from the ftate of the law, and the good things therein; that's the meaning of that Text, and a speciall Scripture for the incouraging of beleeving Parents in respect of their Children, and the bringing of them to that Ordinance of Baptifme, Sometimes this Kingdome of Heaven is taken for fome perticular thing in the ftate of the Gofpel, as for the preaching of the Goffel it's call'd the Kingdome of Heaven: as, the Kingdome of Heaven is like a man going out to fow his feed,that is, this administration of the Gofpell in the preaching of it is like a man that fowes his feed and fome fell upon the high way,&c. The preaching of the Gospel,that's one thing in the Kingdome of Heaven that hath the name of the whole And fontimes it is taken for the work and efficacy of the Gofpell in the heart of a man: As the Kingdome of Heaven is like to a grane of mus tardfeed, what's that ? that is the worke of the Gofpell that is now preached in the ftate of the Meifiah,it hath that effect upon the heart, as a graine of muftardfeed: Though it be little at the firft, yet it growes up to a mighty tree; This is the fubftance of this Kingdome of Heaven, it is the ftate of the Melfah; So then the meaning of Chrift is this; Bleffed are the poor in fpirit, you that are thus poor, o bleffed are you, for looke what good, or benefits are come by the Meffiahs coming into the world, look what bletfedneffe there is in the ftate of the Meffiah,that belongs to you, you shall certainly have that bleffedneffe. Againe, Somtimes the Kingdome of Heaven is taken for the Church, and the priviledges thereof, as, Ile give unto thee the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven, and that's one great part indeed of the Kingdome of Heaven, the priviledges of the Christian Church: The Priviledges and Adminiftrations and Ordinances that there are in the Chriftian Church are a great bletling of the Kingdome of Heaven, and you thall have all thefe you that are poor in fpirit. Why is it call'd the Kingdome of Heaven. Firft, It's call'd the Kingdome of Heaven, Becaufe Christ is from Heaven who is the King thereof. Secondly, Secondly, In diftinction and oppofition from or unto the Kingdomes of the world, It is not of this World, faith Christ. Thirdly, Because that Chrift his feat is now at the prefent in Heaven. Fourthly, Because that the way of his Government, it is fpirituall and heavenly, not in an outward way. And then Fifthly, Becaufe it will certainly bring both foule and body to Heaven at laft; Therefore the whole administration of the Meffiah in his way and government is call'd the Kingdome of Heaven. - Chrift is the King, and the bleffing of this it would be very large to open in the perticulars, there is infinite blefledneffe in this Kingdome of Heaven. For firft, 'Tis Chrift the Mediator that gives thee Lawes, if thou beeft brought under the ftate of the Gofpell to be a fubject of Chrift by being a Beleever, I fay Chrift he gives thee. thy lawes; now thou haft them from the hand of a Mediator : The Jewes had their lawes (the ten Commandements) from the hand of a mediator, from Mofes. But thou haft the law for the guiding and ordering of thee from the hand of Jefus Chrift. It's true, the fame thing that Mofes did require men then, was that that Jefus Chrift gave to them, and Mofes lik wife he was a kind of type of Chrift even in that, but thou haft them more fully from the hand of a Mediator, from the hand of Chrift, (the law) for the guiding and ordering of thy life: and that is a great difpute about the law now, which truly hath little in it to edification, viz. Whether we have our lay now from Mofes or from Chrift, and fo many that fpeaks against the law, when it comes to a difute, the uttermoft, that they can give is this, that we are delivered from the law as it was given by Mofes: why what's that to purpofe, if we be bound to the fame thing that Mofes did command, and by as ftrong bonds as those were that liv'd inthe time of the law: what great matter whether we have it from Mofes or no, we have it,and are bound to it by as strong bonds if it comes from the hands of Chrift; And we may fatisfie our felves enough inthis, but we have the law. law that are the rules of juftice and equity, that are morall, we have them in this Kingdome of Heaven: Indeed we have them given in another way in the hand of this Mediator, with more itrictneffe, with more fpiritualinefle and inlargement rather; For this our King tells us afterwards in this Chapter, that he came not to deftroy the law but to fulfill it, he comes to open it iaith he, ye have heard it faid by them of old time, thou fhalt not commit Adultery, but I fay unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, hath commited adultery with ter allready in his heart: Chrift expounds the law, and feemes to put it in a higher pitch then the Jewes had: - There is a great deale of comfort now I confefle in that, that thou haft thy law now from Jefus Chrift. And in this indeed thou mayest have this comfort having thy law from him, that he will not be fo exact as to require all forfeitures from the breach of the law, as was requir'd of the Jewes: In the administration of Mofes there was fuch and fuch forfeitures upon breach of the law; but God is pleaf'd to manifeft more grace now, fo that he doth not now ftand fo exactly upon breaches as to pronounce a curfe upon every one that doth offend in that way: Mofes delivered his law that the people