Sermons (pages 121–141) – Part 1 (pages 121–140)
Work of Rerfempton
and his, and bis People's Enemies universally, not one
Ways,
Which
Univerfalliry
here
twv>
(i.) In the universal Terms that are ulcd
excepted :
fignificd
Enemies. (2 ) In that here is anAcccunr of the fubjcdt* ingof the verj lafl Enemy When there shall he hut ont Enemy left, that fhali also be put under his Feer. 2. We may learn what is here meant by Enemies, by the particular Instance here given by the lafl t ac Which fhcws ihat by shall be destroyed, viz. Death. Enemies, is not only meant Persons that set thcmfelvts but Evils in Opposition to God and his People whatever is any Way against God and his People, and docs oppose or molest Christ of his aints, arc here callea Enemies, whether ihey be Persons or Things. :
Hence the
DOCTRINE, Our LORTy JESUS CHRIST,
in the U orh
Redemption, glorioujly appears above ail Lvtl.
Tn handling this Do(f rine, I propose to fliew, I.
How Evil of
Kind's has prevailed, and liighly
exalted itself in the World. II.
That tho' Evil has so greatly prevailed, and
ho-v hij h soever
gloriously above it, I.
Evil of
has exahed its<'ls, in the
Kinds has
height in the World, and
Chriit
appears
Work of Redempiion. risen
to an exceeding;
highly exalted iifel; aga.nft
God and Christ, and rhe Church. This v/ill appear by the following Particulars. I.
Satam has highly exalted himself. and grearly
pcvailed.
Satan i ne who is vaHly fnpcrior," in his
mrur l Capacity an!r Abilities,
Mankind.
He was
originally one of the highest Ranlc of Creatures;, beii g
JESUS CHRIST fx..W,
mighty Anqol.
TTe proudly exalted himfclf in Reagaind God in Heaven. For vvc are tolJ that
bellit n
Pride was the Condemnarionof the Devil.* He beof hU own (iipcrior Dignity and mighty Abiiiries, and the Glory which his Creator had pur up-
<iame proud
on him and probably thought it too much to submit to the Son of God, and attempted to cxah his Throne above theThrone of ChriiL And he prevailed to dr.- w ;
away vafl Multitudes, mnny Thousands and Millic-ns of the heavenly Hods, into an open Rebellion against God. And afler he was cad down from Heaven, he proudly oralted himself in rhisVVt>rId. and prevailed to do great
Things h-re. By his fubril Temptations he p ccur''d the fall of oi2r fird Parent?, and so brought about the
Ruin of the wh !e Race of Mankind. He pre cured their Ruin in Body and Soul, and the Death of both and that they fnould be exposed to all Manner ;
of Calamity in this World, and to eternal Ruin here-
He so far prevailed, that he drew Men off from
after.
the Service of their Maker, and let up himfc'f to be the God of this World :*.nd in a little Time drew the ;
Worl
almod universal Corruption, wliicli brought on the Flood of Waters, by wh'ch it was doItroyed. And aft r that, he again in a litleTimc drew uil
into that
at ions,
except the Poderity of Jacob, olffrom the
Worihip ot the true God, and darkened all thcWorld with the darkness of Heathenilm and held them under this Darkness for a L reat many Ages he himself beinc? v/orfhiprd as God ahnod all ( ver the World the Nations of the Earth offered Sacrifices to him and Multitudes offered up tl eir Children in Sr-crifice f) b'HT). And during thatTime. he ofen so far prevailed againd the People of God, (hat h* ad almod Iwallowed \ r? " - v them up. 'f he Church was often brought ;
Brink of Ruin.
Work of Rcdemptkfj.
And when Chrifl: hiitifelf appeared in the World, how did he exalc himlclf againit him
and prevailed
so far. as to influence JMen to hate and despise him all
the Days of his Life.
And at last peri waded one of
his own Dlfcipks to betray him ;
that he was doiivere
and brought it lo pass,
Hands of Men,
to be mocked, buffeted and spit upon, and treated with the greatest ignominy that unrest rained Malice could devise : and at last procured that he sh on Id b " put ro the most cruel, ignominious kind of Death that was in use And since th t,- he has greatly exalted in the World. himfcif againfl the Gospel and Kingdom of Chrill has procured that the Church, or the mo(t Part, has has often bro C been the Subje£\ of great Perfecuiion Has accompliOiit to the brink of utter Deftruoion cd great Works in fecting up thofe great Kingdoms of Antichrist and Mahomet ; and darkened great Part of the World, that was once enlighrened with the Gospel of Chrili with worf than heathen Darkness. And i
into the
christian World with Multitudes of Hercdcs and false Ways of Worship, and greatly pro* moteJ Arheifm and Infidelity. Thus highly has the Devil exalted himself againit God and Christ, and the
has infe led the
Ele61 ; and U far has he prevailed. 2.
