their abused rule power and authority and quite abolished death the last Enemie so that then Christ shall cease to reigne any longer as Mediatour he shall then cease to reigne according to the present dispensation and administring of his Office but not as one God co-essentiall with the Father for his Kingdome according to his God-head shall then be compleate consummate and perfect yea and his humanity also shall reigne then not as by or of it selfe but as joyned in one person with his Godhead and as the common head of all those whom he hath redeemed and sanctified and brought toglory through taking their nature upon him and suffering in it So that the forementioned place in the Corinthians doth not speake of the abolishing of Christs Kingdome but of the perfection of it rather when God whose glory is now much obscured and darkned by Enemies shall be all in all among his Saints and the eternall Father shall triumph eternally in his Sonne as a finall Conquerour The like answer also must be given to the objection which may bee made from the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 28. where he saith that the Sonne also himselfe shall be subject unto him that did put all things under him These words are not so to be understood as if the Father were not for the present well pleased with the Sonne or as if the Sonne were not already subject to the Father as Mediatour but the meaning of them is this that when all things which doe now during the present forme of his administration make opposition and resistance against Christ shall bee subdued unto him and brought under his feet then Christ himselfe also as touching his Mediatorship shall be subject unto the Father and God shall be all in all neither doth this subjection imply a depressing or pulling downe lower but rather Christ and his Saints shall be at the height and top of their glory when they shall be so subject as on the other side whosoever shall not then be so subject they shall be at the bottome of all remedilesse misery and wretchednesse Before I passe away to another head I must needs touch againe upon a place of Scripture before cited 1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible c. Here be two words that doe expresse the perpetuity and everlasting duration of Christs Kingdome eternall and immortall and neither of them is idle or superfluous the Holy Ghost doth not use tautalogie or vaine repetition in them I have shewed you already what is meant by immortall namely that the Kingdome of Christ is not subject to succession it is not liable to be devolved and rould downe to after comers which Daniel expresseth thus his Kingdome shall not be left unto other people as the Monarchies of the Babylonians Medes Alexander and the Kingdomes of the Seleucidae which the Prophet had spoken of were they were translated from Nation to Nation and from man to man and at last quite dissolved But Christs Kingdome shall not be pluck't up for others beside himselfe but it shall hold on constantly through all ages and centuries of the world unto the end and when the end commeth it shall not expire and give up the Ghost but it shall attaine to its full beauty and perfection it shall come to its meridian or verticall point as I may say and shall never decline never decay it shall last beyond the world and beyond all time for ever therefore the Apostle calls Christ not onely an immortall King but also an eternall King Thus you see that the Spirit of God doth to good purpose use two words somewhat of kinne iâ— signification one to the other that thereby hee might set forth the excellency of Christs Kingdome above all other Kingdomes by the one word is shewed the course of his Kingdome through this world during the time of his Mediatourshipâ— and by the other word is declared the lasting of it unto all eternity after his Mediatorship is laid downe Lastly Christ is matchlesse and eminent above all other Kings in all Royall vertues endowments and accomplishments First he is a most sapient and wise King called therefore Counsellour by the Prophet and onely wise by the Apostle the wonderfull Numberer he that sealeth up the summe full of wisdome none essentially wise but he none but are depending and beholding for their wisedome but he his foolishnesse is wiser then men they be all doters to him Earthly Kings have their Counsellours but he needs none Solomon was the wisest among them but a greater then Solomon is here Secondly he is Rex armipotens bellicosus a most puissant and warlike King called therefore a man of Warre the Lord of Hosts the Captaine of our Salvation the armies in Heaven Angels and righteous men follow him he is the stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands sent from heaven and acting by no humane but meerely Divine Authority which smote the Image and brake in pieces the iron the brasse the clay the Silver and the Gold the great Monarchies and Kingdomes of the world to make way for his owne Kingdome he is terrible to all the Kings of the Earth that withstand him he is so mighty and so politick that he gets ground of his enemies by giving ground to them The world Hell Death sinne the Accuser of the brethren the enmity of the carnall mind all these are in the Trophes of his victories All his foes are and shall be made his footstoole