it that when we have a God who can easily doe great things we should be a people that can hardly beleeve small things How doth it misbecome that Christ should be invested with great power and Christians should give cause to be rebuk'd with O ye Mat. 8. 26. of little faith Doct. 3 Thirdly from these words observe in briefe That Sometime Christ seemes to put his power out of his owne hand Thou hast taken to thee thy great power Christ cals it in surely then it was abroad Christ goes in the opinion of the world for weake when his Church is weake as he takes himself for persecuted when any member of his Church is smitten Christ gives power not only into the hands of his friends but into the hands of his enemies to try what Dic mibi tu fueris si leo qualis cris they will doe with it to see what worke they will make with it Men know not what they would be nor what they would doe till they have opportunity Much wickednesse lies hid in the heart till there be strength in the hand to draw it forth Little did Hazael thinke that so much cruelty lodg'd in his breast till he had a throne to act upon Nature vex'd and Nature arm'd discovers it selfe 2 King 8. 13. And because Christ will have the thoughts of mens hearts discern'd and their spirits turn'd outwards therefore he lets men rule and carry it in the world while himselfe as it were stands by and looks on Doct. 4 Fourthly note hence Christ can resume his power when he pleases and will resume it when his owne promise and the Churches profit call him to it The appearing weakenesse of Christ is voluntary and elected He is weake only upon consultation and designe and therefore upon consultation and designe at his owne will and election he can be strong againe Men sometime are put to feare those whom they trust with their power They trust out more power in the hands of others then they see is well-used and yet they know not how to recall or take it backe into their owne hands Christ can recall all his Commissions and take to himselfe his great power without asking any mans leave or fearing any mans displeasure He can recrew't his as the world accounts them broken Troops and scattered Armies without the counsell or contributions of any creature Doct. 5 Observe fiftly As soone as ever Christ takes his power he raignes presently Thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast raigned This was the very beginning and commencement of Christs kingdome in the glorie of it and yet it is spoken of as if he had fully accomplish'd it If he will worke none can let him Man may quickly overweene Isa 43. 23. 1 Kin. 20. 11. his owne power but Christ cannot Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himselfe as he that putteth it off saith Ahab to Benhadad But as soone as Christ begins to gird on his harnesse he may boast as if he were putting it off There is nothing left to hazard there is no fortune in his Deut. 32. 41. warre He may sing victoria before the battell If he doth but whet his glittering sword whetting is but preparatory to smiting and his hand take hold on judgment he wil render vengeance 1 Sam. 3. 12. to his enemies and will reward them that hate him When he begins he will also make an end whether in wrath upon his adversaries or in loving kindnes to his people Thou hast raigned I have but toucht at these points because though they lie plainly in the words as they are a Proposition yet they are not the scope of propounding them which in this place is only to give a reason or ground of the Elders joy thankfulnes expressed in the former parts of the Text. As taken strictly under this consideration they teach us three points First That it is a ground of abundant praise and comfort to Three Doctrines from the words as they hold forth the reason why the Elders gave thankes all the Saints when Christ appeares resuming his power and setting up his kingdome It is well for all the world that Christ raignes How soone would the frame of every kingdome dissolve or be out of course if he did not beare up their pillars and over-rule all their rulers Men could not live by men if the world were left meerly to the power of man Hence the Psalmist cals all to rejoyce in Christ the King The Lord raigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of Psal 97. 1. Isles many and great Isles be glad thereof yet the Saints who have an interest in Christ above others are glad of the raigne of Christ above others he is a King over others but he is a King for them therefore it followes v. 8th Sion heard thereof and was glad The rest are called to rejoyce but Sion doth rejoyce her eare affects her heart Sion heard therof Isa 52. 7. and was glad This is news enough to be told in Sion how beautifull are his feet that brings this good tidings that saith unto Sion thy God raigneth In this one report all her mercies are reported at once And she reades the history of all her hopes in her first experiencies of that ancient prophecie Q. But what matter of joy or thankfulnes is it for Saints that Christ raigneth A. We use to say A friend at Court is better then a pennie in our purse we count it matter of joy if we have a friend about the King What is it then to have the King our Friend or to hear that Our Friend is King But the qualification of a King is better to us then his relation All kingly qualifications meet in the person of Christ First he is so wise that he is called Wisdom so wise that in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom so wise that he needs none to counsell him he is the Counsellour and feares none who counsell against him for there is no counsell against the Lord. It hath beene said That Common-wealths should then be happie when either Philosophers were Kings or Kings were Philosophers How happy then must Sion be in her King who is not only a lover of wisdome but wisdome Secondly he is a just King The true Melchizedec King of Iustice When Christ takes his great power and raignes we know power is then in a good hand and the Crowne upon a righteous head Christ never did nor ever will doe wrong to any no not to the devill with his power Though his will be his law and the breast of this Commander the reason of his commands yet no man no not the worst of men his greatest and most professed studied enemies shall ever have cause to complaine of rigour or injustice He will indeed punish all wicked men but he will not oppresse or injure any one Now if his power shall never wrong his enemies what
of the creature Yet sometimes he hides his power or appeares not in it He had hornes comming out of his hand saith the Prophet and there Habak 3. 4. was the hiding of his power His people doe not alwayes see nor enemies feele what he can doe None can cut the lock where the strength of our Sampson lyes When he seemes weake as other men or weaker then other men so that man prevailes it is because he pleases it should be so His not acting his power is all his not having of power His hand is omnipotent only he keeps it in his bosome Hence the Church prayes Plucke thy hand out of thy bosome His power is hidden in his will And as his Saints are said to lacke or be without that grace which through negligence 2 Pet. 1 9. they do not vse so Christ is said to be without that power which through providence he doth not use And therfore this phrase of Taking his great power imports no more Accipere potestatem est excrere potestatem Deus conniâ—eÌ„do ad hostium surores videbatur potentiam magnam i e. omni potentiam non habere Par. in loc but the exerting and exercising of his power or the raising up and awakening of his power which lying still seemed to be a sleepe To which sence those cries of his people Awake Lord why sleepest thou often used in Scripture doe referre And for the raigne of Christ whether over his enemies to destroy them or over his Churches to direct them whether as King of Nations or King of Saints We may say as the Apostle John doth of our Sonship Beloved we are now the sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be 1 Jo. 3. 