. 43. As it did in all the World or among all Nations for a season Col 1. 6 With what a fearfull and tremendous desolation he quickly wasted that people is known to all he quickly slew and destroyed those Husbandmen that spoyled his vineyard and let it forth unto others that might bring him his fruit in due season Hence when Christ is tendred in the Gospell the Judges and Rulers of the Nations are exhorted to obedience to him upon paine of being destroyed upon the refusall thereof Psal 2. 12. And we have the experience of all Ages ever since the day that the Gospell began to be propagated in the World The quarrell of it was revenged on the Jewes by the Romans upon the Romans by the Goths Vandalls and innumerable barbarous Nations and the vengeance due to the Antichristian World is at hand even at the doore The Lord will certainly make good his promise to the utmost that the Kingdoms and Nations which will not serve the Church even that Kingdome and those Nations shall utterly perish Isai. 60. 12. 4. That it is the duty of Magistrates to seeke the good peace and prosperity of the people committed to their charge and to prevent obviate remove take away every thing that will bring confusion destruction desolation upon them as Mordecai procured good things for his people and prosperity to his kindred Esther 10. 4. And David describes himselfe with all earnestnesse pursuing the same designe Ps 101. Magistrates are the Ministers of God for the good universall good of them to whom they are given Rom. 13. 14. and they are to watch and apply themselves to this very thing v. 6. And the reason the Apostle gives to stirre up the Saints of God to pray amongst all sorts of men in speciall for Kings and those that are in Authority to wit that they may in generall come to the knowledge of the faith and be saved and in particular discharge the duty and trust committed to them for on that account are they to pray for them as Kings and men in Authority is that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godlinesse honesty 1 Tim: 2. 1 2 3 4. It being incumbent on them to act even as Kings and men in Authority that we may so doe they are to feed the people committed to their charge with all their might unto universall peace and welfare now the things that are opposite to the good of any Nation or people are of two sorts First such as are really directly and immediatly opposed to that state and condition wherein they close together and find prosperity In generall seditions tumults disorders In particular violent or fraudulent breakings in upon the respective designed bounds priviledges and enjoyments of singular persons without any consideration of him who ruleth all things are of this kind If Nations and rulers might be supposed to be Atheists yet such evills as these tending to their dissolution and not being they would with all their strength labour to prevent either by watching against their commission or inflicting vengeance on them that commit them that others may heare and feare and doe so no more 2. Such as are morally and meritoriously opposed to their good and wellfare in that they will certainly pluck down the judgements and wrath of God upon that Nation or people where they are practised and allowed there are sinnes for which the wrath of God will be assuredly revealed from heaven against the children of disobedience Sodom and Gomorrah are set forth as examples of his righteous judgement in this kind And shall he be thought a Magistrate to beare out the name authority and presence of God to men that so he and his people have present peace like a heard of Swine cares not though such things as will certainly first eat and devoure their strength and then utterly consume them doe passe for currant seeing that they that rule over men must be just ruling in the feare of the Lord the sole reason why they sheath the sword of justice in the bowells of Theeves Murtherers Adulterers is not because their outward peace is actually disturbed by them and therefore they must give example of terrour to others who being like minded yet are not yet actually given up to the practice of the like abomination but also yea principally because he in whose stead they stand and minister to the World is provoked by such wickednesse to destroy both the one and the other And if there be the same reason to be evidenced concerning other things they also call for the same procedure To gather up now what hath been spoken considering the Gospells right and title to be propagated with all its concernments in every Nation under heaven the blessing peace prosperity and protection wherewith it is attended when and where received and the certain destruction and desolation which accompanies the rejection and contempt thereof considering the duty that by Gods appoyntment is incumbent on them that rule over men
