Die Mercurii, 26. Januar. 1647. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament, That Sir William Massam do from this House give Thanks unto Mr. Martial, for the great pains he took in his Sermon, Preached on this day at Margaret's Westminster, before the House of Commons (it being a day of public Humiliation) and that he be desired to Print his Sermon, wherein he is to have the like privilege in Printing of it, as others in the like kind usually have had. H. Elsing, Cler. Parl. D. Com. A SERMON PREACHED TO THE honourable house OF Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT: At their late solemn Fast, Januar. 26. 1647. At Margaret's WESTMINSTER. By Steven Martial, B. D. London Printed by Richard Cotes, for Steven Bowtell, at the sign of the Bible in Popes-head Alley. 1647. TO THE honourable HOUSE OF COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT. THE Lord hath cast us into times, in which the four winds Dan 7. 2. strive upon the great Sea; a great part of the World hath little leisure for any thing, but storming of towns and strong holds, and taking in of kingdoms and countries; in our Land of Peace, we also of late have cried out of war and Violence; and although those Hab. 1. 2. winds have (through God's goodness) in a great measure ceased blustering, yet the Sea hath not left rolling; Animosities yet remain too great, paroxysms very sharp, and pursuits of worldly interests, extreme eager: here like Jehu, we drive 2 Kings 9 20 furiously, magno conatu nugas, we throw feathers with the whole strength of our arm: vain men! that lean too hard on a weak reed; unwise builders! who lay too great a weight upon a slight foundation; make such trifles our masterpieces, that when we come to review our work, we must be enforced to say, Materiamsuperavit opus, that we have overdone it, laboured too hard for that which satisfieth not, and caused our eyes to fly upon that which is not, and therefore that we had been more wise, if we had been Isa 55. 2. Prov 23. 5. less earnest, and more happy, if we had not effusissimis habenis, let out the strength of our desires and endeavours after those things, which prove vanity and bitterness in the latter end. Odit Deus nimis vehementes impetus, odere cives, gratior est moderatio. Because moral virtue is circa res medias, therefore the Philosopher rightly placed it in a Mediocrity: sure I am, the Grace of Christ persuades to a moderation, Phil. 4. 5. Psal. 131. 2. a weanedness, a remissness in such things as these, in which we have not so much need of the spur as of the Bridle. But if the mettled horse be so upon his speed, that he cannot be held in, it would be a piece of our best skill to guide him in a safe way, and to turn the violent stream that cannot be stopped, into a right channel; This was the design of my weak endeavours in this short Sermon, to stay the man that runs so violently down the hill earth-ward and hellward, and (if it might be,) to turn his face and heart, that if he cannot with so much speed, yet with more contention and earnestness, he may get u pthe hill heaven-ward. In which endeavour omne valde tuum, all thy might is too weak, all speed tooslow, and Deut 6. 5. greatest earnestness too faint. Against sin, all that carefulness, indignation, fear, vehementest desire, 2 Cor. 7. 11. and hottest zeal, yea and revenge that the Apostle speaks of, are not over much, but only malo nodo malus cuneus, a sharper wedge for a knotty piece, which will require our best strength to drive it in so as to pierce an hard heart. For God's truth, an earnest contending is not too impetuous. For the Jude 3. Church of God, & the rearing up of Jerusalem's walls, a Satagentia is not enough; a Nehemiah's intense Nehem 4. 21, 22, 23. Luke 13 24. 2 Pet. 1. 5. 10, 10. earnestness is deservedly imitable. For Heaven, if by striving to enter in at the strait gate, & by giving all diligence, at last we come to have an abundant entrance, our labour will not exceed our reward. In this work of the Lord, if you abound, your labour will not be in vain in the Lord: and may my poor pains any whit herein quicken your endeavours, 1 Cor 15. 58. to get to heaven yourselves, and by your help to have others go along with you; to enter yourselves into that kingdom, and by your authority with a sweet violence to compel others to come in, as Luke 14 23 it is the prayer, so it will be the rejoicing of Your humble Servant STEVEN Martial. A SERMON PREACHED To the honourable the House of Commons at the monthly Fast, Januar. 27. 1647. MATTH. 11. 12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. THat you may the more clearly understand the scope of our blessed Saviour in these words, be pleased to observe that in the beginning The context opened. of this Chapter, John the Baptist had sent two of his Disciples upon a message to Christ; not for his own information, but for the confirmation of his Disciples, who were too much addicted to himself, that they might be satisfied in receiving Christ to be (as he was) the promised Messiah, by seeing and hearing what he did and taught; as soon as these Disciples of John were gone, Christ turns to the multitude, that were about him, and from the 7. verse of this Chapter, to the 16. verse, doth make a notable discourse wholly concerning John the Baptist; and there are two parts of Christ's speech concerning John; First, A blaming of the levity, and inconstancy of the people, in their respect towards John, for they had magnified him so (not long before) that they were ready to have received him as their Messiah; but now John was grown nobody with them; this our Saviour doth bitterly tax. And the argument whereby he reproves them lies in such a distribution as this is, Either you were very foolish in magnifying John, when there was no such worth in him, or you are extreme vain and light in withdrawing your hearts from him, that was so worthy at first to be received: the first is not to be granted, therefore the second must needs be true; what went you out into the wilderness to see? was it a Reed shaken with the wind? did you go as children do, to see rattles and toys? no, but we went to see and hear John the Baptist; and what in him? a man clothed in white raiment, alas, John was no Courtier; no, we went to him as to a Prophet; I, so he was (saith Christ) and more than a Prophet, the greatest Prophet that ever the world saw, and the greater is your fault in slighting of him. In this as in a glass you may see the levity and inconstancy of people who contemn him to day whom they admired yesterday, and that doctrine which this day they esteem as a treasure they by and by abominate, because indeed Athenian-like they embrace it not because true, but because new: thus it hath been of old, and thus it is to this day, he who to day is lifted up is to morrow trodden down, who is now accounted cloquent is presently esteemed a babe, rude or barbarous, and all from their fickleness, the Word and Ministers are the same, but the people are changed, like sick people's palate, who long for that meat one day which they nauseate the next day, or as children who delight in those toys one day which the next they throw out of the doors. The second part of Christ's discourse concerning John is, A high commendation of John, and of his ministry, from three notable arguments: First, That John was the Prophet, that was foretold long before by two eminent Prophets, Isaiah, & Malachi, both of Verse 10. 14. them showing that the Lord would send his messenger before his face, and (saith Christ) if you'll believe it, this is he. The second is taken from the eminency of John's work, he did immediately go before Jesus Christ, as a Noble Verse 11. man that should lead the Prince by the hand, and show him to every one, This is he; he did not as the other Prophets hold him out in types and shadows, and spoke of a Messiah that was to come a long time after, but as another Christopher did carry Christ upon his shoulders, and held him out in his arms, that every one that came near John might see him pointed out to the lamb of God, that took away the sins of the world; and the clearer any ministry is in the discovery of Christ, the more excellent it is; but yet that Christ might set the true bounds to the honour of John's ministry, he adds that though of all the Prophets that ever were before him, there was none like him, yet the least Minister after Christ should have done his work, the meanest Minister of the Gospel had a more excellent ministry than John the Baptist, because the excellency of a ministry is in the light that it carries: Now John's light did far go beyond all that went before him; but the least Minister of the kingdom of Heaven, after Christ's work was done on earth, should be able so clearly to show forth the life, death, passion, resurrection, ascension, intercession of Christ, sending of the holy Ghost, and all those glorious mysteries, that children might be able to understand them; and this goes far beyond the ministry of John the Baptist: This is the second Argument whereby Christ magnifies the ministry of John; the third is, that that I have chosen for my Text. That from the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force: the sum whereof is, that from John's time there was raised up in all who truly embraced the Gospel, a servant spirit to pursue and advance the kingdom of Heaven with all eagerness; no soldiers are more violent in assaulting and taking astrong hold than John's Disciples were in prosecuting the kingdom of Heaven with all their might, when once it was discovered to them. Now all these arguments whereby Christ doth extol the ministry of John, are intended not only as so many testimonies of honour to John, but are also so many Arguments to prove Jesus Christ to be the true Messiah; for whatever proves John to be the Elias, that should make his way ready for him, the same proves Jesus Christ to be the Saviour that should come unto God's people; and this of my Text as strong and clear as any other, because it was foretold of him that the people should be willing in the day of his power, should come in as plentifully as the dew out of the womb of the morning, should fly after Psal. 110. Esay 60. 