2. we have alwaies the priviledg of Sons but not always the glory of Sons So Christ is alwaies King but it doth not alwaies appear how glorious a King he is or what he shall be Christ hath power Kingdome and glory he retains the power of his Kingdom when he doth not shine in the glory of his Kingdom The Lord reigneth saith the Psalme but clouds and Psal 97. 1â— darknes are round about him When he breakes through these Cloudes and scatters this Darknes When not only Iudgement and righteousnes which ever are but Majesty and glory which ever do not appeare the habitation of his Throne then in the sense of the Text Christ raigneth He raigns rounded with Cloudes when his enemies are upon his Throane But he shall raigne as incompassed and cloathed with light making all his enemies his Foot-stoole Christ will recover nations and new Kingdomes out of the hand of Satan from Paganish and Turkish Tyranny He will make such changes and alterations not only in Antichristian but in Kingdomes truly called Christian That even these shall be as if they had not bin Christs till then He will make the place of his feet so glorious in all Kingdomes as if Isa 60. 13. he had had no Kingdome till then That which was glorious shall have no glory in this respect by reason of the glory which shall excell This is the raigne of Christ the beginnings whereof these Elders celebrate We give the thanks O Lord c. Because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast raigned Hence Observe Doct. 1 First That Power is Christs peculiar And that Christ hath a peculiar power Thy power All power is his Mat. 2â— 1â— and he hath some power which none else can have Christ is Pleni-potentiarius The proprietary of power and the distributer of power Much of his power he deposites in the hands of Men and some of his power is usurpt by Men. This latter he recovers back from all and for the former all with whom it is trusted must account Then they who have power had need consider whether it be such as Christ hath given them or such as they have taken from Christ He will take back all his peculiars and vindicate the prerogatives of his Crowne from all sacrilegious Antichristian usurpations And they who have power by due commission from Christ had need consider what they doe with it and how they improve it It is almost as dangerous to misuse a power received from Christ as to use a power not received from Christ May I not doe what I will with mine owne said that Master in the Parable Math. 20. 15. yes that thou mayest good reason too And by the same reason no man may doe what he will with power for it is not his owne If a mans tongue were his owne as they bragg'd Psal 124. he might speake what he list without controule But because his tongue is not his own therefore he must give an account of every idle word So if a mans power Mat. 12. 36. were his owne he might doe with it what he list but because it is not his owne but Christs therefore he must give an account to Christ of every unjust act or administration of that power Power is a Talent they sinne who hide it in a Napkin and will not use it for Christ What then doe they who use it against Christ And oppose heaven by that which originally comes from heaven He that acts a meere Politician with his power is well compared to a man standing upon his head he trusts his wit and kicking as such do at heaven with their feet His actions are heaven oppositions Such abusers of power Christ will at last tread under his feet as mire in the streets and breake Psal 2. them to peeces as a Potters vessel with the iron rod of his angred power Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed yee that are Iudges of the Earth Serve the Lord in all your power with feare Doct. 2 Secondly observe The power of Christ is a great power Thou hast taken to thee thy great power His power is great extensivè being over All All places All persons at all times And his power is great Intensivè being over all in all degrees This positive is superlative Christs great power is the greatest power Then Christ can doe great things yea he can doe great Animo magno nihil magmum things as easily as small A great mind counts nothing great and it makes every thing little when it is arm'd with great power The Lord in a holy scorne bafl'd the great mountaine of old Babel before great Zerubbabel with Zech. 4. 8. Who art thou O great Mountaine c. yet then the promise was Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the ver 7. Lord of Hostes And shall not the Elders in a like scorne bafle the great mountaines of new Babel and say Who art thou O great Babylon O Babylon the great before Iesus Christ Revel 17. 5. taking to himselfe his great power and raigning thou shalt surely fall Againe if Christs be a great power then let our's be a great faith How unsutable is
right and reliefe may not his own people expect from him no gifts can blind his eyes from giving judgment nor any greatnes stop his hand from executing it No sonnes of Zerviah are to hard for him 2 Sam. 3. 39. he will reward the doer of evill according to his wickednesse Tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill but Rom. 2. 9 10. glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good Thirdly he is meeke and lowly so the Prophet presents him as the object of Sions joy in the dayes of his humiliation Zach. 9. 9. When he came riding upon an Asse and upon a colt the foale of an Asse And so we may present him to Sion still in all the times of his exaltation raigning upon his throne or riding upon the chariot of his greatest glorie He keeps no severe distance from his people nor deterrs them from suing to him by a clouded angry brow smiles and sweetnesse sits upon his face he is Deliciae Sanctorum the delight of Saints and tendernesse it selfe to all his people Fourthly he is a peaceable Prince and more then that the very Prince of Peace He is not onely disposed for Peace but he hath peace at his dispose Kings of the earth command warre but they Treat for peace But if Christ say Peace to the Sea The winds will obey him And if Christ say peace to the sword the warre will obey him If he will give quietnesse who then can make trouble whether Ioh. 34. 29. it be for a Nation or for a man only Time would faile me to instance further in those divine heart-reioycing Characters of Sions King That which compleates and eternizes our Ioy in Christ as King is that he is King eternall who only hath immortality It clouds our 1 Tim. 1. 17. light and kils the spirit of our joy even while we enjoy excellent Princes to remember they must dye For when that snow melts from the heads of such Aged Princes as it was said of our late famous Queene Elizabeth from the feare of her good subjects and the hope of her enemies then I say we may expect a Flood Change of Kings makes often great changes in a state But in Sion there is no succession of Princes Christ is perpetuall Dictator there To have a better then he or to loose him are equally impossible We cannot mend our selves by any change nor have we any ground to feare a change And that which sets the crowne upon all our comforts yet faster is that as his person is immortall so also is his love towards his people his love is free he hath no designes upon any in loving them His love is without respect of persons he makes all his Subiects Favourites His love is everlasting none can out us of his favour We know that a false whisper into a Princes eare hath blasted all a mans hopes and withred all the Interests he had in him before But no Ziba can accuse us out of the affection of our Heavenly King Then rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion Shout O Zach. 9. 