'Guilt is another Evil which has come to a great
AllGuilt is an Evil of a dreadNature the leaR Degree of it is enough utterly to undo any Creature. Ic is a Thing that reaches unto Heaven, and cries to God, and brinc s down bis M rath. The guik of any one Sin is {o terrible aa height in the World.
Evil, that it prevails to bind over the guilty Perfbn to suffer everlading Burnings :
and io is an Evil that is some Refpe(5t infinite, in that it obliges to that Punifhrncnt which has no end and o is infinifely terrible. Bu: this kind of E il has risen to a most amazing bright in thisWorld where not only fomeperfons are viblcy, but ail in all Nations and Ages are naturally In
guilty
JE'SUS C r-I R ISr exalted,
gu Ify Wrctclics. And they who live lo a£l any time JM \\\c World, arc tmi (>nly guilty of one Sin, but of 1 hi ulai lis aivl iluufandsot 'I hi'Ulands. What mul'id
vl :' a pa\:.tcd Sins arc 'oinc Men guilty
lies on lomc particular Per Tons I on Icme particular populous CiHow nuch more li ill iv\ this wicked World !
W'hai Guili
ivoie
Av much does the Ciuih of the World transcend all
all Powers of Numbers or Account all Exprcftion Mcafurcs \nd above all, how va(l is the Guilt of the World, in all Ages of ir, from the beginning of the World to the end of it To v/hat a Pitch has Guilt rilt n in the World The World being, as it were, on cvrry Side, loaded with it, as with Mountains heaped on Mountains, above the Clouds and Stars of Heaven. An\) Guilt, when ii was imputed to Christ, greatly prevailed against him tho' in himfclf innocent, and ihe eternal >on of God even so as to hold him Prif')ner of Jus'ice for while and to open the Floodgates of God's Wrath upon him, aud bring all his ;
Waves and Hillows over him. Wickedness of Heart, is g. Corruption' and anoth.r Thing that has risen to an excecvling height in Sin has lb far prt vailtd in the World that All Mankir.d that are meer become universal Let l ;cn, are become t nful ard corrupt Creatures. us attend to St. PauTs Description of the Woi Id. | s it is writ*yews and Gent'le) ar a I under Sin, ten, There ts none Righteous, no not one : there is none that under ft and eth, there is none that Jetketh the World.
it:has
ojter God. 7 hey are af! gone cut cf the J ay, they are t' Tther become unpro table there is none that And not only is exery ore cordoth Good, no not one. but \\\cy are all over corrunt, in every Power, rupt every Part is depraved. Which F.'cnlty &: Trinciplc is h(rc reprelentcd by t e Several Parts of the Body
bcirg corrupt,
as ihc
I hroat,
Tongue, the L>p>
JESUS CH R 1ST exalted,
the Mouth, the Fecr.
" Their Throat
an open
Sepulchre, with their Toni ues ihcy have used Deceit,
the i\)iron of Asps is under their Lis>s : whose Mcuth is full of cursing and bitterness
their Feet are fwlfc to
And not only is every Part corrupt but
filed Blood.'*
exceeding corrupt ; being poffefted with drcadf iiJ Prin« ciples of Corruption,
horribly evil
and bythePoi-
Dispositions
Principles of Sin, that may be rcprcfenred
son of Asps ; which makes Men like filthy Beasts, like
Vipers and Devils : Principles of all Uncleanness, Pride, Deceit, Injuflice. Enmity, Ma!ice,Blasphemy, Murder,
Here their Throats are compared to an open Sepulfull of cursing and chre, and their Mouth said to be '*
bitterness, " and De(lru61ion and Misery are said to be
in their Ways.
And there are not only thofe Principles of Sin that here is no Sort cf but every Kind Wickedness, but there is a Seed f it in Men. " nd ihcfe Seeds and Principles have not only a Being in Men's Hearts, but are there in great Strength : they have the absolute Foffeflion and Dominion over Men, so that they are fold under Sin. Yea, wicked Principles, and ihofe only, are in the Heart. Tre Imagination of the Thoughts of their Heart is evil and only evil. There are bad Principles only, and no good ones. "There is no fear of God before their Eyes." Thus the Hearts of all Men are "deceitful and defiierately wicked." An'd if v/e look not only at the natural Corruption of the Heart, but the cont rafted Habits of Sin, that Men are commonly under the Power of,by wicked Education and Cufloms, how full fliall we find the World oa Wicked no ss, in this Refpc6l How have Men by bad Customs in Sinning, broken down all Refiraints upon naiur l Corruption, and as it were abandoned thcmleives tc Wickedneh So far has Corruption and Wicked are very bad,
Jer.
xvii.