8. him as the Doves to their windows. This is the commendation of John; if you would know the fruit of all this, what this high encomium of John did work upon the hearers, you may read in the 7. of Luke, where Vers. 29. 30. Luke 27. 30. this same story is recorded, and the effect of it is there added, which our Evangelist doth omit, viz. that when Christ had said these things of John, the Publicans and the rest of the people, who had before been baptised by John Baptist, glorified God, were awakened, and brought to sorrow for their neglect of John, and so encouraged to embrace Jesus Christ, whom John pointed out; but the Scribes and Pharisees, the learned Doctors, and others, that had despised the ministry of John, did no whit regard the honour that Christ did give to John's ministry, and so neither accepted John the forerunner, nor Christ the Saviour, The parts and meaning of the Text. but rejected the counsel of God against themselves; This is the sum of the whole context, Our general observation from this commendation which our Saviour gives to John, is, that the Lord Jesus is most ready to honour Consider this violence of the people toward the kingdom of Heaven, First, as an honour to John. Secondly, as a description of true Converts. them who abase themselves for his sake. John had exceedingly abased himself, declaring himself to be but the voice of a crier, unworthy to unloose the latchet of Christ's shoe, making himself a footstool to exalt Christ, willing to decrease that Christ might increase, and now Christ heaps honour upon John abundantly, so that we may see that such as honour Christ shall be honoured of him; and that although honour fly from them who vainly seek it, yet it follows them who fly from it. But I come to my Text, which as you have heard is one branch of that honourable testimony which our Saviour gave to John the Baptist, which I shall desire you with me to look upon under a twofold consideration. First, As they are intended to be a Crown and an honour to John the Baptist; From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence; Secondly, and principally, We will consider these words, as they do contain a description of men, who are rightly affected with the kingdom of heaven; The kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. Of the first of these, very briefly; the meaning I take to be this, This eagerness and fervency of Spirit in the people is to be looked upon, partly as a fruit of that clear light, which John Baptists ministry did hold out; never any discovered As an honour to John, as being, the kingdom of heaven so clearly as John did, and therefore never was there such zeal to press into the kingdom of heaven, as was in John's time. Secondly, and partly as a conformity to John's Spirit; John came in the power and Spirit of Elias, a man of mettle and zeal, that did the work of the Lord with all his might, and therefore the people whom his ministry wrought upon, were moulded into John's Spirit, they were made like unto their Teacher, and both these are by our Lord intended as a crown to John; From the days of John the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence. A word or two of each of these; Take the First, a fruit of the clear light, his ministry held out. Whence learn, zeal and eagerness of the people after heaven, as a fruit of that clear discovery of the kingdom of heaven by John's ministry, and it affords us this excellent lesson, Doctrine. The clearer light any people have from Heaven, the more violent they will be after Heaven. That the clearer light any people do receive from Heaven, the more will their zeal be inflamed towards heaven; never any preached heaven so clearly as John, never any so violent in the pursuit of it, as those that received John's ministry; it was prophesied of John in the 1 of Luke Ver. 15, 16, 17. that he should be filled with the Holy Ghost, and should go before the Lord to prepare his way, and (saith the Text) he shall thereby turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children, the hearts of the children to their Fathers, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the wise: the meaning is this, John's ministry should effect this, that if Parents heretofore were ignorant of the ways of God, and so slighted their children, for their children's godliness sake, now the Parents should turn to the wisdom of their children; If children heretofore had slighted their Parents, for their wisdom and godliness, now the children should turn to the wisdom of their Parents; the disobedient should turn to the wisdom of the wise, whether this wisdom were found in the Fathers, or in the children, in whomsoever wisdom should be found, the disobedient would turn to them when Jesus Christ should be clearly discovered to them; the Apostle in the 2 of Cor. 3. 13. lays this down most clearly and fully, when he speaks how gloriously Jesus Christ is revealed in the ministry of the gospel, he expresses the fruit of it thus; We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same Image from glory to glory; whoever doth clearly see the glory of Christ in the gospel, according to the measure of his light, so is the measure of the transforming of his heart into the image of the gospel; And the reason is, because this light doth not only discover a supereminent excellency in Christ and his ways, but also heals the will and affections, and satisfies the whole soul with such a suitable goodness, that it can do no other but fly to it as the Eagle to the carcase. Application. Hereby we may learn how to judge of pretended light. This Lesson which is of singular use for many things, I note it only to be a direction to us, how we may try both our own and the pretended light of others, concerning the kingdom of heaven in our days, especially in these late years, we have more discourse than ever of New Lights, and new Gospel discoveries, and all our old Preachers and professors are by a great many accounted to be legal men, moral men, who do not see into the mysteries of heaven, and Jesus Christ, as some of late, think themselves have attained unto, this you know is spoke of very much amongst many people: Now I do willingly acknowledge, that day unto day utters knowledge, and night unto night discovers wisdom, every new day, and every new year, the nearer we come to Christ's last appearing, will certainly discover gospel Truths more clearly than they have been understood before; yea, and I as willingly and readily acknowledge every one to have received more light then formerly, or more light than his brethren, when I see any man's heart inflamed with more zeal, transformed into more holiness, and humility, and graciousness of spirit, than others do attain to; this is clear in my Text; A clear light did kindle a great deal of zeal: but when you meet with any that speak of discoveries, of glimpses of glory, and new light, and in the mean time, with all their light and knowledge do walk licentiously, and reject the ordinances of God, and walk in ways that are contrary to the clear dispensation, and counsel of the Gospel, I will never fear to say, that that light what ever it be, proceeds from the Prince of darkness, from which the Lord deliver all his people. Secondly, as this violence of their spirit was conformity to Secondly, a conformity to his spirit. I earn here, that the Teachers ofttimes appear in their Disciples. John's spirit, who walked in the power and spirit of Elias, a man of zeal, we may learn, That the Image of the spirit of Teachers frequently appears in their Disciples. If you search the Scriptures, you'll find nothing more usual than the people moulded into the spirit of their Teachers & Rulers: It's worth your observation that all the Epistles written to the seven Churches, wherein some of them are condemned to be dead, and some to be cold, and some for losing their first love, and some commended for their purity and sincerity, and watchfulness, &c. all this is spoke to the Angel, that is, to the college of Ministers to them that were their leaders; yet therein the holy Ghost intends that Character of the whole Church, although he names only the Angel, because of old it hath been a proverb, as is the Priest, so are the people; like Minister, like Hosea 4. 9 people; like Magistrate, like flock; and although no man can communicate his own spirit unto his scholars, but only our Lord Jesus, who can power out his spirit at his pleasure; yet all experience shows us, that the frame of spirit that is in superiors, whether Magistrates or Ministers, hath a wonderful influence upon the moulding of those that are under them; Magistrates and Ministers in this sense may be truly said to be set for the rising and fall of others, their virtues and vices are imitated by them who are under them, if they fall they draw many down with them, as the Dragon drew the third part of the stars, and great Cedars crush many lower Trees and make them fall with them; if Peter temporise with the Jews, his example compels others to do the like; so also is their zeal for Gal. 2. 