thould looke upon themfelves as accurfed if fo be that they did offend in any part of it; It's true, there was fomething of Chrift revealed to help beleevers indeed, but for the most part it was little knowvne, fo as for the generallity of the people they lookt uponthemfelves(or thould do fo)as accurfed, if they did breake any part of the law. But in this Kingdome of Heaven, that's a bleffedneffe that thou haft a law from him that loves thee more then his life, he was willing to lay down his life for thee that gives thee thy law, now when one hath a law from one that we know loves him dearly it's comfortable And he is the Judge of the law, and he is to take all the forfeitures of the law that loves me dearly, even more then his own life why this is a great comfort. The Second thing in the bleffedneffe of this kingdome of Heaven is this, that Jefus Chrift he now rules in the hearts of his Saints by his word and fpirit, a great deale more fully then then he did in the times of the Law, or in any way can be conceived, It's true, there was a generall worke of God upon the hearts of heathens: In thofe morral virtues of theirs, but there was not a ruling in their hearts by the Scepter and Spirit of Jefus Chriit the mediator : and though beleevers in the time of the law had the fanctifying Spirit (tome of them) in fome high degree: Yet generally it was very poor and low in the hearts of beleevers in the times of the Melfiah, The Spirit of God is thed abroad in this his kingdome with more fulnelle, with more clearnette, with more power, with more excellency abundantly,and it was referved for the coming of this King the Melliah to fet up that Spiritual government of his in the hearts of his people, which is a thing that we little understand: We think there is fuch a duty required of us, and we fall upon it; I but we doe not looke upon Jefus Chrift fwaying his Scepter in our hearts for the enabling of us to doe what he requires of us in his word. And then Thirdly, All transactions between God and them, are in this kingdome, and not to go out of this kingdome by that I meane thus, when thou haft offended God at any time, and, God hath any thing to fay to thee for thine offence, thou shalt not corse to have this bul neffe of thine tryed in the Court of exact Juftice, no, it must not go out of this kingdome, but it muft all be within the kingdome of the Melfiah: As this is the priviledge of one that lives in one kingdome he cannot be calfed to another kingdome to answer for his fault, if he were in another kingdome he might dye for it, but here the Lawes do help him more, and that's a comfort to him: So now, wert thou in the kingdome of Gods power, as he is. Creator of Heaven and earth and fo rules the wo ld;certainly any offence of thine would be eternall death to thee, and it is fo with all those men and women that are (I fay) only under the kingdome of Gods power: that is, they are Gods creatures, and God is their Creator,and fo they have to deal with God as under the kingdome of his power, if they offend as creatures God in that kingdome deales in a way of exact juftice, fo as to punish with death upon every offence, but now a beleever brought into another king K dome dome, the kingdome of the Mediah, there he comes to have other priviledges, to that when a beleever offends he doth not goe to an wer in that Court of his, (to wit) the kingdome of his power, but he is to answer before the Court of Jesus Chrift and Chrift is to be the Judge, and Chrift he is to deale with them in that adminiftration ofhis that he hath received from the Father, and fo comes a beleever to stand with comfort before God notwithstanding all his offences and weaknefles, for the tranfaction is between God and him within this kingdome and not without it: Oh this is a great comfort for one that is poore in fpirit: Bleffed are the poor in fpirit for theirs is the kingdame of Heaven: The kingdome of Heaven,of the Gospel it is theirs, and this is the blefledneffe that they have by this kingdome of the Gofpel, that (I fay) all the tranfactions betweene God and them are in this kingdome: So likewife all Gods dealings with them every way it is through a Mefiah, and all that they tender up to God it is through the Me fiah, fo as indeed they have nothing (as I may fo fpeak) to do in their reference to God, but onely through this their King,their King doth undertake all bufineffes between God and them: thou that art brought to this kingdome, he that is thy King, the Lord Jefus Chrift, God and man, hath undertaken all things that concern thee in thy reference to Cod: Therefore blessed art thou for thine is the kingdome of heaven. So that all the mercies that come from God,they came from God through Chrift to thee, by the meanes of this King he brings them, and it is through his right that thou haft them; As. now, when there is any thing to do between two kingdomes, why the tranfactions are between the two Kings, every private man doth not meddle in tranfacting of bufinelle between kingdomes: So I may fay,there are as it were two kingdomes, the kingdome of God as he is a Creator,and then the kingdom of the Meffiah,now all thofe things that we are to receive from the kingdome of Gods power as Creator, Jefus Chrift he deals with God for them, and we come to receive them all through the right of this our Kings all mercy, and if there be any affictions comes, if we have offended the father, and fin against the |