JESUS CHRIST
ncfs prevailed in the World,
exfiltej,
and so bigVi has it risen,
hicomc a great 6: univcrfal Deluge, that ovcr-
that it i
rops all 1 hi» gs. and prevails with that Strength, that i
like the raging
Waves of th( temped nous Ocean ;
nrc ready t( bear down all before th m.
which
Many of the Devil's Inflrumenis have greatly
prcvaiPd, and have been exnlted to an exceeding heighc in the
been so
It has
almod all y'sges of
Many of the Devil's Indmments have the World. profpcr'd and prevail d 'till they have got (o theHead of oreai Kingdoms and Empires, with vafl Riches and mighty P( wcr.
Those four p/cat hcrthen Mon- rchies that rose in the
bcK)rc Chrill, j nre fp(;kcn of in Scripture
VN'orlii
Kingdoms let i p in opposition
ro the Kingdom of they are rcprefcnted in ihe Interpretation
of Nebuchadnezza-' i Dream, wherein he saw a great Imnac thc Head of Gold, his Bread and his Armj of S Iver. [lis Bellv and his Thighs or Brass, his Legs of Irort. &:c. Thcfe Monarchies viere exceeding y5owrrki]. The two lad ruled over the bigger Part of ihe then known World. And the lad cfpeci dly, viz. the Romnn Kmpir/, was exceeding mighty lo that it \i faii! to be divers from all Kingdoms and that it ihonid devour the whole Fnrth, and tread it down, and br<;;vk ir.in TiiCcS. And is rcprefcnted by the fourth f Bead, wh.ch was dreadful and terrible and drong exc> cdinc ly and hnd great iron Teeth, that devoured and break i:i Pieces, and damped tiie rcfidue with his ;
'Ihcfefourkingildms all persecuted theChurch
of (t(h1 in their Turns
and especially the Ind,
viz.
the Roman
One of the Govei nors of this Monarehy p\it Chrid to Death And afterwards one Emperor sftcr a' nth' r.
mnde drendful Havock of the Church ;
dc. royirg Thouiinc's (?c Millions ;
Dan.
making a Business of v :-, Grecian oc Rrman Mnnarchicj. :
Dan.
vii.
in the Jfork
of Redemption.
of it with rhe Force of all the Empire, to torment and destroy the Chriliians; etideavouring if polTible, to root
out the Chri lian Name from under Heaven.
And in these latter Ages, how have thofetwo great InHriiments of the Devil, viz
Antichrist and Mahomet,
and to what a Pitch of Advancement have they ariived ruling over vafl: Empires, with mighty Wealth. Pride and Power : sb that the Earth has been, prevail d,
Aniichrifl has set u|) him-
as it were.fubducd by
them.
self as thj Vicir of
Christ ; and
has for many
Ages
usurped the Power of God, " fitting in the Temple of and exalt* God, and (hewing himself that he is God ing himself above all that is ca'ledGod, or that is worihipped." And how dreadfully has he ravaged the Church of God, being drunk'with the Blood of the ;
And has often, as and the Martyrs of Jcfus! were deluged the World inChridiah Blood. shed with t »e utmofl: cruelty that human Wit and Malice could Saints,
invent. Ak'l) at this
Day, many other Instruments of the
Devi', m ny Hereticks,Athci[ls and other Infidels, are exerting thcmfelves againlt Chrilt and his Church, with great Pride and Contempt. 5. Affliction and Vlifery have also prevailed and risen to an unspeakable'- eig'nt in iheWorld. The spiritual Misery which the Ele£t are narurally in is great. They are mifcrable Captives of Sin and Satan, and under Obligations to fuflcr eternal Burnings. This Misery all Mankind are naturally in. And spiritual Troubles & Sorrows have often risen to a g eat Heighc in the Ele(5l. The Troubles of a wounded Spirit and guilty Confcicnce, have been felt with intolerable and " infupportablc Weight. wounded Spirit who c n bear? f And thedaiknefs tiiat has risen to God's People
after Conversion, through thcTemptatioris
& Buffetings
of the-Devil, and the Hidings of God's Facc,and Manlfedailoiis yESUS CHRIST exaftrj,
fehations ofhi**.
temporal
ArA have been very terrible. have often risen r ceecling high.
