Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A23606
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Precious promises the portion of overcomers. / By John Lougher, minister of the Gospel.
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Lougher, John, d. 1686.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing L3093B; ESTC R217742
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97,531
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281
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not at all understand them Whether there shall be a personal continuance of Christ on earth for a Thousand Years as some hold is very hard to be proved from the Scripture Yet that there will be a glorious time for the Church on Earth before the end of all things is very clear The 60 Chapter of Esay speaks it fully those Promises wait for the full accomplishment Great shall he the day of Jezreel Hos 2. ult This is the world to come as some judge mentioned Heb. 2.5 Then shall Knowledg abound and cover the Earth as the Waters do the Sea Some observe that the Girdle was about the Loins Ezek. 23.15 But then about the Paps Rev. 1.13 to signifie how Knowledg shall rise higher in the last than former Ages of the World Then will Holiness encrease All the Pots in the Lords House shall be holy and Holiness written on the Bells of the Horses Zech. last Then there will be an end of differences amongst God's people Now Ephraim is against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim and both against Judah but then the the Lord shall be one and his Name one Then will come down the new Heavens and the new Earth wherein shall dwell Righteousness Now men say Quod libet licet Sic volo sic jubeo but then Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning Kings Nursing Fathers c. Justice shall run down as Waters and Righteousness as a mighty Stream then shall Antichrist's Throne be utterly broken That implacable Enemy shall fall and rise no more And then will the Kingdom of Christ be enlarged The Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 The Kingdom of Christ shall be more observable and visible than ever We are not to expect a Kingdom de novo but the encrease and enlargement of that already extant And though the Glory of his Kingdom is eclipsed yet it will be rendred conspicuous to all when he shall not Reign in a corner but over the whole World God hath set his King long since upon his holy Hill of Sion all Power in Heaven and Earth was given to him at his Resurrection so that Christ hath been in his Throne many hundred years yet it shall grow and prevail till all implacable Opposers be put down and his Kingdom appear in its Beauty in this world though it will not be of the world neither will the Saints have worldly Troubles nor worldly Joys but shall have Heavenly Thrones I mean their Thrones shall be in Heaven upon Earth Then shall Overcomers know better than now they can apprehend how great the Mercy here promised is to sit with Christ in his Throne If any ask why Christ will thus priviledge them the Answer is from his free Grant so saies the Text To him that Overcometh will I grant Nothing more free than a Grant from a King All this Charter contained in these seven Promises is from the Royal Grant of the King of Saints Not for the Battles they have fought not for the Victories they have gotten but all flow from the Fountain of Free-Grace All that was done well was done by his assistance So then it will not be their Merit but his Mercy not of Debt but of Grace when they are sate down in his Throne with him they will and must cry Grace Grace The Vses follow Vse 1. If these things be thus Then let us all examine whether we be in the number of those that shall inherit the good of this and all the Promises we have heard of If any say How shall we come to an assured Interest in them The Answer is All depends upon our being victorious they are all entailed upon Overcomers Let us then to secure our Title to the one clear the truth of our being in the number of the other by discerning the soundness of our Regeneration for the Apostle saith Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world 1 Joh. 5.4 and all that is in the world the God of the world the Men of the world and the Lusts of the world without this work wrought in us any of our Enemies will ruine us When the Sons of Sceva thought to prevail by adjuring the evil Spirit by the Name of Jesus whom Paul Preached the Spirit answered them Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye And the men in whom the evil Spirit was leaped upon them and overcame them so that they fled naked and wounded Acts 19.14 15 16. As if he had said I know Jesus to be the Son of God and Paul to be the Servant of God the one may command me the other may in his Name compel me but who are ye Have you the Power Grace and Spirit of Jesus or Paul He knowing they wanted this overcame them And so will Satan conquer all unregenerate ones Let us then be looking diligently to our selves lest we fail of this Grace of God All depends upon it as to Victory O let us take heed lest our New-birth prove a false Conception lest Ephraim-like we be unwise Sons that stay long in the place of breaking forth of Children Hof 13.13 Many throws and pangs some have Convictions tending to Conversion yet they go away and the Soul not born of God Many go on in a way of Profession all their days and yet are not New-born are not in the Spiritual Genealogy And what do an Hundred Cyphers signifie without a Figure Just nothing To the same reckoning will all our external Religion come without the New-birth Above all things let us be careful lest we be deceived herein And truely he had need be as wise as Solomon to find out the true Mother Three or four things there are that deceive People 1. They have been convinced of Sin in a Legal way and much troubled and therefore hope they are born of God But this is many a mans mistake to rest in them They are troubled for Sin under the Word or Rod yet sin again The Children of Israel when God slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth and lied to him with their tongue For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78.34 36 37. 2. Some mistake in the point of good disposition They are well-enclined men good-natured and hopeful men but was not Christ's words to such an one Joh. 3.3 Verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Why did Christ put him in mind of this Why because he was a well-enclined and disposed man and did rest too much upon it therefore Christ tells him where his danger lay 3. Some plant the bottom of their Christianity upon Forms in things that are but the husk the Varnish and Plaistering of Religion They think it enough to go to an Ordinance to keep their Church to
