If the Lord Christ, as king of the church, be only a mere man, and be as such only to be considered, however he may be exalted and glorified— however he may be endowed with honour, dignity, and authority — yet he cannot put forth or act any real physical power immediately and directly, but where he is present. But this is in heaven only ; for the heaven must receive him " until the times of the restitution of all things," Acts iii. 21. And hereon his rule and power would be the greatest disadvantage unto the church that could befall it. For suppose it immediately under the rule of God, even the Father ; his omnipotency and omnipresence, his omniscience and infinite wisdom — whereby he could be always present with every one of them, know all their wants, and give immediate relief according to the counsel of his will — were a stable foundation for faith to rest upon, and an everlasting spring of consolation. But now, whereas all power, all judgment, all rule, is committed unto the Son, and the Father doth nothing towards the church but in and by him, if he have not the same divine power and properties with him, the foundation of the church's faith is cast down, and the spring of its consolation utterly stopped up.
I cannot believe in him as my heavenly king, who is not abl^ by himself, and by the virtue of his presence with me, to make whai changes and alterations he pleaseth in the minds of men, and in the whole creation of God, to relieve, preserve, and deliver me, and to raise my body at the last day.
To suppose that the Lord Christ, as the king and head of the church, hath not an infinite, divine power, whereby he is able always
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to relieve, succour, save, aud deliver it — if it were to be done by the alteration of the whole or any part of God's creation, so as that the fire should not bum, nor the water overwhelm them, nor men be able to retain their thoughts or ability one moment to afflict them ; and that their distresses are not always effects of his wisdom, and never from the defect of his power — is utterly to overthrow all faith, hope, and the whole of religion itself.
Ascribe therefore unto the Lord Clnrist, in the exercise of his kingly office, only a moral power, operative by rules and laws, with the help of external instruments — deprive him of omnipresence and omni- science, with infinite, divine power and virtue, to be acted at his ' pleasure in and over the whole creation — and you rase the foundation of all Christian faith and hope to the ground.
There are no true believers who will part with their faith herein for the whole world ; namely, that the Lord Jesus Christ is able, by his divine power and presence, immediately to aid, assist, relieve, and deliver them in every moment of their surprisals, fears, and dangers, in every trial or duty they may be called unto, in every difficulty they have to conflict withal. And to expect these things any other- wise but by virtue of his divine nature, is wofully to deceive our own souls. For this is the work of God.
[2.] The rule of Christ, as king of the church, is internal and spiritual, over the minds, souls, and consciences of all that do be- lieve. There is no one gracious acting of soul in any one believer, at any time in the whole world, either in opposition unto sin or the performance of duty, but it is influenced and under the guidance of the kingly power of Christ. I suppose we have herein not only the common faith, but also the common spiritual sense and experience, of them all. They know that in their spiritual life it is he that liveth in them as the efficient cause of all its acts, and that without him they can do nothing. Unto him they have respect in every the most secret and retired actings of grace, not only performed as under his eye, but by his assistance; on every occasion do they im- mediately, in the internal actings of their minds, look unto him, as one more present with their souls than they are with themselves; and have no thoughts of the least distance of his knowledge or power. And two things are required hereto.
Ls^, That he be xapdioyvuarrig — that he have an actual inspection into all the frames, dispositions, thoughts, and internal actings, of all believers in the whole world, at all times, and every moment. Without this, he cannot bear that rule in their souls and consciences which we have described, nor can they act faith in him, as their occasions do require. No man can live by faith on Christ, no man can depend on his sovereign power, who is not persuaded that all
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the frames of his heart, all the secret groans and sighs of his spirit, all the inward labourings of his soul against sin, and after con- formity to himself, are continually under his eye and cognizance. Wherefore it is said, that all things are naked and opened unto his eyes, Heb. iv. 13. And he says of himself, that he "searcheth" (that is, knoweth) " the hearts and reins of men," Rev. ii. 23. And if these things are not the pecuhar properties of the divine nature, I know nothing that may be so esteemed.