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of the Icings of the earth,' of whose power and persecutions they were 80 much afraid, but needed not ; for they are not only accountable to Christ at last, which those adverse powers little valued, having not embraced the profession of the gospel ; but were held in by the reins of his government for the present, so as they could not so much as touch an hair of their heads without his leave. So that here was much encouragement for suffering christians, who at that time were to con- flict with great difficulties, and exposed to the slaughters and butcheries of cruel enemies.
3. Observe, all these titles serve to beget a reverence and great respect in our hearts to the person that owneth them ; he is ' The faithful Witness.' The great Prophet of the church should be regarded by us : * This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him,' Mat. xvii. 5. We are to hearken to him, believe him, obey him, as knowing that we must stand or fall at the sentence of his word. He is the greatest and most excellent of all the prophets, and far above them all, who knew more of God and of his mind than all they joined in one ; and hath declared his will more fully, clearly, and powerfully; and shall we set at nought his counsel ? Some that despised the counsel of an ordinary prophet smarted for it : Heb. x. 28, 29, 'He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three wit- nesses : of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God ? ' who came out of his bosom on purpose to teach us the way of salvation. If he require repentance and faith, with a promise of righteousness and eternal life, and a commination of eternal death unavoidable, if we believe not, nor repent, we are to believe it with all certainty, to set about this work with all care and diligence, and continue therein with all constancy and perseverance : Heb. xii. 25, ' See that ye refuse not him that speaketh ; for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speak- eth from heaven.' Christ came from heaven at first, returned to heaven again, from heaven sent down the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, and by that Spirit enabled them to preach the gospel with success. Oh, surely we should attend to his doctrine, and receive it with firm assent, and obey it with humble submission.
Again, he is ' The first-begotten from the dead.' That he died should render him dear to us, for it was for our sakes, as I shall show by-and-by. That he rose again was for our sakes, for our justification : 'Who was delivered for our offences, and rose again for our justifica- tion,' Eom. iv. 25 ; for it showeth that his sacrifice was accepted as sufficient for our atonement. Yea, for our blessed resurrection : 1 Cor. XV. 20, ' But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first- fruits of them that slept ; ' as the whole harvest was blessed and sanctified in a little handful of the first-fruits offered to God. But I urge it now as an argument why we should give him glory, as deserv- ing it by the greatness of his person. This made it evident that he was the Son of God : Rom. i. 4, ' Declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead.' The true Messiah, and judge of the world : Acts xvii. 31, ' Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man
SERMONS UPON REVELATION I, 5, 6. 83
whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.' If he had been an impostor, neither could he have raised up himself, being a mere man, nor would God have raised him up ; for we cannot imagine that divine providence would co-operate to countenance a lie or cheat. As then you would not be found enemies to Christ in his imperial day, give him glory and dominion. If you slight him, you despise one that is evidently declared to be the Son of God. And there is no medium ; either he must be your loving Saviour or your terrible judge. If you neglect him, he will not be the first-born from the dead to you, nor the first-fruits to you — the first-fruits did not bless the tares, or the cockle, or darnel, or filthy weeds, but only the good corn — though raised again you shall be by his judicial power.
Again, he is ' The Prince of the kings of the earth,' and therefore liighly to be respected. Respect to great ones and fawning upon great ones is the practice of all the world ; all will seek the ruler's face. As all rivers run to the sea, so do all the respects of the world to the great and the mighty ; and is not the Son of God worthy of our respects, that is set down at the right hand of majesty above all ? If we did live by faith as much as by sense, we would s^e it is our interest as well as our duty to honour Christ ; we would not fear a mortal man, that can threaten us with a prison, but Christ, who can threaten us with hell ; nor be dismayed at the frowns of men when Christ smiles : ' Who would not fear thee, 0 Lord, and glorify thy name ? ' Rev. xv. 4. We would yield up ourselves to be his willing subjects, and obey his laws, who can reward us, not with temporal dignities, but eternal life. The authority and power that all others have is but derived from Christ, and subordinate to him ; therefore, if he smiles, whose frowns need we fear? He is the one lawgiver, that hath potestatem viice et necis^ power of life and death ; he is able to destroy absolutely, and you may be safe in his protection. Well, then, if we consider what he is, he deserveth everlastingly to be honoured.