1. I may observe something from that, ' As thou hast given him.' The memory of former benefits is an encouragement to ask anew. Experience begetteth confidence. The heart is much confirmed when faith hath sense and experience on its side ; and the belief of what is to come is facilitated by considering what is past. We should believe God upon his bare word ; j'et it is an encouragement to have experi- ence and trial. By former mercies we have a double experience ; we know that he will and can do for creatures. Signal mercies are stand- ing monuments of God's power : Isa. li. 9, ' Awake, awake, put on strength, 0 arm of the Lord ; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon ? ' Rahab is Egypt, the dragon is Pharaoh ; he that hath helped can and will. We should not entertain jealousies without a cause : 1 Sam. xvii. 37, ' The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.' Former mercies are pledges of future. Deus donando debet — God by giving becometh our debtor : Mat. vi. 25, ' Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment ? ' He enticeth hope by former mercies : Judges xiii. 23, ' If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things.' God would not weary us altogether with expectation ; something we have in hand, and therefore may expect more. Well, then, when your hearts are apt to faint, take the cordial of experiences : Ps. Ixxvii. 10, ' I said. This is mine infirmity ; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.' We are apt to indulge the peevishness of distrust after many deliverances : 1 Sam. xxvii. 1, ' I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul ; ' though God had put him twice into his hands : Rom. viii. 32, ' He that spared not his own son, &c., how will he not with him also freely give us all things ? ' In common experiences, where we can have no absolute assurance, let us not baulk duty for danger : 2 Cor. i. 10, ' Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.^ Paul would finish his ministry notwithstanding danger.
2. Observe again from this, ' As thou hast given ; ' daturum te promisisti — thou hast promised to give. God had promised to make over to him the plenary possession and administration of the kingdom ; Christ pleadeth the grant and promise. It is an excellent encourage-
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ment in pra5'er when we can back onr requests with promises : Ps. cxix. 49, ' Kemember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.' It is a modest challenge. God alloweth it, ' Put me in remembrance, let us plead together,' &c., Isa. xliii. 26. We may argue and dispute with God upon his own word ; chirographa tua injiciebat iibi, domine — show him his own hand. Lord, thou hast said this and that, let it be fulfilled.
' Thou hast given him.' — As he was man and mediator ; for as he was God, he ^had an eternal right, and an actual visible right by creation and providence ; but Christ, as mediator, was to receive a crown. By gift : Ps. ii. 8, ' Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance.'
1. It noteth that Christ hath his kingdom by right, not by mere power. It is by the Father's grant he was solemnly invested and set upon the hill of Sion. They are rebels to God who do not acknowledge Christ to be King. There are several manners of possession. Satan is prince of the world, but he is a robber ; he holdeth it not by grant from the Father, but by power ; he hath actual possession of many nations, but no right.
2. It noteth what kind of right it is that Christ hath ; it was by grant and donation. It is the great condescension of our Lord that he would hold all things by our tenure, by way of gift and grant from the Father, Free grace is no dishonourable tenure. Christ himself holdeth his kingdom by it. Why should proud creatures disdain this manner of holding? The lordship of the world was Christ's natural inlieritance, yet he would hold all by grace.
* Power over all flesh.' — Flesh is chiefly put for men, though all creatures are under his dominion. We are sometimes expressed by our better, and sometimes by our baser part. By our better ; every soul, that is, every man, Rom. ii. 9, and xiii. 1. Sometimes by the baser part : Isa. xl. 6, ' All flesh is grass ; ' Mat. xxiv. 22, ' No flesh would be saved ; ' and elsewhere. Here ' flesh ' is fitly used ; it is put for the nature of man in common, in opposition to those who are peculiarly Christ's by tradition and purchase. And by ' power over all flesh,' is meant a judiciary power to disposeof them according to pleasure ; yea, of their everlasting estate. Potestatem omnis Jiominis accepit, lit liheret quos voluerit, et damnet quos voluerit. John v. 27, ' He hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.' It is the style of God himself ; he is called, Num. xvi. 22, ' The God of the spirits of all flesh ; ' and more express to tins purpose, Jer. xxxii. 27, ' Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh : is there anything too hard for me ? ' So that it noteth not a naked authority, but an authority armed with a divine power. Now because God will not give his glory to another, we may hence observe : —