rger,
Affl.ifiinns
The Chbuch of C»'od has, for the nrioH Part all along, been a ent of great Afi - 'u B and 1 ribulntion The Tronbh and Dilirefs the Church ha<; undergone. under thofe crnel Per(«cu'it>ns that have often been and have
Dcen lonr COT t'tniKd are (iich as we cnnnc t have a full Conception of, who have always eijcyed such Liberty and Pence Vu the height to which the Evil of Afri(fii.' n has Tifen, ro wh« re appears (o much, as in the / ffi£ku ns that ( hrift iufft re d. 1 he evil of Affli6 ion & Sorrow cxa u'd itit- f (o high, as to (i'Z( the 'Son of Gc< himfc\i\ and to handle him after such a Manner. as to cause him to be all in a ' loody Sweat, and made his Sou) txard caused him creding forrowlul even unto Death to cry (,ut, ' My' Cod, my God, why halt thou foraffli<5 ion never prevailed to inch a Defaken me whose Soul was, as it gree in this World, as in Chrid were, overwhelmed 'n an Ocean, and conlumed as in Furnace of ir. 6. Dt ATH is an Evil which has greatly prevailed, and made dreadful Havock in this Worlo. Huw does it waflc at d devour Mankind one Age after another ; fpanng n ne, high or low. rich or poor, good or bad ! many cruel Princes \ViId Beads have dellroyed many have taken away the Lives of Thou lands, and laid bur Death devours ail ; n( nc uafle whole Countries i
are fufrcrcd tocfcapc.
And the liodies of the Saints
as well as others. fall aPrey to this grCotDcvourer
so hieh dul this Rnemy rile, that he took hold c-nChriit
Hebehim am ng the rcH. By came the Prey of this great, infatiablc Monflcr his :V'cans. was liis bodily Frame dellroyed, and laid himself, and swallowed
dead in lie dark and (llcnt Grave.
And Death Hill And there-
goes on dtilroying rhuuknds every Day.
lore
SeR.
in the
Work of Redemption.
fore the Grave is one of thofethings \N\\\z\Agur says
never has enough. So have Evils of every Kind prevailed and ofuch A Degree have they exalted themselves in the World. ;
I come now, TI. To shew, how our Lord Jesus Chriil, in the Work of Redemption, gloriously appears above all
these Evils.
It was not the Will of the infinitely wife and holy Governor of the World, that Things (hoy Id remaia in this Confusion ; thus under the Reign of Evil, which had prevailed and exalted
self to such
an Height.
But he had a Design of subduing it and delivering an ele£l Part of the World from it, and exalting them to ;
the Pofteffion of the greatest Good, and to reign in the highefl Glory, out of a Stare of Subjedlion to all these Evils.
And he pitch'd upon his Son as the
for this great Undertaking,
Person
was infinitely too great for any meer Creature and he has undertaken if in the Work of o' r Redemption. And tho* these Evils are so many and so great, and have pr; vailed to such a Degree, and have risen to such an exceeding h.ighc, and have been as it were, all combined together yet wherein they have exalted themselves, Chriit in the Work of Redemption, appears above them. He hath ghnoufl/ prevailed agiinll them all, and brings them under his Feet and rides forth, in the Chariots of Salvaiion, o cr their Heads or leading them in trifir
thst
umph at his chariot Wheels.
He appears in this Work
infinitely higher and mightier than they,
and fijfiicienc
to carry his People above them, and utterly to destroy
them all.
C-iRisT gloriously appears above all these Evils In his procuring Rcdcmpcion, by what hs did and suffered, when he was in his State of Humiliaiion In
Prov, XXX
— JESUS C.H EIST exalted,
Ser. L
Dead, andafcention into Heaven— thefjr in this Saints of in Heaven Souk ihe World In glorifying excrci towiirds that the World, es he In his Providence the Conlnmmaiion In of the as Head of the Church \S\ rk o Rcdtmptir'n. at the 'am] of the World. I, C Ris; arprar? iflorioi. fly above all Evil in what he did to prccyr(Rsi'empiion f( r vs in his State of .u Tliliatton,by" tne Righrcoufnefs he wrouchi out, and the and esp(cially in his Atonement he made for Sin then \ Ci:\-\ spoken wh ch have of, The Evils Siifterirg . fgainfi him in (hefesuftcras rever (ccmed so to prevail But ir fbe i, the Fiundari( n was laid for their ings In them he apj-eared above Satan. 7 ho* overthrow. Sat?n never exalted h'mle'f lo h«gh, as he l\''6 in prorifinp from the
In the w< rk <>f h' s Spirit in the Si>iils of
Curing ihefe Sufferings of Chrill ; \i\ then Chrifl laid the Foundation for the utter over-thri-w vf his King-
dom. pori
flew Satan, as it were, with
The lpiriiual*Df7T7Vcui
off this Goliath's
Head
word and he triumphrd ov r him in " Having fpoilrd Principaliti* s & Powers, his Ciofs. he made a Shew of them c>penly triumphing over them with his own
in his Cn (s,
mentioned
the prtrccding
1 hen the Wisdom of Chrill appeared glo iSat m, sh; (>1J oufly above the fubtilty of Satan.
