The Merchant Real, Sermon · Lesson 2
The ſecōd leſſon.
From the particular paſſages ariſe diverſe leſſons The firſt is dravven from the Object vvhichwhich is a kingdome. For frō hence vve learne, That it is the mind of Chriſt Ieſus, that all his should be of a Royall mind, & therefore a kingdome is ſett before them, as a reward of merciemercy for their ſeruice.
The light of this appeareth foraſmuch as gods kingdome is three fold to vvitt of Povver, of Grace, & of Glorie. Of Povver for god is not a braſen vvall, but a vvall of fire to his choſen to ſurround, & encircle them. What euer pleaſeth him that doth he in heauen,Pſal. 13 foreign & in earth, & in the ſeas, & in all deepe places. And of him,Rom. 11.36 & through him, & to him, are all things. For the Lord is the Greatnes. The Povver, & The Glory, & the victorie, & the maieſtie, for all are his in heauen, & in earth, his is the Kingdome, & he is exalted as head ouer all ſoe preacheth Dauid in the booke of the Chronicles,1. Ch. 29.11 Dan. 6.26. and Darius the king of Babilō proclaymeth in his kingdome that all men should tremble, & feare before, the god of Daniell, for he is the liuing god, & ſteadfaſt foreuer & his kingdome That vvhichwhich shall not be deſtroyed, And his dominion shalbe euē to the end. All his vvorkes shevve this, for they all ſpeake of his glory of his kingdome, & talke of his povver. Thus you ſee here is a kingdome of Povver that the vveake may flie vntounto it as vntounto a city of refuge.
Secondly a kingdome of Grace ſoe CHRISTS forerunner ſaith Repent for the kingdome of god is at hand,Matth. 3.2. & Chriſt him ſelfe tells his Apoſtles that it is giuen vntounto them to knovve the myſteries of the kingdome of heauen,Luc. 8.10. & Chriſts follovver ſayth, the kingdome of heauen,Rom. 14.17 is not meat, & drinke, but righteouſnes, & peace, & ioy in the holy ghoſt.
Laſtly he hath a kingdome of Glory For it is his pleaſure to giuegive his children a kingdome, & it vvas prepared for them before the vvorld vvas,Luc. 12.32. Mat. 25.34 Mat. 13.43. & they shal shine therein as the ſunne in the firmament.
The right of this appeares in reaſon that Chriſt vvould hauehave Chriſtians regally minded, becauſe there is an oppoſition of kingdomes againſt this kingdome of Chriſt to vvit, that of the kingdome of the beaſt, & of the vvhore, the kingdome of Sathan, & the kingdome of this vvorld.Apo. 16.20 The kingdome of the beaſt the Reuelation mentioneth,Matth. 26. & againſt both by vvay of diſclayme Chriſt ſaith directly, My kingdome is not of this vvorld.
The might of this kingdome of Chriſt appeareth that he should rule ouer the houſe of Iacob for euer,Luc. 1.33. & he should raigne till his enemies are put vnderunder his feete yea his very members by his grace shall raigne,1. Co. 15.23. For if by one mans offence death raigned, by one man much more they vvhichwhich receaue abundance of grace,Rom. 5.17. & of the gifte of righteouſnes shall raigne in life by one Ieſus Chriſt, & he it is that hath made vsus vntounto our god kings, & Preeſts, & vve shal reigne on the earth by ſantificatiō.Apoc. 5.10 Yea vve shal iudge the collapſed angels.
Thus much for the probat of the learning hereof.1. Cor. 6.3.
Practice. 1 The life of this appeares. Firſt in the practiſe of the exaltation of our ovvne Chriſtian ſpirits, for eueryevery one hath euer naturally vvithin himſelfe a kingdome, vvherein reaſon is the prince, the ſences the gard, the vpper faculties of the ſoule the Peares, the invvard sēces the commons, the paſſions the rebbells. Novve faith by grace ruleth ouer all theſe, & obtayneth the kingdome. For paſſion muſt ſubiect it ſelf, to ſence, Sence to reaſon, reaſon to faith, & faith to the ſpirit of god. Thus is a kingdome ſett vp in vsus that vvill neuer be caſt dovvne, either by the plotte of Machiauell vvho imagined that religion did effeminate debaſe, & deiect the courages of Chriſtians But the magnanimity of George Caſtriott prince of Epyrus, & of Iohannes Ziſca Mirmidons of vvarre, of Martin Luther, & of Huldricus Zinglius, & of ſuch like both Laiques, & Cleriques vvortheis of the vvord doth vtterly confute that poore conceit of the ſecretary of Florence Machiauell. This exaltation alſo vvil guide vsus that vve be not deceaued by Sathan, vvho offereth vsus kingdomes to ſerue him, Nor yet to dreame of an earthly kingdome vvith the flattering Herodians,Matth. 4.8 misled Chyliaſts, Origeniſts, or Millinaries (for all theſe laſt three are one.)
Practice. 2 Secondly the life of this learning confuteth thoſe that are of a baſe, & abjecte condition, that either with the proud man ſells their clayme for ayre as did Abſolon for honor, or vvith the couetous man for earth, as did Demas for this preſent vvorld, or vvith the Letcher for puddle, as did Ammon for Thamar, or elſe pavvne it as did Dauid, Noah, & Peter, or loſe their clayme to this kingdome by neglecte, contempt, or careleſnes,3. Ioh. 1.9. Lucae 16. or giuegive it avvay as Diotrephes did for preheminence, as the Glutton for delight, as the vvanton for pleaſure, as the envious for nothing, but for vexatiō of mind, & as the deſperate only for horror of conſcience, vvho deſtroy their bodies that the deuill may hauehave their ſoules.
Practice. 3 Thirdly this teacheth vsus not to be rebells in this kingdome not to partake vvith the beaſt vvho diſpoſeth of kingdomes at his pleaſure, nor vvith the deuill vvho ſeekes to ruinate the ſtates of kingdoms,Rom. 6.12. but that finally vve reſolue that ſinne may not raigne in our mortal bodies as in a kingdome, that vve should obey it in the luſt thereof,Rom. 5.21. but that as ſinne hath raigned vntounto death, euen ſoe grace might raigne through righteouſnes vntounto eternall life by IESUS CHRIST our lord.