14. God a great provocation to their scholars and others who are under them; but I intended only to point at these two things. Thirdly, in both these as a crown of glory to John. learn hence, The greatest glory which God puts upon any man is to make them instrumental in building the kingdom of Heaven. Doct. The third which I chiefly aim at in this first consideration of the words, is, That this excellent spirit that was found in the people, is here set upon the head of John the Baptist as his Crown, this is made John's glory, that the epoch of a new world, or a newface of a Church did take the date from the ministry of John; From the days of John the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence; and the Lesson that I observe from it is, That the greatest glory that ever the Lord sets upon any whom he useth is, that the Kingdom of Heaven is advanced by their ministry or service. This I think you see plain in the Text, & this I shall endeavour a little to open and apply unto you: it is true, that when the servants of God are faithful, they are accepted with God, and shall be glorious with him, though there be no success of their labours; the Prophet Isaiah saith, though Israel be not converted, and Judah not gathered, yet I shall be glorious with my God; and Paul saith, we (that is, we faithful Esav. 49. 5. 2 Cor. 2. 15. Ministers) are a sweet savour unto God, in them that perish, as well as in them that are saved: the servants of God lose not their labour with God, when they are unprofitable towards man; but if the Lord do please to use any as means to advance the kingdom of Heaven, he never confers a greater glory upon any of his creatures: Daniel faith in the 12. of Daniel, whether they be Magistrates or Ministers, or private men, They that turn many to righteousness, Dan. 12. 3. shall shine like the Stars; you know the Stars are the brightest part of the whole Creation; they that are means to win people to righteousness, shall shine like Stars. Observe also what an honourable name the Lord gives to such in the 58. of the prophecy of Isaiah: Thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to walk in, the Esay 58. 12. raiser up of the foundations for many Generations: intimating that a greater name of glory cannot be given them. There is an excellent story in the sixth Chapter of the prophecy of Zechariah, the Lord appointed that Joshua the high Priest, (who was a type of Christ, and was then building the Temple, and setting up the worship of God) should have crowns of Gold and Silver set upon his head, typifying thereby the glory that shall be set upon the head of the Lord Jesus, that is the great builder of his 〈◊〉. ●. 10. 14 opened. Church: but in the same Chapter the Lord commanded the Prophet to take of them that are of the captivitic, and names Helem, and Tobijah, and Hen, and some others, who (as some Interpreters) think were Ambassadors sent by the rest of the scattered Jews to bring their oblations; active men that came to help forward the work of God: others think they came as private men inflamed with zeal to set a good example unto others, and brought their Silver and Gold that they might further the work that was in hand; implying thus much, that these excellent men to whom God had given a spirit to help forward that work, and had brought their Silver and Gold, and other gifts, the Lord would have their gifts turned into Crowns, and have their names written upon their crowns, and these should be hung up in the Temple of God, as an everlasting memorial of the glory that God put upon these forward men. Truly thus doth the Lord deal with all his servants, if he give the talents of authority, of Magistracy, of ministry, of wisdom, of wealth, or whatever may be useful, to any, and they obtain a heart to employ these to advance the kingdom of Christ, the Lord turns their talents into crowns, and engraves their names upon their crowns, and hangs them up as a memorial before the Lord: and this I could show you out of 100 examples in the Scripture, especially of those two sorts of great instruments, Magistrates and Ministers, that it hath been the greatest glory that ever God put upon any of them, that they have bent themselves to advance the kingdom of Heaven; What is the great glory of Moses? but that he brought Israel out of bondage, and brought them into a covenant with God, and gave them statutes, and oracles, and ordinances; What is the glory of Joshua? but that he did plant Israel in their own possession, and brought them into a covenant, and there set them into a way that they served God all his days: What was the glory of David? but that being raised (from being a shepherd's boy) to be a King, he did do good unto God's people, and provided beyond all measure, whatsoever might build a Temple for God, and set the orders to the Priests, and enabled the servants of God to serve him with liberty and cheerfulness: And what was Solomons, but the building God's house, & c? And so I might go on with Asa, and Jehosaphat, and Josiah, and Ezrah, and Nehemiah, all these great Worthies, their glory hath been that the kingdom of God was advanced by them: the like of Ministers, Jehojada the Priest, buried among the Kings, because he had done good to Israel, and honoured God and his house, he had helped Religion wonderfully forward; and John the Bap ist here in my Text, it was prophesied of him by the Angel, He shall be great in the sight of God, John shall be a very great man; Alas, what was John's greatness? he was a priest's son, lived in a kind of hermit's life, and went in a leather girdle, and eat country fare, and went in course apparel: wherein was his greatness? It was this, many of the hearts of the childen of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord his God; and so Samaria it is Philip's crown, and all the countries and cities that Paul won to Jesus Christ are so many crowns to him: and you shall read of the Church, the woman in the twelfth of the Revelations when she was clothed with the sun, that is, Christ Jesus her Lord, his righteousness was her glorious raiment, yet she had a crown of 12. Stars upon her head, that is, the 12. Apostles of Christ, that had laboured to bring her to that light and grace: these were set upon the church's head, and she wore them as a crown: Many more instances might be given, but to clear it a little further, consider but these two grounds for it: First, R. 1. Who ever are instrumental in advancing, and building up, and furthering the kingdom of Heaven, the Lord gives them to partake with himself, in that which is his own greatest glory, and the greatest glory of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, when Satan had ruined mankind, and himself become the God upon earth, and drawn all men off from God to worship Devils, the great design of God was to set up another kingdom, that should be called the kingdom of God the kingdom of his Christ, the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus, the kingdom of Heaven; and for the erecting of this, Christ did all his work, came from Heaven, became a man, died, rose again, sent out his Spirit, it is the great design of Heaven, that this kingdom should be erected and advanced; Now when any are found to help forward this, they are associated with the Lord Jesus, in this great Work; and therefore you shall read in the prophecy of Obadiah, the last verse of it, where the Lord speaks of winning both the Jews and other Nations home to Christ, Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion, Saviours shall be there; Who are they? the Jewish Interpreters say, that the saviour's there meant are, Rex Messiah, & ejus socii; these saviour's are, King Messiah R. D. Kim●. and his Companions that should work with him; and most interpreters do agree, that the Saviours are the Apostles, and the apostolical men, and others, that should bring 2 Cor. 6. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 6. Philip. 2. 30. the people homeagain to God, and help to convert the Nations, the Lord calls them by the name of Saviours, and many are said to be fellow-workers with Christ, and the Apostle saith of Timothy, See that Timoty be without any molestation with you, (in the ●. of the Cor. 16) for he works the work of God, as I do; and of Epaphroditus, it is said of him, that for the Work of Jesus Christ, he was sick unto death; the work then that they are employed in, to build up the kingdom of Heaven, is the same work that God and the Lord Jesus Christ work: and can there be a greater glory communicated unto any creature, then to be took into association with God, in a service that is for his highest glory? Secondly, as they are associated with God, so Reas. 2. They make the people to whom they are instrumental, beholding to them, for the greatest benefits that people are capable of receiving; Seneca saith, Nihil in rebus humanis praeclarius quam de republica bene mereri, There is nothing in all the affairs of mankind more honourable then to deserve well of the commonwealth, to be instrumental of good to others, it is the glory of man in all human societies; and you shall find that Tubal-Cain, and others that did invent instruments of brass, and music, Gen. 4. are numbered among those that have done good to the world: and Hezekiah hath a crown of praise, that he ● King's 20. did build a pool, and brought water to the city of Jerusalem: But for a man to be instrumental to help forward the kingdom of Heaven, to advance it, to draw people out of the snares of Satan unto God, to help them with the pardon of sin, and right to everlasting life, these are mercies with a witness, no wonder though the Galatians could have pulled out their eyes, and have given them to Paul, when he had been a means to help them to the knowledge of Christ, and so to Heaven: so that whether you