England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 5
Coloſſ. 1.13. Into the kingdome] of his dear Sonne.
CHriſt hath double honour from above, externall and internall, the hand of God, and the heart of God, and both here one after another to be ſpoken of: Preferment, and this as a great favourite: A Kingdome, and this becauſe dear, a ſonne of love. Into the kingdome of his dear Sonne, or Son of his love.
There is a generall misjudgment of Chriſt: We judged him forſaken of God. The Jews generally judge meanly of Chriſt, and ſo do we Gentiles; but all without warrant, for God doth not ſo: Chriſt is high in Gods eſteem▪ and hath honour ſuitable, A kingdome here, beſides a kingdome to come.
I will make demonſtration to you of Chriſts kingdome here, and by ſuch things as are in the kingdomes of men. The lambe hath a throne, mercy and juſtice working in power here. God ſits upon the throne of his holineſſe, Pſal. 47.8. Holineſſe here ſpeaks mercy and juſtice, and the demonſtration of theſe is Chriſts throne, that upon which he ſits▪ Chriſt hath no other ſeat nor abiding in this world, but as a diſpenſer of mercy and juſtice, God ſits upon the throne of his holineſſe. Man can ſit down upon things without himſelf, but God cannot, his own holineſſe is his throne, the whole world will afford him no reſt, nor no ſeat to ſtay a moment upon, but onelyonly what himſelf doth in it. Some are condemned already, and by that rule ſome are ſaved already; ſome broken in heart, and ſome hardened in heart, and all theſe ſpeak out Chriſts throne here, in the power that doth theſe, ſits Chriſt; he ſits upon the throne of his holineſſe. Kingdomes have thrones, thrones of judicature, and ſo hath Chriſt: He that rejecteth my words, hath one that judgeth him, ſaith Chriſt. All move as if there did none ſit and judge, but 'tis the misjudgment of the world; for there is a throne erected here below, and not an action done, not a word, nor a thought, but he that ſits on the throne judges, he hath one that judges him. Chriſts throne is inviſible, but not a fancie; and to many inſenſible, but 'twill be the more terrible. What is done in the fleſh is judged there, and what is done in the ſpirit is judged there; within and without you have one that judgeth you: ſenſes cannot reach this, and pride will not; but yet this pulleth not down Chriſts throne, the work goeth on, the judicature of a kingdome; theſe Coloſſians found it, they were ſelf-condemned by truth, and carried out of themſelves to Chriſt: Who hath brought us into the kingdome of his dear ſonne.
Kingdomes have throns of Judicature, and thrones of State: the Lambe hath a ſeat of glory in this world. Do not abhorre us for thy name ſake, do not diſgrace the throne of thy glory: Remember thou break not covenant with us, Jeremy 14.21. Diſpenſation of Juſtice and Truth is Chriſts throne of Judicature; and ſo diſpenſation of Mercy and Truth is his throne of glory; by this he ſits and abides very glorious, in the midſt of the Chriſtian world, as by the other he ſits very terrible in the midſt of the wicked.
Mercy is the moſt glorious thing that miſerable man beholds: the leaſt mercy gives Chriſt a ſeat of glory in the world; every flower in the field, every ſtarre in the heavens, every grace in your hearts, ſpeaks out Chriſts glorious ſeat here; name a mercy in the world, and there ſits Chriſt in glory: under this notion is that expreſſion, Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory. Solomons throne had ſteps to it, one higher then another.
Mercy is diſpenſed by degrees here higher and higher, and the higheſt are thoſe which reach the heart and make that glorious, and there is Chriſts higheſt ſeat of glorie in this world. I may make an externall demonſtration of this: ſuch parts of the creation as in which God moſt manifeſts himſelf for the ordering of all, that is by way of eminence called his throne. His throne is in the Heavens, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, which is not ſpoken excluſively, as if God had his ſeat no where elſe, but comparatively, that is, no where ſo eminently as in that part of the creation, that orders all the reſt. As the moſt noble part of the great world is Gods prime ſeat, ſo the moſt noble part of the little world is his prime throne; his throne is in the heart, in that totum gubernans. Thrones are erected in chief places; more of Gods ſtate and glory is to be ſeen in one ſoul▪ then in all the creation: a ſpirit ſpeaks what God is, and makes at the very eſſe of God as it were, whereas all other things ſpeak but what God doth, and ſo make but at his back parts. Where you can find God moſt according to what he is in himſelf, and according to what ſimilitude he makes to himſelf by operation, there is his ſeat of glory: he ſeated himſelf in the hearts of theſe Coloſſians, and ſhewed himſelf as a God making covenant, which is more then remembring covenant, as the Prophet before ſpeaks, and therefore by ſo much the more fitly may be called, the throne of his glory.
