The zealous Christian taking heavenThe zealovs Christian taking heaven

MATTHEW 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.

MATTHEW 11. 12. And from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now, the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

¹There is but one Doctrine behind, and that is taken from the consideration of the quality of those persons who did express this holy violence; who they were our Saviour himself acquaints us, Matth. 21. 31. Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans ²and harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you. Verse 32. The publicans and harlots believed John. The Pharisees that led strict lives, had a kind of legal righteousness, yet they were not the people that did ⟨p. 53⟩receive Jesus Christ, but publicans and harlots. The Pharisees and lawyers rejected or frustrated the counsel of God against themselves, or within themselves, being not baptized of him. But the Publicans justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John, Luke 7. 29, 30. They that used this violence were ³men that lived by rapine, deceit, exaction, and oppression; so did the Publicans. Whence the observation is this.

¹THere is but one Doctrine behinde, and that is taken from the consideration of the quality of those persons who did expresse this holy violence; who they were our Saviour himselfe acquaints us,