9. Daughter of Ierusalem Behold thy King That which 1 King 10. 9. the Queene of Sheba said of Solomon as the shadow is fully accomplisht in Christ who is greater then Solomon Because the Lord loved Israel therefore made he thee King to doe Iudgement and Iustice The thrones of some Princes have Hos 13. 11. bin founded in the wrath of God against a people I gave thee a King in anger But the throne of Christ is founded in the love of God yea it is all composed and built up of love The whole frame is love and such love as will never be out of frame Quest. But have we this cause of joy and thankfulnes is Christ King now or hath he taken to him his great power and raigned Answ I beleeve we have I beleeve we may see he hath 'T is true the acts and glory of this Kingdome fall not under popular observation No nor under the observation of the Princes of the Earth Wicked men will not cannot behold Isa 26. 10. the Majesty of the Lord. Every eye cannot see this King in his beauty Therefore it is spoken as a speciall priviledge of him that walkes uprightly and shuts his eyes from seeing evill Thine eyes shall see the King in his beautie The Isa 33. 15. 17. proper beauty and Majestie of Christs kingdome is spirituall When Christ came in the flesh and conversed among the Jews every day they knew him not neither do they beleeve on him to this day As therfore Christs appearance to save his Church was humility in a mysterie such as none of the Princes of this world knew For as the Apostle argues 1 Cor 2. 7. 8. had they knowne it they would not have crucified the Lord of glorie So the appearance of Christ to governe his Church is Majestie in a mysterie such as the Princes and men of the world know not for did they know it we may argue from the Apostle they would not oppose the Lord of glorie Antichrist hath usurp'd the great power of Christ and hath raigned many hundred yeares yet how many Nations and in every Nation how many persons will not beleeve it to this day His kingdome is tottering and falling and ending and yet many contend that it is not yet begun The raigne of Antichrist is a mysterie too Neither the raigne of Christ nor Antichrist is visible to all The reason why so many see not Antichrist on his throne is because they are so neare him And the reason why so many see not Christ on his throne is because they are so farre from him They who are neare Antichrist cannot see him and they only can see Christ who are neare unto him A great part of the day of Christs raigne shall neither be cleare nor darke but at evening time it shall be light Zach. 14 6. 7. He will at last cast out such rayes of glorie in the administrations of his Kingdome as every eye shall either see it or be dazel'd with it And for the present if we consult the things which we either heare or see if we leave ancient prophecies and peruse but the historie of these latter yeares What can we conclude lesse then the Initials of Christs Kingdome or at least the Prognosticks of his Raigne When Iohn the Math. 11. 3. Baptist sent two of his Disciples unto Christ And said unto him art thou he that should come or do we looke for another Iohn 10. 24 25. Christ answers from his actions goe and shew John the things which yee do heare and see the blind receive their sight and the lame walke the lepers are cleansed and the deafe heare the dead are raised up and the poore have the Gospel preached to them At another time when the Jewes came round about him and said unto him how long doest thou make us to
THE SAINTS Thankfull Acclamation AT CHRISTS RESVMPTION OF HIS GREAT POWER AND THE Initials of his Kingdome Delivered in a Sermon at Westminster before the Honourable House of Commons upon the day of their solemne Thanksgiving unto God for the great victory given our Armie under the Command of the Noble Lord Fairfax at Selby in Yorke-shire and to other the Parliaments Forces in Pembrock-shire April 23d 1644. By Joseph Caryl Preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolnes-Inne Psal 68. 1. Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered 1 Thess 5. 18. In every thing give thankes for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you LONDON Printed by G. M. for Giles Calvert at the signe of the black-spread-Eagle neare the west end of Pauls 1644. Die Martis 23 April 1644. IT is this day ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That Mr Ashe and Sr Peter Went-worth doe give thanks to Mr Pearne and Mr Caryll for the great paines they tooke in the sermons they preached this day at St Margaret Westminster at the intreaty of the House it being a day of Publicke Thanksgiving for the great Victory God hath given to the Lord Fairfax over his Enemies at Selby in Yorkshire and to the Parliaments Forces in Pembrookeshire and to desire them to print their Sermons And it is Ordered that no man shall presume their or either of their Sermons to print without he have licence under their hand writing H. Elsyng Cler. Parl. D. Com. I Appoint Giles Calvert to print my Sermon JOSEPH CARYL Errata Pag. 4. marg read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 42. l. â—8 dele the. p. 44. l 7. dele in TO THE HONOVRABLE HOVSE of COMMONS assembled in Parliament at Westminster MErcies are obligations to dutie Every Deliverance writes us Debtor and victorie over our Enemies servants to the living God It is good to receive a blessing but it is better to use it well And a thankfull heart is a greater Favour then any outward Favour for which we give thankes When the hand of providence workes gloriously with us our Tongues should render the providence of God glorious Successes and Events cannot make a bad Cause just or good But they make a good Cause beautifull and adde lustre to the Iustice of it Though God should not goe forth with our Armies as sometimes he did not with the Armies of his people but should make them turne their back upon the enemie though he should make us a reproach Psal 44. to our neighbours and a derision to them that are round about us though he should smite us into the place of Dragons and cover us with the shadow of death yet we ought not to forget his name or deale falsely in his Covenant Yea wee ought to blesse his Name and give him thankes that he hath laid our bones and powred our bloud into the Foundation of so honourable a worke It is a sinne and a shame not to honour Christ when in his work we are put to shame How shamefull then would our sinne be if we should not honour him while he gives us honour in carrying on his worke There is nothing more undutifull then for a people to humble God while God is exalting them Not to acknowledge mercies is at least an humbling if it be not an Abasing of God Wherefore Honoured Senators let your hearts be ever lifted up in the waies of God and let God be lifted up in all your hearts Let your pietie be as zealous in keeping dayes of praise and thanksgiving to record blessings as it hath bin in keeping daies of Prayer and Fasting to procure them God could tell the sraclites in the Booke of Judges how often and from what enemies by name he had delivered them Let your records be as exact in this point to the best of your observation as Gods are He knowes still when and what victories he gives he knowes by