^dly. The rejection of the gospel hy any lyeople or nation to whom it is tendered, is alivays attended tvith the certain and inevitable destruction of that people or nation; which, sooner or later, shall, with- out any help or deliverance, be brought upon them by the revenging hand of Christ.
When the word of grace was rejected and despised by the Jews, the messengers of it professedly turning to the Gentiles, Acts xiii. 46, xxviii. 28, — God removing it from them, unto a nation tha.t would bring forth fruit, Matt. xxi. 43, as it did in all the world, or among all nations, for a season. Col. i. 6, — with what a fearfid and tremendous desolation he qiuckly wasted that people, is known to all; — he quickly slew and destroyed those husbandmen that spoiled his vineyard, and let it forth unto others, that might bring him his fruit in due season. Hence, when Christ is tendered m the gospel, the judges and ralers of the nations are exhorted to obedience to him, upon pain of bein"-
392 CHRIST S KINGDOM AND
destroyed upon the refusal thereof, Ps. ii. ] 2. And we have the experience of all ages, ever since the day that the gospel began to| be propagated in the world. The quarrel of it was revenged on tlie . Jews by the Romans, — upon the Romans by the Goths, Vandals, and innumerable barbarous nations; and the vengeance due to the anti- christian world is at hand, even at the door. The Lord will certainly make good his promise to the utmost, that the kingdom and nations which will not serve the church, even that kingdom and those nations shall utterly perish, Isa. Ix. 12.
Hhly. That it is the duty of magistrates to seek the good, peace, and iwospeynty of the people committed to their charge, and to pre- vent, obviate, remove, take away every thing that ivill bring con- fusion, destruction, desolation upon them; as Mordecai p>rocured good things for his people, and prosperity to his kindred, Esther X. 3. And David describes himself with all earnestness pursu- ing the same design, Ps. ci. Magistrates are the ministers of God for the good, universal good, of them to whom they are given, Rom. xiii. 1-4 ; and they are to watch and apply themselves to this very thing, verse 6. And the reason the apostle gives to stir up the saints of God to pray, amongst all sorts of men, in special for kings and those that are in authority, — to wit, that they may, in general, come to the knowledge of the faith, and be saved ; and, in particular, discharge the duty and trust committed to them (for on that account are they to pray for them as kings and men in authority), — is, " that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty," 1 Tim. ii. 1-4. It being incumbent on them to act even as kings and men in authority, that we may so do; they are to feed the people com- mitted to their charge with all their might, unto universal peace and welfare.
Now, the things that are opposite to the good of any nation or people are of two sorts: — {\st) Such as are really, directly, and im- mediately opposed to that state and condition wherein they close together, and find prosperity. In general, seditions, tumults, disor- ders; in particular, violent or fradulent breakings in upon the respec- tive designed bounds, privileges, and enjoyments of singular persons, without any consideration of Him who ruleth all things, are of this kind. If nations and rulers might be supposed to be Atheists, yet such evils as these, tending to their dissolution and not-behig, they would, Avith all their strength, labour to prevent, either by watching against their commission, or inflicting vengeance on them that commit them, that others may hear, and fear, and do so no more. (2f//y.) Such as are morally and meritoriously opposed to their good and welfare ; in that they will certainly pluck down the judgnnents and wrath of God upon that nation or people where they are practised and allowed. There
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are sins for which the wrath of God will be assuredly revealed from heaven against the children of disobedience. Sodom and GomoiTah are set forth as examples of his righteous judgment in this kind. And shall he be thought a magistrate, to bear out the name, autho- rity, and presence of God to men, that so he and his people have present peace, [who,] like a herd of swine, cares not though such things as will certainly first eat and devour their strength, and then utterly consume them, do pass for current ? Seeing that they that rule over men must be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord, the sole reason why they sheathe the sword of justice in the bowels of thieves, murderers, adulterers, is, not because their outward peace is actually disturbed by them, — and therefore they must give example of terror to others, who being like minded, are not yet actually given up to the practice of the like abomination, — but also, yea, principally, because He in whose stead they stand and minister to the world is provoked by such wickedness to destroy both the one and the other. And if there be the same reason to be evidenced concerning other things, they also call for the same procedure.