he will make even the proudest of them to stoope and to hold his stirrup yea he will make them his very stirrup to get on horse-back by as once Sâ—por the Persian served Valerian the Romane Emperour Thirdly Christ is as eminent in peace also as he is in warre called therefore the Prince of Peace When hee was borne warres were husht every where and all the world was at peace Jacob beheld him as a ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven and what was this but the Image of a Peace-maker between God and man the Angels of God ascended and descended by that ladder signifying that by Christ wee have the benefit of the Ministry of Angels they ascend to receive new commission from God concerning the Saints and again descend to execute it by Christ also our prayers as Intelligencers and signifiers of our wants doe ascend into the presence of God and againe his blessings as Angels and Messengers of his good will towards us doe descend and light upon us Thus is Christ a ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven partaking of both God and man in one person our blessed Reconciler and Peace-maker he died to purchase peace for us when he went away he left his peace with us and he reignes for ever to maintaine our peace Melchisedec was King of Salem that is King of Peace nominally and in a figure onely but Christ is the very body and substance of that shadow Fourthly Christ is a most just and righteous
happinesse that God hath treasured up in Christ and that to be joyned to him is the only way to obtaine these blessings viz. the Fathers love Pardon of sinne Manifestation of Gods face page 42. 1. The love of God is infinite like himselfe and cannot be conferred upon any creature for its owne sake ibid. Christ alone is a sutable object for the love of God ibid. The treasures of Gods love and riches are first in Christ and by him conveyed to us page 43. 2. There is an absolute necessitie of Christ for the pardon of sinne p. 45. Christ redintigrates mercy and justice when they seemed to be at variance ib. Christs bloud onely purges away sinne p. 48. When sinne is pardoned there is a confluence of all blessings comes along with it page 49 50 51. 3. It is Christ alone that doth as it were unmaske and unvaile the face of God and helps us to a manifestation of it page 52. Christ is the brightnesse of Gods glory p. 54. 3. Reason Christ is precious and excellent in all relations either as he is man or as he is Mediator or as he is God p. 55. 1. As man Christ was holy and harmelesse ibid. 2. Christ was lovely in his abasements p. 57. Christ was in the Essentiall forme of God page 58. Christ did evacuate and emptie himselfe of all his glory p. 59 60. 3. Christ was obedient unto the will of his Father p. 61. Repentance was hid from his eyes when he was under the pressures of Divine wrath page 62. He prayes the cup might passe from him with submission to his Fathers will page 63. 4. Christ as man was perfect in graces page 64 65 Christ was more perfect then Adam p. 66. Christs Excellencie shines forth in diverse respects as man p. 67 68. 2. Christ is excellent as God-man as he is Mediatour p. 69. In the Mediatorship of Christ wee are to consider three things viz. his Prophecie Priesthood Kingdome p. 70. Christ was the head of all Prophets in diverse respects ibid. 1. All other Prophets were but types and shadowes of Christ ibid. Moses was a type of Christ in diverse respects ibid. 71. Noah David Elisha Jonah John the Baptist were all types of Christ p. 72 73. 2. Other Prophets could speake onely to the eares of men but Christ speakes to the heart ibid. Other Prophets could preach wisdome unto men but Christ can preach men wise page 74. 3. Other Prophets were instrumentall to search out the mind of God and they did it by way of act onely but the mind of God was in Christ habitually and radically p. 75. How all fulnesse is said to dwell in Christ page 76. 4. Other Prophets could reveale but some part of the will of God and at some times onely but Christ doth it fully and altogether ibid. 77. 5. Other Prophets might not preach themselves but Christ might p. 78 79. 6. All Prophets had their Commission from Christ p. 80. Christ is the fountaine of all Prophecie page 81 82. 83. 2. Christ it a Priest wherein is the heart strength of his mediation p. 84 85. 86. The dignity and exceeding preciousnesse of the Priesthood of Christ is set forth by a collation and comparison between him and the Leviticall Priests those of Aron's order page 87. 1. In the Leviticall Priest-hood there were a plurality of Priests but Christ was Priest alone ibi 2. In the Leviticall Priest-hood there was a change and a succession of Priests but Christs Priest-hood was impassable page 88. Christ was not a Priest after Aron's order but after Melchisedec's ib. In what respect Melchisedec is said to be without Father and mother ib. 89. 3. The Leviticall Priests offred oftentimes but Christ offered but once p. 99. 91. 4. Other Priests and their Sacrifices were but types and shadowes Christ is the essence and substance of those things p. 92 5. Other Priests entred onely into that place which was typically holy but Christ into heaven it selfe p. 93. If men will Judaize and stick to Mosaicall rudiments they have no right to eat of the Christians Altar p. 94. 