Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	church_n	heaven_n	see_v	2,298	5	3.6221	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88994	A shadovv of the victory of Christ, represented to the Honourable House of Commons, in a sermon preached at Margarets Westminster on the day of the publick fast, Octob. 28. 1646. / By John Maynard, Minister of the Gospel at Mayfield in Sussex.	Maynard, John, 1600-1665.	1646 (1646)	Wing M1453; Thomason E359_5; ESTC R201167	22,927	30

foure and twenty Elders which sate before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God saying We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned Where they seem to speak of Christ as of some mighty Prince who seeing his kingdom to be invaded by forraign enemies suffereth them to go on in acts of hostility for a time as if he had laid by his great power but when he seeth his time taketh up his power again raiseth his Armies to suppresse them So Christ may seem for divers ages to have laid by His great power suffering the Dragon and his Angels and then the Beast and his ten horns to reign and domineer But at the sounding of the seventh trumpet He should take to Himself His great power and reign And therefore now let the people of God expect wonders to be wrought by the great power of Christ daily It followeth And the Nations were angry the devill being cast out of the throne by Christ stirreth up his vassals to anger and we have had great experience of their fury Some of them have seemed even mad with anger so as to run on desperately upon their own ruine when the hand of God hath been apparently against them when the Lord hath blasted their counsels crossed and confounded their plots broken their strength leaving them no such grounds of hope as might encourage rationall men yet on they would and why they were angry and their anger and rage carried them headlong But I beleeve Christ will anger them yet more whilest He goeth on conquering and to conquer Again the Elders proceed in their doxology And thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged the time when Christ should judge and avenge the cause of His servants that have been slain by executing vengeance on their bloodie enemies And that thou shouldst give reward to thy servants the Prophets and to thy Saints and to them that fear thy Name small and great and shouldst destroy them that destroy the earth Christ shall raise the spirits and encourage the hearts of his despised Ministers and people and destroy their destroyers This hath been done in part and shall be more fully accomplished And the Temple of God was opened in heaven the glory of Christs Church shall become more visible and it shall have a free and open passage many which were without entring into it And there was seen 〈◊〉 his Temple the Ark of his Testament the secrets of his kingdom shall be manifested the Ark it self that was hidden from the multitude within the veil shall be discovered And there were lightnings and voices and thundrings and great hail dreadfull judgements upon those who will not see and submit to the mighty power of Christ And an earthquake dreadfull concussions great changes and alterations in the kingdoms of the world The hearts of God his people should now be filled with expectation of the glorious acts of Christ in asmuch as the time is come that He hath taken to Himself His great power Secondly If Christ most certainly will subdue all things to Himself it is our wisdome willingly to stoop unto Him Let us assure our selves Christ will not part with his royalties in the least degree He will maintain to the uttermost his supremacy and soveraign authority We must bow or break one way or other we shall undoubtedly be brought under either we must willingly yeeld to the golden Scepter of his love or we shal be crushed with the iron rod of his wrath Joseph I conceive was a type of Christ both in his abasement and exaltation when he was made ruler over the land of Egypt it is said they cryed or proclaimed before him Bow the knee let all people throughout the Knigdom submit to his authority So when Christ for his Fathers glory and mans salvation had greatly humbled Himself even to the death of the Crosse God highly exalted Him and gave him a Name above every Name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things vnder the earth He proclaimed before Him throughout heaven earth and hell Bow the knee All men angels devils and other creatures shall be subjected to Him A necessity lyeth upon us and woe unto us if we do not willingly submit For this end take these three considerations 1. The glorious and magnificent titles attributed to Christ in Scripture The Blessed and Onely Potentate earthly Potentates have but a shaddow of power in comparison of Him though all due honour and subjection must be given them by those under their Government But in respect of Christ their power and authority is no more than the light of the Starrs in the presence of the Sun He is Lord of Lords other Lords are but his vassels King of Kings other Kings are but his Subjects so they are de jure so they ought to be and they shall de facto actually at one time or other one way or other be brought under Yea He hath