the . ' impliant entrance of Christ into the soul, we may say, as the Psalmist rhetorically speaks concerning the triumphant entrance of Israel into Canaan, Psal. cxiv. 5, 6. " The mountains skipped << like rams, and the little hills like lambs ; what aileth thee, O " thou sea, that thou fleddest ? Thou Jordan, that thou wast f6 driven back ?" So here, in a like rhetorical triumph, we may- say, the mountains and hills skipped like rams, and the fixed and obstinate will, starts from its own basis and centre; the rocky heart rends in twain. A poor soul comes into the word, full of ig- norance, pride, self-love, desperate hardness, and fixed resolutions to go on in its way : and, by an hour's discourse, the tide turns, Jordan is driven back. What aileth thee, thou stout will, that thou surrenderest to Christ ! thou hard heart, that thou relentest, and the waters gush out ? And thus the soul is won to Christ ; he writes down his terms, and the soul willingly subscribes them. Thus it comes in to Christ by free and hearty submission, desiring nothing more than to come under the government of Christ, fof the time to come.
Secondly > Let us see how Christ rules in the souls of such as sub- mit to him. And there are six things in which he exerts his kingly authority over them.
1. He imposes a new law upon then?, and enjoins them to be severe and punctual in their obedience to it *. The soul was a Belialite before, and could endure no restraint ; its lusts gave it laws. " We " ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, serving divers H lusts and pleasures,1' Tit. hi. 3 Whatever the flesh craved, and the sensual appetite whined after, it must have, cost what it would ; if damnation were the price of it, it would have it, pro- vided it should not be present pay. Now, it must not be any longer avopog 0;w, aXX 'swopog ru Xg/?w, without law to God ; but under law to Christ. Those are the articles of peace which the soul willingly subscribes in the day of its admission to mercy, Mat. xi. 29. " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me.11 This " law " of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus makes them free " from the law of sin and death," Rom. viii. 2. Here is much strictness, but no bondage; for the law is not only written in Christ's statute-book, the bible, but copied out by his spirit upon the hearts of his subjects, in correspondent principles ; which makes obedience a pleasure, and self-denial easy. Christ's yoke is lined with love, so that it never galls the necks of his people :
* It is proper to Christ, who rules absolutely and monarchic-ally over the souls and consciences of men, to bind them by his own authority. None but Christ can do it, 1. Because this authority of Christ is infinite. 2. Because it is the authority of a husband which cannot be communicated to any other, 1 Co*, ix. 21, 22.
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1 John v. 3. u His commandments are not grievous.1" The soul that comes under Christ's government, must receive law from Christ ; and under law every thought of the heart must come.
2. He rebukes and chastises souls for the violations and transgres- sions of his law. That is another act of Chrisfs regal authority : " whom he loves he rebukes and chastens," Heb. xii. 6, 7. These chastisements of Christ are either by the rod of providence upon their bodies, and outward comforts, or upon their spirits and in- ward comforts. Sometimes his rebukes are smart upon the out- ward man, 1 Cor. xi. 30. " for this cause, many among you are " weaklv and sick, and many sleep." They had not that due re- gard to his body that became them, and he will make their bodies to smart for it. And he had rather their flesh should smart, than their souls should perish. Sometimes he spares their outward, and afflicts their inner man, which is a much smarter rod. He withdraws peace, and takes away joy from the spirits of his people. The hidings of his face are sore rebukes. However, all is for emendation, not for destruction. And it is not the least privilege of Chrisfs subjects to have a seasonable and sanctified rod to reduce them from the ways of sin : PsaL xxiii. 3. " Thy rod and " thy staff, they comfort me.'1 Others are suffered to go on stub- bornly in the way of their own hearts ; Christ will not spend a rod upon them for their good, will not call them to account for any of their transgressions, but will reckon with them for all together in hell.
3. Another regal act of Christ, is the restraining and keeping hack his servants from iniquity, and withholding them from those courses which their own hearts would incline, and lead them to ; for, even in them, there is a spirit bent to backsliding, but the Lord in tenderness over them, keeps back their souls from iniquity, and that when they are upon the very brink of sin : " My feet were almost " gone, my steps were well nigh slipt," Psal. lxxiii. 2. Then doth the Lord prevent sin, by removing the occasion providen- tially, or by helping them to resist the temptation, graciously assist- ing iheir spirits in the trial, so that no temptation shall befal them, but a way of escape shall be opened, that they may be able to bear it, 1 Cor.' x. 13. And thus his people have frequent occasions to bless his name for his preventing goodness, when they are almost in the midst of all evil. And this I take to be the meaning of Gal. v. 16. " This, I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall " not fulfil the lusts of the flesh ;" tempted by them, you may be, but fulfil them ye shall not ; my spirit shall cause the temptation to die, and wither away in the womb, in the embryo of it, so that it shall not come to a full birth.
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4. He protects them in Ids ways *, and suffers them not to relapse from him into a state of' sin, and bondage to Satan any more. In- deed, Satan is restless in his endeavours to reduce them again to his obedience; he never leaves tempting and soliciting for their return ; and where he finds a false professor he prevails ; but Christ keeps his, that they depart not again. John xvii. 12. " All that " thou hast given me I have kept, and none of them is lost, " but the son of perdition." They are " kept by the mighty " power of God, through faith unto salvation," 1 Pet. i. 5. Kept, as in a garrison, according to the importance of that word. None more solicited, none more safe than the people of God. They are " preserved in Christ Jesus," Jude i. It is not their own grace that secures them, but Christ's care, and continual watchfulness. " -f- Our own graces left to themselves would quickly prove but " weights, sinking us to our own ruin," as one speaks. This is his covenant with them, Jer. xxxii. 4. " I will put my fear 'in their " hearts, that they shall not depart from me." Thus, as a king he preserves them.