regard the glory of being associated with God, or the good that they convey unto others, there can be no such honour, as to be instrumental in helping forward the kingdom of Heaven. Appli. To the Parliament to intend this work above all other. This Lesson is of excellent use, especially to two sorts of men, that are or may be publicly instrumental in it, I mean Magistrates and Ministers, I am called at the present to speak only to the first, therefore I'll say nothing of the latter, but for you Honourable and beloved, that are the Patriots of the kingdom, is it not in your heart, to do all the good that is possible to poor England? I dare say you are deeply affected with the distresses of it, and would not count your lives dear, so you might but promote the good of it; shall I tell you what that thing is, which above all things in the world, will be advantageous to England, and glorious to yourselves, lay the cause of the kingdom of Heaven to your hearts, more than ever you have done, endeavour to be instrumental to make Religion thrive and prosper, that the kingdom of Heaven may suffer violence under your service; so shall your names be engraven with the name of God, and numbered among the Saviours of this Land: Let me speak freely to you, you have contended long and vehemently for rescuing the kingdom of England from the bondage and pressures that it lay under, and that England might be a free people, herein you have wrought in the fire, and because the cure hath been hard & costly woe and alas (I must speak it) the Patients are weary of it, and could rather wish to be under their old soars, than under such physicians, and are ready to say with the murmuring Israelites, Let us make us a Captain and return again unto Egypt, would be again at their flesh pots and onions though under bondage: yourselves do know how much ingratitude is showed, and all because there is not that event and success that hath been hoped for, but would the Lord make you instrumental to advance the kingdom of Heaven really, there should never be found one among those that should partake the benefit of it, that would be weary of you, but would for ever bless the Lord for you. If the generations to come, and future Chronicles may but be able to say, From the days of such a Parliament, the hearts of the people of England were turned to God, from the days of such a Parliament the ministry was reformed, settled, encouraged, with countenance, with maintenance; universities were reformed, heresies, blasphemies, every thing contrary to Christ's truth, was discountenanced, suppressed, beaten down, and the glory of the Lord Christ was laid to heart; might but this be said of you, after all your toil and blood, and after all your being cast down; and laden with reproach and scorn, your names should revive, your glory should be eternal, this and the everlasting world would number you among the repairers of the breaches of God's people, and you shall be called Saviours of the kingdom of England, if the Lord do but direct you to do this work; but in the mean time, should the Lord leave you that it should be otherwise, that the affairs of Christ should prove retroomnia, that the kingdom being overspread with blasphemies and heresies, and the poisoning of the souls of people, &c. should be concurrent with your work, and you not endeavour to administer the best helping hand you can to it, it would be said of you, as ecclesiastical writers do of one age since Christ that was overspread with heresies, and destitute of worthy men to oppose them, it was called Infoelix seculum, an unhappy age: so would you be accounted Infoelix Parliamentum, an unhappy Parliament: if this should happen under you, and you not endeavour to the utmost to redress it. I pray the Lord, and it is my prayer when ever I can pray, that God would give that glory to you, and set that crown upon your heads, that with Joshua and Zerubbabel, and and the rest of those whom God hath counted fit to be numbered among his Worthies, you might make this the great design, that from the days of this Parliament, the kingdom Heaven might be set up, and flourish in England: and so I have done with the words in the first consideration of them, as they are a crown set upon the head of John the Baptist: From the days of John the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence. I now proceed to the words as they contain a description of a people really converted and brought home to Christ, The kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force; take but the rhetoric off from these words, they signify no more than that which is said in the 1 of Luke 16. Many of the children of Israel he shall turn to the Lord their God: ● Consider the ●ext as a desciption of true Converts. many shall be converted by him, but the holy Ghost expresses it in these metaphorical terms, because they do fully set out the true Genius of every soul who is aright instructed of the kingdom of Heaven. In the words there are two things: First, what the frame of spirit is, which possessed the people under John's ministry, in these words, the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence. Secondly, The success of this frame of spirit, the violent take it by force. For the first, the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, wherein there are two things to be interpreted. First, What is meant by the kingdom of Heaven. Secondly, What by the kingdom of Heavens suffering violence. By the kingdom of Heaven, in one word, both here What is meant by kingdom of Heaven. and at least in 100 other places of the New Testament, is meant the administration of the Covenant of grace, after Jesus Christ was exhibited in the flesh; the last & best administration of the covenant of Grace; The kingdom of Heaven is come to you; The kingdom of Heaven is like a Merchant man; The kingdom of Heaven shall be taken from you, &c. all these expressions are nothing but the administration of the Covenant of Grace under Messiah; and this is called the kingdom of Heaven, not only in opposition to the kingdoms of the world, other politic Commonwealths, but principally (I think) in opposition to the spiritual kingdom of the devil, which is the kingdom of darkness, and leads people to destruction, and this administration is called the kingdom of Heaven, partly, because the Prince and sovereign Lord of it, is the Lord from Heaven, and hath his throne in Heaven, and partly because all the subjects of it, are made Heavenly in their conversations; Phil. 3. 2●. partly, because all the good things communicated to them do come from Heaven; and principally, because the kingdom of glory, that is to be enjoyed in Heaven, and the administration of the Covenant of Grace here upon earth, are all but one and the same thing, only that is the upper Region, this the inferior, there is the metropolitical city, and these are (as it were) the Suburbs, and the country Villages, but all is one kingdom; there is nothing there, but what is enjoyed here, only with these two differences, that here the kingdom of Heaven is mixed and imperfect; mixed with corruption, mixed with affliction, and the graces of it not perfectly communicated; and there it is simple, and pure, and entire, without any defect or mixture; and here it is administered in ordinances, and received by faith, there it is administered immediately, and enjoyed by sight; but otherwise I know no difference, Heaven there, and Heaven here to the Saints is all but one kingdom; therefore it is called the kingdom of Heaven. 2. What is meant by the kingdom of heaven suffering violence. Secondly, and what is meant by the kingdom of heaven suffering violence; I confess some Interpreters say that Heaven suffers violence, that is, suffers persecution; adversaries do rush upon it: but so it cannot be said, that the violent take it, for these violent men do not take but lose the kingdom of Heaven, who persecute it: but my Text speaks of such violent men as take and enjoy it. The Arminans say, that by the suffering violence is meant, the persecuting of it to the taking of it away, not the taking of it to themselves, but the taking of it away from others, and will not let people lay hold upon it: nor enter into it, but our Lord himself interprets the meaning in the 16. of Luke 16. Luke 16. 16. where that of this story is related: There Christ saith, and from the days of John the kingdom of God is preached, and every one presseth into it: So that the suffering of violence here, is, that the kingdom of Heaven is assaulted by violence of those that will have it, what ever it cost them: all who are rightly informed and instructed in the kingdom of Heaven, do with contention and earnestness of spirit, break through all difficulties, use all diligence, that they may enjoy the kingdom of Heaven as their portion, what ever it cost them. In a word, what Paul saith of his own practice, Philip. 3. is a clear interpretation of this Text, I do Phil. 3. 