this Name written upon his thigh and upon his vesture King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Name which He weareth on His lower parts upon the skirt of his robe proclaimeth Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords If we poore worms are so apt to tremble at the name of an earthly King or Ruler Oh let all the powers of our souls prostrate themselves and lie lowe before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Secondly consider what a blessed condition they are in who in sincerity have subjected themselves unto him 1. In regard of His singular love toward them He is infinitely above all others the most gracious Master toward those whose spirits are subdued to His government Saith the Spouse His banner over me was love What an encouragement is it to Souldiers to have the love of their Generall Thrice happy souls that have Christ for their Commander and are led governed and conducted by Him as their King and Captain of their salvation His very banner over them is love all His Commands are commands of love all the service He requireth of them is imposed in love He never enjoyneth them any thing but what is for their good they are never losers by obeying his pleasure all their losses come by their disobedience He never putteth them upon any suffering but it is done in love He chasteneth us for our good that we might be partakers of His holinesse If He leadeth them into the field and letteth them meet with any sharp encounters He maketh them more than conquerours The Apostle having as it were searched Satans muster-rolls and taken a view of his severall brigades tribulation distresse persecution famine nakednesse perill sword enemies of a terrible aspect to the eye of flesh as the grim visages of Ariovistus his Germans

sometime puting a two-edged sword into the hands of his Saints giving them this honour to become victorious instruments of his wrath upon His and their enemies But at the length He will break in peices the iron and the clay the brasse the silver and the gold and make them like the chaffe of the summer threshing fl●ores and the wind shall carry them away and no place shall be found for them He will put down all rule and all authority and power Lastly As for creatures voyd of reason I will not now dispute that question whether after the worlds dissolution the species or severall kind of creatures shall be restored But thus Christ hath already in part subdued and shall in the end bring under all those creatures not endowed with the principles of reason and amongst these the very towns cities buildings wherein he hath been dishonoured Some experience of this the world hath already had in the Eastern Babylon in the City of Jerusalem after that Himself was crucified there his Gospel rejected his people persecuted to what a fearfull desolation did he bring it by the hands of the Romanes and the Temple it self when it was kept up as a Monument of defiance against him for the continuance o those sacrifices which were abolished by his death by a people blaspheming his Name he destroyed it and when that wretched people attempted to rebuild it through the incouragement of Julian the Apostate he fully as is conceived accomplished his prophecy upon it not leaving one stone upon another And at this day how are the expectations of the Saints raised to see the power of Christ put forth in subduing and consuming with fire the Western Babylon the City of Rome in which was found the bloud of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the earth In a word as the creatures have been abused or desired by the sins of men to the dishonour of Christ being made either instruments of rebellion against him or corrivals with him the hearts of men being stolen away from him and going a whoring after the creatures so shall all be subdued by his mighty working The old world was subdued by a floud of waters But the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Judgement and perdition of ungodly men If any ask why the world standeth so long being planted and peopled with rebels and filled with rebelion against Christ The Apostle telleth us it is kept in store by his word the world would dissolve like water when it is powred on the ground were it not kept in store as in a vessel by the word and will of Christ until the appointed time and then the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up both the works of God which some call the works of nature and the works of man the works of art and all these things shall be dissolved Neverthelesse saith the Apostle we according to his promise looke for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnes If the frame of heaven and earth shal be renewed and so kept pure from all spot of sinne to eternity this may be a farther evidence to the truth in hand that Christ by His mighty working shall subdue all things to himself But what is the last enemy that shall be brought under The Apostle telleth us The last enemy that shal be destroyed is Death Then shal be brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory And the Apostle seemeth as one ravished with assurance of this victory over death to sing an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a