to build up the Kingdome of Heaven is the same work that God and the Lord Iesus Christ work and can there be a greater glory communicated unto any creature then to bee tooke into association with God in a service that is for his highest glory Secondly as they are associated with God so They make the people to whom they are instrumentall beholding to them for the greatest benefits that people are capable of receiving Seneca saith Nihil in rebus humanis praeclarius quam de republica bene mereri There is nothing in all the affaires of mankinde more honorable then to deserve well of the Common-wealth to be instrumentall of good to others it is the glory of man in all humane societies and you shall find that Tubal-Cain and others that did invent instruments of Brasse and Musick are numbred among those that have done good to the world and Hezekiah hath a Crowne of praise that hee did build a poole and brought water to the Citie of Ierusalem But for a man to be instrumentall to helpe forward the Kingdome of Heaven to advance it to draw people out of the snares of Satan unto God to help them with the pardon of sin and right to everlasting life these are mercies with a witnesse no wonder though the Galatians could have pull'd out their eyes and have given them to Paul when he had been a means to help them to the knowledge of Christ and so to Heaven so that whether you regard the glory of being associated with God or the good that they convey unto others there can be no such honour as to be instrumentall in helping forward the Kingdome of Heaven This Lesson is of excellent use especially to two sorts of men that are or may be publikely instrumentall in it I mean Magistrates and Ministers I am called at the present to speak onely to the first therefore I 'le say nothing of the latter but for you Honourable and beloved that are the Patriots of the Kingdome is it not in your heart to do all the good that is possible to poor England I dare say you are deeply affected with the distresses of it and would not count your lives deare so you might but promote the good of it shall I tell you what that thing is which above all things in the world will be advantagious to England and glorious to your selves lay the cause of the Kingdome of Heaven to your hearts more then ever you have done endeavour to be instrumentall to make Religion thrive and prosper that the Kingdome of Heaven may suffer violence under your service so shall your names bee ingraven with the name of God and numbred among the Saviours of this Land Let me speak freely to you you have contended long and vehemently for rescuing the Kingdome of England from the bondage and pressures that it lay under and that England might be a free people herein you have wrought in the fire and because the cure hath been hard costly woe and alas I must speak it the Patients are weary of it and could rather wish to bee under their old Soares then under such Physitians and are ready to say with the murmuring Israelites Let us make us a Captain and return againe unto Egypt would be againe at their flesh pots and onyons though under bondage your selves doe know how much ingratitude is shewed and all because there is not that event and successe that hath been hoped for but would the Lord make you instrumentall to advance the Kingdome of Heaven really there should never bee found one among those that should partake the benefit of it that would be weary of you but would for ever blesse the Lord for you If the generations to come and future Chronicles may but be able to say From the dayes of such a Parliament the hearts of the people of England were turned to God from the dayes of such a Parliament the Ministery was reformed setled encouraged with countenance with maintenance Vniversities were reformed heresies blasphemies every thing contrary to Christs truth was discountenanced suppressed beaten down and the glory of the Lord Christ was laid to heart might but this bee said of you after all your toyle and blood and after all your being cast down and laden with reproach and scorne your names should revive your glory should be eternall this and the everlasting world would number you among the repairers of the breaches of Gods people and you shall bee called Saviours of the Kingdome of England if the Lord doe but direct you to doe this worke but in the meane time should the Lord leave you that it should bee otherwise that the affaires of Christ should prove retroomnia that the Kingdome being overspread with blasphemies and heresies and the poysoning of the soules of people c. should bee concurrent with your worke and you not endevour to administer the best helping hand you can to it it would bee said of you as Ecclesiasticall writers do of one age since Christ that was overspread with heresies and destitute of worthy men to oppose them it was called Infoelix seculum an unhappy age so would you be accounted Infoelix Parliamentum an unhappy Parliament if this should happen under you and you not indevour to the utmost to redresse it I pray the Lord and it is my prayer when ever I can pray that God would give that glory to you and set that crowne upon your heads that with Ioshua and Zerubbabel and and the rest of those whom God hath counted fit to bee numbred among his Worthies you might make this the great designe that from the dayes of this Parliament the Kingdome Heaven might bee set up and flourish in England and so I have done with the words in the first consideration of them as they are a crowne set upon the head of Iohn the Baptist