2. This new right and title is comfortable and beneficial to us. It was the fruit of God's pity to mankind, to set up a new government, which might be remedial of our misery, but not destructive of our duty. It is a full remedy for our misery ; for the purpose of it is to effect man's cure and recovery to God. The scripture always speaketh of it as medicinal and restorative : Acts x. 38, ' God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with power ; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil ; for God was with him.' ' Preaching peace in his name, for he is Lord of all.' So Acts V. 31, 'Exalted to be a prince and saviour, to give repentance, and remission of sins,' that we might enjoy God's favour, and live in his obedience. In this new remedial dispensation, God aimed at the healing of our natures, and the restoring our peace and comfort, that we might serve him with pleasure and delight, who otherwise could not think of him without fear and horror,, much less set ourselves to please him with any hope of acceptation.
3. It is by his kingly office that all Christ's benefits are applied to us. As a priest, he purchased them for us ; as a prophet, he giveth us the knowledge of these mysteries ; but as a king, he conveyeth them to us, overcoming our enemies, changing our natures, and inclining us to believe in him, love him, and obey him : for he doth not only convey the benefits, giving us remission of sins, but he worketh in us the qualifications, giving as well as requiring repentance : Acts v. 31, ' He hath exalted him to be a prince and saviour, to give repent- ance.' Well, then, since his executive power attendeth upon his kingly office, we have no reason to dislike it, but to bless God for this part of his administration. The fruit and effect of it is the gift of the Spirit, by which all is applied to us ; so that the communication to us is done this way : His work as a priest lieth with God ; and as a prophet and king, with us. As a prophet, he maketh way by giving us the good knowledge of God through the remission of sins ; but he actually communicateth his benefits to us as our quickening head and king.
4. Our actual personal title to all the benefits intended to us is mainly evidenced by our subjection to his regal authority. Certainly without it we can have no benefit by Christ : Heb. v. 9, ' And being made perfect, he is become the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him.' And that agreeth not only with his doctrine, but example : ver. 8, ' Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things he suffered.' Now, till this be cleared, we have no rest to our souls : Mat. xi. 29, * Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly, and you shall find rest for your souls.' It is good to believe his doctrine as a prophet, to depend upon his merit as a priest, but if we refuse to obey him, our qualification is not complete, and other acts are but counterfeit and pretended. For none know
SERMON UPON LUKE XIX. U 109
him ariglit but those tliat obey him ; none depend upon his merit but those that trust him in his own way, and submit to his heaUng and instructing methods. And it is the great mercy and wisdom of God to state the terms so that poor tender consciences may sooner come to ease and rest ; for no man, unless strangely infatuated, and slight in settling his eternal interests, will question his obligation to duties, but every serious soul will question their claim to privileges, unless they see good ground and warrant. Now when we plainly demon- strate unto them that their all dependeth upon their receiving Christ the Lord, and framing themselves to his obedience, they will more easily hearken to us ; and resigning up themselves to him by covenant, they more readily put themselves in the way of getting a solid and unquestionable peace, and so by following their duty are sooner freed from scruples about their interest ; for if this work be minded, it will interpret itself, and make itself evident.
5. We shall be unwillingly subject to his kingdom of power if we be not willingly subject to his kingdom of grace. God's decree is passed that every knee must bow to Christ, by force and constraint, or willingly and readily. If by constraint we are subjects, it is our ruin and destruction ; if willingly, we have our reward. Christ will utterly destroy the obstinate ; they shall feel the effects of his merely regal, not his pastoral power : ' He will break them with a rod of iron,' Ps. ii. 9. But his pastoral rod and staff are a comfort to his people, Ps. xxiii. 4, for he ruleth them with a saving and gentle government. Now you are left to your choice ; which pleaseth you best, his iron rod or his pastoral rod ? to perish with the obdurate world, or to be con- ducted to heavenly glory ? to refuse your remedy, or submit to the motions of his preventing grace ? Or let me thus express it : Christ, who is set upon the throne for the exercise of his regal power, hath a sword and a sceptre in his hand, to subdue his enemies and rule his people. The sword is his all-powerful providence ; the sceptre is his all-conquering Spirit. Now it is better to be in the number of humble and obedient christians than to continue his obstinate and spiteful enemies ; to consecrate ourselves and all that we have to him, than to fall a sacrifice to his justice, and the revenges of his iDdignation.