the infernal Tophet. This fhall be the moft fignal difplay of the glorious conquefts of this King, and the trophies of his victory fhall be the fubject of the fong of the redeemed for ever.

This kingdom of Chrift will be eternal; Luke i. 33. He ball reign over the houfe of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Dan. ii. 44. The God of heaven fball fet up a kingdom, which shall never be deftroyed, and it shall stand for ever. it is true the way of its prefent administration will ceafe, and fo he will deliver up the kingdom to his Father, but ex hibiting it as confummated and perfected. But Chrift fhail remain the King, Head, and Hufband of his church for ever, Rev, xix, 7, and he fhall be the eter nal bond of union betwixt God and the faints.

IV. Let us confider fome of the properties or qualities of Zion's King.

1. He is a King of ancient, glorious, and honour. able extract: for he is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon. His goings forth were of old, from everlafting, And he is God over all, bleffed for ever.

2. He is an abfolute king, who makes laws for his fubjects, but is not bound by any himself. His will is his law, and he does without control whatever feems good to himself in heaven and in earth. Yea, fo uncontrollable is his government, that none may oblige him to render a reafon of his actions. Who may fay unto him, What doft thou? But though Chrift be an abfolute monarch, yet his government is no way ty. rannical, but managed according to the eternal rules of righteoufnefs, juftice, and holiness.

3. He is a wife King; for he is the wisdom of God, ye God only wife; and therefore infinitely able to guide his fubjects through all the labyrinths of danger and difficulty wherein they may be involved; while he teaches them in the way of wisdom, and leads them in right paths; fo that when they go, their steps shall not

VOL. II.

be ftraitened: and when they run, they fall not stum ble, Prov. iv. II. 12.

4. Chrift is a very powerful King: for he has more than the ftrength of an unicorn; yea, he has an arm that is full of power, being the Lord of hofts, ftrong and mighty in battle; and therefore infinitely able to fecure his fubjects against all the attempts which devils or men can make against them. Yea, fo great is his ftrength, and fo mighty is his power, that one angry blaft thereof will make all his enemies to fly as chaff before the wind; and therefore he fays, Who will fet the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them up together, If.

xxvii. 4.

5. Chrift is a juft King: Juft and right is he. Tho' clouds and darknefs may be about him, yet justice and judgement are the habitation of his throne, Pfal. xcvii. 2. So that his government is impartially exercised, without any by-refpect to the great or the fmall, the rich or the poor, &c. Neither the meannefs of the poor and low, nor the honour and greatness of the high and noble, will incline him to do any thing in the leaft inconfiftent with the immutable rules of perfect justice. He accepteth not the perfons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor: for they are all the work of iis hands, Job xxxiv. 19.

6. Chrift is a very merciful King. Mercy is the prevailing attribute of his nature, which he delights to make the children of men feel the benign effects of. Therefore he has proclaimed himfelf to be the Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious. He does not will. ingly grieve nor afflict the children of men. He takes no pleasure in the blood of his moft implacable and inveterate foes; and bears with a very tender hand upon his afflicted, broken, and difcouraged people. For the bruifed reed he will not break, nor quench the fmoking flax. He heals the broken in licart, and binds up all their wounds. In all the af

flictions of his people he is afflicted; and he that touches them, touches the apple of his eye.

7. Chrift is a very meek and patient King. Never any in the world could have borne fuch indignities, or digefted fuch affronts, as he has met with from fuch of his own fubjects, to whom he has fhewn the moft diftinguishing kindness. Had he not been thus patient, Judah and Ephraim had foon been unpeopled. As for them, they were bent to backfliding: though they called them to the Most High, none at all would exalt him, Hof. xi. 7. Though he fent many prophets unto them, calling upon them and faying, Return, ye backfliding children, &c. yet they did not regard them. Who after this could imagine, that this juft and jealous King would have entertained one thought of kindness towards them? yet hear what he says, How hall I give thee up, Ephraim? how fhall I deliver thee, Ifrael? how fhall I make thee as Admah? how shall I fet thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together, ver. 8.

