him: this presumption is not far from that of the citizens that hated him, Luke xix 14. "He shall not rule over us." And from the intolerable pride of those who are for breaking asunder the bands of the Lord, and his anointed; and for casting away their cords from them, Psalm ii. 2. -Especially seeing the Man Christ would not take the office of a judge upon him, Luke xii. 14. And discharged his disciples to exercise a civil lordship over their brethren. True it is, the godly magistrate may command the ministers of the gospel to do their duty, but not under the penalty of ecclesiastical censures, as if it were proper to him to call and uncall, depose and suspend from the holy ministry. The lordly spiritual government, in and over the church, is given unto Christ, and none else; he is the sole ecclesiastic Lawgiver. It is proper to him to smite with the rod of his mouth; nor is there any other shoulder, in heaven or on earth, that is able to bear the government. As this hath been the great controversy betwixt our Lord Jesus, and the powers of the world, from the beginning; so it has ruined all that coped with him. Christ has proved a rock of offence to them; they have been dashed in pieces by the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands, Dan. ii. 34, 35. And the other powers that enter the lists with him, shall have the same dismal exit. Whosoever shall fall upon this stone, shall be broken; and on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder, Matth. xxi. 44. As the blessed prophets and apostles of our Lord contended not a little with the rulers of the earth, that Christ should be the Head Corner Stone; and that Christ is the only Head of the church, as sure as that he died, was buried, and rose again. It is a victorious and prevailing truth; not only preached and attested by the ambassadors of the Lord of hosts, but confirmed by blood, martyrdom, and suffering. Many precious saints have thought it their honour to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. And it is beyond doubt, that passive suffering for the name of Christ, comes nearest to that noble sample, wherein Christ, though a son, learned obedience by the things which he suffered, Heb. v. 8. Now blessed is the soul who loves not his life to death, Rev. xii. 11. for on such rests the Spirit of glory and of God, 1 Pet. iv. 14. We cannot but say it is a sad time to this land at present, it is a day of darkness, and rebuke, and blasphemy. The Lord hath covered himself with a cloud in his anger; we looked for peace, but behold evil: our souls rejoiced when his majesty did swear the covenant of God, and put thereto his seal and subscription, and after confirmed it by his royal promise; so that the subjects' hearts blessed the Lord, and rested upon the healing word of a prince. But now, alas! the contrary is enacted by law, the carved work broken down, and we are brought into the former bondage and chaos of prelatic confusion. The royal prerogative of Christ is pulled from his head, and after all the days of sorrow we have seen, we have just cause to fear we shall be made to eat that book wherein is written Mourning, and Lamentation, and Woe. Yet we are to believe, Christ will not so depart from the land, but a remnant shall be saved; and he shall reign a victorious conquering King to the ends of the earth. O that there were nations, kindreds, tongues, and all the people of Christ's habitable world, encompassing his throne with cries and tears for the Spirit of supplication, to be poured down upon the inhabitants of Judah for that effect! Young, Gallie, & Co. Printers. |