From the dayes of Iohn the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence I now proceed to the words as they containe a description of a people really converted and brought home to Christ The Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force take but the Rhetorick off from these words they signifie no more then that which is said in the 1 of Luke 16. Many of the children of Israel he shall turne to the Lord their God many shall bee converted by him but the holy Ghost expresses it in these Metaphoricall termes because they doe fully set out the true Genius of every soule who is aright instructed of the Kingdome of Heaven In the words there are two things First what the frame of spirit is which possessed the people under Iohns Ministery in these words the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence Secondly The successe of this frame of spirit the violent take it by force For the first the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence wherein there are two things to bee interpreted First What is meant by the Kingdome of Heaven Secondly
to have peace with God and peace with our conscience and peace with the creatures and joy in the holy Ghost to have all things in this world turn'd to their good and in the end to be delivered from death and hell and to reigne with God and our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven for evermore such things as these the Kingdome of Heaven doth bring with it now would you wonder that any man should be sick of love as the Church said shee was that doth but see this face wee use to say that for the summum bonum for the chief good excesse of affection can have no excesse the highest affection that any living man can expresse cannot bee supposed to have an excesse in it when it is for that is the superlative good of all others I have but one Question or two briefly to cleare and then my way is plaine to the Application It may be demanded First What use is there of a violent spirit in the pursuit of the Kingdome of Heaven Can wee by searching finde out the Almighty is this Race to the swift or this Battle to the strong doth any mans eagernesse and violence of spirit purchase this at Gods hand is it in our power by our labour to carry it is not all in this work of Gods free Grace who shewes mercy to whom hee will shew mercy and to what purpose then is that violence of the spirit To that I answer it is certainly true that no wisedome of man can search the Kingdome of heaven out the Vultures eye never saw it it is a path that the Lion never walked in and the wayes of it are hid from all flesh it is as high as heaven wee can doe nothing the search of it is deeper then the Center of the earth wee cannot know it Man knoweth not the price of it neither is it found in the land of the living the depth saith It is not in me and the Sea saith It is not in me it cannot be gotten for gold neither shall silver be weighed for the price of it it is hid from the eyes of all living God onely understandeth the wayes thereof and giveth it to whom hee pleaseth and if any man should thinke that his eagernesse or violence of spirit could purchase it he and his labours must perish together this is certaine but though this bee true yet the Lord who is the free giver of it hath order'd that it shall bee sought after this manner partly as a signe and token that wee esteeme it in its due place and partly as the meanes that he pleaseth to blesse and his promise is that they who seeke it as silver and search for it as for hid treasure shall find understanding and the fear of the Lord and besides all this there is that reason in nature for it that whatever the heart doth once place the greatest felicitie in it can doe no other but it must follow it with all its might But it may be once again demanded Doth not the Scripture say it is easie and if it bee so quorsâ—m haec to what purpose should violence be ufed to take a Fort that will be taken without violence Christ saith my yoke is easie and my burthen light a slight labour may serve for an easie yoak a weak shoulder is enough for a light burthen To which I answer Never did yet any man read in Gods book that the obtaining of the Kingdome of Heaven was an easie matter Christ-saith it is hard to be saved that straight is the way and narrow is the gate and wee must labour at it and many will cry Lord Lord that shall not finde it many shall seek but not enter because they strive not to enter but neverisaith it is easie Indeed when once the soule hath learned to conforme to Christ when they have learned of him to bee humble and meek then Christs yoak is easie and so it is in other things if a man have given his heart to doe the Devills drudgery it is an easie thing for him to sweare and whore and drinke and drab and dice and commit villanies this abominable drudgery is easie to a mans spirit that delights in it and to travell from countrey to countrey to fight and be wounded and all these things are easie to spirits that suit them it was easie for Iacob 14. yeers together to watch and toyle when it was for his beloved Rachel In all things finis dat is amabilitatem facilitatem the pleasing end propounded and aimed at makes the meanes sweet and easie though difficult and hard in themselves So when the love of heaven is got into the heart of man then it is easie with him it is pleasing to his nature suitable to his spirit to spend and be spent to be any thing to doe any thing that he might get it but otherwise the things themselves are hard to be got I have