You see here are glorious promises, in the literal expression, look- ing directly to what we assert concerning the subserviency of rulers to the gospel, and the duty of magistrates in supporting the interest of the church. Let us, concerning them, observe these three things ; as, — Is^, To whom they are made; 2dli/, On what occasion they are given; 3dly, What is the subject or matter of them in general.
1st, Then, they are all given and made to the church of Christ after his coming in the flesh, and his putting an end to all ceremo- nial, typical, carnal institutions. For, —
(\st) They are every way attended with the circumstances of call- ing the Gentiles, and their flowing into the church ; which were not accomplished till after the destniction of the Jewish church. So is the case in that which you have, Isa. xlix. 20, " The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears. The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell." It shall be when the church shall have received the new children of the Gentiles, ha^dng lost the other of the Jews ; which he expresseth more at large, verse 22, " Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people : and they shall bring thy sons in their
y88 CHRIST S KINGDOM AND
arms, and thy daughters shall be canied upon their shoulders." So also are tlie rest. Wlien God gives the nations to he the inheritance of Christ, the Holy Ghost cautions iiders and judges to kiss the Son, and pay the homage due to him in his kingdom, Ps. iL 10, 11.
{^dly) Because these promises are pointed unto as accomplished to the Christian Church in that place of the Revelation before men- tioned : " And the seventh angel sounded ; and there Avere great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever," chap. xi. 15. " And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it," chajD. xxi. 24. So that there are plainly promises of kings and princes, judges and rulers, to be given to the church, and to be made useful thereunto; and kingdoms and nations, people in their rules and governments, to be instrumental in the good thereof: so that these promises belong directly to us and our rulers, if, under any notion, we belong to the Church of Christ.
^dly. For the occasion of these promises; — it is well kno\\^i what a trust, by God's own appointment, there was invested in the rulers, judges, kings, and magistrates, of the judicial state and church under the Old Testament, in reference unto the ways and worship of God, — the prosecution and the execution of the laws of God concerning his house and service being committed to them. Farther, when they faithfully discharged their trust, — promoting the worship of God according to his institutions, — encouraging, supporting, directmg, re- proving others, to whom the immediate and jDcculiar administration of things sacred was committed, — destroying, remo\ang whatever was an abomination unto the Lord, — it was well with the whole people and church ; they flourished in peace, and the Lord delighted in them, and rejoiced over them to do them good. And, on the other side, their neglect in the discharge of tlieir duty was then com- monly attended with the apostasy of the church, and great breakings forth of the indignation of the Lord. This the church found in those days, and bewailed. To hold out, therefore, the happy state of his people that he would bring in, he promises them such rulers and judges as he gave at first, who faithfully discharged the trust com- mitted to them: — not that I suppose them bound to the Mosaical ndes of penalties in reference to transgressions and offences against gospel institutions, but only that a duty in general is incumbent on them, in reference to the church and truth of God, which they should faithfully discharge ; — of which aftenvard.
This, tl)eu, being the occasion of those promises, and their accom- plishment being, as before, in a peculiar manner pointed at, upon tlie
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shaking, calling, and new-moulding of the kingdoms and nations of the world which had given theh- power to the beast, and thereupon framed anew into a due subserviency to the interest of Christ, there IS not the least shadow or colour left for the turning off and rejecting the sweetness of all these promises, upon account of their being merely metaphorical, and shadowing out spiritual glories :— neither their beginning nor ending, neither their rise nor fall, will bear any such gloss or corrupting interpretation.
_ Mly. As to the matter of these promises, I shall only assert this m general,— that the Lord engageth that judges, rulers, magistrates, and such like, shall put forth their power, and act clearly for the good, welfare, and prosperity of the church. This is plainly held out m every one of them. Hence kingdoms are said to serve the church • that is, all kingdoms. They must do so, or be broken in pieces, and cease to be kingdoms. And how can a kingdom, as a kingdom (for it is taken fomially, and not materially, merely for the individuals of It, as appears by the threatening of its being broken in pieces) serve the church, but by putting forth its power and strength in her behalf? Isa. Ix. 1 2. And therefore, upon the accomplishment of that promise they are said to become the kingdoms of the Lord Christ, Eev! XI. 15, because, as kingdoms, they sei^e him with their power and authority; having before, as such, and by their power, opposed him to the utmost. They must nurse the church, not with diy breasts, nor feed it with stones and scorpions, but with the good things com- mitted to them. Their power and substance, in protection aSd sup- portment, are to be engaged in the behalf thereof: hence God is said to give these judges, rulers, princes, kings, queens to the church ; not settmg them m the church, as officers thereof, but orderino- their state m the world (Rev. xi. 15) to its behoof In sum, there^is not any one of the promises recited but holds forth the utmost of what I intend to assert from them all ; viz., that the Lord hath promised that the_ magistrates whom he Avill give, own, and bless, shall put forth their power, and act in that capacity wherein he hath placed them m the world, for the good, furtherance, and prosperity of the tnitb and church of Christ. They shall protect them with their power feed them with their substance, adorn them with their favour and the pnvUeges wherewith they are intrusted; they shall break their forcibly oppressing adversaries, and take care that those who walk in the ti-uth of the Lord may lead a peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. If, then, you are such magistrates as God hath promised (as woe be unto you if you are not !) know that he hath undertaken for you, that you shall perfonn this part of your duty; and I prav that you may rule with him therein, and be found faithful.