and kingdom. See 17. "For thus faith the Lord, David "shall never want" (or there fhall never be cut off from David)" a man to fit upon the throne of the house of Ifrael. "Neither fhall," &c. If we make use of the New Testament, which is the infallible guide unto the explication of the Old Teftament prophecies, which are not of any private interpretation, we will find Jefus Chrift declared the antitype of the kings as well as of the priests.

It is obferved, that Mount Zion had two tops, one of which bore the temple, and the other the city of David, and David's throne, for that was fet in Zion. In being come to Jefus, the Mediator of the new covenant, we are come to both these in the antitype, Heb. xii. "Ye are come to Mount "Zion." In that context, the Apostle is fpeaking as much at least of the kingdom of Christ as of his priesthood. Let us but confider thefe places of the New Teftament, and we may fee this truth concerning the kingdom of Chrift afferted, even as that concerning his priesthood. See the angel's message to his mother, Luke i. 31. 32. 33. "Behold, thou fhalt conceive "in thy womb, and bring forth a fon, and fhalt call his name Jefus. He shall be great, and fhall be called the Son "of the Higheft; and the Lord God shall give unto him the "throne of his father David. And he fhall reign over the "houfe of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall "be no end." [See Gualter on the place.] See the song of Zacharias, y 67.70. "And Zacharias was filled with the "Holy Ghoft, and prophefied, faying, Bleffed be the Lord "God of Ifracl, for he hath raised up a horn of salvation "for us in the houfe of his fervant David; as he spake by "the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been fince the "world began."

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See that remarkable confeffion of the faith by Nathanael, approved by our Lord, John i. 49. 50. "Nathanael an"fwered and faid unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of "God, thou art the King of Ifrael. Jefus answered and "faid unto him, Because I said unto thee, I faw thee under "the fig-tree, believest thou?"

See the firft gofpel-fermon after the Lord's afcenfion, Acts ii. 30. 31. "Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that "God had fworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of "his loins he would raise up Chrift to fit on his throne: "he feeing this before, fpake of the refurrection of Chrift." And, 34. 35. 36. "For David is not ascended into the "heavens: but he himself faith, The Lord did fay unto my

"Lord,

"Lord, Sit thou at my right hand. Therefore let all the "houfe of Ifrael know affuredly, that God hath made that "fame Jefus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Chrift."

The glory of the kingdom of David, in the earthly Ifrael, waxed faint, even as did the glory of the temple and priesthood, and became lefs and lefs ftill, as the antitype drew nigh; and for the wickedness of them that fat upon that throne, it was overturned, till he came whofe right it was: fo that when he came, he was as a branch' out of David's roots, according to the prophecies, Ezek. xxi. 25. 26. 27. "And thou profane wicked prince of Ifrael, whose day is 66 come, when iniquity fhall have an end: Thus faith the "Lord God, Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: "this fhall not be the fame; exalt him that is low, and a"base him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, over“turn it, and it fhall be no more, until he come whose right "it is, and I will give it him." And as the Jews were comforted in their dejection, upon the ruins of the first temple, and its being no way equalled by the fecond, by the promise of Christ to that temple, and of his glorious house, the antitype of that temple, Hag. ii.; fo they were encouraged by all the prophets, under the mischiefs that befel their kingdom, and the ruins of the house of David, with manifold promises of the kingdom of Chrift the antitype. See Amos ix. 8. 12. referred to Acts xv. 16. "After this I will return, "and will build again the tabernacle of David, which "is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, " and I will fet it up; that the refidue of men may seek af"ter the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name " is called."

David himself might be many ways a type of Chrift; but it appears that he was a type of Chrift in respect of his throne and kingdom. Now, whatever was peculiar to David, that throne and kingdom was common to him and his fucceffors. If, therefore, in that refpect he was a type of Jefus Christ in his kingdom, as is clear from what is faid, his fucceffors in that office, whatever they were otherwise, muft, in respect of that office, be accounted types of Chrift in his kingly office. Joshua the fon of Jofedeck the high priest was, perhaps in more refpects than one, a type of Chrift, and fome things were peculiar to him: but the priesthood, common to him with others that bore that office, was typical of Christ's priesthood in them, as well as in him. And Zerubbabel's government was as much typical of Chrift's government, as

Joshua's

Chap. I. Joshua's priesthood was of his priesthood. There were wicked kings, as we fee from Ezek. xxi. forecited, and there were wicked priests; but the offices were both facred, which indeed did aggravate their wickednefs; but fo far as they exercised their offices with approbation, and acted in thefe offi. ces fuitably unto the nature and end of them, fo far they prefigured Chrift in them.

