to what I have done. Again, the Lord, in a promissory way, approves and establisheth this king by a firm decree : Ps. ii. 7, ' I will declare the decree,' not the secret decree, but the decree manifested in the word. I, the Son of God, will, by my everlasting gospel, proclaim my Father's counsel, concerning the establishment of my kingdom. I will declare that irrevocable decree of the Father, for the setting up of his Son's sceptre, contra gentes, point-blank, opposite to that decree of theirs, ver. 3. The decree of God, concerning the kingly office and authority of Christ, is immutable, and in effect as irrevocable — so much may be collected out of the propriety of the word pn — as those things are that are most irrevocable in the course of nature. Again, the Lord, in a promissory way, extends the dominion of Christ to the Gen- tiles, and to the uttermost parts of the earth, ver. 8. So far should the enemies of Christ be from ruining his kingdom, that God the Father promiseth that aU the inhabitants of the earth should be his, and brought into subjection to him, not only the Jews, but all the in- habitants of the earth shall be subjected to Cluist's kingdom, the elect he shall save, and the refractory he shall destroy, ' He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.' Again, the Lord, in a promissory way, declares the power, prevalency, and victory of Christ over all his enemies : ver. 9, ' Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron : thou shaft dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.' This signifies their utter destruction, so that there is no hope of recovery. A potter's vessel, when it is once broken, cannot be made up again. This proverb also signifies facility in destroying them. As for such that plot, bandy, and combine to- gether against the Lord Jesus Christ, he shall as easily and as irre- coverably by his almighty, eternal, and unresistible power, dash them in pieces, as a potter breaks his vessels in pieces: Jer. xix. 11, ' I will break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again : ' so Isa. xxx. 14, ' And he shall break it, as the breaking of the potter's vessel, that is broken in pieces, he shall not spare ; so that there shall not be found in the burstings of it, a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.' The Jews, you know, were Christ's obstinate enemies ; and he hath so dashed them in pieces, that they are scattered abroad all the world over. The Lord hath made another promise, that Christ shall king it, Ps. ex. 1-6. And no wonder, when we consider that God the Father hath called Christ to the kingly office. The sceptre is given into his hand, and the crown is put upon his head, and the key of government is laid upon his shoulder by God himself. Isa. xxii. 22, it is written thus of Eliakim, ' The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder ; so he shall open, and none shall shut ; and he shall shut, and none shall open.' Now herein was this precious soul a lively figure and type of Christ. The words of the prophecy are applied to Christ, in his advertisement to Philadelphia, Kev. iii. 7 •, and the sense is this, that look, as Eliakim was made steward or trea- surer under Hezekiah, that is, the next under the king in government all over the land, to command, to forbid, to permit, to reward, to punish, to do justice, and to repress all disorder ; of which authority the bearing of a key on the shoulder was a badge ; so Christ as
380 THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION
mediator under his Father, hath regal power and authority over his Church, where he commands in chief, as I may say, and no man may lift up his hand or foot without him ; he hath the key of the house of David upon his shoulder, to prescribe, to inhibit, to call, to harden, to save, and to destroy at his pleasure. Such a monarch and king is Christ, neither hath any such rule and sovereignty beside him. And if you look into Dan. vii, 13, 14, you may observe, that after the abolishing of the four monarchies, Christ's monarchy is estabhshed by the Ancient of days, giving to Jesus Christ dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him ; and his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Christ did not thrust himself into the throne, as some have done ; neither did he swim to his crown through a sea of blood, as others have done ; nor yet swam he through a sea of sorrow to this crown, as Queen Elizabeth is said to do ; no, he stayed till authority was given him by his Father. But,
Thirdly, God the Father hath promised, that he will give to Jesus Christ assistance, support, protection, help, and strength to carry on the great work of redemption. God the Father promises and cove- nants with Jesus Christ, to carry him through all dangers, difficulties, perplexities, trials, and oppositions, &c., that he should meet with in the accomplishing our redemption ; upon which accounts Jesus Christ undertakes to go through a sea of trouble, a sea of sorrow, a sea of blood, and a sea of wrath : Isa. xlii. 1, ' Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth ; ' ver. 4, ' He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law ;' ver. 6, ' I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee." i "What is that ? Why, I will support, strengthen, and preserve thee with my glorious power ; I will so hold thy hand, that thou shalt not be discouraged, but finish that great work of redemption, which, by agreement with me, thou hast undertaken. God the Father agreed with Jesus Christ about the power, strength, success, and assistance that he should have to carry on the work of redemption, all which God the Father made good to him till he had sent forth judgment unto victory ; as Christ himself acknowledgeth, saying, ' Listen, 0 isles, unto me ; and hearken, ye people, from far ; the Lord hath called me from the womb ; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name ; and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword ; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft ; in his quiver hath he hid me ; and said unto me. Thou art my servant, 0 Israel, in whom I will be glorified,' Isa. xlix. 1-3. The work of redemption was so high, so hard, so great, so difficult a work, that it would have broken the hearts, backs, and necks of all the glorious angels in heaven, and mighty men on earth, had they engaged in it ; and therefore God the Father engages himself to stand close to Jesus Christ, and mightily to assist him, and to be singularly present with him, and wonderfully to strengthen him in all his mediatory admin- istrations, John xvii. 2 ; upon which accounts Jesus Christ despises his