nothing behind but the Application of it and that shall bee in these two Uses First This Lesson doth afford us very much matter of humiliation and mourning upon this day of our soule affliction and secondly it is a Lesson that affords us excellent direction for discharge of our necessary dutie for time to come First for mourning Doe all that are rightly affected with the Kingdome of Heaven offer violence to it in this way that I have discover'd to you how sad then is the condition of most in England this day wee all professe our selves to bee the children of the Kingdome wee are by a certaine generall profession of Christianitie numbred among them that call our selves the servants and followers of this Kingdome but are wee true borne or are wee Bastards This lesson will determine it First How many are there to bee found in England who in stead of offering violence to get the Kingdome of heaven doe offer violence against the Kingdome of heaven and doe all they can to rush upon the kingdom of heaven to destroy it and beat it down who do not only with the Gadarens intreat Christ to be gone from them but with those disobedient subjects send him word he shall not paign over them with them of Nazareth seek to tumble him downe the brow of the hill upon which their Citie was built willing to use all labours and travell yea all violence that the Gospel and Ordinances wherein this Kingdome is administred might bee disgraced crushed banished beaten downe Of these men I can say no more but this their damnation sleepeth not they may in words professe Christ but certainly in their workes they absolutely deny him and ruine will be their end Secondly How sadly doth this speak against the generality of people yea I fear against the greatest part of our selves who are here before the Lord this day God in mercy open al our eyes to see it and powre so much grace into our hearts that wee may aright
Die Mercurii 26. Januar. 1647. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament That Sir William Massam doe from this House give Thanks unto Mr. Marshall for the great paines he tooke in his Sermon Preached on this day at Margarets Westminster before the House of Commons it being a day of Publick Humiliation and that hee be desired to Print his Sermon wherein hee is to have the like priviledge in Printing of it as others in the like kind usually have had H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. A SERMON PREACHED TO THE HONORABLE HOVSE OF Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT At their late solemne Fast Januar. 26. 1647. At Margarets WESTMINSTER By Steven Marshall B. D. London Printed by Richard Cotes for Steven Bowtell at the signe of the Bible in Popes-head Alley 1647. TO THE HONORABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT THE Lord hath cast us into times in which the foure Windes strive upon the great Sea a great part of the World hath little leasure for any thing but storming of Townes and strong holds and taking in of Kingdomes and Countryes in our Land of Peace we also of late have cryed out of VVar and Violence and although those winds have through Gods goodnesse in a great measure ceased blustring yet the Sea hath not left rowling Animosities yet remaine too great Paroxysmes very sharpe and pursuits of worldly interests extreame eager here like Jehu wee drive furiously magno conatu nugas we throw feathers with the whole strength of our arme vaine men that lean too hard on a weak reed unwise builders who lay too great a weight upon a slight foundation make such trifles our Master-peeces that when we come to review our work wee must be inforced to say Materiamsuperavit opus that wee have overdone it laboured too hard for that which satisfieth not and caused our eyes to fly upon that which is not and therefore that wee had been more wise if wee had been lesse earnest and more happy if wee had not effusissimis habenis let out the strength of our desires and endeavours after those things which prove vanity and bitternesse in the latter end Odit Deus nimis vehementes impetus odere cives gratior est moderatio Because Morall vertue is circa res medias therefore the Philosopher rightly placed it in a Mediocrity sure I am the Grace of Christ perswades to a moderation a weanednesse a remissnesse in suth things as these in which wee have not so much need of the spur as of the Bridle But if the metled horse bee so upon his speed that hee cannot be held in it would bee a peece of our best skill to guide him in a safe way and to turn the violent stream that cannot bee stopt into a right channell This was the design of my weake endeavours in this short Sermon to stay the man that runnes so violently down the hill earth-ward and hell-ward and if it might be to turn his face and heart that if he cannot with so much speed yet with more contention and earnestnesse he may get u pthe hill heaven-ward In which endeavor omne valde tuum al thy might is too weak al speed tooslow and greatest earnestnesse too faint Against sin all that carefulnesse indignation fear vehementest desire and hottest zeal yea and revenge that the Apostle speaks of are not over much but onely malo nodo malus cuneus a sharper wedge for a knotty peece which will require our best strength to drive it in so as to pierce an hard heart For Gods truth an earnest contending is not too impetuous For the Church of God the rearing up of Ierusalems wals a Satagentia is not enough a Nehemiahs intense earnestnes is deservedly imitable For Heaven if by striving to enter in at the strait gate by giving al diligence at last we come to have an abundant entrance our labour will not exceed our reward In this work of the Lord if you abound your labour wil not be in vain in the Lord and may my poore paines any whit herein quicken your endeavours to get to heaven your selves and by your helpe to have others goe along with you to enter your selves into that Kingdome and by your authority with a sweet violence to compell others to come in as it is the prayer so it will be the rejoycing of Your humble Servant STEVEN MARSHALL A SERMON PREACHED To the Honorable the House of Commons at the Monethly Fast Januar. 