whom and over whom Chap. 10. he gives them Let your registers be as counterpanes of those reserved in heaven yea as the copies of all those volumes of love and care which God hath transcribed from that originall of his secret counsels by the visible hand and pen of providence in the actions of these latter dayes They that retaine the memorie of mercies seldome loose the fight of mercies and God never breaks off for evill from doing them good who speake good of his name How many successes what victories have been given you since you paid this debt of praise You and we have had joy upon joy then add Thankfulnes to Thankfulnesse till yours and our joyes be full This filling up the Nation joy is and Christ assisting shall be the great desire and earnest prayer of Your Servant in the work of the Lord Ioseph Caryl A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honourable House of COMMONS at Westminster upon the 23. of Aprill 1644. being a day appointed for solemn Thanksgiving unto God for the late successes and victories attained by our Armies in York-shire and Pembrock-shire REVEL 11. v. 16 17. Ver. 16. And the foure and twenty Elders which sate before God on their seates fell upon their faces and worshipped God 17. 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 THis Chapter may be well entitled the compendium or Breviat of all the Prophecies contained in this booke concerning the state of the Church whether sadly groâ—ning under or gloriously triumphing over Antichristian Tyrannie God hath ever even in times of thickest errour and grossest Apostasie reserved a remnant to himself for the asserting of his Truth These are called by way of excellency his Witnesses These being small in number are express'd by the smallest number Two Witnesses These being thus few are yet enow to give a compleat Testimonie For in the mouth of Mat. 18. 16. two or three Witnesses every word may be established The worke of these Witnesses in the nature of it is very spirituall and divine therefore called prophesying I will give power to my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie v. 3. The continuance of their worke is very long so long That it is shorten'd in words by a figure reducing a year to a day A Thousand two hundred and threescore daies Propheticall daies every yeare being as short in words as a day and every day as long in sence as a yeare A Ezek. 4. 6. day for a yeare So Ezekiel was taught to count and so are we The outward condition wherin they prophesied was such as might have caused them to reckon every day a yeare and yet the inward comfort and assistance was such as might make them reckon every yeare but as a day To be cloathed in sack-cloth is to be cloathed with sorrow to be wrapt about with affliction The habit of these Witnesses was an Embleme of actuall mourning They prophesied cloathed in sack-cloth v. 3.
And as sorrow attended them all the time of their witnessing so death attends the accomplishment of it And when they shall have finished their Testimonie the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomelesse pit shall make warre against them and evercome them and kill them v. 7. As we have learned the length of their daies from Ezekiels Kalender so we may learne the kind of their death from Ezekiels vision his dry bones Chap. 37. can speake as well as heare v. 4. and tell you that to die is sometimes to be in great distresse in captivity and under the power of mercilesse men This is to die daily to be in deaths often As to live in sinne so to live in sorrow is to be dead while we live Yet this death cannot swallow up these dead but shall it self be swallow'd up in victory The grave had no victory at all over them and death had but a short one The people shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves v. 9. And after three daies and a halfe the spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet v. 11 Christ arose the third day His witnesses arise after three dayes and a halfe All the servants of Christ shall enter into their Masters joy and these eminent ones are admitted in the letter within halfe a degree of their Masters priviledge As in Scripture language imminent dangers are a death so eminent deliverances are a resurrection What shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead Rom. 11. 15. And because the justice and goodnesse of God will not be satisfied with the bare reparation of his oppressed servants for their wrongs and a putting of them in statu quo But he will give them an addition of double honour in every land where they have been put to shame Therefore these witnesses shall not only arise but they shall ascend Christ will make them what they were and more They ascended up to Heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them v. 12. Great changes produce great effects The blessing of God upon his people portends a curse to his enemies That act of mercy which raiseth Sion ruines Babylon Every advancement of the truth is the downfall of error No sooner doe these witnesses ascend But the same houre there was a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell v. 13. And so great is the fall thereof that presently the seventh Angell sounds This sound produces a second effect great voices v. 15. And there were great voices in Heaven saying c. These voices have a double sound in them First The sound of faith and holy confidence in God Secondly The voice of joy and thankfulnesse unto God The voice of faith is so confident as if it spake from the dictates of sense and saw yea enjoyed all in these beginnings as already done The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall raigne for ever and ever v. 15. This heightn'd faith brings forth joy as its immediate issue joy is the fruit of faith This joy brings forth praise to God praise is the Reuben of joy its first-borne the beginning Prov. 27. 16. of its strength the excellency of its dignity Joy cannot be silent it is the ointment in the Saints right-hand which bewrayeth it selfe in perfuming the Name of God in making his Name like an ointment powred out The Saints were so full of holy joy that they could not keepe their seates And the foure and twenty Elders which sate before God on their seates fell upon their faces and worshipped God saying We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty c. The studies of the learned both Antient and Moderne have been very great and their conceptions as various about the meaning of this prophecy All that I shall say is That I beleeve the providence of God is now about to open and give the unerring interpretation of it The actions of these times are now a making and will shortly make a full exposition of this Scripture I am sure the businesse of this day will be as a Comment upon that part of it read unto you For though we should not now hit the very nick of time about that I will not strive which the Spirit of God aimes at in this solemne Hallelujah of these Elders Yet this duty becomes the Elders at all or any of those times wherein they behold the Lord God Almighty taking to himselfe his great power and raigning The generall subject of these words is the praise of God about which they hold out foure things distinctly Division of the text considerable First the persons who performe this duty of praise to God 2ly The manner in which they praise God 3ly The notions under which they praise God 4ly The grounds or reasons for which they praise God 1 The persons are described in those words And the foure and twenty Elders which sate upon their seates This description of the persons hath three things observable First the number of the