song of triumph insulting over this old and last enemy O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ This is therefore for the comfort of the Church of Christ against all her enemies Their workings plots contrivings attempts have been many and desperate from age to age and particularly in this age in this land and elsewhere and I beleeve the people of God do generally expect they should go on whil'st they have power even untill Antichrist be destroyed The Church is said to be terrible as an Army with banners A learned expositour taking this song for a prophecy of the state of the Church from Solomons time unto the Jews conversion and carrying on his interpretation according to the succession of time took this place to note the condition of the Church from about the beginning of Queen Eliza●eths reign and so downward until the destruction of the Pope and Turk that in these daies the Church which had bin troden under foot in former ages should become formidable to her enemies as an army with banners and thence inferreth that these times should be plenabellicis tumultibus full of the troubles and tumults of war between the Church and her enemies wee have had much experience of this and are likely to have more wheresoever the seat of the war shall be The great battel of Armageddon I am perswaded is yet to come And therefore I expect that the adversaries should exercise the height of their policy and put forth the uttermost of their power finding themselves stoutly assaulted by this Army with banners But here is the comfort of the Church the mighty vertue and working of Christ shall subdue them all It is said that the Lord Christ shall consume that man of sin with the spirit or breath of His mouth and destroy him with the brightnes of His coming Certainly Christ His approaches have been very glorious of late and the Antichristian faction hath been much weakened by Him very much of the power of Christ hath been put forth against those who have sided with the Beast But I am perswaded the time is at hand when Christ shall come in a more glorious manner and give forth more admirable demonstrations of His power in subduing those enemies who have for so long a time opposed and exalted themselves against Him For I conceive we are under the seventh trumpet to which all the seven vials full of the wrath of God to be emptied upon the enemies of the Church do belong and under the fourth viall powred on the Sun Now mark what is said upon the sounding of the seventh trumpet And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign for ever and ever Now is the time when Christ shall conquer kingdoms and subdue Nations to Himself to reign over them for ever And the

considered in the next place These we may look upon either 1. as single persons or 2. as associated and combined in Societies Kingdoms Common-wealths c. As single persons they are either vessels of mercy and honour or vessels of wrath and dishonour The former He subdueth by the Scepter of His Gospel and power of His grace secretly but effectually and infallibly bowing and subjecting their souls and whole man to the government of His Spirit constraining them by His love shed abroad in their hearts and bringing them under a regiment of love sweetning His commands with discoveries of His love and as it were oyling His yoke with love so making it easie to them and teaching them to obey in love and to walk in love as He hath loved them and given Himself for them giving His own Spirit possession of their hearts and making them one with Himself and so subjecting them to Himself as members to their Head And this He doth by degrees leaving something in them unsubdued while they are absent from Him in the body which as it is displeasing to Him so it is grievous to them but in the end He will not leave any thing in them either of soul or body unsuitable to Himself but will bring them into a full subjection and conformity transforming their bodies into the likenesse of His own glorious body and their souls into the likenesse of His own perfect holinesse fulnesse of joy and blessednesse But although He useth this sweet way of working with them for this blessed end as that which is most direct and proper yet sometimes He prepareth them by terrours putting on the countenance of an enemy and handling them roughly as Joseph did his Brethren dealing with them in his approaches toward them as with the Prophet El●j●h sending before him a great and strong wind renting the mountains and breaking in peeces the rocks and after the winde an earthquake and after the earthquake a fire dreadfull representations of His wrath and convictions of their guilt but after cometh the still soft voice the Word of promise and reconciliation a word of peace and pardon Yea when they are in some degree subdued to Him He doth sometime suffer them to be exercised with renewed terrours on their spirits and outward afflictions to be troubled on every side with fightings without and fears within to prepare them for farther subjection and conformity to Himself The workings of Christ in this kinde have been more glorious and conspicuous in some ages than in others as in the times of the Apostles and the ages next