THE MAGISTRA TK'.S POWER. 4S3
And this looketh to the inward substance of the kingdom of Christ, which is given him of his Father, and is not of this world, though he exercise it in the world to the last day : a kingdom which can never be shaken nor removed : 'the government of it is upon his shoulders, and of the in- crease of it there shall be no end.'
(2.) That rule or government, which in his word he hath appointed and ordained for all his saints and chosen ones to walk in, to testify their inward subjection to him, and to be fitted for usefulness one to another. Now of this part the administration is wrapt up in the laws, ordinances, institutions, and appointments of the gospel, and it is fre- quently called the ' kingdom ofGod.' That Jesus Christ doth not rule in these things, and is not to be obeyed as a king in them, is but a late darkness, which though it should spread as a cloud over the face of the heavens, and pour forth some showers and tempests, yet it would be as a cloud still, which will speedily scatter and vanish into nothing.
And this is that, whose propagation, as the means of car- rying on the former spiritual ends of Christ, you desire strength and direction for this day. Men may gather to- gether unto Christ, and say, with heads full of hopes, poor souls, and eyes fixed on the right hand and left, ' Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' Take you his answer and be contented with it : 'It is not for you to know the times and seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power,' Acts i. 6, 7. but do your work faithfully. I know in this thing, it is far easier to complain of you for not doing, than to direct you what to do; the Lord be your guide, and give you straw wherever bricks are required of you.
(3.) In the universal judgment, which the Father hath committed to him over all, which he will most eminently exercise at the last day; rewarding, crowning, receiving some to himself, judging, condemning, casting others into utter darkness ; John v. 22. 27. Acts ii. 36. Rom. xiv. 9. Acts xvii. 31. And of this universal righteous judgment, he giveth many warnings unto the world, by pouring forth sun- dry vials of his wrath upon great Nimrods and oppressors; PsaL ex. 6. Micah iv. 3. Rev. xix. 11 — 13. And in the hold-
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484 CHRlSl'.S KINGDOM A.VD
ing forth these three parts of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus, doth the Scripture abound.
But now, whether over and beyond all these the Lord Christ shall not bear an outward, visible, glorious rule? setting up a kingdom like those of the world, to be ruled by strength and power ? and if so ; when, or how it shall be brought in, into whose hands the administration of it shall be committed, and upon what account, whether he will per- sonally walk therein or no, whether it shall be clearly dis- tinct from the rule he now bears in the world, or only differ- enced by more glorious degrees and manifestations of his power? endless and irreconcilable are the contests of those that profess his name. This we find by woful experience, that all who, from the spirituality of the rule of Christ, and delight therein, have degenerated into carnal apprehensions of the beauty and glory of it, have for the most part, been given up to carnal actings, suited to such apprehensions, and have been so dazzled with gazing after temporal glory, that the kingdom which comes not by observation, hath been vile in their eyes.
3. Now because it is here fallen in my way, and is part of the vision at which the prophet was so much troubled, I shall give you some brief observations of what is clear and certain from Scripture relating hereunto, and so pass on. It is then certain,
(1.) That the interest of particular men as to this king- dom of Christ, is to look wherein the universal concernment of all saints, in all ages, doth lie. This undoubtedly they may attain, and it doth belong to them : now certainly this is in that part of it which comes not by observation, Luke xvii. 20. but is within us, which *is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost;' Rom. xiv. 17. This may be pos- sessed in a dungeon, as well as on a throne. What out- ward glory soever may be brought in, it is but a shadow of this : this is the kingdom that cannot be moved, which re- quires grace in us ' to serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear;' Heb. xii. 28. Many have failed in gasping after outward appearances : never any failed of blessedness, who made this their portion. Oh, that this were more pursued and followed after ! Let not any think to set up the king-
THE magistrate's POWER. 485
dom of Christ in the world, while they pull it down in their own hearts by sin and folly : in this let the lines fall to me, and let my inheritance be among those that are sanctified. Yet,