Father in his Throne The Text is express for it This is variously expressed in the Scripture He is sometimes said to sit at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 8.1 Sometimes to sit on the right hand of God Mark 16. All amounts to the same purpose Four things are implied in it 1. It notes Dignity Superiors sit when Inferiors stand The ancient of days is said to sit Dan. 7.9 And God is described sitting upon a Throne Rev. 7.15 Thus Christ sate down in his Fathers Throne that is he was advanced to great honour The Angels never arrived to such honour To which of all the Angels did God ever say sit thou on my right hand Heb. 1.13 The very interrogation implies a negation he never spake thus to any of them It was great honour Solomon did his Mother to cause her to sit down at his right hand 1 Kings 2.19 But Christ is raised to greater Dignity for the Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till thine Enemies be made thy foot-stool Ps 110.1 To such a height of honour is he advanced that God hath charged all the Angels to worship him Heb. 1.6 At first made lower than the Angels now above them 2. It imports Authority Thou satest in the Throne judging right says the Psalmist Psal 9.4 Thus God hath highly exalted Christ to be the judge of all the world A throne he shall have in the Clouds and he that once came to be judged shall come the second time to judge The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father John 5.22 23. And to shew his Authority 't is said to him every knee shall bow Phil. 2. All things in Heaven in Earth and under the Earth that is Angels Men and Devils are subject to the Name and Authority of the Lord Jesus And every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2.8 9 10. The Devils and wicked men shall at last be forced to acknowledg the Authority of Christ and to say as Julian the Apostate did Vicisti Galilee O Galilean thou hast overcome me and all Saints and holy Angels shall with one consent acknowledg and own him as the Lord and as their Lord And all this to the glory of God the Father which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it signifies the great end of Christ's exaltation viz. the glory of God yet some understand by it that Jesus Christ is exalted to the same Authority and Glory with the Father in Heaven being now set down with him in his Throne at his right hand 3. It implies a settled continuance of Christ in this Honour and Authority 'T is said that Josephs Bow abode or as some read sate in strength Gen. 49.24 As standing is a posture that shews a man ready to go this way or that way so a sedentary gesture notes continuance or abiding Though man being in honour continued not Psal 49. ult Adam being in honour lodged not whence some conjecture Adam fell in the very day he was created And though our days on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding 1 Chron. 29.15 Yet the second Adam abides and continues in the Fathers Throne for ever 4. It signifies Christ's resting from all his Travels Labours Services and Sufferings As after much Labour a man sits down and resteth himself even so Christ having finished the work his Father gave him to do a cessation from all troublesome Labours followed and he shall know them no more After Gods works of Creation were finished he rested on the seventh day Gen. 2.2 Thus also when Christ had accomplished the works put into his hand He entred into rest and ceased from his own works as God did from his Heb. 4.10 Some carry these words of Believers they are ceased from sins who are entred into heavenly rest others that Believers are ceased from all sufferings and sorrows being once in glory All this is true yet some take it for Christ his Rest from all his labours and troubles Though here he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief yet being exalted to sit with his Father in his Throne is ceased from these for ever Bran. 3. Overcomers shall sit down with Christ on his Throne so saith the Text An allusion say some to the practice of those Eastern Kings whose Thrones were made large and capacious after the manner of a Couch so that besides the Kings place others whom the King would honour might sit down with him in the same Throne what this Throne of Christ is there are various conjectures The Kingdom of Grace say some we are made Kings and Priests and reign on the Earth Rev. 5.10 That is have Dominion over Sin Satan and the World But this is Christ sitting on the Throne of our Consciences rather than our sitting with Christ in his Throne say others who therefore will have it meant of his Throne in Heaven But there Christ hath no Kingdom distinct from the Father for having once ended that great transaction of the last judgment he shall deliver up the Kingdom to his Father and God shall be all in all Cor. 15.24.28 Not that then Christ shall lay aside his humane nature as some have thought but that his present mediatory Kingdom shall give place to the essential Kingdom of the God-head God shall he all in all not personally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but essentially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine being the Father Son and Spirit shall be all in all that is communicate himself to the glorified Church without the intervention of Ordinances and Creatures and also without the proper and immediate exercise of the Office of the Mediator For when the difference between God and the Creature is compleatly made up what formal need will there be of a Mediator For we cannot make a Mediator of one nor of those that are made one It is an Apostolical maxim A Mediator is not of one Gal. 3.20 But if any say how then is the Kingdom of Christ everlasting I answer this doth not at all hinder it for he hath victory over all the Kingdoms of the world all the four Monarchies being fully conquered by him Dan. 7. and the Gospel of his Kingdom is vertually everlasting Rev. 14.6 And Believers by vertue of it shall possess everlasting glory neither shall this resignation of the Kingdom be any diminution to his glory for the song in Heaven will be Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing c. Rev 5.11 12. Others understand this Text of a Temporal and Visible Throne and Kingdom to be erected in this World before the last Judgment If these words saith an excellent Divine Do not intimate a reigning time for Christ's Church on earth I do