27. 1647. MATTH. 11. 12. And from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force THat you may the more cleerly understand the scope of our blessed Saviour in these words be pleased to observe that in the beginning of this Chapter Iohn the Baptist had sent two of his Disciples upon a message to Christ not for his own information but for the confirmation of his Disciples who were too much addicted to himself that they might be satisfied in receiving Christ to be as he was the promised Messiah by seeing and hearing what he did and taught as soon as these Disciples of Iohn were gone Christ turnes to the multitude that were about him and from the 7. verse of this Chapter to the 16. verse doth make a notable discourse wholly concerning Iohn the Baptist and there are two parts of Christs speech concerning Iohn First A blaming of the levity and inconstancie of the people in their respect towards Iohn for they had magnified him so not long before that they were ready to have received him as their Messiah but now Iohn was grown no body with them this our Saviour doth bitterly taxe And the argument whereby he reproves them lies in such a distribution as this is Either you were very foolish in magnifying Iohn when there was no such worth in him or you are extreame vaine and light in withdrawing your hearts from him that was so worthy at first to be received the first is not to be granted therefore the second must needs be true what went you out into the Wildernesse to see was it a Reed shaken with the wind did you goe as children doe to see rattles and toyes no but wee went to see and heare Iohn the Baptist and what in him a man cloathed in white raiment alas Iohn was no Courtier no we went to him as to a Prophet I so he was saith Christ and more then a Prophet the greatest Prophet that ever the world saw and the greater is your fault in slighting of him In this as in a glasse you may see the levity and inconstancy of people who contemne him to day whom they admired yesterday and that doctrine which this day they esteeme as a treasure they by and by abominate because indeed Athenian-like they imbrace it not because true but because new thus it hath been of old and thus it is to this day he who to day
is lifted up is to morrow trodden down who is now accounted cloquent is presently esteem'd a babe rude or barbarous and all from their ficklenesse the Word and Ministers are the same but the people are changed like sick peoples palate who long for that meat one day which they nauseate the next day or as children who delight in those toyes one day which the next they throw out of the doores The second part of Christs discourse concerning Iohn is A high commendation of Iohn and of his Ministery from three notable arguments First That Iohn was the Prophet that was foretold long before by two emminent Prophets Isaiah Malachi both of them shewing that the Lord would send his messenger before his face and saith Christ if you 'l beleeve it this is he The second is taken from the eminencie of Iohns worke hee did immediatly goe before Jesus Christ as a Noble man that should lead the Prince by the hand and shew him to every one This is he he did not as the other Prophets hold him out in types and shadows and spake of a Messiah that was to come a long time after but as another Christopher did carry Christ upon his shoulders and held him out in his armes that every one that came neer Iohn might see him pointed out to the Lambe of God that took away the sinnes of the world and the clearer any Ministery is in the discovery of Christ the more excellent it is but yet that Christ might set the true bounds to the honour of Iohns Ministery he adds that though of all the Prophets that ever were before him there was none like him yet the least Minister after Christ should have done his worke the meanest Minister of the Gospel had a more excellent Ministery then Iohn the Baptist because the excellencie of a Ministery is in the light that it carries Now Iohns light did farre goe beyond all that went before him but the least Minister of the Kingdome of Heaven after Christs work was done on earth should be able so cleerly to shew forth the life death passion resurrection ascension intercession of Christ sending of the holy Ghost and all those glorious mysteries that children might bee able to understand them and this goes far beyond the Ministery of Iohn the Baptist This is the second Argument whereby Christ magnifies the Ministery of Iohn the third is that that I have chosen for my Text That from the dayes of Iohn the Baptist the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force the summe whereof is that from Iohns time there was raised up in all who truely embrac'd the Gospel a servent spirit to pursue and advance the Kingdome of Heaven with all eagernesse no Souldiers are more violent in assaulting and taking astrong hold then Iohns Disciples were in