persons Four and twenty 2ly Their State or Qualitie they were Elders 3ly Their posture or condition They sate upon seats before God 2. In the manner of their praising God we may note two things 1. Their praises were very humble and devout They fell upon their faces and worshipped 2. Their praises were vocall and explicit They spake out Saying we give thee thanks 3. The Notions under which they praise God are two 1. His omnipotency O Lord God Almighty 2ly His eternity Which art and wast and art to come 4. The grounds or reasons moving them to this duty of praising God are likewise two First the assuming of his power Thou hast taken to thee thy great power 2ly The setling of his kingdome And hast raigned And the four and twenty Elders By these Elders we may Explication of the text understand all the faithfull people of God especially their chiefes and leaders godly Magistrates and godly Ministers going before stirring them up and directing them to magnifie the name of the Lord. Among the Saints some are Elders by Office many in regard of Age all in regard of that reall gravity and dignity which spirituall wisdom and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 16. â—1 holinesse casts upon them Wisdome and holinesse are the gray-haires of young-men The hoary head is a crowne of Glory when it is found in the way of righteousnesse And the wayes of righteousnesse are a crowne of glorie upon the greenest head These Elders are numbred foure and twenty either first in allusion to that distribution of the Levites who attended the service of God or of the people attending the service of the King each being cast into twenty foure divisions 1 Chron. ch 24. Chap. 25. Chap. 26. Chap. 27. From whence Mr Brightman concludes thus Seeing therefore the whole Bright in Apoc c. 4. v. 4. company of the children
be delivered yet because it is the awakening of his power and the putting-on of strength which is most visible in our deliverance therfore in worshipping let us say We thanke thee O Lord God Almighty Here is yet another Attribute in contemplation wherof these Elders praised the Lord and so must we this day namely his eternitie Which art and wast and is to come is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Periphrasis of eternity Time is the moveable Image of Eternitie Eternity is a fixed instant and time is a fluid instant I am is the proper name of eternitie Which is and was and is to come is a name borrowed from the image of it Time Hee who is at once and in one instant all the Exod. 3. 13 14 Tradunt doctij simi Haebraeorii c Verbum Ehejeh tria tempora complecti praesent praeteritum futurum eoque perfectam omnibus nume ris absolutam Dei stabilitatē significari Bez. Anno◠in 1. cap. Apoc. v 4. Sciendum est Apostolum ita exprimere voluisse quod scriptum est Exod. 3. 14. divisions of time must needs be eternall When Moses was sent by God to deliver Israel Moses desires to be instructed by what name he should make him known to Israel Tell them saith God I am hath sent me unto you The Hebrew is Ehejeh Tell them that One Ehejeh hath sent thee The learned Jewes and Talmudists assure us that this word Ehejeh containes those three times present past and to come and is the very same in sense with this in the Text which art and wast and is to come God is as much what he was and what he is to come as what he is I am in All and therefore God is all stabilitie and perfection It is very observable that the same Title in which he revealed himselfe a deliverer to his Church from literall Egypt by the same he is magnified as the deliverer of his people from mysticall Egypt The Elders Which art and wast and art to come is Moses his Ehejeh I am expounded This Attribute is most sweetly taken into our praising meditations What is it that carries the Lord thorough in all he hath done and doth and is to do even this He was and is and is to come Eternity tryumphs over all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence the same word in Hebrew signifies strength victorie and eternitie In the first of Samuel Chap. 15. 29. The Text reades The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent the Margin reades the Eternitie and victorie of Israel will not lie nor repent So the Vulgar Triumphator Israel c. Perpetuall durance prevailes over all He that is eternall will certainly have the last word and the last blow Then certainly Conquerour is his Name He must triumph over all It releeves some men to thinke that though they cannot carrie a businesse at one time yet they may at another It is one of the grand principles of Jesuiticall policie Take time and you may doe any thing He that is and was and is to come may take what time he pleases and upon this ground he hath done and will doe what he pleases This is it which makes Sion rejoyce and all the Elders who dwell in Sion give thanks Iesus Christ is and was and is to come He is the true semper Idem his goodnesse and love to his Church his power and strength for his Church the same for ever He can never be surpriz'd His preparations in regard of strength and his resolutions in regard of love stand eternally at the same height and upon the same bent We may be sure of him at all times Man may be able to doe much to day and nothing to morrow Fuimus Troes we were brave men Time was now the case is alter'd Man may be willing to doe much to day and nothing to morrow Time was Now his mind is alter'd Men one day are very zealous hot and high as if they were all spirit in the prosecution of a designe come to morrow you may find them cold and flat as if they had no spirit at all These were but they are not and who can tell what they will be in time to come But herein lies the strong consolation of the Elders that the hand of Christ never shortens that his mind never changes that his zeale never cools he can act over all his works of power and love againe and againe a thousand times againe and will if his people stand in need of it If Christ were not alwayes the same his Church could not be at all the same Let us therefore under this notion rejoyce in and praise the Lord. He was in our former mercies He is in our present mercies He is to come readie yet to give as emergencies call for them future mercies It had bin sad with us this day if we had a God to praise of whom we could onely say He was Englands deliverer Englands protector in 88 in 1605. He was the Lord of our Hosts in former battels But in this we triumph that we can say this day the Lord is he is our deliverer our protectour the Lord of our Hosts and the God of our battels And with what misgiving if not bleeding hearts should we blesse him this day if we could not with as much assurance as we say he is say also he is to come surely we have troubles yet to come and dangers yet to come and battels yet to come and if we had not a God to come what would shortly become of us What of our Parliament What of our Armies We praise a God who is with us when trouble is present and who will not be farre off when trouble is neare at hand Is not this comfortable that our dangers can never come faster or sooner then our deliverer can come His comming is so unfailable that his name is That art to come He is what he was and he will be what he is Doe not your hearts leape for joy while you give thanks to him whose very name assures you as much of what you want as of what you have of what is behind in your hopes and expectations as of what is this day before you in your sight and gratulation So much of the duty contained in the three former branches of the Text. I now passe to the ground of the duty laid down in those latter words Because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast The latter part of the Text explained raigned Quest But what meaneth this Was Christ weake and without power before Or did he now first of all begin to raigne All power was committed into his hand he was made both Lord and King did he divest himselfe delegate his power unto others Or did they despoyl him of it Did he ever resigne his kingdome or was he driven from his throne Answ I answer the power of Christ is ever the same and his throne above the invasion