Majeſtie.Kingdomes have majeſtie: a kingdome is the union of many, to hold forth greatneſſe and dread to its own ſafety. Solomon had Lions about his throne to ſet forth the Majeſty of it, to make tranſaction between that and all other people with awe. Chriſt manageth his way in this world with majeſty, Heaven and earth tremble at his preſence; he utters his voice to the great world and the rocks rend: thunder is the voyce of God to the great world, and with what majeſty doth he expreſſe himſelf to all creatures below in that voyce. As there are thunderings without, ſo there be thunderings within; in great majeſty doth Chriſt ſpeak to the ſoul ſometimes, ask your conſciences elſe: ask Felix, the Goaler, and Cain elſe, yea ask your father Adam elſe: what a caſe were all theſe in, when Chriſt did but reaſon with them! Yea, I ask you (hypocrites if any here) is not the way of Chriſt full of majeſty? What means thoſe loads that gather about your hearts, and that fearfulneſſe which ſurpriſeth you elſe? Thou dost but touch the mountains and they ſmoke, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, God doth but now and then give a touch within, and the ruddie merry face pales, and ſadens preſently: he doth but whiſper within, and ſpirits flie up into the head, into the face, and about every where, and the heart within beats for want of them, ready to ſwoune away. Twenty years time not enough to heal the wound of a word of Gods mouth, O the majeſty of that word! Gods word is a ſword, hath not a ſword dread, eſpecially when ranted againſt the breaſt? ask wounded ſpirits whether Gods words be not full of majeſty. Look upon the whole creation, upon the earth, upon the ſea, upon the heavens, do they not all ſpeak the majeſty of Chriſt? God is mightier then the noiſe of many waters, yea then the mighty waves of the ſea, ſaith the Pſalmiſt: toſſings, rollings and roarings of the ſea, do they not ſpeak loudly the majeſty of Chriſt? But ah ſinner! the toſſings, rollings and roarings of a troubled ſoul, ſpeak the majeſty of Chriſts words much more. Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perſwade men. Know ye the terrour of the Lord? the majeſty of God as manifeſted by his Word and Spirit? Paul did, Job did, the dread of God fell upon him, theſe Coloſſians did, and were brought out of it into the kingdome of a dear Sonne, a Sonne of love.
Kingdomes have ſupremacy: one in chief,Supremacy. and over all ſuch as are Monarchically governed, and ſo is the kingdome of Chriſt. Chriſt moves, as by a majeſticall, ſo by a ſuperiour power to all, and this is baſis majestatis. Chriſt is a great King over all, as the Pſalmiſt titles him; he moves here below by a power above men, above the greateſt of men, above Kings, and therefore called the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; he moves by a power above Angels good and bad; his throne is above thrones, dominions, principalities, that is, thoſe ſpirituall principalities which by Angels are expended; he rules, yea he captivates all, which is more. Every knee bow to him of things in Heaven, of things in earth, and of things under earth, men and Angels, good and bad. The Sunne is ſupream and ſwayes all virtues of the Heavens and earth: Chriſts dominion is from the ſea to the worlds end, there is not a power from one end of the world to the other, but 'tis under Chriſt. The firſt Adam was over all and ſo is the ſecond, his motion yet but darkly ſpeaks this, but 'twill every day now more then other; the kingdomes of the world will become the kingdomes of Chriſt; what he yet darkly over rules, he will take viſibly into his hands, and the kingdomes ſhall become one▪ and under one: Iſrael had one Lord; the Lord thy God is one [Lord. Diſtance of place deſtroyes not the Supremacy of Chriſts Kingdome, nor the Monarchicall government of it, which will be plain by this demonſtration. Talk with Chriſtians here and talk with Chriſtians in the furtheſt part of the world, and you ſhall find conſent of divine motion within and without amongſt them all, which ſpeaks them all under one ſupremacy, all ſubjects of one kingdome, though ſo farre diſtant: they grone under ſinne as you do, and extoll Chriſt as you do; face anſwereth to face, and yet theſe faces never ſaw one another: pulſe beat, and ſpirits work alike, the ſtate is the ſame, the bloud is the ſame, though it run in various veins, and ſome to the extreme parts of the earthen fabrick. As things are in their native power Chriſt is above them, and ſupream; and as things aſpire and exalt themſelves, and pretend to ſomething above their native ſtate; as things ſtrut themſelves, and ſtand a tiptoe, ſo Chriſt alſo is above them. Low things will ſtretch and lift up themſelves to over-top, and this may do ſomething amongſt men, but 'twill not with God; In that wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them, ſaid Jethro of Pharaoh and his company.