prosecuting the Kingdome of Heaven with all their might when once it was discover'd to them Now all these arguments whereby Christ doth extoll the Ministery of Iohn are intended not onely as so many testimonies of honour to Iohn but are also so many Arguments to prove Jesus Christ to be the true Messiah for whatever proves Iohn to be the Elias that should make his way ready for him the same proves Jesus Christ to be the Saviour that should come unto Gods people and this of my Text as strong and cleare as any other because it was foretold of him that the people should be willing in the day of his power should come in as plentifully as the dew out of the wombe of the morning should flie after him as the Doves to their windowes This is the commendation of Iohn if you would know the fruit of all this what this high encomium of Iohn did work upon the hearers you may read in the 7. of Luke where Vers 29. 30. this same story is recorded and the effect of it is there added which our Evangelist doth omit viz. that when Christ had said these things of Iohn the Publicans and the rest of the people who had before been baptized by Iohn Baptist glorified God were awaken'd and brought to sorrow for their neglect of Iohn and so encouraged to imbrace Jesus Christ whom Iohn pointed out but the Scribes and Pharisees the learned Doctors and others that had despised the Ministery of Iohn did no whit regard the honour that Christ did give to Iohns Ministery and so neither accepted Iohn the forerunner nor Christ the Saviour but rejected the counsell of God against themselves This is the sum of the whole context Our generall observation from this commendation which our Saviour gives to Iohn is that the Lord Iesus is most ready to honour them who abase themselves for his sake Iohn had exceedingly abased himself declaring himself to be but the voyce of a cryer unworthy to unloose the latchet of Christs shooe making himself a footstoole to exalt Christ willing to decrease that Christ might increase and now Christ heaps honour upon Iohn abundantly so that wee may see that such as honour Christ shall be honoured of him and that although honour flie from them who vainely seek it yet it followes them who flie from it But I come to my Text which as you have heard is one branch of that honorable testimony which our Saviour gave to Iohn the Baptist which I shall desire you with me to look upon under a twofold consideration First As they are intended to bee a Crown and an honour to Iohn the Baptist From the dayes of Iohn the Baptist untill now the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence Secondly and principally Wee will consider these words as they doe containe a description of men who are rightly affected with the kingdome of heaven The Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Of the first of these very briefly the meaning I take to bee this This eagernesse and fervency of Spirit in the people is to bee looked upon partly as a fruit of that cleere light which Iohn Baptists Ministery did hold out never any discovered the kingdome of heaven so cleerly as Iohn did and therefore never was there such zeal to presse into the Kingdome of heaven as was in Iohns time Secondly and partly as a conformity to Iohns Spirit Iohn came in the power and Spirit of Elias a man of mettle and zeal that did the work of the Lord with all his might and therefore the people whom his Ministery wrought upon were moulded into Iohns Spirit they were made like unto their Teacher and both these are by our Lord intended as a Crowne to Iohn From the dayes of Iohn the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence A word or two of each of these Take the zeal and eagernesse of the people after heaven as a fruit of that clear discovery of the Kingdome of heaven by Iohns Ministery and it affords us this excellent lesson That the clearer light any people doe receive
What by the Kingdome of Heavens suffering violence By the Kingdome of Heaven in one word both here and at least in 100. other places of the New Testament is meant the administration of the Covenant of grace after Jesus Christ was exhibited in the flesh the last best administration of the covenant of Grace The Kingdome of Heaven is come to you The Kingdome of Heaven is like a Merchant man The Kingdome of Heaven shall be taken from you c. all these expressions are nothing but the administration of the Covenant of Grace under Messiah and this is called the Kingdome of Heaven not onely in opposition to the kingdomes of the world other politique Commonwealths but principally I thinke in opposition to the spirituall kingdome of the Devill which is the kingdome of darknesse and leads people to destruction and this administration is called the Kingdome of Heaven partly because the Prince and Soveraigne Lord of it is the Lord from Heaven and hath his throne in Heaven and partly because all the subjects of it are made Heavenly in their conversations partly because all the good things communicated to them doe come from Heaven and principally because the Kingdome of glory that is to be injoyed in Heaven and the administration of the Covenant of Grace here upon earth are all but one and the same thing onely that is the upper Region this the inferior there is the Metropoliticall Citie and these are as it were the Suburbs and the Countrey Villages but all is one Kingdome there is nothing there but what is enjoy'd here only with these two differences that here the Kingdome of Heaven is mix'd and imperfect mix'd with corruption mix'd with