Scrpenr. used a great deal of Subtilty to procureChriil's
and doubtle( , when he had accrmplifhed it, bc'ng he had obtain d a compleat V'(ftnry then ianorant of the Contrivance of our Redemption. But lo did the Wildona of ChriQ order Things, that Satan's Subtilty and Malice, fii uld be made the vrry Means of undermining the Ft undations of his Kingdom and so he wifely led him into the Pit that he
Deaih
tht Ujiht
had digged. 1\ this also Cbrid appeared gloriously above the For he offered that Sacrifice, that was Guilt of Men. fufhcicnt Colofs.
Wotk of Redemption.
fuffictent to do nway all the Guilt
of the whole World.
1'ho' the Guilr ( F Man was like the great Mountains, vvhofe Heads are lifted
Heavens
to ihe
dying Love, and his Merits in this, appeared as a miofhty
Deluge that over-si.)we-i the
Mountains
like a bonndlefs Ocean.th.it swallows rhem up : or like
an iiiiiticnfe Fourjain of Li hi. that W;th the fulness and redundance of its Brightness, iwal)" >ws un Men's greatest Sins, as little Mores arefwallovved up snd hidden in the Didc of the Sun, In tiiis Ciiriil appeared aSove all the Corruption of Man, in thai hereby he purchased Hulinefs for the cnief of Sinners. And Chrii in undergoing such extreme Afili7ion, got the Vi£i:i\ry over all Misery and laid a F ainda;
tion for its being utterly abolished, with Refpe< to his
he became the Plagues and DeWhen Death Hew him, it as it were, flew it Self ; For Chrid throuj,h Death, dcOioyed him that had the Power of Death, even the Devil " By this he laid the Foundation of the glorious Rcfurr
dying
ftru6lion of Death.
reifllonof all his People to an immortal Life. 2.
Christ
appears gloriously exalted above
and Alcention into He-:iven. Vv'hen Christ arofc from the Dead, then it appeared (hac he was above Death, in that Death, tho' ic had taken him Captive, could not hold him. Then he appeared above the Devil. Then this Leviathan that had fwal lowed him, was forced to voand the 'hilihines that had takea mit him up again captive the Ark, were forced to return it Dagon be* ing fallen before it, with his Head and Hands broken oir. and only the Stumps left. Then he appear d above our Guile : For he was Evil,
in his.Refurrc6\i)n
juil.ified in his
Rcfurreclion. f
Tim. iii.
JESUS CHRIST exahe u
ScR. L
In his Rcfiirrcf ion he appear'd above all Affl'<f inn.
For tho' he had been Aibjc l to much /\ffl: ion, and overwhelmed in it he then emerged out of ir, a?; hiving gotten fhc Viclory over it, never co coiiflicl with any more Sorrow. When he afccndcj up into Heaven, he rose far ;
above the Reach of the Devil and all hi Inllruments,
who had before had him in their Hands
And now down at the Right hand f God, as being made He d over all Things to the Church in order
has he
to a compleat and
perfeft
Death and all his Enemies. *'
Vi lory It
Sit ihou on n y Right-hand, nemies thy Fooifh ol." *
over Sin
was then
said
Satan, to him,
make thine £
uniii 1
entered into a Stntc of Glory, wherein he Is exalted far abo e all thefc Evils, as the Fore rur.ner of
People ; and to make Interceftion for them till they also are brought to be with him, in like Manner exalted
above all Evil. 3
Christ appears gloriously
above all Evil,
Work in the Hcarr<; of the Ele l, in their Converflon
and San6tific:ui(>n. This is what the Application of Redemption, (o far as it is applied in this World, coni\{\s in uhich is done by the Holy Gho: as the Spirit of Chiill. In this Woikof Chrilt in ih Hearts of his Eie<fl,he appears g'orious above Satan. For the firorg Alan armrd is overcome, and all his Armour wherein he iiuded, is tr.kcn from him, and his Spoil divided. In iliis Work, the Lamb is by the \\>\x\iu:i\T>avJd, taken out of the Mouth of the Lion ai.d Bear the poor Caplive is delivered from his mighty and cruel Enemies. In this Chrifl appears gloriously above the Corruption and Wickcdncfs of ilic Heart above its natural Darkness in difpclling it, and letting in Lirht j and above its Enmiry and Oppolition, by prevailing over it, drawing ii powerfully and iricfiftally co himftlf, :' d ;
luriiinj '
Pfal.
JVork of Redemptwtu
turning an Heart of Stone into an Heart of Flclh : above the obfiinacy and perverseness of ibe Will, b/ making ih m willing in the Day of his Power. In For all Sin is this he appears above all tlieir LuOs
mortifycd in this Work, ar.d the Soul is delivered from the Power and Dominican of it.