Order, or laws.A kingdome hath a ſcepter: Kingdomes are not many together like heaps of ſtones, confuſed, and any one upmoſt, but many together by rule, and this holds altogether to the weal of each. Bonds knit many together, every man looſe and to his will, and then many kings but no kingdome; every man to his will, and publick weal makes her will too and dies. Bread is the life of particulars, and law is the life of generalls; bread is the life of perſons, and law is the life of kingdomes; theſe are they that render one to another, as Joſeph to his brethren, nouriſhers: I will nouriſh you, ſaith he to his brethren, fear not, &c. Chriſt hath a ſcepter, he rules not by tyranny but by law, which law of his kingdome you have written, as the Jews had the laws of their kingdome; and not an action of God about the creature, but is in reference to the written law; all motion of Chriſt is according to truth. Chriſt doth not his own private will, but a joynt will conſented to by each perſon, and publiſhed, which is the meaning of that expreſſion, I came not to do mine own will, but the will of my Father. He came to fulfill one volume, another volume is written, and he will come and fulfill that too, and then 'twill be well with us. Chriſt moves ſo exactly by the word, that this and not he ſhall judge men at the laſt day. Rule makes actions juſtice or not juſtice; where there is no law, there is no tranſgreſſion. The ſhining juſtice of all Chriſts actions, ſhall ſilence every guilty ſoul at the laſt day. Chriſts courſe was nothing elſe, but a fulfilling what was written; his ſayings ſeemed hard, and yet he ſpake but the written word: Juſtice is in the worſt word or work you wrangle at: his ſcepter is a right ſcepter, a ſcepter of righteouſneſſe; his carriage is but the written word organiz'd, and made to ſpeak to you ſtill as you are; the word made fleſh, and wrapt up in a mouth of fleſh like your own, and made to talk to you, and to tell you your own, which is the ſcepter of Chriſts kingdome. The ſumme of all is this, Chriſt doth manage a publick ſtate here, a kingdome, that is, he puts forth a power to the ſubduing and ordering of many, to their felicity and his own glory, and to the deſtruction of all that oppoſe theſe two.
Ʋſe. A kingdome ſpeaks ſubjection of multitudes, the ordering of many to the felicitie of all, and to the glory of one, as head of all. What power Chriſt manages in the world, that look after in your ſelves: Untaimed creatures! what do you think of your ſelves? truth is of little power to ſubdue ſinne, and order the heart, and yet men think they are brought into the kingdome of Chriſt. You can talk, but the kingdome of God is not in word, but in power, that is, ſubjection to truth▪ ſpeaks dominion. What hath conquered your ſouls? Chriſts kingdome is obtained by conqueſt: did ſinne and your ſouls ever fight? 'tis a time of warre, how many battells have Sathan and your ſouls fought? you glory to be quiet men, and Sathan likes it well, he is as unwilling to be troubled as you. Many ſinners ſcarce ever gave their ſinfull hearts a check, and yet cannot but judge well of their condition, they ſo ſinfully dote upon themſelves, nor can they judge well of any elſe, that think not of them as they do.
