not without a title to conquer, but has the title of his Father's gift, and his own purchase. Ere he could attain to the poffeflion of this kingdom, he behoved to fwim through a fea of bloody fufferings, and he purchased every fubject with the immenfe price of his precious blood. Thus his title is indefeasible.

3. Though our Lord has this just right to the kingdom, yet his fubjects have fworn allegiance to the prince of darkness, and are in actual rebellion against him. That is the common character of them which we have Tit. iii. 3. We ourselves alfo were fometimes foollift, difobedient, deceived, ferving divers lufts and pleafures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. And they will never yield to him, till they be overcome by his mighty power. He gets no fubjects but by ftroke of fword, and the exertion of the fame power that was put forth in his own refurrection.

4. Chrift as a King doth by power overcome them at length, and makes them willingly fubmit to him, renounce obedience to the devil, the world, and their own bafe lufts, his enemies, and caufes them chearfully floop to the yoke of his obedience, and to fay, as If, xxvi. 13. O Lord our God, other lords befides thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

5. The weapons wherewith Chrift fubdues his fub. jects are his word and Spirit, whereby they are effectually convinced of their fin and rebellion, and reduced to fubjection to him. The word is the rod of his power, by which he has fubdued nations to himfelf. It was by this word that in the primitive times. he overturned the empire of the devil, filenced the Heathen oracles, and demolished the Pagan idolatrous worship. And because the word comes to many with. out the Spirit, therefore Chrift has many fubjects in appearance only, mere pretenders to loyalty to him; they are really the fubjects of Satan, and only feign fubiniffion to Zion's King. But where the Spirit comes

with the word, there the heart is fubjected to Chrift in very deed, 2 Cor. x. 4.; and Chrift has a kingdom not only among them, but within them.

Secondly, Chrift exercifes his kingly office in ruling and governing his fubjects. No kingdom can be without a government; and Chrift's kingdom must needs be an orderly kingdom, which he himself governs as the fupreme Head and Monarch. Now,

1. Forafmuch as the church is a vifible fociety on earth, whofe head is in heaven, Chrift governs them externally.

(1.) Giving them laws according to which they are to demean themselves every way towards God and towards their neighbour, If. xxxii. 22. The Lord is our Lawgiver. Thofe laws which are the laws of the kingdom of Chrift, are written in the Bible, and are a transcript of his perfections, and derive all their authority and vigour from him alone, and not from the church, or any body of men whatever. And none have power to add to, or diminish from the laws of this great King.

(2.) He gives them officers, in whofe hands he has lodged this government, who are to be accountable to hiin for their adminiftration, on whom they depend, and from whom they derive their power. Thefe are neither Pope nor prelates, none of thefe being officers of Chrift's appointment; nor yet the civil magiftrate, who as fuch is not fo much as a member of the church; and while there were no magiftrates but what were enemies to the church and the caufe of Chrift, yet Chrift appointed a government therein, as appears from 1 Cor. xii. 28. God hath fet fome in the church, first apoftles, fecondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diverfities of tongues. But thefe officers are preaching and ruling elders, as is clear from what the apoitle fays, 1 Tim. v. 17. Let the elders that rule well, be wanted worthy of double honour, efpecially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

isure and cenfures to control the nous, and keep the fociety own Chrift as a King ought es his people by church-diaches them by the miniftry of what our Lord himself fays, be shall neglect to hear them, but if he neglect to hear the church, heathen man, and a publican. Watfoever ye shall bind on earth, ere, and whatsoever ye shall loofe on in heaven.

Crit is God, and his laws reach the she lies open to no other but himself, people internally.

aggs law in their hearts, in confequence e promife, Heb. viii. 10. holding forth them by an inward evidence, making ow what his will and pleafure is, that they rom the heart. Hence he fays, If. xxx. cars fall hear a word behind thee, faying, say, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right. Son ye turn to the left.

de powerfully inclines and over-rules them by it unto obedience, while he fits at the helm, cets the thip of the foul what way he will, Acts To which we may add,

30. Photo foeret rewards and corrections which are com his own hand; while he beftows on them cual comforts and foul-feafts when in the way of

aty, and gives them fuch ftrokes for their corC9, even for fecret faults, as may let them fee, though their King be in heaven, yet he judges ...e catch. Hence he fays to the church of PergaRev, B, 17. To him that overcometh will. I give ta low manna, and will give him a white ftone,

noto name written, which no man

be that recuseth it. And to the church

of the Laodiceans he fays, Rev. iii. 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chaften.

Thirdly, Chrift executes his kingly office in defend. ing his people. The kingdom of Chrift always had, and ever will have many enemies, who will continually be within bowfhot of its fubjects. These enemies are the devil, the flefh, the world, and death. Chrift defends against these, as a king defends his fubjects.

1. By preferving his church in being, notwithstanding all the cunning and furious attempts of enemies to deftroy her. Hence the bush, though it burn, will not confume. Of her he fays, If. xxvii. 3. I the Lord do keep it :-left any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. And he keeps every particular believer, fo as they never totally and finally fall away, John x. 28. I give unto them eternal life, fays he: and they shall never perifb, neither hall any pluck them out of my hand.

2. By giving them neceffary fupport and help under all sufferings, troubles, and temptations, never leaving them, no not at the hour of death. Hence it is faid, If. Ixiii. 9. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his profence faved them in his love and in bis pity be redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. 1 Cor. x. 13. There hath no temptation taken you, but fuch as is common to man: but Gad is faithful, who will not fuffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. For this he makes ufe of the angels as he will, they being all miniftering Spirits, fent forth to minifter for them who fhall be heirs of falvation, Heb. i. 14. And he can employ men, even the worft of men, in that fervice: hence the earth helped the woman, and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon caft out of his mouth, Rev. xii. 16.

Fourthly, Chrift executes his kingly office in reftraining his enemies, and thofe of his people. While though their power remains with them to annoy his

people, yet he fets bounds to them, over which they cannot pafs: Pfal. lxxvi. 10. Surely the wrath of man fall praife thee, fays the pfalmift: the remainder of wrath Shalt thou reftrain. Chrift has all his and his people's enemies outward and inward in a chain; and no further can they go than he is pleased to let out a link to them. If it were not fo, all would quickly be overrun; but one jot they cannot go beyond his permiffion.

Fifthly and lastly, Chrift executes his kingly office in conquering his enemies, and thofe of his people. This conqueft is twofold. (1.) When now he takes away their power in part. Thus is the devil conquered already, that he has not all the world fo at his will and under his yoke of flavery, as before the coming of Chrift, when he ruled among the nations with an unlimited sway. And thus the devil and the flesh are conquered in the day of converting grace, when the power of these enemies is broken, and the captives are delivered from the tyranny and bondage in which they were formerly held. Thus the wicked world is conquered, when their rage againft the people of God is laid afide, and the church enjoys tranquillity: For I, faith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her, Zech. ii. 5. And death is conquered when its fting is taken away, which it is as to every believer; fo that they can fay, O death, where is thy fting? 1 Cor. xv. 55. (2.) There is a complete conqueft remaining, which will be at the laft day, when Christ will gather in all his people into one glorious company, tranfport them into thofe manfions of blifs which he has prepared for them, and reign over them for ever in heaven; when all his own and his people's enemies are utterly deftroyed from the prefence of God and the glory of his power: For he must reign till all his enemies be put under his feet, 1 Cor. xv. 25. Then death and hell fhall be caft into the lake of fire, Rev. xx. 14.; and the devil and all his flaves fhall be fhut up for ever in