Christs Kingdom, Title page – To the reader
CHRISTS Kingdome.
… Sermons ….
RICHARD WEB Preacher of Gods word.
The Contents whereof follows after the Epiſtles.
MATH. 6.33.
Seeke firſt the Kingdome of God, and his Righteouſneſſe, and all theſe things ſhall be miniſtred vntounto you.
LONDON, Printed by Nicholas Okes for Henry Rockit, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in the Poultry, vnderunder S. Mildreds Diall. 1611.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL, AND HIS VERY GOOD FRIENDS, MAISTER DOCTOR SINGLETON, PRINCIPALL of Braſen-noſe Colledge in Oxford, together with all the worthy and learned Fellowes of that Houſe; Mr. WILLIAM DVTTON, and Mr. RICHARD DASTON Iuſtices of Peaces Mr. Doctor SEMAN Chancelor of Gloceſter, and Mr. HENRY AISGILL Preacher of Gods Word, R. W. wiſheth all happineſſe in this world, and eternall glory in the world to come.
THERE are three ſorts of Kingdoms (right Worſhipfull) much ſpoken of in the ſacred volumes of the Almighty. The firſt is the kingdome of God, as it is ruled by Chriſt the Mediator of the new Teſtament, whom the Father hath conſtituted the head of his Church. The ſecond is the Kingdome of Man, as he is ſet vp in authority aboue others, by the ordinance of the moſt High, to command his people at his will, and according to his lawes, of whom he hath receiued his place of Regency. The third is, the Kingdome of Sathan, as he is the Prince of darkeneſſe, and the … world, ruling in the children of darkeneſſe, and raging againſt the children of light. Of theſe three Kingdomes the firſt and the laſt are oppoſite, like the fire and the water; & ſo contrary one vntounto the other, that there can neuer be any good agreemēt betwixt them, but deadly hatred and enmity for euer. For this is the immutable voyce of the Almighty. I will (ſaith the Lord to the diuell) put enmity betweene thee and the woman, and betweene thy ſeed and her ſeed. He ſhall breake thy head, and thou ſhalt bruiſe his heele. But as for the midſt of them, it is ſubordinate vntounto them both, and of ſuch a flexible nature, that it is content to participate with either ſide. For it is neither wholly for Chriſt, nor wholly for Satan; but it ſelfe comprehending vnderunder it the whole race of mankinde, whereof ſome are good, and others bad, doth yeeld foorth ſubiects both for Chriſt, and for Satan: the children of light being the ſubiects of Chriſt, the children of darkeneſſe the ſubiects of Satan. Thus do Chriſt and Satan hold their Kingdoms in the Kingdome of man. So that though there be three diſtinct Kingdoms, yet there are not three diſtinct places for the adminiſtration of theſe Kingdomes, but the place is but one, and the ſelfe ſame for them all. In regard whereof eueryevery perſon muſt carefully looke to himſelfe, whether liuing in the kingdome of Man, he doth belong to Chriſt, or to the diuell. For of neceſſity he muſt be a ſubiect to the one of them, or to the other, conſidering that no man can ſerue two maiſters. If we belong to Chriſt, we are happy, & ſhall hauehave this comfortable ſaying deliuered vntounto vsus at the laſt, Come ye bleſſed children of my Father, receiue the Kingdome of God, which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world. But if we appertaine to the diuell, we are in a pittifull caſe, and ſhall hauehave this dolefull ſentence pronounced againſt vsus at the day of iudgement: Depart ye curſed into euerlaſting fire prepared for the diuell and his Angels. Now how men do cary themſelues in regard of theſe Kingdomes, & what they ſhould alſo do in reſpect thereof, Dauid who was himſelfe a King, and a ſingular Prophet of the moſt High, hath notably deſcribed vntounto vsus in his ſecond Pſalme, which ſpendeth it ſelfe wholly vponupon that ſubiect. The which Pſalme of his I hauehave handled, & preached ouer amongſt my people; but the Lord, that is the ſearcher of the heart, doth know, that whoſoeuer I be now content to let my Sermons vponupon the ſame go in common for the common good of all, and to commit them to the ballance of Gods Sanctuary for the profit of his Saints; yet when I preached them at the firſt, it was neuer once intended by me, that they ſhould come to the preſſe. And therefore the whole diſcourſe was ſo framed both for matter and manner, as might beſt fit the neceſſity and capacity of the preſent Auditory, whoſe benefite I did chiefly reſpect, and vntounto whom I did accommodate my ſelfe, as in other matters, and as at other times I was wont for to do.