doubt If thou be the Christ tell us plainly Iesus answered I told you but ye beleeved not the workes which I do in my Fathers name they beare witnesse of me We may thus answer all Querists about the raigne of Christ consider of the things which ye heare and see The spiritually blind begin to have their eyes unscaled and receive their sight many lamed in prisons walke abroad at liberty many who were deafe at the voice of truth now heare it some who were civilly dead under oppressions and persecutions are raised up and thousands of poore soules have the Gospel preached unto them Proud ones are abased they are scattered in the imaginations of their owne hearts mighty ones are put from their seats and they of low degree are exalted Errours are discountenanc'd truth is enquired after ceremonies and superstitions are cast out monuments of Popery and Paganisme are cast downe the beautie of Idols is stained and the coverings of the graven images are defiled May we not argue from all these for this enthronization of Christ as they did fo his incarnation Ioh. 7. 31. When Christ commeth will he doe moe miracles marvels I am sure they are then these which now are done I believe he will doe more and greater marvels then these but doe ye not thinke these worthy the Annals of Christs raigne Will it not be an honourable record for future ages to enter these things as acted Regnante Christo Christo duce auspice Christo Will not your late Victorie memoriz'd this day become the historie of Christs raigne While I remember how that noble Northerne-light was insulted over in wanton-witted Extincta castro fax pulchra novo est Post ea nec nautae nec militi sic noto pharos c. car Oxon rimes as burnt downe into the socket yea as quite extinct And so extinct that he was prophecied or prayed incapable of ever being lighted up againe for the direction either of Sea-men or souldiers in the North. I cannot but conceive that Christ hath by more then ordinary Providence brought oyle againe to that lampe and caused him to shine brighter out of those obscurities then ever he did before even to rebuke the madnesse of those wild-headed Prophets or to make those Diviners yet more mad And because they tryumph'd that they had beaten all enemies out of the field but prayer and no prayer was left to oppose them for the Letany was almost every where on their side but the prayers as they call them of addle heads and sick brains Therfore also Jesus Christ to vindicate this despised Ordinance hath let them fall in all places by that which they little thought could stand before them The prayers as they count madnesse and distractions of a mad distracted people And doe not those successes look like the successes of Christs kingdome which are given in to the prayer of faith put up in the Name of Christ For the close of this point let me bespeake you as the Lord doth the Jewes by the Prophet Micah O my people Micha 6. 5. remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Sittim unto Gilgal that ye may know the righteousnesse of the Lord. Remember O England what hath been consulted and attempted against thee from the first step of thy travels in the way of Reformation untill this houre Remember how the counsels of all Balaks with the answers of all Balams against thee have been blasted and their joynt attempts defeated Remember well which we are this day remembring what hath been done from York-shire to Pembroke-shire of such extent is the stage of this dayes mercies That yee Qui prius quim descendat hoc signum dabit cadet repentè gladius è caelo ut sciant justi ducem sanctae militiae descensurum Lactant l. 7. de Divino praem c◠19. may know the righteousnesse of the Lord and see prints of the raigne of Christ. Lactantius speaking of the raigne of Christ in another notion then any thoughts of mine can yet take in for he maintains his personall comming tels us that before Christ comes he shall give this signe Suddenly a Sword saith he shall fall from heaven whereby the righteous may know that the Captaine of the holy Militia is about to descend As I assert not his opinion about the personall raigne of Christ so neither can I agree to his signe if that be his meaning the visible falling of a materiall Sword I know no warrant we have to expect such tokens But surely in Allusion I may safely make this use of it when we see a Sword falling from heaven that is a warre begun and carried on by extraordinary providences farre beyond the thoughts and designes of men we may more then probably conclude that Christ is come to be Captaine of that Militia that he hath taken to him his great power and raigneth Object But if Christ be upon his throne why are not Revel 18. 7. all his enemies under his foot-stoole If Christ be a King why doth Babylon sit still as a Queen Answ Babylons ruine is graduall as Babylon was not built in a day so Babylon shall not fall in a day Obj. But the Text saith Her plagues shall come in one day Rev. 18. 8. death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire Answ One day cannot here be taken strictly for the duration of 24 hours Famine cannot begin and end assault and kill in one such day Then one day is a short time or suddenly unexpectedly when Babylon shall sit fastest and safest in her owne thoughts saying I shall see no sorrow then her plagues and pangs shall come upon her as paine upon a woman with child and she shall not escape Againe these plagues in one day may be taken for the period and perfection of her plagues As a mighty tree which hath stood many hundred stroakes of the axe at the last fals at one blow or as a strong City which hath bin many months some yeares perhaps besieged being at the last taken all her plagues may be said to come upon her in one day Such is the case of Babylon Axes have bin laid to her root a long time long siedge hath bin laid many batteries made against her wals and gates She must fall at length by one stroake and be taken as in one day Hence the fall of Antichrist is spoken of not as an instantaneous but as a continued act he goeth into perdition Rev. 17. 11. Even while Christ raignes Antichrist will play Rex in the world and like a wilde beast rage and doe mischiefe after he is in the toyls and hath received his deaths wound Christs is a gradually rising ascending and growing Kingdome Antichrists is a gradually falling descending and declining Kingdom Antichrist will have some shew of a Kingdome untill Christ hath a full and compleate kingdome That it was the
Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glorie ver 10 11. and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Observe they do not praise God for creating a world wherein they had received so much pleasure so many conveniences such comforts and refreshings but as if it had not been worth the while to reflect upon themselves or any concernement of theirs in the world as if God had made a world only for himselfe to dwell in They blesse him for creating all things purely and precisely under this notion because for his pleasure they are and were created In this one point lies the very spirit of all the spiritualnesse of this great duty When we can so praise God for blessings received as if not we but he himselfe had received them It is the very heaven of heavenly mindednesse when we can rejoyce that all things are done for the pleasure of God Armies are created of God warre is created of God victorie is created of God as much and as truly as ever the world was created of God Say therefore yee who have the honour of our civill Eldership and all who are here assembled to joyne in this great duty say Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glorie and honor and power for thou hast created al these things and for thy pleasure they are and were created For thy pleasure our Armies are and were raised for thy pleasure our warre is and hath bin continued for thy pleasure our enemies are and have bin opposed for thy pleasure this victorie is and was obtained We then feed most sweetly upon mercies when the pleasure of God swallows up all And from this principle we may aboundantly answer that Objection which some seemingly-compassionate spirits raise against this dutie What! give thankes when men are slaine What! Rejoyce when so many of our owne blood and Nation lie weltring in their bloud Is not this not only not Christian but inhumane Let such objectors know we are I am sure we ought to be and we are now taught to be so farre from rejoycing because men though our enemies are slaine and their blood spilt that we doe not rejoyce because we our selves are safe and our blood not spilt We are not giving thankes because men are ruin'd but because Christ raignes Joy in such a duty as this below the throne of Christ is too low for the spirit of an Elder And if Christ will set up his Throne upon millions of carkasses of the slaine it well becomes an Elder all the Elders to rejoyce and give thanks I shall now onely leave some few briefe counsels with you Honourable and Beloved as results from all that hath been spoken and so conclude First labour to walk worthy of this victory It is good to give thankes with our lips but it is best to give thanks with our lives Thankes acted is better then thankes said Let this mercie make you holy They get little good by victories who are not better by victories Secondly let this experience worke hope Hope is the most naturall and proper effect of experience Your work Rom. 5. 4. is not all done nor your dangers all blowne over get confidence of future successes from past successes A daring Goliah should be lookt upon as vanquish't when we can remember a vanquish't Lion and a Beare Argue downe all unbeliefe as the Apostle doth God who hath delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in him wee 2 Cor. 1. 20. trust that he will yet deliver us Let there never be found in any Historie to be written of your actions such a record against you as stands to this day against the Israelites who Exod. 15. 1. 23. 24. sung a Psalme of praise for drowning Pharaoh and his host in the Sea at the beginning of the Chapter and fell a murmuring being but a little stress't for sweet water at the end of the Chapter Thirdly gather strength in prayer from these praises As prayer engages unto praise so praise encourages unto prayer The joy of the Lord is our strength to aske And when God is giving it is seasonable to aske more The Jewes in Babylon had great things done for them so great that they thought themselves in a dreame and the newes too good to be true so great that yet it overcame their unbeliefe and their mouthes were filled with Psal 126. 1 2 3 4. laughter and their tongues with singing so great that they among the Heathen said the Lord hath done great things for them and then it was time for them to take up the ditty from the Heathens lips and say The Lord hath done great things for us wherof we are glad yet as it were with the same breath they fall a praying as hard as if God had done nothing for them Turne againe our captivitie O Lord as the rivers in the South The providence of God hath now made an immediate succession from your Thanksgiving-day to your Fasting-day some have thought them too farre distant in nature to be so neare in time but I beleeve the former will prove a very fit Parascue or day of preparation for the latter The higher we can get our hearts spiritually lifted up and the more joyfully affected in a day of praise the deeper we may get our hearts humbled and the more beleevingly enlarged in a day of prayer Fourthly let these mercies raise your hearts yet to more activitie of endeavours When we see God working shall we stand still Should we not worke harder then before When God goes forward shall we goe back-ward Should we not move faster then before In the journey from Egypt to Canaan through the wildernesse the Israelites were bound to follow the motions or stations of the cloud when that went forward they were to goe forward and when that stood still they stood still Divine providence is a leading Cloud to this day it is ill to out-run providence and it is as bad not to follow it Let not successes flat upon your hands It is better to use a victorie then to get it Lastly seeing yee have given thanks to Christ for help against your enemies be ye a helpe to all the friends of Christ Christ hath made your hearts glad let it be your studie it will be your honour to glad the hearts of those who love Christ Christ himselfe needs no favour from you but some who are neare to him may He will take it very kindly if some of your debts to him may be paid over into their bosomes Old Barzillai modestly refused the royall Favours of King David because age had disabled him to make use of them But saith he behold 2 Sam. 19. 37. thy servant Chimham let him goe over with my Lord the King and doe to him what shall seeme good unto thee Should yee as Kings offer to the King our Lord Jesus Christ the greatest bounties imaginable he must refuse them because his fulnesse sets him above the use of them Or if he were hungrie he would not tell it you for the world is his and Psal 50. 12. the fulnesse thereof But he hath many Chimhams Beloved sonnes and deare children take them and their condition into your counsels and doe to them as shall seeme good unto you And all that you doe for them Christ will take upon his own account and as done unto himself Yea in their enjoyment of their due priviledges Christ raignes and Rev. 11. 15. the kingdom becomes the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christs Then a Kingdom is Christs when all who approve themselves members of Christ may have free and in-offensive communion with him in all the Ordinances of his worship Which how to compasse is the highest and noblest designe of any councell upon the earth and I beleeve hath hitherto been I am sure it ought to be the utmost aime of all your counsels especially considering how solemnly you have witnessed your owne and the Nations engagement unto Christ How sad would it be so sad that the remotest suspition of it is more then enough to make any heart sad how sad would it be if Christ should ever have the occasion offer'd to expostulate with the great Councell of England Thus Your daies of Thanksgiving to me for victories testifie that I have subdued your enemies by my power and shall not your authoritie protect my friends your thanksgivings to me for victories testifie that I have asserted your civill liberties through the bloud of your opposers and will not yee assert their spirituall liberties purchased by my bloud Your Thanksgivings to me for victories testifie that I have suffered no man to doe you wrong but have even reproved a King And O that such reproofe may be as a precious ointment which might not breake but heale