8, &c. count all dross and dung, that I might gain Christ, I make shipwreck of all, I look at nothing that I have already got, but I still look for that which is before me, I press forward, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection of the dead. Now you have the meaning, since John hath clearly discovered the kingdom of Heaven, the spirits of men are so fired, that there is no taking of them off, but with all the violence possible they all labour and endeavour to advance it, and to get into it; and from this there are two excellent lessons to be handled, I'll only name one of them, and handle the other. The first is, That the administration of the Covenant of grace in the Doct. 1. Gospel of Christ, is no other thing than the very kingdom of Heaven: nothing less than the very kingdom of Heaven: let the men of the world slight it, esteem it a bondage, a drudgery, yet it's no less than a kingdom, yea a kingdom of Heaven, which doth transcend all the kingdoms of this world as far as Heaven is above the earth: that is one; I dare say nothing of that, lest I be prevented: the other is, Doct. 2. That all who are rightly affected to the kingdom of Heaven, offer violence to it. Violence it is a motion above the mean, beyond mediocrity, it is a motion with greatest intention and endeavour, this is the lesson I would Preach to you, that whoever are rightly affected to the kingdom of Heaven do use their utmost endeavour, and offer violence to it: let me first make it clear to you that it is so: and then I'll hasten to the Application; That it is so, if you please but to weigh these three or four things, it will be beyond all question. That everywhere in the book of God, where the endeavours of men are described who look after Heaven; 1. these endeavours (I say) are expressed, by all the indefatigable pains that are laid out about any thing in the world, the most laborious trade of a Husbandman, of a Traveller, of a Warfaring man, of a Merchant are usually brought to express the labours of men that look after heaven, yea such exercises which are too violent for any to make a trade or ordinary practice of, are used to set out the violence of their labour who strive for the kingdom of heaven as running a race, striving for masteries or victories in the Olympic games, 1 Cor. 9 24. &c. Know ye not that they who 1 Cor. 9 24. run in a race ran all, but one receiveth the Garland: so run that ye may obtain, &c. The affections with which they are carried to it, are ordinarily so expressed, that all the love they bear to any thing else is hatred, if compared with the love they bear to this: Christ saith in the 14. of Luke; If any man will be Luke 14 17. my disciple, and hate not father, and mother, and wife, and children, and life, and all that he hath, and himself also, he cannot be my Disciple. Now certainly the Lord doth not mean positively, the Gospel doth not teach any man to hate his father or his mother, or his wife or children, it is against nature, and against the Gospel; but the Lord means comparatively, that take all the love that they bear to their own lives, or to what ever is dear to them, as Jacobs' love to Leah was hatred, when compared with his affection to Rachel, so all their love to these things is hatred if compared with the love that they bear to the kingdom of Heaven; and this Chrysostom expresses very elegantly when he saith, in his pursuit of banishment or martyrdom for Christ, if his father should meet him and stand in his way, he would throw his father upon the ground; if his mother lay in his way, he would tread upon his mother's belly: meaning whatever it was, that should be an obstacle to him, they should be all scorned and hated by him, if their interest in him should offer to stand in competition with the affection he bore to the kingdom of Heaven. It is ordinary with Christ to express it thus, that whoever Luke 14 33. Matth. 13. ●4. 45. minds the kingdom of Heaven, and embraces it aright, will forsake all for it, they sell all for it; in the 13. of Matthew, the man that found the Treasure, sold all with joy, the man that found the pearl of great price, sold all, and the Disciples were able to speak it, Master we have forsaken Matth. 19 29. all to follow thee: How is that? how do they sell all? the meaning is, they forsake all, First, In their judgements, and estimation of all other things, they Phil 38. are nothing in their thoughts, when compared with this: I account all loss and dung for Christ. Secondly, fell and forsake all. In their affections, that they care not for them, they do not love them, nor delight in them, when compared with this. Thirdly, sell all, In their resolution and purpose of their spirit; they being prepared to part with all, either by degrees; or all at a clap, according as their interest in the kingdom of Heaven doth call for any of them: And as the Scripture is plain, that it must be so, so if you look but into the examples of all that have embraced it, you shall see de facto that it hath been so; look upon the examples, read those Holy men of God, of old, that saw not the kingdom of Heaven so clearly, as now it is discovered: Abraham as soon as ever this City and kingdom was discovered to him, left Mesopotamia, left his Father, his kindred, the Land of his Nativity, his estate, went he knew not whither, only to follow a word that directed him to this kingdom: Moses whose Heb. 11. 24. practice is epitomised in the 11. of the Heb. 24. that he did count the honour of being Pharaoh's daughters Son, he counted the pleasures of the Court of Egypt, he esteemed the wealth of Egypt, the treasures of it, he counted them all as nothing in comparison of this; there is the world's Trinity, honour, pleasure, wealth, trodden under foot, by a man, that had but set his heart to the Kingdom of Heaven. The time would fail me to relate unto you what all the Worthies have done: But look a little into Christ's time, that which my Text doth more immediately intimate, what violence they used, how the people trod one upon another, to attend upon the Ordinances: how they would tarry sometimes 3. days together, without eating a bit of bread or drinking any thing but a cup of water, only that they might get some acquaintance with Christ, and the way to life; how his Disciples for their Callings and Nets to follow Christ, and do what he would have them do; how Paul made shipwreck of whatsoever was dear unto him, and pressed forward, only that this might be made good to their souls, that Heaven was theirs; how the Virgin company who follow Christ's loved not their lives to the death: huge Rev. 12. 11. clouds of witnesses there are whose examples prove clearly that who ever are rightly affected to the kingdom of Heaven, will do what ever they can in this work, with all their hearts, and all their might, and all their strength. Furthermore this violence and eagerness of affection towards the kingdom of Heaven, in all into whose hearts the knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven doth come, Expresses itself in two things: First, In labouring by all means possible to make it sure to their own souls, to work out their salvation with fear and with trembling, to make their interest in the kingdom of God, the unum necessarium, the one thing that is necessary, to part with all other things, that this may be their absolute portion; that is one, and the other, Wherein they are equally set, with eagerness of spirit, in endeavouring within their power and calling, is, that all Mountains may be made plain, all obstacles removed, all furtherances added, which may advance the kingdom of Heaven, that other Flesh as well as their selves, may see the Salvation of God. Read your Bibles, I affirm it confidently, you shall find that all that have been eager for themselves, so far as it hath lain in their lot and way, have expressed at least the same eagerness to advance it, and set it up for others; Abraham that all his children might know the Lord: Moses though he minded his own interest in Heaven far beyond all the world, (as I showed you) yet preferred the salvation of Israel before it: Lord rather raze me out of the Book thou hast written then for sake thy people; he was more for Israel then for himself. And so all those other Worthies, David never did that for himself, nor for all his children, in providing for them, as he did for advancing Religion, the zeal of God's house eat him up: and so did Asa, Jehosophat, Hezekiah, Josiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, and many others of the old; and those of the New Testament, with what violence did the Disciples of Jesus Christ, all of them go up and down, that they might gain others to the Lord Christ to win them to him? how did they go about preaching, and doing good everywhere: being contented to be thought vile, to be in their wits, or out of their wits, to be made a gazing stock to men and Angels, to be made the refuse and offscowring of the world, to be anything, so they might promote and advance the kingdom of Heaven? I know you are able to prove these things yourselves, and therefore I do not insist upon them, the ground of all this, is, Reason. From the necessity and excellency and benefit of the kingdom of Heaven. Because the kingdom of Heaven, to all who are rightly informed in it, doth appear not only to be a matter of absolute necessity, but so absolute good, such superlative excellency in such ravishing sweetness, such in expressible consolation that the soul that hath but once discovered it, cannot forbear, but fly upon it, as the Eagle flies to the prey; and if with Samson they find this honey comb, they must eat themselves, and give to their Father, or their Mother, or their children, and all that are about them. If you would know what they are, truly a little time will not so much as name them; but they are such as these, to be delivered out of the power of darkness, and dominion of the devil, to be reconciled to God, to have the pardon of their sins, and the imputation of Christ's righteousness, to be made God's adopted sons and daughters, to have peace with God, and peace with our conscience, and peace with the creatures, and joy in the holy Ghost, to have all things in this world turned to their good, and in the end to be delivered from death and hell, and to reign with God and our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven for evermore; such things as these, the kingdom of Heaven doth bring with it; now would you wonder that any man should be sick of love, (as the Church said she was) that doth but see this face? we use to say that for the summum bonum, for the chief good, excess of affection, can have no excess, the highest affection that any living man can express, cannot be supposed to have an excess in it, when it is for that is the superlative good of all others; I have but one Question or two briefly to clear, and then my way is plain to the Application. It may be demanded, First, Quest. 