affliction and the graces of it not perfectly communicated and there it is simple and pure and entire without any defect or mixture and here it is administred in ordinances and received by faith there it is administred immediatly and enjoyed by sight but otherwise I know no difference Heaven there and Heaven here to the Saints is all but one Kingdome therefore it is called the Kingdome of Heaven Secondly and what is meant by the Kingdome of heaven suffering violence I confesse some Interpreters say that Heaven suffers violence that is suffers persecution adversaries doe rush upon it but so it cannot be said that the violent take it for these violent men doe not take but lose the Kingdome of Heaven who persecute it but my Text speakes of such violent men as take and enjoy it The Arminans say that by the suffering violence is meant the persecuting of it to the taking of it away not the taking of it to themselves but the taking of it away from others and will not let people lay hold upon it nor enter into it but our Lord himself interprets the meaning in the 16. of Luke 16. where that of this story is related There Christ saith and from the dayes of Iohn the Kingdome of God is preached and every one presseth into it So that the suffering of violence here is that the Kingdome of Heaven is assaulted by violence of those that will have it what ever it cost them all who are rightly informed and instructed in the Kingdome of Heaven doe with contention and earnestnesse of spirit break through all difficulties use all diligence that they may enjoy the Kingdome of Heaven as their portion what ever it cost them In a word what Paul saith of his own practice Philip 3. is a cleere interpretation of this Text I do count all drosse and dung that I might gaine Christ I make shipwrack of all I looke at nothing that I have already got but I still looke for that which is before me I presse forward if by any meanes I may attaine to the resurrection of the dead Now you have the meaning since Iohn hath cleerly discover'd the Kingdome of Heaven the spirits of men are so fired that there is no taking of them off but with all the violence possible they all labour and endeavour to advance it and to get into it and from this there are two excellent lessons to be handled I 'le onely name one of them and handle the other The first is That the administration of the Covenant of grace in the Gospel of Christ is no other thing then the very Kingdome of Heaven nothing lesse then the very Kingdome of Heaven let the men of the world slight it esteeme it a bondage a drudgery yet it 's no lesse then a Kingdome yea a Kingdome of Heaven which doth transcend all the Kingdomes of this world as far as Heaven is above the earth that is one I dare say nothing of that lest I bee prevented the other is That all who are rightly affected to the Kingdome of Heaven offer violence to it Violence it is a motion above the meane beyond mediocrity it is a motion with greatest intention and indeavour this is the lesson I would Preach to you that whoever are rightly affected to the Kingdome of Heaven doe use their utmost endeavour and offer violence to it let mee first make it cleer to you that it is so and then I 'le hasten to the Application That it is so if you please but to weigh these three or foure things it will bee beyond all question That every where in the Booke of God where the endeavours of men are described who look after Heaven these endeavours I say are expressed by all the indefatigable paines that are laid out about any thing in the world the most laborious trade of a Husbandman of a Traveller of a Warfaring man of a Merchant are usually brought to expresse the labours of men that look after heaven yea such exercises which are too violent for any to make a trade or ordinary practise of are used to set out the violence of their labour who strive for the Kingdome of heaven as running a race striving for masteries or victories in the Olympick games 1 Cor. 9. 24. c. Know yee not that they who run in a race ran all but one receiveth the Garland so run that yee may obtain c. The affections with which they are carried to it are ordinarily so expressed that all the love they beare to any thing else is hatred if compar'd with the love they beare to this Christ saith in the 14. of Luke If any man will bee my disciple and hate not father and mother and wife and children and life and all that he hath and himselfe also hee cannot be my Disciple Now certainly the Lord doth not meane positively the Gospel doth not teach any man to hate his father or his mother or his wife or children it is against nature and against the Gospel but the Lord meanes comparatively that take all the love that they bear to their own lives or to what ever is deare to them as Iacobs love to Leah was hatred when compar'd with his affection to Rachel so all