both his head and heart for your sakes and will ye suffer any to doe my servants wrong will yee not reprove either high or low for their sakes Or shall I goe on to gain the kingdom into a quiet habitation for you and shall any who are truly mine and faithfully yours have ground to complaine in mine eares that they cannot find a place in it freely to set their feet and rest their heads Honourable and Beloved I know your goodnesse will beare it if I thus freely represent what cannot be hid that such fears are scatter'd And I doubt not but your great wisdome and tendernes through the help of Christ will scatter them indeed so that they shall never improve into sorrows and prevent not only that terrible chiding of Christ which you shall never heare without infinite reason for it but also the complaints of any of his people which sometime you may possible heare yet vouchsafe to weigh them upon lighter reason In this sense to be weake with them that are weake is I humbly conceive as sutable to a Parliamentary spirit as it was to an Apostolicall The desire and praier of all that fear God is that every one of you may shew the same diligence to the full assurance of this hope unto the end FINIS
when the Israelites were worsted by and fled from the men of Ai Joshua Josh 7. 6 7. rent his cloaths and fell to the earth upon his face before the Arke of the Lord and said alas Lord God wherefore hast thou brought this people at all over Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us c. But was it only the death of thirty six men or the dishonour fallen upon his Armie or the feare of cutting off the name of Israel as he speakes a little after which fetch'd these complaints from valiant Ioshua No there was more then all these And that breakes forth in the last words of his prayer v. 9. And what wilt thou doe unto thy great name As if he had said we came not over Iordane to make our owne names great but to make thy name great And if by the blotting out of our name from under heaven thy name might be advanced among these Heathens how willingly should we embrace our destruction that thou mightest raise up thy honour upon our ruine But Lord these Amorites will blaspheme and darken thine honour through our destruction Therefore what wilt thou doe to thy great Name Now as in all the overthrowes the heart of a godly man trembles most for the Arke of God and mournes most fearing reproach should be cast upon the name of God So in all victories his heart triumphs most for the Arke of God and he gives thankes chiefly for joy that honour is brought to the name of God The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance saith holy David he Psal 58. 10 shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked that is either abundance of that bad blood shall be spilt and it shall be powred like water in the streets so that the righteous may goe over shoes in it if he will or onely thus hee shall have comfort in those hot Countries washing of the feet was for the refreshment of the weary to which custome the holy Ghost seemes here to allude he I say shall have comfort and refreshing by the death of wicked men as weary travellers have by washing their feet Yet not barely in their death or in the vengeance that fals upon them these are objects too low and very unsutable to the joy of Saints but in this that by their death the glory of God is vindicated Thus the next verse teaches us to expound it So that a man one that hath but the light ver 11. of common reason to guide his tongue shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that judgeth the earth While wicked men flourish righteous men are looked upon by the men of the world as if God had forsaken them or had nothing in all his treasures left to recompence them God is looked on by the same carnall eyes as if he were violently driven from his throne or had voluntarily forsaken the earth But when once his hand takes hold on vengeance and he makes his arrows drunke with the bloud of the wicked then worldly men shall recant their erroneous conceits both concerning righteous men and the most righteous God and say Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that judgeth the Earth We confesse we were mistaken we see our confutation written in blood of these men or the bloud of these wicked men speakes aloud as the bloud of righteous Abel did to God for judgement that God is a righteous Iudge Now this is the thing which caused the righteous to rejoyce in the vengeance namely to see God repair'd in honour and set right in the opinion of men The reason of all is First because the Saints make First reason Christs honour the end of all their undertakings Whether they eate or drinke whether they consult or act whether they make warre or peace whether they fight or treat 1 Cor. 10. 31. or whatsoever they doe they doe all to the glory of God and therefore when God is glorified they are satisfied and rest as in their end They cannot take content in any thing wherein Christ is not All. They can rejoyce in their own weakenesse so Christ may have power they can triumph in their own slavery so Christ may raign But they cannot rejoyce in their own power or liberty without the crosse of Christ wherby they are saved and in the crown of Christ whereby they are ruled Secondly they know that their owne interests are Second reason wrapt up in Christs and if he gaine they cannot loose God hath inseparably espoused his owne glory with his peoples good As Christ died not for himselfe so neither doth he raigne for himselfe Whatsoever he doth as Mediatour he doth for his Church Hence they can looke upon the power of Christ as their power or power for them and they looke upon the kingdome of Christ as their kingdome or as a kingdome set up for them Because I live saith Christ to beleevers ye shall live also and therein he saith in effect to beleevers because I raigne 〈◊〉 14. ◠yee shall raigne also While Christ is full his people shall not want and while Christ hath power his people shall not fall As then they would not so they need not looke further then the advance of Christ for the ground of their joy for in and with Christ they also are advanced Christ is afflicted in all their afflictions and in all the exaltations of Christ they are exalted Then be hence directed in what and for what chiefly to rejoyce and give thankes this day Say not we give thee thanks ô Lord God Almighty because we have got power and have prevailed because we have got honour and are exalted because we have got a victory and many of our enemies are subdued this were to give thanks for our selves while we give thanks unto God It was a great charge upon the people of the Jewes that they fasted to or for themselves When yee fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh Zach. 7. 5. moneth even those seventie yeares did yee at all fast unto me even to me It would be very sad if we should give the Lord occasion to renew this charge upon our feast this day Have ye at all feasted unto me even unto me It is as dangerous and unbecomming to feast to our selves as to fast to our selves This were to give thankes like a Roman not like a Christian State Heathens triumph'd and gave thanks to their gods for victories because their enemies were conquer'd because their peace and safety were ensur'd because their honour was encreas'd and their Empire enlarged But Christians must give thankes for victories because the power of Christ is magnified and his kingdome in a way of exaltation over All. It is observable that the foure and twenty Elders worshipping God in the fourth of the Revelation cast their Crownes before the throne saying