In this Work the Grace of Chrifl does g rioufly He comes over the fountriumph over Men s Guilt tains of their * ins. and vi(irs bem with his Salvation. Anto GoJ is w.)'U ofcr n in this York, either in the beginning ( f it in Convrr(ion. orprogrrcfs of it, to give his People thofe spiritual Co forrs, in which heglorioufl/' appears r«> e jSove all Xfflitjfion gnd Sorrow : '
and ofien givc th. m to triumph over the Devil, and Many Saints, his powerful and cruel Inilruments. by [influences of Chrill s Spirit on their Hearts have rejr.ycedand triumphed, when suffering the greareli TorAnd in this ments and Cruelties of their Pcrfccutors aboveDeath. appears Work Chriil fometimcs gloriously it, and where is thy
in carrying his People ar above the fears of
making them
say to ir,
O Grave, where
Death,
thy Vi(f ory ?" gloriously appears above all thcfe fore4. Christ in his glorifying the Souls of departed mentioned Evil Sting P
In this he gives a glorious Victory Heaven. Death. Death by it proves to be turned from an over a Servant and their Death, by the gloriEnemy into ous Change that pafics in tiie State of their Souls, is Saints in
become
Refurredlion,
rather than a Death.
Glory, wherein ic is perfcfflly delivered from Satan, and ail his Temptations. and all hislnilru ncnrs and from all remains of Sin " They fliall andCorrLiption and from ajl Affl,£lion Chriil exalts the Soul to a State of
hunger no more, neither third any more, neither shall the>iun light on them, nor any neat-— and God (hall wip avvay all Tears from their Eyes," "f V 5. Christ + Rev. vli. 16, 27. :
JESUS CHRIST exal/ J,
Christ appears gloriously ab( vc ibcfc Evils, in
what he doth in his Providence in the World, as Hcgd and Redeemer of his Church. He appears gloriouny above Saian and all his Infiruments in nphotdirg his Church even from it's first Edabliflimcnr hitherto.ihro* owertul Attempts that have been made againd all the jt by Earth and Hell hereby fulfilli g his Promise, that iIjc Gates of Hell fliould never prevail againll ic.l }
Ch« 1ST gloriously triumphed
over ihefe his Ene-
mies, in
mat remarkable Success
that there was of his
Gofpcl,
soon after his Afccntion,
uhcn many Thou-
sands in Jcrufalcm. and all Parts of the Vs or d, vvf re so
soon turned from Darkness unto Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God and in ca {inc[ his Word to go on and profpcr, and his Church to increase J-nd :
prevail againfl all the Oppolliion of the heathcnW orld,
u'hen tht y united all their Pow r to put a Stop to ir,
So that, in spite of all that the hiloand root it out. fophersand wife Men and Emper rs and Princes coulj (pel in a little Time, overthrew Satans old do, the hcaihcniflj Kingdom in the whole Roman Empire, which was thf n the main Part of ihe VN orld. And so brought about the grcatcR and most glorious Revolution tna: ever was in the Wo: Id when inilead cf one flnglc Nation, that were God s People,3S it formerly had been, now the greater Part of the Nations of the known World were become God's People, inltead (f being the pr>»fe(red People of the Devil, as they ufedt be. 1
Andchrifvs Oxaltation above allEvil in hisGovcrnment of the World in his Providence, as tl»e Redeemer cS his People, has (incc gloriously appeared in reviving hisCliurcli by the Reformation from Popery,
aftcr it
had for many Ages lain in a great Mcafure hid, and dwelt in a \\ ildcrncfs, under antichrillian Ptrfcculion, * M *»li in the Work of Redemption,
And he will yet far more glonoufly triumph over Satan and all his Instruments in all the mighty Kngdoms that have been set up in Oppofitijn to iht Kingdom of Christ. at the Time of the fall of Aniichriit, so much and the beginning of ihofc glorious Time Then shall the spoken of in Scripture Prophecy. Stone that has been cut out without Hai.ds (mite all and they these Kingdoms, and break them to Pieces Ihall become like the Chaff of the Summer ihrefhing Floors, and the Wind ihall carry them away, that no and the Stone which Place (hall be found for them fmotethem shall become agreai Mountain, and fill the whole Earth, f Then shall the God of Heaven see up a Kingdom, which shall never be dcdroved and ic shall break in Pieces, and consume all thefekingdoms, ;
And then the Kingdoms of become the Kingdoms of our Lord
and it shall (land forever, this World
shall
and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.*'
However great and mighty Empires have been set up, one after another in the World, in oppolition to the King-
dom of Christ, during the SuccelTion of so many Ages
then Christ'sKingdom shall be the last and the universal Kingdom, which he shall have given him, a?; ih Heir of the World.
Whatever greatWorks Satan has wrought
the final Iftae and Event of all, in the winding up of
Things in the last Ages of the World, shall be the gio* a Kingrious Kingdom of Christ through the V. oi Id dom of Right eoufnefs and Hoiinef;. of Love S Pcacc', :
Agreable to the ancientPre-
eftablilhed every where.
