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God, who is Lord of all; he not only is king of saints, who willingly become 'subject to him; but even those who are sons of Belial, without a yoke, who have cast off the yoke, and will not have him to reign over them; whether they will or no, they are obliged to yield unto him; over whom he rules with a red of iron, and will break them in pieces as a potter's vessel; so easy, so inevitable, and so reparable is their ruin and everlasting destruction by him. This his kingdom rules over all men, of all ranks and degrees, the highest and the greatest, he is King of kings, and Lord of lords; he sets them up and puts them down at his pleasure; by him they reign, and to him they are accountable. But besides this, there is another kingdom that belongs to Christ as God-man and Mediator; this is a special, limitted kingdom; this concerns only the elect of God, and others only as they may have to do with them, even their enemies; the subjects of this kingdom are those who are chosen, redeemed and called from among men by the grace of God, and bear the name of saints; hence the title and character of Christ with respect to them is, King of saints; this kingdom and government of his is what is put into his hands to dispense and administer, and may be called a dispensatory, delegated government; what is given him by his Father, and he has received authority from him to exercise, and for which he is accountable to him; and when the number of his elect are completed in effectual vocation, he will deliver up the kingdom to the Father, perfect and entire, that God may be all in all. And this is the kingly office of Christ, now to be treated of; and which will be done much in the same manner the other offices have been treated of.

I. I shall shew that Christ was to be a King; as appears by the designation of his Father, in his purposes, council, and covenant; by the types and figures of him; and by the prophecies concerning him.

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1. That he was to be a King, appears by the designation and appointment of him by his Father to this office; I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion, says Jehovah, Psal. ii. 6. that is, he had set up Christ his Son, in his eternal purposes, to be King over his church and people; and therefore calls him his King, because of his choosing, appointing, and setting up. And as he appointed him to be a King, he appointed a kingdom to him; which is observed by Christ; I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, Luke xxii. 29. In the council and covenant of grace, Christ was called to take this office, feed the flock of slaughter, the church, subject to the persecutions of men; and the act of feeding them, designs the rule and goverment, care and protection of the people of God; in allusion to shepherds, by which name kings and rulers are sometimes called: to which Christ assented and agreed; saying, I will feed the flock of slaughter, take the care and government of them, Zech. xi. 4~7. upon which he was invested with the office of a King, and was copsidered as such; Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, Heb. i 8.

11. It appears from the types and figures of Christ, in his kingly office.

Melchizedek was a type of him; not only in his priestly office, of whose order Christ was; but in his kingly office; both offices meeting in him, as they do in Christ, who is a Priest upon his throne; from his quality as a king he had his name Melchizedek, king of righteousness, or righteous king; and such an one is Christ, a King that reigns in righteousness; and from the place and seat of bhis government, King of Salem; that is, King of peace; agreeable to which' one of Christ's titles belonging to him, in his kingly office, is, Prince of peace; David was an eminent type of Christ in his kingly office; for his wisdom and military skill, his courage and valour, his wars and victories, and the equity and a justice of his government; hence Christ, his antitype, is often, with respect to the Jews, in the latter days, called David their King, whom they shall seek and serve; and who shall be king over them, Jer. xxx. 9. Ezek. xxxiii. 23. Hos. ii. 5. Solomon also was a type of Christ as King; hence Christ, in the Song of Songs, is frequently called Solomon, and King Solomon, because of his great wisdom, his immense riches, the largeness of his kingdom, and the peaceableness of it; in all which he is exceeded by Christ; and who, speaking of himself, says, a Greater than Solomon is here, Matt. xii. 42.