that in the feare of the Lord they ought to seek the good peace and wellfare and prosperity of them committed to their charge to prevent obviate remove revenge that which tends to their hurt perturbation dissolution destruction immediate from heaven or from the hand of men and in the whole administration to take care that the worshippers of God in Christ may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty let any one who hath the least sense upon his spirit of the account which he must one day make to the great King and Judge of all the World of the Authority and power wherewith he was intrusted determine whether it be not incumbent on him by all the protection he can afford by all the priviledges he can indulge the supportment that he can grant by all that incouragement which upon the highest account imaginable he is required or allowed to give to any person whatsoever to further the propagation of the Gospell which upon the matter is the only thing of concernment as well unto this life as that which is to come And if any thing be allowed in a Nation which in Gods esteeme may amount to a contempt and despising thereof men may be taught by sad experience what will be the issue of such allowance 3. I shall only propose one thing more to your consideration Although the Institutions and Examples of the old Testament of the duty of Magistrates in the things and about the worship of God are not in their whole latitude and extent to be drawn into rules that should be obligatory to all Magistrates now under the administration of the Gospell and that because the Magistrate then was custos vindex administrator legis judicialis politiae Mosaicae from which as most think we are freed yet doubtlesse there is something morall in those Institutions which being uncloathed of their judaicall forme is still binding to all in the like kind as to some Analogie and proportion subduct from those Administrations what was proper to and lyes upon the account of the Church and Nation of the Jewes and what remains upon the generall notion of a Church and Nation must be everlastingly binding and this amounts thus farre at least that Judges Rulers and Magistrates which are promised under the New Testament to be given in mercy and to be of singular usefulnesse as the Judges were under the Old are to take care that the Gospell Church may in its concernment as such be supported and promoted the truth propagated wherewith they are intrusted as the others took care that it might be well with the Judaicall Church as such And on these and such like principles as these are may you safely bottome your selves in that undertaking wherein you seek for direction from God this day For the rules which I intimated I shall but name them having some years since delivered my thoughts to the World at large in this subject and I see no cause as yet to recede from any thing then so delivered Take only then for the present these briefe directions following 1. Labour to be fully perswaded in your own minds that you be not carried up and down with every wind of Doctrine and be tempted to harken after every spirit as though you had received no truth as it is in Jesus It is a sad condition when men have no zeale for truth nor against that which is opposite to it what ever they seem to professe because indeed having not taken in any truth in the power and principle of it they are upon sad thoughts wholly at a losse whether there be any truth or no this is an unhappy frame indeed the proper condition of them whom God will spew out of his mouth 2. Know that error and falshood have no Right or Title either from God or man unto any priviledge protection advantage liberty or any good thing you are intrusted withall to dispose that unto a lye which is the right of due to truth is to deale treacherously with him by whom you are employed all the tendernesse and forbearance unto such persons as are infected with such abominations is soly upon a civill account and that plea which they have for tranquillity whilest neither directly nor morally they are a disturbance unto others 3. Know that in things of practice so of perswasiō that are impious and wicked either in themselves or in their naturall unconstrained consequences the plea of Conscience is an Aggravation of the crime if mens consciences are seared and themselves given up to a reprobate mind to doe those things that are not convenient there is no doubt but they ought to suffer such things as to such practises are assigned and appoynted Should I now descend unto particulars in all the things mentioned and insist on them time would wholly faile me neither is it a work for a single Sermon and therefore in one word I shall wind up the whole matter and end Know them then that are faithfull and quiet in the Land regard the truth of the Gospell remember the daies of old what hath done you good quieted your hearts in distresse crown'd your undertakings with sweetnesse loose not your first love draw not out your own thoughts for the counsell of God seek not great things for your selves be not moved at the lusts of men keep Peace what in you lyeth with all that feare the Lord let the glory of Christ be the end of all your undertakings c. FINIS Sermon on Heb 12. 27 28. Psal. 2. 11 12. Acts 1. 6 7. Serm. on Heb. 12. 28 Obad. 12. 13. Isa. 6. Disc. of Toleration