Sathan and I have fought many a time ſaith one, we have had many a hot bout together; and who is overcome? Sathan or thy ſoul? Sathan is expert at his weapons, able well to defend himſelf, he is not conquered preſently; he hath ſtrong holds, and a ſtrong art to hold them, Know ye his wiles, ignorant ſouls? you think you fight with the devil, when you ſet Sathan to caſt out Sathan, one luſt to croſſe another. Some men can diſtinguiſh between humour and reaſon, and can ſet reaſon to fight againſt humour, and both to fight againſt Chriſt. Doth truth carry you againſt humour and reaſon both, againſt all that oppoſeth? This ſpeaks the dominion of Chriſt. I conſulted not with fleſh and bloud, ſaith the Apoſtle; he doth not ſay I conſulted not with Sathan and ſinne: fleſh and bloud ſpeaks reaſon, and yet when this oppoſeth Chriſt, a ſoul under his dominion waves it.
DiſcretionSome are not farre from the kingdome of God, as Chriſt ſpeaks, and yet never come there. 'Tis an obſervable expreſſion, that of Chriſt to the ſcribe, When Jeſus ſaw that he anſwered diſcreetly, ſaith the text, he ſaid unto him, thou art not farre from the kingdome of God, Mark 12.34. Reaſon ſeaſonably and forcibly acted is diſcretion: diſcretion is a courſe divinity, and it conſiſts in ſquaring action to externall applauſe; and men that can reach this height uſually ſtick there, which is deadly, and ſo I fear did that ſcribe; 'twas enough that he had ſo ſpoken, as to winne applauſe, for I heare no more of him in that ſtory. Londoners, moſt of you have knowledge enough, and many of you can manage it to great applauſe; you are not farre from the kingdome of God, and yet reſt here, and you will never come there. I love diſcretion dearly, and yet I have obſerved many diſcreet men, the moſt bitter enemies to the power of godlineſſe; they can honour nothing above their own ſphere: holy zeal is wild-fire with them; their own pace after Chriſt faſt enough, and this oft times looſeth Chriſt, ſoul and all. Diſcretion is good at meaſuring virtue, but bad at meaſuring grace, 'twill give much to Chriſt but not all, it lacks ſtill one thing, as Chriſt ſaid to the young man, and commonly that one thing is ſomething which carries the heart with it, which is all: the dominion of Chriſt is not in that ſoul. Men merely diſcreet, are not yet brought into the kingdome of Chriſt.
Some go beyond diſcretion, and make flanting profeſſion,Profeſſion. and yet prove not well. There be children of the kingdome, and yet not in the kingdome, children of the kingdome ſhut out, children of one kingdome ſhut out from another. Chriſts kingdome hath ſome externalitie, many called and no more, few choſen: ſuch as ſtand within the externall call of the Goſpel, and make as if they did heare; boaſt of the Temple and the name of the Lord, and depart not from iniquitie, theſe are children of the kingdome, and yet children of that wicked one. Londoners, look to your ſelves, you are children of the kingdome, Chriſt calls to you, all is glorious, and you all ſeem gloriouſly to hearken to it, but I obſerve ſome of your wayes, and there I ſee you wipe off all your paint, and your life ſpeaks your ſouls dead, and many friends about you mourn for the dead. I ſee their tears in bibles, every Lords day. Sir pray for my father, pray for my maſter, they talk and make a ſhew but have nothing in them, they have a name that they live, but are dead; O Sir, pray that they may not be twiſe dead and plucked up by the roots. Perſons about you, they ſee the unſoundneſſe of your profeſſion, and you ſee nothing. Hypocriſie is a ſecret but a very mortall evil, it lives and thrives under all contrary forms. Children of the kingdome, look about you, and I have done.
If you receive not the kingdome of God, as a little child, you cannot enter into it. Little infants, parents may carry them where they will: Truth muſt carry you whither it will, if you fight againſt it you cannot kill it, but you will kill your ſouls. Rebellious ſtrugglings are ſoul-ſtabbings; carry things by force againſt all divine reſiſtance, and you run head-long to Hell. Out of ſelf is the way into the kingdome of Chriſt: pleaſure muſt be nothing, parts nothing; nothingneſſe is the way to all. Bleſſed are the poore in ſpirit, for theirs is the kingdome we ſpeak of. Lay your ſpirits naked before Chriſt, and let him further ſtrip them as he will, and then cloath them, and order them as he will, and this is the way to a kingdome: it is ſomething painfull to get into Chriſts kingdome, but when you are once into it, you would not be out of it again for all the world.