6. Other Priests offred first for themselves and afterward for the people but Christ was without sinne and needed no sacrifice for himselfe p. 95. 7. Christ was a mercifull Priest p. 96 97. 8. Christ was the Priest the Temple or Tabernacle the Altar and the Sacrifice all in one person page 98. 1. He was Priest in respect in respect of both natures p. 99. 2. he was the Tabernacle or Temple most properly according to his God-head page 100. 3. He was an Altar most properly according to his Divinity p. 101 102. 4. He is a sacrifice most properly according to his manhood p. 103 104. Christ as Mediatour is a King and in his Kingly Office he shines forth most excellently above all other Kings and that in diverse respects p. 105. 1. Christs Kingdome is spirirituall ibid. Christ onely rules over the Conscience ib. The soules of men are one of Babylons chiefe merchandize 106. Domination and Lordship over the soule and Conscience is that part of Christs glory which he will not give to another ib. Wee are not to mancipate and enflame our Consciences to any humane devise in matters meerely spirituall p. 107. Christ rules in the Kingdomes of men and meddles in their secular affaires in reference to his own spirituall Kingdome ib. page 108. 2. Christ Kingdome is universall p. 109. 1. In respect of all Nations ibid. 2. In respect of all sorts and conditions of men p. 110 111. 3. In respect of all ages and times of the world p. 112. 4. In respect of all creatures p. 113. 3. Christ rules as King alone without either colleague in the largenesse of his dominion or Regent in his minority or Vice-roy in his absence p. 114 115. 4. Christ is an eternall and everlasting King page 116. In what respect Christs Kingdome is ever lasting page 117. In what respect Christ shall give up that Kingdome to the Father at the last Day ibid. 118. Christs Kingdome is not subject to succession or to be devolved and rould downe to after comers page 119 120. 5. Christ is matchlesse and eminent above all other Kings in all royall vertues endowments and accomplishments p. 121. 1. He is a most sapient and wise King ib. 2. He is a most puissant warlik King ib. 3. He is as eminent in peace as be is in war page 122. 4. He is a most just and righteous King page 123. 5. He is a most mild and mercifull King page 124. Christ as King is eminent above all others p. 125. The third thing spoken of Christ as Mediatour is his God head ibid. There are fathomlesse depths and stupendious Mysteries and confounding excellencies to be found in God p. 126. In generall Christ is excellent in that he is the altitude and summity of all glory and one eternall God the same in essence and substance with the Father p. 127.
certainly we must needs grant him even by this argument to be very precious and excellent Thirdly Consider Christ as a King and in this also his glory his dignitie and his excellency shines forth most eminently Christ is a King above all other Kings and that in these respects First of all his Kingdome is a spirituall Kingdome he rules over the soules and consciences of men other Kings may subject the bodies and the estates of such as are under them but not their consciences Indeed there hath been usurpation in this kinde but never tolerated and allowed by Christ One and the chiefest of all Babylons merchandize are the soules of men Revel 18. 13. by her curses excommunications pardons purgatory and the like inventions shee hath made merchandize of the soules and domineer'd over the consciences of men Episcopacy in all places more or lesse hath trodden in the same path let the Reformists of these times have a care that nothing be obtruded and thrust upon tender consciences which they cannot beare the heart the soule and the conscience is properly the subject of Christs Kingdome neither will he endure the subjection thereof to any other then himselfe domination and lordship over the soule is a part of his glory which he will not give to another The Church speaks it with indignation that her own mothers sonnes such as seemed to be of her numbers and corporation being inflamed with rage against her made her the keeper of other vines and to neglect her own that is they forced her to serve in part their phansies and pleasures * Mr. Dudley Fenner in his exposition upon the place printed at Middelburgh 1587. while shee abated of her diligence in doing those duties which God required of her Cant. 1. 6. God challengeth the persons of the Israelites as his own servants neither must they be sold as bondmen because he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt Levit. 25. 