their love to these things is hatred if compared with the love that they beare to the Kingdome of Heaven and this Chrysostome expresses very elegantly when he saith in his pursuit of banishment or martyrdome for Christ if his father should meet him and stand in his way he would throw his father upon the ground if his mother lay in his way he would tread upon his mothers belly meaning whatever it was that should be an obstacle to him they should be all scorn'd and hated by him if their interest in him should offer to stand in competition with the affection hee bore to the Kingdome of Heaven It is ordinary with Christ to expresse it thus that whoever mindes the Kingdome of Heaven and embraces it aright will forsake all for it they sell all for it in the 13. of Matthew the man that found the Treasure sold all with joy the man that found the pearle of great price sold all and the Disciples were able to speak it Master we have forsaken all to follow thee How is that how doe they sell all the meaning is they forsake all First In their judgments and estimation of all other things they are nothing in their thoughts when compared with this I account all losse and dung for Christ Secondly fell and forsake all In their affections that they care not for them they doe not love them nor delight in them when compar'd with this Thirdly sell all In their resolution and purpose of their spirit they being prepar'd to part with all either by degrees or all at a clap according as their interest in the Kingdome of Heaven doth call for any of them And as the Scripture is plain that it must be so so if you look but into the examples of all that have imbrac'd it you shall see de facto that it hath been so look upon the examples read those Holy men of God of old that saw not the Kingdome of Heaven so cleerly as now it is discover'd Abraham assoon as ever this City and Kingdome was discover'd to him left Mesopotamia left his Father his kindred the Land of his Nativity his estate went hee knew not whither onely to follow a word that directed him to this Kingdome Moses whose practice is epitomized in the 11. of the Heb. 24. that he did count the honour of being Pharaohs daughters Son hee counted the pleasures of the Court of Egypt hee esteemed the wealth of Egypt the treasures of it he counted them all as nothing in comparison of this there is the Worlds Trinity honour pleasure wealth troden under foot by a man that had but set his heart to the Kingdom of Heaven The time would fail me to relate unto you what all the Worthies have done But look a little into Christs time that wch my Text doth more immediately intimate what violence they used how the people trod one upon another to attend upon the Ordinances how they would tarry sometimes 3. dayes together without eating a bit of bread or drinking any thing but a cup of water only that they might get some acquaintance with Christ and the way to life how his Disciples forsook their Callings and Nets to follow Christ and doe what hee would have them doe how Paul made shipwracke of whatsoever was dear unto him and pressed forward onely that this might bee made good to their soules that Heaven was theirs how the Virgin company who follow Christs loved not their lives to the death huge clouds of witnesses there are whose examples prove clearly that who ever are rightly affected to the Kingdome of Heaven will doe what ever they can in this worke with all their hearts and all their might and all their strength Furthermore this violence and eagernesse of affection towards the Kingdome of Heaven in all into whose hearts the knowledg of the Kingdom of Heaven doth come Expresses it self in two things First In labouring by all meanes possible to make it sure to their own soules to work out their salvation with seare and with trembling to make their interest in the Kingdome of God the unum necessarium the one thing that is necessary to part with all other things that this may be their absolute portion that is one and the other Wherein they are equally set with eagernesse of spirit in endeavouring within their power and calling is that all Mountains may be made plain al obstacles removed al furtherances added which may advance the Kingdome of Heaven that other Flesh as well as their selves may see the Salvation of God Read your Bibles I affirme it confidently you shall finde that all that have been eager for themselves so far as it hath lien in their lot and way have express'd at least the same eagernesse to advance it and set it up for others Abraham that all his children might know the Lord Moses though hee minded his own interest in Heaven far beyond all the world as I shew'd you yet preferd the salvation of Israel before it Lord rather rase me out of the Book thou hast written then for sake thy people hee was more for Israel then for himself And so all those other Worthies David never did that for himself nor for all his children in providing for them as hee did for advancing Religion the zeal of Gods house eat him up and so did Asa Iehosophat Hezekiah Iosiah Ezra Nehemiah and many others of the old and those of the New Testament with what violence did the Disciples of Iesus Christ all of them goe up and downe that they might gaine others to the Lord Christ to winne them to him how did they goe about preaching and doing good every where being contented to be thought vile to be in their wits or out of their wits to bee made a gazing stock to men and Angels to be made the refuse and offscowring of the world to bee anything so they might promote and advance the Kingdome of Heaven I know you are able to prove these things yourselves and therefore I doe not insist upon them the ground of all this is Because the Kingdome of Heaven to all who are rightly informed in it doth appeare not onely to bee a matter of absolute necessity but so absolute good such superlative excellency in such ravishing sweetnesse such in expressible consolation that the soule that hath but once discover'd it cannot forbeare but fly upon it as the Eagle flyes to the prey and if with Sampson they find this Hony combe they must eate themselves and give to their Father or their Mother or their children and all that are about them If you would know what they are truely a little time will not so much as name them but they are such as these to bee delivered out of the power of darknesse and dominion of the Devill to be reconciled to God to have the pardon of their sinnes and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse to bee made Gods adopted sonnes and daughters
