Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A39885
|
God's goodness to this Israel in all ages being the substance of some sermons on Psalm LXXIII, I/ by J.F., minister of the gospel.
|
J. F. (James Forbs), 1629?-1712.
|
1700
(1700)
|
Wing F1443; ESTC R32028
|
51,365
|
93
|
When they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost Rev. 1.12 14. In the midst of the seven golden candlesticks was one like unto the Son of man cloathed with a Garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle i. e. Jesus Christ who in respect of his Priestly Office had a tender Heart and was both willing and ready to do them good His head and his hair were white like wool as white as snow and his eyes were as a flame of fire i. e. In respect of his Prophetical Office he did shew himself in all their Church-Administrations to be full of Wisdom Gravity Prudence and Understanding And his feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace and his voice was as the voice of many waters i e. He did triumphantly conquer many stout-hearted and rebellious Sinners by virtue of his Kingly Power and Regal Authority in his Ordinances Ps 110.3 4. and 45. 2dly God was good in respect of that good Order Discipline and Government that was amongst them Christ himself was their Soveraign and Supreme Law-giver in all Church-matters according to what was Prophesied Is. 9.6 7. The government shall be upon his shoulders Zech. 6.13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and he shall sit and rule upon his throne The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven were put in the hands of those that were faithful Of Peter Matth. 16.19 Of all the Apostles Joh. 20. Of the whole Church Matth. 18.17 18. Herein was their Order and Polity that Church-Officers medled only with what was proper for them to wit the Authoritative exercise of Church Power and the Church medled with nothing but what was proper for them In the Primitive Church during the first Century nothing was done sine consensu plebis without the consent of the People as Mr. Jacob proves by an hundred Testimonies out of the purest Antiquity they had the power of choosing their own Officers Act. 1. end and 6. begin Of admitting Members as in the case of Saul's seeking to adjoin himself who was hindred by the Brethren of the Church till they received satisfaction from Barnabas's Act. Of casting out offending Members 1 Cor. 5. Of re-admitting Excommunicate Penitents 2 Cor. 2. Their order was that no particular Church did arrogate Power or Jurisdiction over other particular Churches the Church of Antioch's sending to Jerusalem Act. 15. to consult with them concerning some Doctrinal Differences does argue That they had full power to determine the matter among themselves without making any appeal their order was that they did not press things indifferent upon scrupling Consciences as if they had been necessary Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. and 9. Chapters They well knew that to have done otherwise would have been Tyranny and destructive to Christian Liberty and so for many other things 3. The Primitive Church in respect of purity of Doctrine was called Rev. 12. 1 A Woman that had on her Head a Crown of twelve Stars however they were branded by their Enemies as Heretical yet the Doctrine they profess'd was purely Apostolical It 's true false Teachers did creep in now and then amongst them and corrupted several Truths but through the vigilance and faithfulness of the Servants of God they were quickly and convincingly confuted They did teach that we must seek Righteousness for Justification partly by Christ and partly by the Ceremonies of Moses's Law but the Epistles to Coloss Galat. and Hebrews were written against this Heresie Cerinthus denyed the Divinity of Christ for which the Gospel of John was written 2 Cor. 11 2 3. I am jealous over you with a godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast virgin to Christ for I fear left as by any means the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 4. Herein was the Glory of the Primitive Church That not only the Officers but also many of their Members were Men singularly qualified with gifts 1 Cor. 1.5 7. By him ye are enriched in every thing in all utterance and in all knowledge So that ye come behind in no Gift See 1 Cor. 14. Act. 8. Mark 16.17 These signs shall follow them that believe in my name shall they cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover 5. God was good to them in respect of Grace Rom. 15.14 And I my self am perswaded of you brethren that ye are full of goodness 1 Cor. 1.2 Eph. 1.3 4 5. Philip. 1.3 4 5 6 7. being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ even as it is meet for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart in as much as both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the Gospel ye are all partakers of my grace and this I pray that your love may yet more and more abound in all knowledge and in all judgment Col. 1.3 4. We give thanks unto God since we heard of your Faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which ye have to all the Saints 1 Thes 1.3 Remembering without ceasing your work of Faith your labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and of our Father knowing brethren beloved your election of God It was no small part of their Glory that they did so abound in Love which did evidence it self in two notable Acts 1. They kept the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace though some were for Circumcision others against it some for observation of Days Ceremonies eating Meats and others not yet they did in a great measure live in Love and Unity Acts 4.32 The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul 2. There was none of them wanted necessaries so long as others had wherewithall to supply them 2 Cor. 9.12 13 14. The administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the Saints but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God whiles by the experiment of this Ministration they glorifie God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ and for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all Men And by their prayer for you which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift Rom. 15.25 26 27. I go to Jerusalem to minister to the Saints for it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor Saints which are at Jerusalem it hath pleased them verily and their
