We may expect again from this Lord advancement. He is such a Lord as makes all his subjects kings. The meanest man that is a subject to Christ, that hath the Spirit of Christ, is a king. Now he is a king over * That is, loving, choosing. — G.
318 Christ's exaltation
that that all others arc slaves to, that arc not Christians. They rule over others, but they arc in thraldom to their own lusts. But he is a spiritual king, a king over hell and death, and those thingsj that the very greatest of men are afraid of, as who fears death most and hell most ? Thoso that deserve it most, by reason of their great place, sink most in sin and rebellion against God, and contract more guilt than other men. That that they arc afraid of, a true Christian as a Christian is most triumphant over. He is a king over those things, for every subject of this Prince is a king.
Christ's manner of government is hid now. There is more reality in this than can be expressed ; therefore wonder not. In a word, Christ aa our Lord binds himself to bring us to glory, never to leave us till he hath brought us to that place that he is in himself. ' Father, I will that where I am they be also,' John xvii. 24 ; and he purgeth his church, Eph. V. 27, ' that he may make it a glorious church.' He takes upon him not only to die, to redeem us from hell and damnation, and to set us in a state of favour with his Father, but to go on in a com-se of fitting us till he have brought us to the glorious condition that he is in. It lies upon him to do it. Therefore let us do our duty, as we shall see after ; and let him alone with that that belongs to him.
For ourselves, beloved, this is our honour, that we are under such a King, such a Lord, both living and dying. It was the honour of those who lived in Solomon's time, that they were under such a wise king and prince. The queen of Sheba judged it so, 1 Kings x. 8. But what an honour is it to a Christian now, that he is under such a blessed prince as Christ is. It is a great honour to be the spouse of such a husband, to be the subject of such a King, to be members of such a head. And therefore we should oft think of it, to put honourable thoughts into us ; and I know no greater way to keep us from sin, from base courses, than to have our thoughts strained to this high point, to think of the dignity of a Christian, what a condition he is now brought into in Christ, and what he shall be brought unto ere long. This should make him honom-able to himself, to make him in a holy state, to think himself too good to defile his soul or body, that is so dearly bought and so highly advanced : ' Shall such a man as I flee ?' saith Nehemiah, Neh. vi. 11. Oh look to that. Shall such a man as I flee ? It is the honour, beloved, of a Christian, that he is Christ's, living and dying.
Ol)j. But you will say an honour. It is an honour to be free ; the sub- ject is bound, non sumtis nati, &c., as the heathen man said ; we are not born to slavery, but to honour and liberty,* and it is an appetite ingrafted in man, to desire freedom above all things.
Ans. It is true, in re//no nati sumus Deo, &c., we are born in a kingdom, and to serve Christ is to reign (h) ; for where there is a subordination it is a prerogative to be under a better ; as for the body, being baser than the soul, it is for the good of it to be under the soul, because it is more ex- cellent. It hath life and wisdom. The body is a loathsome dead thing of itself. The sheep being a weak, simple creature, shiftless,! to be guided by a shepherd, who is of a superior nature, and wise to defend it. It is its security and safety for the vine, that is a weak plant of itself, to have support. It is for the good of it. For man that is in a subordination to a higher nature, to God, for him to be under the government of Christ, God-man, of God in our nature, it is a great honour ; as they could say in the schools, everything hath its perfection, by being subject to a superior, * Cf. note e. — G. f That is, = ' without expedients.' — G.
PURCHASED BY HIS HUMILIATION. 349
except the highest of all, which is not subordinate, but independent (t). Whatsoever is dependent hath its perfection by dependence ; therefore it is an honour that we be under Christ, the greatest honour in the world ; especially if we consider what manner of government Christ's is. It is a rational government, agreeable to our principles ; for he guides us as a prophet. He is not only a king, but a prophet to teach us. He saith, not, you shall do this ; he stands not upon terms of will ; no. He is a prophet to teach us what we should obey. He convinceth us, and then useth us, that we would not be but under such a government ; and then when he rules our will he doth it sweetly. He draws it with the cords of a man, as the prophet speaks, Hosea xi. 4 ; that is, by allurements, he brings us to heaven by way of love and enticements. What greater rewards can there be thought of than those that Christ leads us by, and draws us to subjection by ? And therefore he works upon our will sweetly, by per- suading us by allurements in that kind.