I faiv in the Night Fifions and behold, one like the Son of Man, came with the dcuds of Hea
di6tion,
ven.and came to the Ancient cst) ays, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him T>o mmion and Glory and a Kingdom, that all Veople Nations and Languages should serve him : his Domnion is an ever la/ling 'Domin''on,whjch sj. all no!' pcifs y
vcr,
QTvay 44
JESUS CHRIST exalte Ser.
away, and his Kingdom that which fjmll not be de nd the Kingdom an4 Dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the, ivholeHeaven,/hall be given to the People of tlifi Saints of the mofl High, ivhofe Kingdom is an everlafling Kingdom, and all
flroyed.
U)ominiofis Jkffi ferye td obey hiiiu
Then sh Uil| g||a| ear gloriously exalted indeed above all Evil : And then fliall all the Saints in Earth and Heaven gloriously triumph in him, and sing, HaU lelujah. Salvation, and Glory, and Honour, Power unto the Lord our God : for true
Judgments
& & righteous arc his
for he hath judged the great Whore,
tuhich did corrupt theEarth with herfornication, and
hath avenged the Blood of his Servants at her Hand* Hallelujah : for theLord God omnipotent reigneth, \ 6.
Christ will appear gloriously above all Evil in
theconfummationof theredemptionof hiscledl Church Then will be compleated at the End of the World. the whole Work of Redemption with Refpefl to all that Christ died for, both init's Impetration
& Application;
And then will Christ's Exaltation and not till then. above all Evil be mod: perse(flly and fully manifest. Then shall the Conqucft and Triumph be compleated Then fliall all the Devils, tviih refpccl to all of them. and all their InQrumcnts be brought before Christ, to be And then fliall be compleatjudged and condemned. ed their Dcdru ion in their consummate and everlasting Misery ; when they fliall be all cart into the Lake of Fire, no more ro range and usurp Dominion in the World or have liberty lomakcoppofition againflgoj and Chrid they fliall for ever be fliut up, thenceThen (liall Death be totally forward only to fuflcr. ;
All the Saints fliall be delivered everlaftjngly from it. Even their Bodies fliall be taken from
dcltroycd.
being any lonccr the Subjects of the Power of Death, by a glorious Refurreoiju,
Th£M H
Dan. vii.
Rev.
Sbr, L
in the Tfork of Redemption.
Then fliall all G"»lt, and all Sin and Corruption, and all Affli i n, all Sighs and Tears, be utterly and eternally aboii(hed,concerning every one of theEIe(Sl ; they being all brought to qge compleat Body, to their confummatc and immutable Glory. And all this as the Fruit of Christ's Blood, i;;|Jjh|a »pliffimenc of his Redemption. '-'' pIMHPiP Thun all that Evil, vvhichhaslo pr aiied, and so exalted itself,and usurped & raged,andr(iSgned,(hall be perfefbly and for ever thrust down and dcltroyed, u ith and all will be exalted to a State 1 efpeft to all the Ele£t wherein they will be for ever immensely above all rhefe there Jhall be no more T>eath, neither things. Jorrow nor crying, neither /hall there be any more P am : for the former Things are fa£'ed away, f :
APPLICATION* My Sub]e£l has led me to such a length in the do irinal part, 1 have room left but just,
as it were, to hint
two or three, of the many Uses, that may be copiouHy insisted on from it. I. In this wc may see how the Glory of the Lord Jesus Chrid appears in the Work of Redemption. It was because the Father h id from Eternity a Defiga of exceedingly glorifying his Son, that he appointed him to be the Person. that should thus triumph over the Evil in the World. The Work of Redemption is ihemoft glorious of alltheWorks of God that are made at
known to us. TheGlory of God does moll remarkably shine forth in it. And this is one thing wherein the Glory of it does eminently appear, that therein Chi id appears so gloriously exalted above Satan all his In-
above all Guilt, all Corrruption, all Affli£lion,and above Death; above fl// Evil. And more flruments
ej|rccially,
because Evil hath so exalted itfcif in
World,
JESUS CHKISr exalted,
"World, as we have heard j and
Ser. L
exalted itself agalnft
Chr 1ST in particular. Satan has ever had a peculiar Enmiry a ainft the Son of God.