III. This still more fully appears, that Christ was to be a King, by the prophecies concerning him, in this respect; as in the very first promise or prophecy of him, that the seed of the woman, meaning Christ, should break the serpent's head; that is, destroy the devil, and all his works; which is an act of Christ's kingly power, and is expressive of him as a victorious Prince, and triumphant Conqueror over all his, and his people's enemies. Balaam foretold, that there should come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre, that is a Sceptre-bearer, a King, should rise out of Israel, Numb. xxiv. 17. which prophecy, some way or other, coming to the knowledge of the magi, or wise-men in the East, upon the appearance of a new star, led them to take a journey into Judea, to enquireafter the birth of the King of the Jews, where he was born. In the famous prophecy of Isaiah, concerning Christ, chap. ix. 6, 7. it is said, that the government should be upon his shoulders; one of his titles be, the Prince of Peace; and that of his government, and the peace of it, there should be no end; as well as it should be ordered and established with justice and judgment; and to the same purpose is another prophecy in Jeremiah, chap. xxiii, 5, 6. of the Messiah, the Man the Branch, it is said, And a King shall reign and prosper, &c. and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness: and there can be no doubt but Christ is here meant; as well as in that known prophecy of the place of his birth, Bethlehem Epratah; of which it is said, Out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be Ruler in Israel, the King of Israel, as Christ is sometimes called, Mic. v. 2. To which may be added, another prophecy of Christ, as King, and which was fulfilled in him; Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion-behold thy King cometh unto thee, Zech. ix. 9. yea, the angel that brought the news to the virgin Mary, of Christ's conception and incarna

tion, foretold unto her, that this her Son should be great, and be called the Son of the Highest; and that the Lord God would give unto him the throne of his Father David; and that he should reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there should be no end, Luke i. 32, 33.

II. I proceed to shew, that Christ is a King; as it was decreed and deter, mined he should be, and according to the types of him, and prophecies concerns ing him. And,

1. Christ was a King before his incarnation, during the Old Testament-dispensation, He was King over the people of Israel; not as a body politic; though their civil government was a theocracy; but as a church, a kingdom of priests, or a royal priesthood; and he is the Angel that was with them, the church in the wilderness, which spoke to Moses on mount Sinai; from whose right-hand went the fiery law, the oracles of God; for the rule, government, and instruction of that people: he is the Angel that went before them, to guide and direct them, and to rule and govern them, whose voice they were to obey; he appeared to Joshua, with a drawn sword in his hand, and declared himself to be the Captain of the Lord's hosts, to fight their battles for them, and settle them in the land of Cannaan. David speaks of him as a King in the fortyfifth Psalm, and represents him as a very amiable Person, grace being poured into his lips, and he fairer than the children of men; as a majestic and victori ous Prince, whose queen stands at his right-hand, in gold of Ophir, his church, who is called upon to worship him, to yield homage and subjection to him; because he is her Lord and King; and as such he is acknowledged by the church in the times of Isaiah; The Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our Lawgiver; the Lord is our King, Isai. xxxiii, 22, and xxvi. 13.

11. Christ was King in his state of incarnation; he was born a King, as the wise-men understood it he was, by the prophecy of him, and by the star that appeared, that guided them to come and worship him as such. The angel that brought the news of his birth to the shepherds, declared, that that day was born a Saviour, Christ the Lord, Head and King of his church; agreeable to the prophecy of him by Isaiah, that the Child born, and Son given, would have the government on his shoulders, and be the Prince of peaee; and Christ himself acknowledges as much, when he was asked by Pilate, whether he was a King? he answered in a manner which implied it, and gave assent unto it; though at the same time, he declared his kingdom was not of this world, but of a spiritual nature, John xviii. 36, 37. He began his ministry with giving notice, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand; that is, his own kingdom, which was going to take place, with some evidence of it; and he assures the Jews, that the kingdom of God was then within them, or among them; though it came not with the observation of the vulgar; nor with outward shew, pomp, and splendour, like that of an earthly king, Matt. iv. 17. and Christ was known, and owned by some, as a King, though not by many: Nathanael made the following noble confession of faith in him, respecting his persson and office, upon a con

viction of his being the omniscient God; Rabbi, thou art the Son of God! thou art the King of Israel! John i. 49. When Christ entered into Jerusalem, in a very public manner, whereby was fulfilled the prophecy of him as a King, Zech. ix. 9. not only the children cried Hosanna to the Son of David! expressive of his royal character and dignity; but the disciples, in so many words, said, Blessed be the King, that cometh in the name of the Lord! Matt. xxi. 4—9. Luke xix 38. Moreover, Christ, in the days of his flesh on earth, received authority from his divine Father, to execute judgment; that is, to exercise his kingly office in equity and justice; and this before his sufferings and death; and had all things requisite to it, delivered unto him by his Father, John v. 22-27. and after his rerurrection from the dead, and before his ascension to heaven, he declared, that all power was given him in heaven and in earth; in virtue of which, he appointed ordinances, renewed the commission of his disciples to administer them, promising his presence with them, and their successors, to the All which shews how false the noend of the world, [Matt. xxviij. 18-20. tion of the Socinians is, that Christ was no King, nor did he exercise his kingly office before his ascension to heaven. It is true indeed,