Howſoeuer being thus penned out, in ſimplicity of ſpirit, & plaineneſſe of phraſe, without all eloquence of ſpeech, and gloriouſneſſe of ſtyle, and being now ready to come to the view of the world, I make bold to preſent them vntounto you (right Worſhipfull) to whom if they be worthy of any reſpect, they do belong in many reſpects. For as your louelove to Chriſt, wherein you paſſe many others of your ranke and order; your office vnderunder Chriſt, by which you are, as it were, Kings in his Kingdome, reigning ouer other Kings: your hatred to them, which are out of Chriſt, whereby you are carried with ſome indignation againſt the Man of ſin, and thoſe which are in a confederacy with the arch-enimy of our ſoules: and laſtly, as your kind affection to them, which are in Chriſt, and for Chriſt, which hath moued your tongues to commend them, and your hands to helpe them, do ſeeme to challenge this worke, which doth intreate of Chriſt and his kingdom, and to claime it for their owne; not much vnlike to that of Titus Pomponius Atticus, who had that Treatiſe which Tully made of old age, committed to him, becauſe he was a man well ſtricken in age; or that of Theophilus, to whom Luke the Euangeliſt did conſecrate the Hiſtory of Chriſt, for that he was a friend of Chriſt, and one that loued him well. So your vndeſerued fauours towards me in particular, do of right vendicate the ſame, conſidering that theſe are the firſt fruites of all my labours, which I hauehave taken in this ſort, and after this manner, ſince my comming to that place, where now I am, and which I receiued by your meanes; ſome of you being Commiſſioners appointing that annuall ſtipend for the continuall maintenance of a Preacher amongſt vsus, which our recouered lands will affoord; and others being Patrones preſenting me to the ſame. In lieu whereof, as they are in that regard moſt due vntounto you, ſo I do here preſent them vntounto you, as a teſtimony of my minde, which is well affected towards you, and as a token of my thankefull heart, which would recompence you better, if I could. If you iudge them worthy, vouchſafe them, I pray you, your patronage: if not, your pardon: at leaſt your gracious and fauourable acceptance, according to the kindnes of your nature, & wonted courteſie in other matters. The which thing if I ſhall vnderſtand you do, it ſhall not onelyonly greatly reioyce mine heart, but make me much indebted vntounto you for the ſame.
The Lord for his Sonnes ſake grant, that this labour of mine may be accepted of the Saints, and tend to Gods glorie: And I heartily beſeech the Lord, the God of all grace, and giuer of all bleſſings, that he would ſo multiply his heauenly graces vponupon you that you may alwaies walke worthy of the Lord, and pleaſe him in all things, battering downe continually the kingdome of Sathan, and ſetting vp the kingdome of Chriſt to the vttermoſt of your powers; that ſo many ſoules may be ſaued by your meanes, and you your ſelues hauehave the greater weight of glory beſtowed vppon you at the day of iudgement, when all perſons ſhall be rewarded according to their workes. And ſo crauing pardon for my boldneſſe I ende, and humbly take my leaue. Rodborough the twentieth of Auguſt. 1610.
Your Worſhips to be commanded in the Lord, Richard Web.
To the Chriſtian Reader all grace and peace.
CHriſtian Reader, the whole care and burthen of the Miniſtery of the Lords word, is, or at the leaſt ought to be, how to bring men to the liuing God, & to pull them out of the kingdome of Satan that they might be planted in the Kingdome of Chriſt. EueryEvery one ſhould helpe forward this worke, which is the greateſt, and the moſt honorableſt worke in all the world. The miſerable eſtate wherein they are, who do remaine vnderunder Satan and his dominion, (as all men do by nature:) and the moſt bleſſed condition that they are in, who are vnderunder Chriſt and his gouernment (as none are but by grace:) ſhould moue men ſufficiently thereunto. For mine owne part, what I hauehave done this way, theſe Sermons of mine in part will ſhew thee. Reade thē at thy leaſure, & marke them well: begin not alone, but make an end. For haply (as it is in S. Iohns Goſpell) the beſt wine is reſerued till the laſt. VVhen thou haſt ended, if thou receiuest any profite thereby, bleſſe thou the name of thy God for it, vntounto whom all honour and praiſe do belong; and pray alſo vntounto the ſame God for me, the instrument therein of thy good; that ſo I may alwaies ſtand faſt in the truth, and increaſe daily in all heauenly graces, to the honour of his name, and the good of his Church. Our daies (thou knoweſt (are corrupt and full of ſinne, and we our ſelues are very fraile and weake: looke therefore to thy ſelfe, and keepe thine heart with all diligence. Run not with the world, neither decline after vanity, but cleaue faſt vntounto thy God, come life or come death: and be thou ſure euermore to worke out thy ſaluation with feare and trembling, and ſo fare thee well moſt heartily in the Lord.
Thine for thy good euer in the Lord, R. W.