8. Chrift is a very beautiful King. His glory outfhines the fun in its full ftrength. The united conftellations of all created beauty fall infinitely fhort of his; for he is fairer than the children of men; yea, he is altogether lovely.

9. Chrift is a moft humble and condefcending King: for he does not difdain to be acquainted with the meaneft among the fons of men: the beggar will be as welcome to him as the prince. The poor and the rich are all one to him; and he takes as much notice of Job on the dunghill, as of David on the throne. Hear what the prophet in the name of this great King fays, If. lxvi. 1. 2. Thus faith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the houfe that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? for all thofe things bath mine hand made, and all thofe things have been, faith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite fpirit, and trembleth at my word.

10. Chrift is a very rich and opulent King. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. He is the heir of all things. Honour and riches are with him, yea durable riches and righteoufnefs. So that thofe who are his honeft and faithful fubjects fhall never want any thing that is good for them. Such are the immenfe treasures and infinite riches of this glorious King, that all the minifters on earth and all the angels in heaven cannot poffibly lay them open. For can they grafp the heavens in their arms, and the fun in the hollow of their hands? can they weigh the mountains in fcales, and the hills in a balance? Suppofe they could do all this, and a thoufand times more, yet could they not give an account of the eftate of this mighty King. So that his fubjects fhall never want either grace or glory.

11. He is an immortal and everlafting King. The beavens and the earth fhall perish, but he shall endure; yea, all of them fall wax old like a garment; as a vesture Shall they be changed. But he is the fame, and his years Shall have no end, Pfal. cii. 26. 27. Though the best, the wifeft, and the richeft kings upon earth will die, and leave their fubjects expofed to many inconveniencies confequent on their death, yet this King of glory lives for evermore, and will rule over his fubjects with justice, mercy, and righteoufnefs, through all the ages of eternity.

It remains to make fome improvement of this fubject.

1. The kings of the earth have no ground to grudge the kingdom of Chrift its freedom in their dominions; fecing it is a fpiritual kingdom, and quite of another nature than the kingdoms of this world; and interferes not with any of the juft rights and preroga. tives of earthly crowns. Yet how fad is it that this kingdom fhould be an eye fore to the kings of the earth, and that they fhould employ their power to fupprefs and bear it down?

2. The Pope's fupremacy, and the fupremacy of the magiftrate over all perfons, and in all caufes, whereby they have been made heads of the church, is daring blafphemy againft Chrift, a bold ufurpation of his crown and dignity, and high rebellion against him, who will not fuffer the jewels to be ftolen from his crown, to deck the head of any earthly power whatever, without the fevereft teftimony of his refentment.

3. There is a government of the church diftinct from and independent upon the civil government, lodged in the hands of church-officers, whereby they have a power, in the name of the Lord Jefus Chrift, to meet in judicatories, tranfact matters there according to the word and laws of this King, to diffolve their meetings in his name, to appoint fafts and thanksgivings, as the ftate of the church may require, to inflict cenfures on offenders, bird and loose, and to do every thing neceffary for advancing this kingdom in a fpiritual way, but no otherwife. And whoever prefume to hinder them in these acts of administration, or arrogate any of them to themfelves, are in fo far enemies to Chrift and his royal prerogatives.

4. This government of the church is not alterable by any power on earth, whether civil or ecclefiaftic; nor have they that are intrufted with it any power to give up the rights and privileges conferred on them by Chrift, to any perfon or perfons whatsoever. If they do fo, they are unfaithful to their trust, and their conduct will be highly resented another day.

5. None have power to appoint any pieces of worfhip in the church that Chrift has not appointed. For he is the fole Lawgiver of the church, and has in his word appointed the platform of the worship which he requires his fubjects to pay unto him. And therefore for any to appoint ceremonies and rites of worship which bear not the ftamp of his inftitution, act in oppofition to his laws; and all their rites are useless and unprofitable. Equally culpable are thofe who pre-. fume to make any terms of communion, or of admif