after when thousands were subdued at once Cities and Nations were brought in subjection to Christ the devill raged and stirred up his instruments to oppose the growth of Christ His kingdom with fire and sword Nec eò minùs ad Apostolorum vocem gentes commoventur principum aulae legionesque adeo ipsae in Christi partes propendent nutant as one saith the world is stirred notwithstanding at the summons of Christ His Ambassadours and the Courts of Princes and the legions of military men are ready to yeeld and bow their ensignes to the Majesty of the Lord Jesus What a cordiall was that which the Apostle sent to these beleevers at Philippi All the Saints salute you chiefly those of Cesars houshold A glorious spectacle to see the banner of Christ advanced upon the turrets of Nero his palace So when Luther was raised up to restore the light there was another age wherein Christ was pleased in a more than ordinary manner to shew himself victorious The States of the Empire meeting at Noremberg thought to moderate things according to principles of policie But what saith Luther to this Longè aliter conclusum est in coelo quam Norembergae The conclusion made in Heaven differed much from that at Noremberg as the event demonstrated Certatim enim Principes Civitates Imperii doctrinam repurgatam introduxerunt For the Princes and Imperiall Cities did as it were out-vye each other in a speedie entertainment of the reformed Religion Christ would not wait the leisure of the State But as for the vessels of wrath although he dealeth diversly with them in regard of his intermediate dispensations raising some of them to great dignity arming them with power that so He may make his power known upon them leaving others in a lowe condition and thereby disarming their malice giving some of them Esau his portion the dew of heaven and the fatnesse of the earth suffering them to fat themselves to the day of slaughter and to aggravate their condemnation by unthankfulnesse denying others this worldly abundance and laying upon them many temporall judgements as the beginnings of sorrows whereby their stubbornesse becometh more unexcusable suffering some of them to break forth into more outragious wickednesse circumscribing others within the circle of morality and civility enduring some of them with much long-suffering and patience surprizing others in their sins not suffering them to live out half their dayes bringing some of them under powerfull means of salvation giving them precious opportunities which they despise or neglect shutting others out of the confines of his Church c. yet in the issue he subdueth them all by strong hand breaking them by his power because they stoup not to his authority and as he doth execute exemplary vengeance upon many of them in this life so at the last day He will bring them all under his feet and cast them into utter darknesse where they shall never be able to lift up their heads or hands against Him or his But there is yet another consideration of men and women as they are united or combined in Societies Common-wealths c. Some of these He so far subdueth as to cause them to promote His Cause propagate His Gospel protect His Church as the Kingdom of Israel in the dayes of David and Solomon the Kingdom of Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat Hezekiah c. the Romane Empire under Constantine Valentinian Theodosius c. Others He so ordereth as to make them suffer his Church to sojourn among them as Aegypt in the dayes of that Pharaoh who knew Joseph the Empire of Rome in the times of Vespasian Titus Nerva Antoninus Pius Pro●us Some of them He hath reduced to more moderation after they began to stretch out their hands to vex certain of the Church as it is said of Trajane Adrian Antoninus Verus and others But as for those whose rage was implacable hath not the Lord Christ set His face against them for evill rebuking Kings and Rulers for His peoples sake saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm destroying Noble and Royall Families subverting Common-wealths and Empires that he might avenge the bloud of his Saints cutting off Nero Domitian and others degrading Dioclesian and his Colleague In such cases somtimes he destroieth some of his enemies by others expelling one poyson by an other

gate for wide is the gate and bread is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Are your minds subjected to the wisdom of Christ discovered in these truths Are ye verily perswaded that the gate is strait and the way narrow that it requireth much striving and contending to enter that a cold sluggish common formall way of seeking will never give you entrance If not if you please your selves in your own conceits and vain imaginations contrary to the wisdom of Christ that it is an easie thing to go to heaven ye hope to be saved as well as the best though ye hold on in an easie broad way sliding down the hill carried with the streame of the world the tide of your lusts the wind of Satans suggestions and applause of the multitude assure your selves ye are rebels against Christ ye oppose your carnall conceits and exalt your blind reason against His heavenly wisdom Secondly if your understandings be subdued to the wisdom of Christ then ye will yeeld to particular truths of Christ notwithstanding former engagements to the contrary A man cannot approve his loyalty to that Prince or State to whom he oweth Allegeance unlesse he renounce contrary engagements to a forreign Prince If by education mistake weaknesse of judgement seducements of others thou hast been engaged in defence of any errour and because of such prejudice will stiffely maintain it against the contrary truth of Christ what is this but rebellion against the wisdom of Christ But that is a sweet gracious loyall spirit that is freely ready to quit all engagements for receiving of any truth of Christ and is content that all his own notions should fall to the ground that the wisdom and truth of Christ might be exalted and maintained in it just and full authority Thirdly when thy mind and judgement stoopeth to the truth of Christ held forth by such Instruments as the proud world despiseth so soon as ever thou seest the Kings stamp upon it that is so soon as thou findst Christ His authority for it not regarding by whom it is presented to thee but looking up to Him who sitteth at the right hand of God humbly subjectest thy self to his wisdom Secondly if a man be brought into subjection unto Christ then is his will subdued to and by the Spirit of Christ Barnabas being sent from the Church of Jerusalem to confirm the new converts of Antioch When he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord As if he had said Brethren I rejoyce to see these happy beginnings to see the kingdom of Christ thus enlarged and withall let me exhort you that ye yeeld up your wils fully and steadfastly unto Him cleaving to Him with purpose of heart This shall be a sweet evidence to your souls that ye are indeed subjected to Him That is a reall subjection of a loyall-hearted people to Christ when they are resolvedly His not when they have some slight inclinations toward him but when the purpose of their heart is fixed upon Him and they are steadfastly resolved that Christ shall give law to them It is grievous to a loyall subject of Christ to have any thing remaining in his will that savoureth of rebellion against Christ any renitency any unwillingnesse and indisposednesse to the work of Christ Thirdly when a man is subjected unto Christ his affections are subdued to Him He obeyeth Christ and he obeyeth Him in love he shunneth sin and he loveth to avoid it He doth the will of Christ with a desire exceeding his performance and ability A carnall person not subjected to Christ his performances exceed his affections he doth many outward services to which he hath no heart Again the loyall subject delighteth in his subjection He would not for a world be free from this yoke Wheras those rebels said Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us he saith from the bottome of his heart Blessed be God that ever He brought me under the government of his Son that instead of a slave of Satan He hath made me a subject to the King of glory As it is said of one of our English Martyrs that he kissed the stake saying Welcome the crosse of Christ welcome everlasting life So saith he whose heart is subjected to the Lord Jesus welcome the sweet yoke of Christ the very entrance into everlasting life I rejoyce in the Law of God saith Paul I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart or in the midst of my bowels saith David He professeth it was his delight to do the will of God and giveth two reasons the former imployed in those words O my God thou hast given me thy self for my gracious God and portion and therefore it is my delight to give up my self to thee in obedience The second expressed in these Thy Law is within my heart When the Law of God is once lodged within a man written in his heart fixed in his bowels then is he a loyall subject of Christ and goeth on in the way of holinesse with rejoycing he delighteth in godly sorrow for his disloyalties and wheras others strive to forget and shake off the fear of God he rejoyceth to find his heart over-awed by Christ It is delightfull to him to curb his lusts to controll his own will It is the joy of his heart to see these enemies of Christ within his own soul lye slain before Him Fourthly He that is a true subject of Christ rejoyceth to see the kingdom of Christ enlarged his cause prosper his implacable enemies brought under but especially to see rebels so subdued as to become loyall and obedient subjects What spectacle so glorious in his eye as to see Christ victorious to behold the Captain of his salvation on a day of triumph Those that are otherwise affected shew of what spirit they are whatever they pretend I heard a voice from heaven come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues For her sins have reached unto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Reward her even as she hath rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works If this be a voice from heaven what shall we think of the clamour of those that contradict it is not that a voice from hell It followeth in that place how the enemies of Christ mourned at the funerall of the whore of Babylon as many of late seemed to be vexed at the fall and weakning of them that fought for the