debtors they are For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things their duty is also to Minister unto them in carnal things Acts 2.44 45. All that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all Men as every Man had need And 4.32 Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common 6. In all Changes and Conditions they were constant still one and the same not sickle or variable some times for one thing sometimes for another Acts 2.42 And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and in fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers 46.47 And they continued daily in the Temple with one accord and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all people and the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved 2 Cor. 1.21 22. 1 Thes 3.12 13. Rev. 3.10 Thou hast kept the word of my patience And 2.13 I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satans seat is and holdest fast my Name and hast not denied my Faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful Martyr Lastly The Lord was graciously pleased to confer the Honour of Martyrdom upon them Stephen was the Proto-Martyr Acts 7. They were scattered at Jerusalem by reason of Persecution Acts. 8. Paul and Peter suffered at Rome under Nero the one Beheaded the other Crucified So also James surnamed Justus Nay there was not one of the Apostles that escaped a violent Death John only excepted Let us make some use of all this in some Three or Four things 1. Let us bless God for his goodness to them O Blessed be the Lord that ever there was such a one as the Apostle Paul O Blessed be the Lord for the Truths Ordinances Gifts and Graces that were communicated to them we are in a sense sharers in the Mercies What was then written or transacted said or done was all for our Instruction 2. Did the Lord give forth such an abundant measure of the Spirit at the first Plantation of the Gospel according to what the Work of that Day did require which was to bring the carnal Jews from off their Ceremonies and the heathenish Gentiles from Satan to God who must see Miracles otherwise they will not believe Let us believe and be confident that the same good God will not be wanting to proportion the Gifts and Graces of his Churches and Servants to the Work of this our Day which is the reformation of Religion from Antichristianism Blessed be the Lord for any small bedewings and besprinklings of the Spirit poured forth upon any in our times in order hereunto 3. Let us from hence bemoan our selves and others that go under the Name of Churches of Christ who have degenerated so far from them in Doctrine Discipline Worship Gifts Graces Holiness of Conversation Perseverance in Sufferings contraria mixta seposita clarius elucescunt In the primitive times Christ placed us in a kind of Paradise but we have not kept our first Habitation 4. Let 's not only remember whence we are fallen but also return to our first Estate and when we set about a Reformation whether Personal or Ecclesiastical Let 's be sure to set the primitive Pattern before us as near as may be Let 's Love as they did endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace as they did continue steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine in fellowship in breaking of Bread and Prayers as they did No sufferings frighted them from following the Lamb be followers of them in all things imitable so far as they were followers of Christ Sixthly God was good to his Gospel Israel after the Death of the Apostles till Constantine's time And here before I come to particulars it will be necessary to premise these few general considerations as introductory for the clearing of what is further intended 1. Be it known to you that immediately upon the Death of the Apostles the Church was in a persecuted state It 's true it was so in their time but not as afterwards when there were publick Laws and Edicts made against the profession and professors of the Christian Religion providence so ordering it that they should have some respite till the Gospel and Churches had some Plantation 2. The time of this persecuted Condition was Three Hundred Years or thereabouts 3. The Instruments whom the Devil made use of for this diabolical Service were the heathen Emperors of Rome Rev. 12.3 The party there combating against Michael and his Angels Christ and his People is thus described A great red Dragon having seven Heads and ten Horns and seven Crowns upon his Heads A Dragon because of his Power red because of his Cruelty having seven Heads i. e. seven several sorts of Governments in Rome heathenish as also it was built upon seven Hills having ten Heads with seven Crowns thereupon to distinguish Rome-heathen from Rome-Antichristian Rev. 13.1 That has not only seven Heads and ten Horns but also Crowns upon the Horns to intimate that Antichrist made Kingdoms of those that were but Provinces during the Dragon's Reign under the heathen Emperors 4. Having perused several writers of great Note both for Godliness and Learning upon that transcendantly high mystical Scripture of the Revelation It 's most probable as I humbly conceive that they guess right who assert that the Seals Chap. 6. hold forth this State of the Church during the first three Centuries of which Ch. 12. to verse 13. seems to be explicatory 5. In treating of this Subject I shall be necessitated to make use of History to which I require no more of you but a Historical Faith I account it a great Mercy that every Age has had some faithful Servants of God whose care it has been to transmit to posterity the memorable acts of Divine Providence to his People Psal 145.4 One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts I will speak of the glorious honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous works 1. God was good to them in giving forth this incomparable rich and rare Monument of the Revelation of John the Divine the principal scope and intendment whereof was 1. To forewarn them of the near approach of suffering times that so they might not be surprized but in a readiness to encounter therewith 2. That they might know what their sufferings would be by whom and of what continuance 3. That they should be comforted and encouraged under all especially upon this two-fold consideration 1. There 's no sufferings shall befall you but according to the predetermination and fore-appointment of a wise God and loving Father 2. Let the Churches troubles be what they will they shall have a glorious and an assured issue seeing this was the good end of