5. As a king he rewards their obedience, and encourages their sin- cere service. Though all they do for Christ be duty, yet he hath united their comfort with their duty ; ?« this I had, because I kept " thy precepts," Psal. cxix. 5(i. They are engaged to take this encouragement with them to every duty, that he whom they seek " is a bountiful rewarder of such as diligently seek him," Heb. xL 6. O what a good master do the saints serve ! Hear how a king expostulates with his subjects, Jer. ii. 31. '* Have I been a barren " wilderness, or a land of darkness to you ?" q. d. Have I been such a hard master to you ? Have you any reason to complain of my service ? To whomsoever I have been strait-handed, surely I have not been so to you. You have not found the ways or wages of sin like mine.
6. I He pacifies all inward troubles, and commands peace when their spirits are tumultuous. This " peace of God rules in their " hearts," Col. iii. 15. it doth fioa.Sivciv act the part of an um-
* Christ and all his little ones, under his two wings, and in the compass or cir- cle of his arms, are so sure, that cast him and them in the bottom of the sea, he shall come up again, and not lose one. An odd one cannot, nor shall be lost in the telling.
f Perfectinnes sibi relictce, sunt pondera ad ruinnm. Gers.
| It acts the part of an umpire or judge among the other affections, for this is the meaning of the word figccZzvsiv : when therefore, these tumultuous passions, anger, hatred and revenge rise in our hearts, this peace of God ought to do its of- fice, i. e. put an end to these tumults like the judge in ancient games. Uaven. in Col.
£06 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. iERM. XVI,
pire, in appeasing strife within. When the tumultuous affections are up, and in a hurry ; when anger, hatred, and revenge begin to rise in the soul, this hushes and stills all. " I will hearken (saith " the church) what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak " peace to his people, and to his saints," Psal. lxxv. 8. He that saith to the raging sea, be still, and it obeys him ; he can only pacify the disquieted spirit. They say of frogs, that if they be croaking never so much in the night, bring but a light among them, and they are all quiet : such a light is the peace of God among our disordered affections. These are Christ's regal acts. And he puts them forth upon the souls of his people, powerfully, sweetly, suitably.
(1.) Powerfully: whether he restrains from sin, or impels to duty, he doth it with a soul determining efficacy : for " his king- " dom is not in word, but in power," 1 Cor. iv. 20. And those whom his Spirit leads, go bound in the spirit, to the fulfilling and discharge of their duties, Acts xx. 22. And yet,
(2.) He rules not by compulsion, but most sweetly. His law is a law of love, written upon their hearts. The church is the Lamb's wife, Rev. xix. 7. " a bruised reed he shall not break, " and smoking flax he shall not quench," Isa. xlii. 2, 3. " I be- " seech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ," saith the apostle, 2 Cor. x. 1. For he delighteth mfree, not in forced obe- dience. He rules Children, not slaves ; and so his kingly power is mixed with fatherly love. His yoke is not made of iron, but gold.
(3.) He rules them suitably to their natures in a rational way ; Hos. xi. 4. " I drew them with the cords of a man, with bands " of love ;" i. e. in a way proper to convince their reason, and work upon their ingenuity. And thus his eternal kingdom is ad- ministered by his Spirit, who is his prorex, or vicegerent in our hearts.
Thirdly, and lastly, we will open the privileges pertaining to all the subjects of this spiritual kingdom. And they are such as follow.
1. These souls, over whom Christ reigns, are certainly and fully set free from the curse of the law. " If the Son makes you free, " then are you free indeed," John viii. 36. I say not, they are free from the law as a rule of life ; such a freedom were no pri- vilege to them at all : but free from the rigorous exactions, and terrible maledictions of it; to hear our liberty proclaimed from this bondage, is the joyful sound indeed, the most blessed voice that ever our ears heard. And this all that are in Christ shall hear ; " If we be led by the Spirit, we are not under the law," Gal. v. 18. " Blessed are the people that hear this joyful sound," Psal. lxxxix. 15.
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2. Another privilege of Christ's subjects, is, freedom from the dominion of sin. Rom. vi. 14. "Sin shall not reign over them ; for they are not under the law, but under grace." One heaven cannot bear two suns ; nor one soul two kings : when Christ takes the throne, sin quits it. It is true, the being of sin is there still ; its defiling and troubling power remains still ; but its dominion is abolished. O joyful tidings ! O welcome day !
3. Another privilege of Christ's subjects, is, protection in all the troubles and dangers to which their souls or bodies are exposed. 44 This man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into " our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces," Mic. v. 5. Kings owe protection to their subjects : none so able, so faithful in that work as Christ ; all " thou gavest me, I have kept, and none " is lost," John xvii. 12.
4. Another privilege of Christ's subjects, is, a merciful and ten- der bearing of their burdens and infirmities. They have a meek and patient king ; " Tell the daughters of Sion, thy king cometh meek 44 and lowly ;" Mat. xxi. 5. Mat. xi. 29. " Take my yoke, and 44 learn of me, for I am meek and lowly." The meek Moses could not bear the provocations of the people, Numb. xi. 12. but Christ bears them all : " He carries the lambs in his arms, and 44 gently leads them that be with young," Isa. xlii. 11. He is one that can have compassion upon the ignorant, and them that are out of the way.
5. Again, Sweet peace, and tranquillity of soul, is the privilege of the subjects of this Jcingdom : for this kingdom " consisteth in 44 peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," Rom. xiv. 17. And till souls come under his sceptre, they shall never find peace : " Come unto 44 me, ye that are weary, I will give you rest." Yet do not mis- take, I say not, they have all actual peace, at all times : no, they often break that peace by sin ; but they have the root of peace, the ground- work and cause of peace. If they have not peace, yet they have that which is convertible into peace at any time. They also are in a state of peace, Rom. v. 11. " Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." This is a feast every day, a mercy which they only can duly value, that are in the depths of trouble for sin.