The last point is the date of time from whence this kingdom of heaven suffereth violence.
' From the days of John Baptist until now.'
Quest. Was there not a kingdom of heaven that suffered violence before John Baptist's time? Did the kingdom of God begin then? Was Christ a king, and was heaven opened only then ?
Ans. I answer. No. But now the things of God were more gloriously dis- covered. Therefore, John i. 51, ' henceforth you shall see heaven opened.' The kingdom of heaven was opened now by the preaching of the gospel more gloriously than before. Therefore the state of the gospel is called the ' kingdom of heaven,' partly in regard of the times before, and partly in regard of the times after.
The law was full of servile hondnrie to ceremonies. It was a heavy dark state. They were laden with a multitude of ceremonies, which were but cold things to the spirit of a man that desires peace. Though they were ceremonies of God's appointing, yet they were but outward empty things in comparison: 'weak and beggarly elements,' as the aj^ostle saith. Gal. iv. 9. They were costly and painful and cold things, that had not the efficacy of spirit in them.
And secondly, Then it was entailed to the Jews only. Now, since Christ's
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time, it is enlarged ; and being more large and free, this blessed estate is called ' a kingdom.' John Baptist now opening Christ clearly, and a better state than the church had 3'et enjoyed, when people saw an end of the cere- monies, and the beginning of the glorious liberty in Christ, this made them violently set on them.
Again, John Baptist made way for Christ, levelling the souls of men by his powerful preaching and his holy life. He taught them in what need they stood of Christ. He was the messenger sent before Christ for that end. He was as the morning star to the sun. He was powerful in his preaching, and holy in his life. He told every man his owa. He told the Pharisees that they were a ' generation of vipers.' He shewed men their state by nature, and told them of a better state, that ' the kingdom of heaven was at hand,' Mat. iii. 2. And although he wrought no miracles, yet himself was a miracle. To teach such holy doctrine, and to live an austere holy life in those evil days, it was no less than a miracle. Therefore this violence to the kingdom of heaven, it hath the date from John Baptist's time ; from his preaching, not from his birth. He being so excellent a preacher, no wonder there should be violence.
This shews the reason why the gospel in later times was embraced so greedily when Luther began to preach. Alas, people had been in a worse condition than Jewish in respect of ceremonies ; and otherwise foolish idle men they will set God to school, they will have some fooleries alway that they will make as much of as of the worship of God ; and so it had been in the times before Luther. In Saint Austin's time he was pestered with many vain ceremonies ; and, good man, he yielded to the stream and custom in many things, though he could hardly endure the slavery of those things. Now when the times grew better, it is no wonder the world embraced the gospel with violence, as in Luther's time, when there was a freedom pro- claimed from those beggarly rudiments and traditions. Antichrist had hampered the consciences of men with an intolerable mass of foolish, groundless ceremonies, making them equal with the word of God, as we see in the Council of Trent, {b) and this vexed the consciences of people like scorpions, as it is Eev. ix. 9. They oppressed the people with a multi- tude of weights and burdens, which when people could not assent unto, it stung their consciences. No wonder then if people thronged after Luther when he opened the doctrine of free justification by faith, that the con- sciences of men were not to be hampered with these things. He taught that God's people were only to have a few ceremonies for present order ; but for the rest, to trouble men's consciences, and to make them of equal value with the word of God, he shewed it was an abominable doctrine, and wrote against it learnedly and sweetly. And therefore it is no marvel though the truths he taught were soon and cheerfully by multitudes embraced.
And the reason why now the gospel begins to be so little embraced and esteemed, is because, by reason of the long continuance of it, we are weary of this heavenly manna. As the people in Saint John Baptist's time, as eager as they were after John's preaching, yet it was but for a time that they rejoiced in his light. They gi"ew weary of him. We never felt the burden of those Romish ceremonies, and therefore now grow weary of our liberty. Whereas in the beginning of Luther's time, because they were eased from many beggarly, and which is worse, tyrannical ceremonies of Rome, there- fore with much joy and eagerness they embraced the truth when it came to be preached amongst them.
Therefore we are to praise God for the liberty of the church at this time,