III. That upon his ascension to heaven, he was made both Lord and Christ, Acts ii. 36. not but that he was both Lord and Christ before, of which there was evidence; but then he was declared to be so, and made more manifest as such; that he was exalted as a Prince, as well as a Saviour, and highly exalted, and had a name given him above every name; and angels, authorities, and powers, were made subject to him. He then received the promise of the Spirit, and his gifts from the Father, which he plentifully bestowed upon his apostles; whom he sent forth into all the world, preaching his gospel with great success, and caused them to triumph in him in every place where they came; and so increased and enlarged his kingdom: he went forth by them with his bow and arrows, conquering and to conquer, making the arrows of his word sharp in the hearts of his enemies, whereby they were made to submit unto him; sending forth the rod of his strength out of Zion, the gospel, the power of God unto salvation; he made multitudes willing in the day of his power on them, to be subject to him: whereby his kingdom and interest were greatly strengthened in the world; and from small beginnings, his kingdom being at first but like a grain of mustard-seed, became very flourishing and populous: and in this way, more or less, Christ has been exercising his kingly office in the world; which, though sometimes it has been in great obscurity; yet will more gloriously appear in the latter-day, in that remarkable period of time which may be properly called, the spiritual reign of Christ; when he shall take to himself his great power and reign; not begin to take it, nor begin to reign; but shall take it and exert it in a more conspicuous manner; and will reign before his ancients gloriously; when the kingdoms of this world shall become his, and he shall be King over all the earth; and there shall be one Lord, and his name one; and more especially, when the kingly office of Christ shall appear in its full glory, in his person

al reign on earth a thousand years; of which two species of his kingly office, I shall treat separately and distinctly, in their proper place; and at present shall only observe,

IV. That all the rites and ceremonies used at the inauguration of kings, and their regalia, are to be found with Christ. Were kings anointed? as Saul, David, and Solomon were, so was Christ, from whence he has his name, Messiah; he whose throne is for ever and ever, is anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows; that is, with the gifts and graces of the holy Spirit without measure; as he more eminently was, upon his ascension to heaven, when he was made, or declared, Lord and Christ; and, indeed, because of this ceremony used at the instalment of kings in their office, the original investiture of Christ with the kingly office, is expressed by it; I have set, or as in the Hebrew text, I have anointed my King upon my holy hill of Zion, Psal ii. 6. Were kings crowned at the time of their inauguration? so was Christ at his ascension to heaven; he was then crowned with glory and honour; his Father set a crown of pure gold on his head; not a material one; the phrase is only expressive of the royal grandeur and dignity conferred upon him: his mother, the church, is also said to crown him; and so does every believer set the crown on his head, when, rejecting all self-confidence, and subjection to others, they ascribe their whole salvation to him, and submit to him, as King of saints; and he, as a mighty Warrior, and triumphant Conqueror, is represented as having many crowns on his head, as emblematical of the many great and and glorious victories he has obtained over all his, and the enemies of his people, Rev, xix. 12. Do kings sometimes sit on thrones when in state? Isaiah, in vision, saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, when he saw the glory of Christ, and spake of him: and when our Lord had overcome all his enemies, he sat down with his Father on his throne, as he makes every overcomer sit down with him on his throne; and this throne of his is for ever and ever: and when he comes to judge the world, he will sit on a great white throne; an emblem of his greatness, purity, and justice, in discharging this part of his kingly office, judging quick and dead, Isai. vi. 1. Do kings sometimes hold sceptres in their hands, as an ensign of their royalty? so does Christ; his sceptre is a sceptre of righteousness; he reigns in righteousness; he has a golden sceptre of clemency, grace and mercy, which he holds forth towards his own people, his faithful, subjects; and he has an iron one, with which he rules his enemies, Psal. xlv. 6. and ii. 9. Do kings sometimes appear in robes of majesty and state? Christ is arrayed with majesty itself; The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty, Psal. xciii. 1. and so is he apparelled, as now set down on the right-hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; of which his transfiguration on the mountain is an emblem, when his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

III. Having shewn that Christ was to be a King, and is one; I shall next consider the exercise and administration of the kingly office by him; and observe.