1. What use is there of a violent spirit in the pursuit of the kingdom of Heaven? Can we by searching find out the Almighty? is this Race to the swift? or this Battle to the strong? doth any man's eagerness and violence of spirit purchase this at God's hand? is it in our power, by our labour to carry it? is not all in this work of God's free Grace, who shows mercy to whom he will show mercy? and to what purpose then is that violence of the spirit? Reason. To that I answer, it is certainly true, that no wisdom of man can search the kingdom of heaven out; the Vultures eye never saw it, it is a path that the Lion never walked in, and the ways of it are hid from all flesh; it is as high as heaven; we can do nothing, the search of it is deeper than the centre of the earth, we cannot know it, Man knoweth not the price of it, neither is it found in the land of the living; the depth saith, It is not in me, and the Job 11. 7, 8: Job 28. pertorum. Sea saith, It is not in me, it cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price of it, it is hid from the eyes of all living; God only understandeth the ways thereof, and giveth it to whom he pleaseth, and if any man should think that his eagerness, or violence of spirit could purchase it, he and his labours must perish together: this is certain; but though this be true, yet the Lord who is the free giver of it, hath ordered that it shall be sought after this manner partly as a sign and token, that we esteem it in its due place, and partly as the means that he pleaseth to bless, and his promise is, that they who seek it as silver and search for it as for hid treasure, shall find Prov. 245. understanding and the fear of the Lord; and besides all this, there is that reason in nature for it, that whatever the heart doth once place the greatest felicity in, it can do no other, but it must follow it with all its might. But it may be once again demanded. Qu. 2. Doth not the Scripture say, it is easy? and if it be so, quors●m haec? to what purpose should violence be ufed, to take a Fort, that will be taken without violence? Christ saith, my yoke is easy and my burden light, a slight labour may serve for an easy yoke, a weak shoulder is enough for a light burden: To which I answer. Reas. Never did yet any man read in God's book, that the obtaining of the kingdom of Heaven was an easy matter; Christ-saith, it is hard to be saved, that straight is the way, and narrow is the gate, and we must labour at it, and many will cry, Lord, Lord, that shall not find it; many shall seek Matth. ●●, 29. 30. but not enter, because they strive not to enter; but neverisaith it is easy. Indeed when once the soul hath learned to conform to Christ, when they have learned of him to be humble and meek, than Christ's yoke is easy, and so it is in other things, if a man have given his heart to do the devil's drudgery, it is an easy thing for him to swear, and whore, and drink, and drab, and dice, and commit villainies, this abominable drudgery is easy to a man's spirit, that delights in it; and to travel from country to country, to fight, and be wounded, and all these things are easy to spirits that suit them; it was easy for Jacob 14. years together to watch and toil, when it was for his beloved Rachel. In all things finis dat is amabilitatem & facilitatem, the pleasing end propounded and aimed at makes the means sweet and easy, though difficult and hard in themselves: So when the love of heaven is got into the heart of man, than it is easy with him, it is pleasing to his nature, suitable to his spirit, to spend, and be spent, to be any thing, to do any thing, that he might get it: but otherwise the things themselves are hard to be got: I have nothing behind, but the Application of it, and that shall be in these two Uses. First, use 1. For humiliation. This Lesson doth afford us very much matter of humiliation and mourning upon this day of our soul affliction; and secondly, it is a Lesson that affords us excellent direction for discharge of our necessary duty for time to come. First, for mourning: do all that are rightly affected with the kingdom of Heaven, offer violence to it, in this way that I have discovered to you? how sad then is the condition of most in England this day? we all profess ourselves to be the children of the kingdom, we are by a certain general profession of Christianity, numbered among them that call ourselves the servants and followers of this kingdom, but are we true borne, or are we Bastards? This lesson will determine it. First, 1. How many use violence against the kingdom of Heaven. How many are there to be found in England, who in stead of offering violence to get the kingdom of heaven, do offer violence against the kingdom of heaven, and do all they can to rush upon the kingdom of heaven, to destroy it, and beat it down; who do not only with the Gadarens entreat Christ to be gone from them, but with those disobedient subjects, send him word he shall not paign over them, & with them of Nazareth, seek to tumble him down the brow of the hill, upon which their city was built: willing to use all labours, and travel, yea all violence, that the Gospel and Ordinances, wherein this kingdom is administered, might be disgraced, crushed, banished, beaten down? Of these men I can say no more, but this, their damnation sleepeth not, they may in words profess Christ, but certainly in their works they absolutely deny him, and ruin will be their end; Secondly,. 2. How many are flight & lukewarm in seeking it for their own soul. How sadly doth this speak against the generality of people? yea I fear against the greatest part of ourselves, who are here before the Lord this day, & God in mercy open all our eyes to see it, and pour so much grace into our hearts, that we may aright apprehend and be sensible what our estate is; you hear that all who are rightly affected to Heaven, do offer violence to it in all the ways I have opened; Brethren, do you so? say every one for your own souls, doth your conscience witness, that you offer violence to the kingdom of Heaven? Compare a little what violence you use for other things, and what you use to obtain a part in the Kingdom of Heaven: Can you not watch, and work, and toil, and spend and be spent for some earthly thing or other? For your wealth, or your pleasure, or your honour? Do you not drive like Jehu, furiously, as if you would break your Chariot wheels into pieces? do you not thus for the world? And do you thus also for your immortast souls? Are you not like David in his old age, when no clothes could make him warm? are you not like the Egyptians when their Chariet wheels were taken off, when they drove slowly and heavily? are you not like snails in the pursuit of the things of God's Kingdom? my heart could bleed in the serious thoughts of these things, O wretched creatures that we are, that we should thus deceive ourselves! There is a notable story of a poor wretched woman, whose house was on a fire, and she seeing her house would be burned down, bestired herself, to the utmost, to save what she could, gets out her linen, gets out her pewter, and what ever else she was able, and all this while this poor creature had a Babe lying in a Cradle, which she never thought of, (indeed some others did see it, and carry it out,) but when all was consumed, it came into the woman's mind, O Lord (saith she) I have forgot my child, I have saved my brass, and my pewter, and my child is burnt, and fell mad immediately, at the apprehension of her desperate neglect of her Babe; O beloved, we are (the Lord knows) no less mad, here is a poor Tabernacle of ours, it is of a light fire, here is a World on a fire, and a Kingdom on a fire, and we have somewhat that we would all save, and one man saith, I must have this Money, and the other, I must save so much Land; and another, I must save such an Office; and saith another, I must get such a preferment, and in the mean time there is a poor immortal soul, like a Babe in a Cradle, and a kingdom of Heaven, that is only a suitable portion to it, this we wholly neglect, we do nothing for it; it may be, come to Church, and hear Sermons, and join in Prayer, and attend upon Duties, but with such dull spirits, that if a man would ask his soul the question, his Conscience would say, this is not to strive as for mastery, this is not to run in a race, this is not to strive as if a man would obtain: Miserable that we are, the kingdoms of the Earth suffer violence, our farms suffer violence, our Trade suffers violence, but Heaven suffers no violence; the Lord forgive us, and help us to lay these things to our hearts, and to be humbled for them this day: and Thirdly, yet one thing more, 3. How little zeal is found for the advancing of the kingdom of Heaven for the good of others. What great cause have we to be humbled, when we look upon that other branch of it, the little vigour and fervency of Spirit, that men have to advance the kingdom of Heaven, in reference to the good of others? in other things, every good commonwealths-man is diligent, some would advance Trade to the utmost, and others would advance Liberty to the utmost; indeed all other things men seek to improve