42. Now the like reason doth the Apostle give why wee should not subject our hearts and consciences to the ordinances of men in matters of religion yee are bought with a price saith he be not yee the servants of men 1 Cor. 7 23. that is doe not mancipate and enslave your consciences to any humane devise in matters meerely spirituall Christ alone is the King and Lord of our spirits his Kingdome is spirituall his Lawes are spirituall his people are spirituall he rules in the Kingdomes of men and meddles in their secular affaires all in order to his own spirituall Kingdome Heathenish people have been tamed and civiliz'd that way might be made for their embracing of the Gospel All the warres of the Nations all their policies and governments all their risings and decayings all the great works that ever were done in the world have tended by degrees at least to the advancement of Christs spirituall Kingdome Christ hath still made them his prudentialls to bring about his own ends The Assyrian first subdued the Nations after him the Babylonian then the Persian and the Grecian followed him but the Roman went farther then them all and when God had thus shaken the earth and the Kingdomes of the world then it was high time for Christ the desire of all Nations to come and the Gospel to be more clearly preached then before I speake this to shew how that Christ mingles himselfe even in worldly agitations and affaires that thereby he may further and set forward his own spirituall Kingdome and it should teach us to rule and steere our course in such things not carnally and grossly as the Heathen doe but spiritually as Christ doth his Kingdome iâ— a spirituall Kingdome so he tells Pilate My kingdome saith he is not of this world Joh. 18. 36. that is saith Mr. Luther he reigneth not according to the flesh and the world but he ruleth and sanctifieth in spirituall and heavenly things as righteousnesse truth wisdome peace salvation not as though all things of this world and even of Hell it selfe were not also in subjection unto him otherwise how could he pâ—eserve us and defend us from them all but because his Kingdome doth not consist either in them or of them Christs Kingdome is in heavenly spirituall things as in binding and loosing of the conscience captivating the affections and subduing the heart in obedience to himselfe and so bringing us by degrees unto glory There be them that tell us of a Monarchicall Kingdome of Christ whereby he shall in proper person reigne a thousand yeares upon the earth before the end and consummation of the world which if it be a truth yet I leave the opinion thereof to be scan'd and disputed of by the judicious Truth and falshood are brought to light by travaile industry and disputation Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased Dan. 12. 4. Secondly the Kingdome of Christ according to his Mediatorship is a universall Kingdome First Universall it is in respect of all Nations There was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all people and Nations and languages should serve him Dan. 7. 14. The heathen are bis inheritance and the ends of the earth his possession The Monarchs of the world have Psa 2. 8. stretched their Empiers farre Nebuchadnezzars Kingdome in Strabo reached as farre as Spain as Mr. Broughton delivers out of that Author The Persians pierced farther Alexander farther then they and the Romans farther then them all but none of all these subdued the whole habitable as Christ hath done his subjects have been and are to be gathered from the foure winds all over the universe The Apostle speaking of the preachers of the Gospel saith That their sound went into all the earth their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10. 18. Secondly Christs Kingdome is universall in respect of all sorts ranckes and conditions of men Noahs Arke was a shadow of the Church Now as into that Arke came creatures of every kindes so into the Church which is the Kingdome of Christ are received people of all ages sexes professions and conditions whatsoever if their conditions be such as thwart the laws and ordinances of that Kingdome they are laid downe they are changed in the very act of their reception This Kingdome doth not refuse any that will submit to it but all sorts of people may come and be accepted This is elegantly set forth by the Prophet Esa 41. 19. where God promiseth to plant in the Wildernesse the Cedar the Sitath tree the Myrtle the Oyle-tree the Firre-tree the Pine and the Box-tree together This also is signified by the Net cast into the Sea which gathereth fish of Mat. 13. 47 48. every kinde and so also of every kinde are reserved as good this net is an embleme of the Gospel preached called the kingdome of heaven because it doth forme promove and advance that Kingdome The fish of every sort which the net catches doe declare that people
of all qualities are admittable into the Kingdome of Christ This likewise was sweetly represented unto Peter by a sheet knit at the foure corners wherein were all manner of foure-footed beasts Acts 10. 12. of the Earth and wild Beasts and creeping things and foules of the aire and the Apostle was bid to arise and to slay and eate Now by this he was taught that not onely the Gentiles as well as the Jewes were to be received into the Kingdome of Christ but also that in every Nation as himselfe afterwards expounds it He that feareth God and worketh Righteousnesse is accepted with him Acts 10 35. Let him be of what trade and occuptation of what ranke and quality of what state and condition soever he will be Christ will not refuse him coming unto him and submitting unto the Scepter of his Kingdome Thirdly the Kingdome of Christ is universall in respect of the ages and times of the world it runnes through all ages and it lasts from generation to generation And hence it is that Christ is called a King immortall 1 Tim. 1. 