you to afford a healing hand in many things to take off the bridle of bondage which lay upon our necks and to pull down huge Mountains and that Gods people injoy a great deal of liberty in many things more then they did heretofore be provoked to help in this also A mercifull good Physitian who hath begun a cure if any new disease break out while the Patient is under his cure he would be very loth any thing should fall out to be the Patients ruine while under his hand and therefore let this also provoke you earnestly to carry this work on and Lastly Know that if the Husbandman will sleep the envious man sleeps not Gebal and Ammon and the children of Lot and Ashur and Tyre and all that are enemies to the Kingdom of Christ bestir themselves against it Cataline watches ut perdat rempubliam omits no endeavour to destroy Religion Sanballat and Tobiah doe all that ever they can to hinder the building of the wall shall not Nehemiah shall not Ezra shall not the rest of Gods people put to their hand too Vt jugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones If theeves watch by night to kill men shall not honest men watch to preserve their own lives When there is such a marvellous endeavor to corrrupt our Faith to take away Government to take away Worship to take out the power of godlinesse to discourage all that fear God to doe any thing against them shall not they that are the servants of the Lord doe the utmost that they can to encourage them For the Lords sake consider of these things and God Almighty give you a right understanding in them this is the first thing what they did they offered violence to the Kingdome of Heaven the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence The second part you have in the next words the successe of their violence they take it by force Rapiunt It is a Metaphor taken from a Castle taken by storm by the violence of those that will it take or loose their blood so the violent doe take the Kingdome of Heaven and these words are both Restrictive and they are Promissive they are restrictive they are the violent men and no other that get it if of any work in the world it be true that the sluggard is cloathed with rags it 's true here hee that onely cries Lord Lord shall never come into the Kingdome of Heaven this is a peculiar mercy in store for these violent spirits that the violent and no other shall get into Heaven and then as it is restrictive so it is promissive though carelesse endeavours and slight labours may prove abortive vigorous prosecution of it shall not miscarry they that seek shall find to them that knock it shall be open'd to them that aske it shall be granted they that seek wisdome as men seek Silver and Gold the Lord will give it them he hath laid it up in store let them that have violent hearts offer violence to it and the Lord hath promised they shall not misse of it but this the time being gone I dare not handle FINIS Dan 7. 2. Hab. 1. 2. 2 Kings 9. 20 Isa 55. 2. Prov 23. 5. Phil. 4. 5. Psal. 131. 2. Deut 6. 5. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Iude 3. Nehem 4. 21 22 23. Luke 13 24. 2 Pet. 1. 5. 10 10. 1 Cor 15. 58. Luke 14 23 The context opened Verse 10. 14. Verse 11. Psal. 110. Esay 60. 8. Luke 27. 30. The parts and meaning of the Text Consider this violence of the people toward the Kingdome of Heaven First as an honour to Iohn Secondly as a description of true Converts As an honor to Iohn as being First a fruit of the clear light his Ministery held out Whence learn Doctrine The clearer light any people have from Heaven the more violent they will be after Heaven Application Hereby we may learn how to judge of pretended light Secondly a conformitie to his spirit I earn here that the Teachers oft-times appear in their Disciples Hosea 4. 9. Gal. 2. 14. Thirdly in both these as a crown of glory to Iohn Learne hence The greatest glory which God puts upon any man is to make them instrumentall in building the Kingdome of Heaven Doct. Esav 49. 5. 2 Cor. 2. 15. Dan. 12. 3. Esay 58. 12. 〈◊〉 â— 10. 14 opened R. 1. R. D. Kimâ— 2 Cor. 6. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 6. Philip 2. 30. Reas. 2. Gen. 4. â— Kings 20. appli. To the Parliament to intend this work above all other â— Consider the â—ext as a desciption of true Converts What is meant by Kingdome of Heaven Phil. 3. 2â— 2. What is meant by the Kingdome of heaven suffering violence Luke 16. 16. Phil. 3. 8 c. Doct. 1. Doct. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 9. 24. Luke 14 17. Luke 14 33. Matth. 13. â—4 45. Matth. 19. 29. Phil 38. Heb. 11. 24. Rev. 12. 11. Reason From the necessity and excellency and benefit of the Kingdome of Heaven Quest 1. Reason Iob 11. 7 8 Iob 28. pertorum Prov. 245. Qu. 2. Reas. Matth. â—â— 29. 30. Vse 1. For humiliation 1. How many use violence against the Kingdome of Heaven 2. How many are flight luke-warm in seeking it for their own soul 3. How little zeal is found for the advancing of the Kingdome of Heaven for the good of others Vse 2. Exhortation in two branches 1. Each to contend violently to get it Motives to provoke to this work Esa. 19. 29. zach. 13. 3. Titus 2. 14. 1 Sam 24. 16. Zach 2. 5. Esa. 26. â— Nehem. 3. 20. Icr. 6. 14. Prov. 2. 34.