Probably his fird Rebellion.whichwas his Condemnation. was his proudly taking it indifdain,when God declared the Decree in Heaven, that his Son in Man's Naure, fiioukl be the King of Heaven and that all the Angels fliould wojfhip him. However that was, yet it is certain that his Strife has ever been cfpecially againfl the Son of God. The Enmity has always been between the Seed of the ' Aoman, and the Serpent. And therefore that War which the Devil maintains againfl God, is rcprefentcd by the Devil and his A ngeli fighting ngainft Michael and his Angels. * This Midfnel is Chrill.f had appointed his Son to be the Heir of i«he World; but the Devil has cbnieflcd ih s Matter with him, nd has drove to set himfclf up as God of the ;
World, in opposition to Christ. And how exceedingly has the Devil exalted himself against Christ How did he oppose h rri as he dwelt among the Jews, in his Tabernacle and Temple And how did he oppose !
him when on Earth
And how has he opposed him What great and mighty Works
fjncc his Ascension has Satan brought to pass in the World ; how many B bcIs has he built up to Heaven, in his opposition to rhe Son of God How exceeding proud and haughty has he appeared in his Opposition How has he and his Inflrument?, and that Sin and Afri(fiion and Death that he is the Father of, raged againfl Chrilt But yet !
Chrifl in the Work of
Redemption appears infinitely,
above them all. In (his Work he triumphs over them, however they h: ve dealt proudly and they all ap-*" pear under his Fcer. In this the Glory of the Son of God in the Work of Redemption, remarkably ap;
pears.
xii.
in the Work
of Redemption.
Tpie Beauty of Good appears with greatest Advantage, when compar'd with it's contrary Evil.
And the
Glory of that which is excellent, thencfpecially fhcws it fclf, when it triumphs over it's contrary, and appears vartly above it, in it's greatefl Height.
The Glory of Christ in this glorious Exaltation over so great Evil, that has so exalted it's self againfl him, docs the mor remarkably appear, in that he is thus exalted out of fomonv a State.
Tho' he appeared World, as it were a little Child yet how does this Child of God triumph over the mod gigantick Enemies of God and Men He who was " a Man of in the
Sorro\ s,and acquainted with Grief," is a Man of War,
and triumphed over his Enemies in all their Power. He who was meek and lowly of Heart, has triumphed over ihofe proud Foes. And he is exalted over ihen> all, in that which appears most despicable, evert his
Here is Matter of exceeding great Encourage-
ment for all sinful, miserable Creatures in the World of Mankind, to come to Christ. For let ihem be as sinful as they will,
and never so miserable ; Christ in
the Work of Redemption all their
gloriously exalted above
Sin arid Misery.
How high foeyer their Guilt has risen,tho' Mounbeen heaping on Mountains all the Days of till the Pile appears lowering up to Heaven, and above the very Stars; yet Christ in the Work of Redemption appears gloriously exalted above all thi§ Height. tains have
their Lives,
Tho* .they are overwhelmed in a mighty Delyge of Woe and Misery a Deluge that is not only above their Heads, but above the Heads of the higheftmountains ; and ihey don't see how it is p* (Fibie that they should escape yet they have no Rcafon to be clifcou* r ged from looking to Christ for hrip who in ihe Work of Redemption, appears gionolifly above rhq ;
feiigeof Evil.
Tko*
JESUS CHRIST exalted,
Tho' they see dreadful Corruption in theirHcarts ; Lulls appear like Giancs,
thi)' their
or like the raging
"Waves of the Sea; yet they need not despair of help;
who appears, in the Work of Re Icnption, gloriously above all this Corruption.
but 'Tia.' look to Chrill
If they apprehend themfeives to be miferablc Cap« and find him too strong an Adversary for then and the Devil is oftei tenij ing them, and buffeting them, and triumphing over them* with great cruelty. If it seems to them that xhe Devil has (Wallowed them up. and has got full PoiTeiTi )a of thciTi, as the Whale had q Jonah ; yet there is Encouragement fjr them to look again, as Jonah did, tovvirds God's holy Temple, and to trust in Chrifl for Deliverance
lives of Satan
from Satan, who appears so gloriously exalted above
him in the Work of Redemption. If they are ready
to (ink with that
Darkness and
ihofe Sorrows which they meet with ; th t Oujt efs of
Confcience,Qr thofefrownsof God upon them
so that
God's Waves and Billows seem to piss ovef hem ; ycc they have Encouragement enough to look to Christ foroeliverance. Thcfe Waves &: Billows have before exalted ihemfelvcs againfl Christ j and he app:arcd to
be infinitely above them. If they arc afraid of Death if I! looks exceeding terrible to them it was an Enemy that would as if swallow them up let them yet look to Chrjfl who has appear'd so gloriously above Death and their Fears will turn into Joy and Triumph. ;
What Caufc have they who hwc an Interefl
in Chrifl, to glory in their Redeemer !
They are oftca
befec with many Evils, and many mighty Enemies fur-
round them on every Side, with open Mouth ready lo devour them But they need not fear any of them. They may glory in Chri't, the Rock of their Salvation, They may ';;ho appears so g'.orioully above them all. triumph :