17. having spoken of the long suffering of Jesus Christ toward him in the precedent verse he addes immediately now unto the King eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever amen Jesus Christ then is that God and King and he is called immortall to distinguish him from all other Kings The Kings of the world are mortall they die and leave their Kingdomes to others but Christ is an immortall King hee never dieth his Kingdome knowes no period it passes through all Epoches and tracts of time Precious is Christ that hath such a Kingdome and happie are his Saints that have such a King When friends die when Estates are gone when the Sword rages when sicknesse and death comes when any trouble or affliction is upon them yet to their unspeakable comfort they know that their mighty King liveth and reigneth and so long as he is up they cannot be so downe but they shall rise againe Christ is a King in all ages of the world from the beginning God is my King of old saith the Church Psal 74. 12. and Christ is God there spoken of as appeares by the words that follow God is my King of old working salvation in the midst of the Earth it is Christ the Mediatour that workes salvation in the midst of the Earth for the Father hath committed all Judgement unto him he then is King of old from the very first founding of the world and so shall continue to be while the Sunne and Moone indure as 't is prophecied of him Fourthly Christs Kingdome is universall in respect of all Creatures all power is given into him both in heaven and in earth In respect of his providence the creatures are subject to him as God but as they serve to further the salvation of his elect and to beautifie his Kingdome so they are subject unto him as Mediatour In Ephes 1. 22. It is said of Christ that the Father hath put all things under his feet and hath given him to be the head over all things to the Church that is so farre forth as they conduce to the good of the Church so they are under the Kingdome of Christ as Mediatour Thirdly Christ rules as King alone he alone is caput Ecclesiae the head of the Church When the Romane Empire was growne vast and unweldy there were colleagues in government two men of equall Authority one to rule the East and another to sway the West And in some places during the minority of the King they chose a Regent who hath Kingly Authority and is pro tempore as a King But it is not so in the Kingdome of Christ he rules alone without a partner Vnum non capit Regnum duos is a most true saying here this one Kingdome will not beare two Kings at once Ridiculous is the Popes challenge to be the Ministeriall head of the Church Christ rules alone without any such Image of his government he rules alone as head without either colleague in the largenesse of his dominion or Regent in his minority sole or Vice-Roy in his absence hee hath indeed Officers that rule under him but the headship and royalty he reserves as peculiar to himselfe he carries the government upon his owne shoulders as wee reade Isaiah 9. 6. he alone hath soveraigne power and Authority in governing of his Church he alone hath supremacy of Regiment he alone is Claviger the Key-carrier to his Church Isa 22. 22. It is written thus of Eliakim the Key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open Now herein was this Saint a lively figure and type of Christ the words of the Prophecie are applyed to Christ in his advertisement to Philadelphia Revel 3. and the sense is this that looke as Eliakim was made Steward or Treasurer under Hezekiah that is the next unto the King in government all over the Land to command to forbid to permit to reward to punish to doe Justice and to represse all disorder of which Authority the bearing of a Key on the shoulder was a badge so Christ as Mediatour under his Father hath regall power and Authority over his Church where hee commands in chiefe as I may say and no man may lift up his hand or foote without him he hath the Key of the house of David upon his shoulder to prescribe to inhibit to call to harden to save and to destroy at his pleasure such a Monarch and King is Christ over his Church neither hath any such rule and soveraignty beside him Fourthly Christ is an eternall and everlasting King he receives a Kingdome that cannot be shaken there shall be no end of it his Throne endureth for ever God rent away the Kingdome from Soul and others and Mene Mene was upon Belshazzars Kingdome a full â—umbring and finishing the dayes of it but Christs Kingdome is everlasting and shall never expire let the enemies thereof use what art and craft they will they shall never destroy it or pluck it up The God of Heaven saith the Prophet shall set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed neither shall it be left to other people but it shall stand for ever Dan. 2. 44. If that of the Apostle be objected where â—e saith that Christ shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father 1 Cor. 15. 24. I answer that this doth nothing at all impeach the everlastingnesse of Christs Kingdome for the meaning of it is this that at the generall Resurrection and the end of the world Christ shall lay downe his Mediatorship and shall deliver up all his Elect and faithfull Members of whom now his Kingdome consists unto his Father to be eternally crowned and glorifyed and this shall be then when hee shall have reconciled some of his Enemies spoyled desperate ones of