It is true, thefe offices were diftinct, fo that it appertained not to the kings to do the peculiar diftinguishing acts of the prieftly office; even as the priestly and kingly offices, though both lodged in the perfon of Jefus Chrift, are truly distinct; and it would be a great abuse of his kingly office, to put it unto the peculiar ufe of his priesthood, as we are very ready to do, and it would deftroy the use of both these offices unto us, and dishonour them greatly, whatever honour we may think to put upon one of them thereby, 2 Chron. xxvi. 16.-21. It is alfo true, that the matters of the Lord's immediate worship in the temple, were diftinct from the matters of the king's government in the kingdom; and that the matters of the Lord's worship in the temple were facred, and the most sacred matters: but the matters of the king were alfo facred; the nation or kingdom itself where they ruled was facred, "a holy nation." The kings that fat on the throne of David were a light alway before God in Jerufalem, "the city "which he had chofen him to put his name there," Kings xi. 36. They were church-officers as well as the prophets and pricfts. See Lam. ii. 8. 9., where we fee Zion's king and her princes, as well as her prophets. And chap. iv. 20. it is faid of the king, "The breath of our noftrils, the anointed of "the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under "his fhadow we fhall live among the Heathen." See likewife Ezek. xxii. 26. 27. 28. "Her priefts have violated my "law, and have profaned my holy things. Her princes "in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey."And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mor"tar." And Micah iii. 10. 11. "They build up Zion with "blood, and Jerufalem with iniquity. The heads thereof "(i. e. of Zion) judge for reward, and the priests thereof "teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money." Heads of Zion is a ftrong expreffion. See likewife Zeph. iii. 2.-5. "She trufted not in the Lord, the drew not near "to her God. Her princes within her are roaring lions, her "judges are evening wolves. Her prophets are light and "treacherous perfons: her priests have polluted the fanc

66 tuary,

"tuary, they have done violence to the law. The juft Lord " is in the midst thereof, he will not do iniquity." And the following part of that chapter will afford us a view of the difference betwixt this state of things and the New-Teftament church promised there, and of the excellency of that church, with refpect unto the perfons of whom it doth confift. But by these texts cited it appears, that the kings were churchofficers, though they were not priefts, even as were the prophets; and these were standing types of Chrift in that typical church. Chrift's kingly office is not his priestly; but no man would thence infer, that it is not an office in the church: neither would any declare, that the office of deacon in NewTeftament churches, which refpects the relief of the poor in their temporal ftraits, is no church-office, for this reason, because it is not the office of bishop or elder, which more immediately respect the matters of the Lord's worship. The matters of the Lord and of the king were diftinct; but the fame court judged in both, Levites and others being joined in it; and it had diftinct prefidents for thefe diftinct matters, but both fet to judge by the king, who gave them charges and directions, 2 Chron. xix. 8. 9. 10. 11. And not only David and Solomon, who were prophets, but Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Jofiah, and the good kings, ruled in things pertaining to the temple, and the worship of God. Such as contend earnestly for thofe kings being only civil officers, will not allow the kings of the earth fuch power in church-matters now, as the kings of Judah exercised with approbation about the temple, and the matters of the Lord's worship, if they think confiftently with their notions about the intrinsic power of the church; unless perhaps they were some way fecured as to this, that the king's power fhould be at their devotion, and under their direction. After all, it will not be eafy to fhew why the fpiritual kingdom of Chrift might not be typified by a worldly kingdom, as well as the heavenly fanctuary was prefigured by a worldly fanctuary.

But against this it is objected, That whatever power the kings of the houfe of David had in Ifrael, and about the matters of the Lord, fuch like is attributed to the kings of the earth, with refpect to the New-Teftament church; and fo that was not peculiar to them: nor is Chrift's government in the church the only thing we have now instead of theirs ; because it is faid, If. xlix. 23. " Kings fhall be thy nurfing fa "thers, and their queens thy nursing mothers."

Because the very letter of this prophecy has been vehement

ly

1

ly urged, as expreffing fully the ftrange fenfe that has been put upon it; and things foreign to the fcriptures have been built upon these words, by men indulging themselves in private interpretations of the prophecies, without attending to the certain light afforded by the Holy Ghoft, the author of them, in the New Teftament, for explaining them; it will be needful particularly to confider that prophecy, and fee what light the New Teftament affords for the explication of it.

And, firft, It is plain there is a great deal of metaphor in that prophecy of which these words are a part. For inftance, ( 22.), "The lifting up of the Lord's hand, the fetting up of his ftandard to the Gentiles and people, their "bringing Zion's fons in their arms, and carrying her daugh"ters upon their fhoulders." And y 23. "The kings and

queens of the Gentiles bowing down to the church, with "their face towards the earth, and licking up the duft of "her feet." If there were not much metaphor here, the "whore fitting on many waters" would bid fairest for it.

There is not one expreffion here, then, but what is metaphorical; and that there fhould be no metaphor in that of "kings nurfing fathers" will not be easily granted. For nurfes nourish the child and what is the proper nourishment of the church, and of Zion's children? Do the kings of the earth afford that nourishment? Do they adminifter the word and facraments? Have they the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven? No; this cannot be the fenfe. The officers of the church claim this as their privilege, which the New Testament gives them, and which the kings of the earth must not meddle with. But then, they will beg their own sense of the words: for after this, it is but begging and it cannot be thought unmerciful, to grant them no more than the New Teftament gives us leave to grant.

2dly, We must confider what is that church unto which this promise fays, "The kings and queens fhall be nurfing "fathers and mothers." And here we have some help from the New Teftament. See Rev. xxi. 24.- -27. "And the "nations of them which are saved, fhall walk in the light of "it; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and "honour into it. And the gates of it fhall not be shut at "all by day for there fhall be no night there And they "fhall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. "And there fhall in no wife enter into it any thing that de"fileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh

"a