them to the utmost, but O the little care is found among men to advance the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the utmost: Many opposing it as a dangerous thing, they say of it as Haman, of the Jews, It is not for the King's profit to suffer it; and others as Herod, seek to strangle it in the Cradle; others who will not appear enemies to it, yet O how little will they now do for it? Is it nothing to them that pass by the way to see godliness trod under foot, to see Ministers trod down, to see Heresies and Blasphemies spread, to see all go backward in the things of Heaven? it takes not the hearts of a great many; God grant that many of yourselves, who are our Reformers, have not great cause to put your mouths in the dust for these things this day, when you are before the Lord our God; you know how zealous you have been in your own work, if you have had the like affections in advancing the kingdom of Christ, lift up your heads and take the comfort of it this day: but if you like that cold Worshipper of Baal, Gideon's Father, who had an Altar for Baal, yet when one had it broken down, and he persuaded to punish him that had done that deed, answered, Let Baal plead for himself, let him revenge his own quarrel: so if you deal for the Kingdom of Christ, let it shift for itself. If any of you have such a cold heart for Religion, and let it go at six and seven, be permitted to lie in the dust, and be deeply humbled; if not, I must tell you from the Lord, that lie will not only not delight to use you, but he will spew you out of his mouth, for he had as willingly have a dead ass offered in a Sacrifice to him, as a dull Spirit to set upon his work: for these things let our souls be humbled this day; and that is the first use; the second is a use of exhortation in two branches: use 2. Exhortation in two branches. Is the kingdom of Heaven a business of that nature, that all who are rightly informed about it, will seek it violently, eagerly, with all their strength? 1. Each to contend violently to get it. O that the Lord would leave that impression upon every one of our souls this day, I desire that for the time to come we might make it our only work for ourselves, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling; Would I knew what to say, to inflame your hearts about it, would the Lord did please to open your eyes, and show you how little the World is worth, and how little good is to be found in it, and how far below your souls, and how much your immoral souls are worth, and how excellent a thing the kingdom of Heaven is, that you might be contented with Paul for time to come, to make it your work to pursue after it, to account all loss to win Jesus Christ, do any thing, or be any thing, so it be in the pursuit of the kingdom of Heaven; Much I might say, to stir you up, but I am afraid I should be burdensome to you, and would not be straightened in the last branch of all; and therefore I come to An exhortation to this honourable Assembly, by whom I am called to be helpful to this day, that in that part of their work which concerns the kingdom of Heaven, they would do it with all their might, labouring to advance it, as all those Worthies have done whom God hath thought fit to register in his Book, as men accepted with him: Beloved, if you please to open your eyes, and look abroad into the kingdom, into every corner of it, you'll see lamentable objects everywhere, afflicted creatures of all kinds, crying to you, that you would reach out a helping and healing hand to them, but in nothing so much is the kingdom desolate this day, as in the things that do properly belong to the kingdom of Heaven, the Faith of God's people, I mean the doctrinal part, is woefully overthrown, in many places by blasphemous and heretical doctrines which are got in, and sown through the cunning craftiness of them that have lain in wait to beguile unstable s●●les the Worship of God is woefully neglected and trodden under foot; Fast days, and Sabbath days, in most places not one whit regarded, the ministry not more contemned, nor so much under reproach in the hottest persecutions that they have lain under heretofore, the Glory of the Lord marvellously abused in point of Religion: England is this day an amazement to the Nations round about it, to the insulting and rejoicing of all the enemies of it, and the mourning and sadding of heart unto all that love it. Could you but (as in a glass) behold the unsettled case of the kingdom of Heaven in this Land, you would quickly grant there is a great deal of work to be done, by those that have any vigorous spirits, any bowels in them to roll towards the helping forward of this great work. Now that you may administer a healing hand, I shall endeavour to say somewhat that may quicken you up, and I beseech you give me leave to lay before you, these following considerations: Motives to provoke to this work. eight things I would have you all seriously to think upon, to provoke you to be vigorous, and violent in advancing the kingdom of Christ: First, Certainly there is not only such a thing as zeal for God, but it is a grace of absolute necessity in all the services of God, and so lovely, that it is the lustre, and the varnish, the glosle, and beauty of all performances unto God, that which sets them off with glory in the eyes of God & man. God's work requires it; every cause which concerns the kingdom of Heaven, must either be done with zeal, or meddle not at all with it, a lukewarm spirit in the service of God, is worse to God, than a spirit that will do nothing, he will spew it out of his Mouth, as abominable meat; Now then, because Religion is a work for God, the proper cause of God, the cause wherein his glory is most interessed, associated with God, you must needs do it with zeal, with all vigour, and best intention of your spirit; Secondly, Consider further, you all have lifted up your hands to the most high God, and that in the day of your distresle, you have bound yourselves by an Oath of God, and you have brought the kingdom into an Oath of God with you, you have sworn that you will willingly, cheerfully, constantly, to the utmost of your power, within your callings, beat down what is contrary to Religion, that you will study the advancement of Reformation, according to the Word of God, and the pattern of the best reformed Churches: this in the day of your distress, you have sworn: you have since told the kingdom you forget it not, you have ordered the Ministers oftentimes to read it upon the Fast days, that it might be in the eyes of all▪ Now I beseech you know, that the keeping Covenant with God is a matter of a high concernment; and the breaking of your Covenant with man, uses not to go unrevenged, but the breaking Covenant with God, is a thing will never escape the wrath of God. Thirdly, Consider that this work of advancing the kingdom of Heaven, is a work that belongs to you; I told you before, you have sworn to do it, within the compass of your calling, now it is a work within the compass of your calling, it belongs to you; the Lord hath not trusted you only with civil liberties, and to beat down oppression and injustice, and outward wickedness against the second Table, (in which the Lord make you more zealous) but besides this, the things of God's kingdom are committed to you. You shall read, if you look into God's Book, all the Worrhies whom God hath taken notice of, their Crown & glory hath been, that they did beat down Idolatry, opposed and suppressed what ever was contrary to Religion, built up God's house, set up his Ordinances, encouraged his Ministers, and for the doing of these things, they were approved, commended, rewarded, and such as neglected them were by God blamed, branded, punished: so many examples are extant in the Scripture of the Old Testament, that I need not name them, and the same is prophesied to be done by Magistrates under the New Testament, Kings shall be Nursing Fathers Esa. 19 29. to it, and Queens shall be Nursing Mothers to the Church; they shall give it bread & milk, and provide for it, and nourish zach. 13. 3. it: and for punishing the oppressors of it, there is a gospel prophecy, in the 13. of Zechariah, When any shall prophesy falsely, his Father and Mother that begat him, shall thrust him through, and say, Thou shalt not live, for thou speakest lies in the name of God; Now then since this belongs to your place, and work, I beseech you for the Lord's sake, be zealous in it: and Fourthly, consider, As it is for Christ, and for his kingdom, so Jesus Christ hath very well deserved at your hands, to have you vigorous in his cause, he hath earned it; he is before hand with every soul of you; look upon the zeal he showed, when he came to do your work for you, how did he bow the heavens and come down upon the earth? and from the throne of glory came, and lay first in the womb of a Virgin, and then in swaddling bands in a Manger, and afterwards lived a poor life, and then prayed, and preached, and wrought Miracles, with indefatigable pains, with burning zeal, yea, gave his life a ransom, he gave his soul to the death, that he might be a ransom for you, and thereby Titus 2. 14. purchase you to be a people to himself, zealous of good works, hath he not deserved it? Ay, and he hath deserved it at your hands in this great work he hath set you about, in this great concussion and earth quake of the kingdom, wherein you have been so far employed; What mischiefs hath he discovered, which have been contrived against you? What seasonable Mercies hath he sent you? What unexpected victories hath he given you? How hath the Lord made Mountains plain before you, and brought you into the condition wherein you are, and made you enjoy that, which many times (I dare say) you were past all hope of seeing? the Lord then deserves his cause should be thought upon by you. Fifthly, consider, That the setting up of the kingdom of Heaven, the advancing of it, is a matter of the greatest concernment unto the whole kingdom, of any thing that ever you can be employed in; when you have thought all that lies within your compass, there is nothing of that concernment to the kingdom, as the kingdom of Heaven is; for why? you know the greatest part of our well being here upon earth, lies in the things of God's kingdom, and the whole sum of our everlasting well being in Heaven to eternity, is wholly to be taken from the kingdom of Heaven, not from any outward things that you can help us with; and as the things concern us for our well being, so these are the things will bring other things with them; set up the kingdom of Heaven throughly in the Kingdom of England, and you shall say of it, as Nabals servants said of David's men, 1 Sam 24. 16. when they lay with them, all the while the men were with us, they were a wall about us, that we lost nothing, none could hurt us, nay it will be a wall of fire to England; Salvation will God provide for walls and Bulwarks to you; I fear not to speak Zach 2. 5. Esa. 26. ●. it to wise men, that the four Seas of England, and if to them were added walls of brass of 20. cubits high & thick about England, and all your soldiers as the sons of Anak, they could not give that security to the Land which the kingdom of Jesus Christ would be to it: Let the gospel flourish, let Religion prosper, let that go on, and salva omnia, that will secure all other things to you; the very Heathens saw this by the light of nature, you cannot read of one Lawgiver amongst them, but ever counted the matters of the worship of their Gods, and of Religion to be of greatest advantage to their states, and therefore counted Religionso sacred a thing, that they made their Kings & Princes always their chief Priests, that the care of the Gods might not be neglected: it is true, these poor blind wretches knew not God, and worshipped Devils, and therefore miscarried, but yet thus much we may learn from them, that even in their judgements, nothing so secures a Nation as Religion; Now when we have the clear light of the Gospel, and so many examples before us, and so many promises from Heaven, can we expect the like succour and help from any thing else, as from the advancement of that: Sixthly, Know ye for certain, you never shall be able to break through your difficulties, and to settle this poor Land in Peace, unless your whole heart be sincerely set to advance the kingdom of Heaven; you shall not prosper in other work; I know it grieves your hearts, and it grieves those that love England, to see how you labour in the fire, and what pains you take, and still the end of one trouble, is the beginning of another, our clouds return after the rain, and when we think we are going to Moor our ship, we are instantly ready to dash against new rocks, up and down we are, and England appears to our eyes, as a dying fading plant; certainly the Lord's anger is not yet turned away from England, there is somewhat provokes him, God grant that we may search whether it be not somewhat like that in the 1. of Haggai, that the house of God was not regarded, as it should be: I do acknowledge here before you, my heart is overwhelmed with grief oftentimes, when I look upon our unsettled condition, but could I once see, and might it appear, that the Lord had let it so really into the hearts of our Parliament, that they could with all their might, buckle to the work of God sincerely and faithfully, to inquire what God would have them do in the cause of Religion, and do it to the utmost, I think all my fears would vanish; I should say we went forward, when we seemed to go backward; we prospered, when we seemed to be overthrown; I could say to my own melancholy spirit, as Luther said to Melancthon, Ego miserrimas istas curas quibus te consumi scribis vehementer odi, &c. I do extremely hate (saith he) those cares that thou sayest do consume and tear thee; it is not the greatness of our danger, but the greatness of thy infidelity, that is the cause of it, it is the cause of God that we are engaged in, So methinks, I could resolve that the enemies of England & of the Church of God, would quickly be where they should be, that is, made the Lord's footstool, and we should triumph over them, & break through all, if the Lord would but incline the hearts of those he hath called to it, to go throughstitch with the things of the kingdom of Heaven; and therefore I most humbly beseech you fall to it, and in it do as Baruch did, of whom you may read in the 3. of Nehem. 20. that he did build the Nehem. 3. 20. wall earnestly, and Tremelius reads it, accendit se he sets himself a fire to it, he stirred up himself, he did not stay till others stirred him up, but he provoked himselself to it; do it with all your might, and do it throughly too, do not make Icr. 6. 14. a patched business of it; the Lord made that once a curse to the Ministers of Israel, that they healed the wounds of the people slightly; therefore that I may speak plain English, search God's Word, and find, not what may be agreeable to human policy, but search what God would have you own, and set up, what he would have you oppose, and what he would have you beat down, what he would have you indulge, how far he would have you indulge it, by what rules it should be done, get a clear light in these things, for the Scripture is able to make every man of God perfect in all his works, get this, and fall to it throughly, and God Almighty will be with you; the Lord will yet blow over the clouds you are afraid of, and will prosper your work in your hand, but truly, if you do neglect it, and shall not be faithful to the Lord in it, believe it, though our misery and ruin may be protracted and beaten off, and kept off for a time, it will return upon us, and come in like the huge breaking in of waters, and like a great breach in a high wall, whose mine comes suddenly; therefore because you cannot do the rest of your work without it, let this be the main. Seventhly, I'll but name the two other, and lay this to heart likewise, That a great part of those miseries that the Kingdom of Heaven lies under at this day in England, have broke out since the cure of it was committed to your hands: I do not say through your fault, the root of these humours was in the sick body before; and in such confused times, (as hath appeared in Germany and other places) abundance of disorders do come in, especially in times of War; but because God hath blessed you, and enabled you to afford a healing hand in many things, to take off the bridle of bondage, which lay upon our necks, and to pull down huge Mountains, and that God's people enjoy a great deal of liberty in many things, more than they did heretofore, be provoked to help in this also: A merciful good physician, who hath begun a cure, if any new disease break out, while the Patient is under his cure, he would be very loath any thing should fall out to be the patient's ruin, while under his hand, and therefore let this also provoke you earnestly to carry this work on: and Lastly, Know that if the Husbandman will sleep, the envious man sleeps not; Gebal and Ammon, and the children of Lot, and Ashur, and Tyre, and all that are enemies to the Kingdom of Christ, bestir themselves against it: Catiline watches, ut perdat rempubliam, omits no endeavour to destroy Religion, Sanballat and Tobiah, do all that ever they can to hinder the building of the wall; shall not Nehemiah, shall not Ezra, shall not the rest of God's people, put to their hand too? Vt jugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones, If thieves watch by night to kill men, shall not honest men watch to preserve their own lives? When there is such a marvellous endeavour to corrrupt our Faith, to take away Government, to take away Worship, to take out the power of godliness, to discourage all that fear God, to do any thing against them, shall not they that are the servants of the Lord do the utmost that they can to encourage them? For the Lord's sake, consider of these things, and God Almighty give you a right understanding in them; this is the first thing, what they did, they offered violence to the kingdom of Heaven, the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence. The second part you have in the next words, the success of their violence, they take it by force, Rapiunt; It is a Metaphor taken from a Castle taken by storm, by the violence of those that will it take or lose their blood, so the violent do take the kingdom of Heaven; and these words are both Restrictive, and they are Promissive; they are restrictive, they are the violent men and no other, that get it; if of any work in the world it be true, that the sluggard is clothed with rags, it's true here; he that only cries, Lord, Lord, shall never come into the kingdom of Heaven; this is a peculiar mercy in store for these violent spirits, that the violent, and no other shall get into Heaven: and then as it is restrictive, so it is promissive, though careless endeavours and slight labours may prove abortive, vigorous prosecution of it shall not miscarry; they that seek shall find, to them that knock it shall be opened, to them that ask it shall be granted, they that seek wisdom, as men seek Silver and Gold, the Lord will give it them; he hath laid it up in store, Prov. 2. 34. let them that have violent hearts, offer violence to it, and the Lord hath promised they shall not miss of it: but this (the time being gone) I dare not handle. FINIS.