1. As before, this right is founded in his divine nature, by virtue whereof he is izevés, fit for this dominion. He made these angels also, and therefore, as God, hath an absolute dominion over them. The creatures cannot cast off the dominion of the Creator by rebel- lion. Though they may lose their moral relation unto God, as obe- dient creatures, yet their natural, as creatures, cannot be dissolved. God will be God still, be his creatures never so wicked; and if they obey not his will, they shall bear his justice. And this dominion of Christ over fallen angels as God, makes the grant of rule over them to him as mediator just and equal.
2. The immediate and peculiar foundation of his right unto rule over fallen angels, rendering the special grant of it equal and right- eous, is lawful conquest. This gives a special right, Gen. xlviii. 22. Now, that Christ should conquer fallen angels was promised from the foundation of the world, Gen. 11. 15. “The seed of the woman,” the Messiah, was to “ break the serpent’s head,”—despoil him of his power, and bring him into subjection; which he performed accord- ingly: Col. ii, 15, “ He spoiled principalities and powers,’—divested fallen angels of all that title they had got to the world, by the sin of man; “ triumphing over them,” as captives to be disposed of at his pleasure. He “stilled,’ or made to cease as to his power, this “enemy,” DPN, and “self-avenger,” Ps. vill. 2; “leading captivity captive,” Ps, Ixviii. 18; “breaking in pieces the head over the large earth,” Ps. cx. 6; “binding the strong man armed, and spoiling his goods.” And the Scripture of the New Testament is full of instances as to his execut- ing his power and authority over evil angels; they take up a good part of the historical books of it.
Man having sinned by the instigation of Satan, he was, by the just judgment of God, delivered up unto his power, Heb. ii. 14. The Lord Christ undertaking to recover lost man from under his power by destroying his works, 1 John iii. 8, and to bring them again into
VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS, 55
favour with God, Satan with all his might sets: himself to oppose him in his work; and failing in his enterprise, being utterly conquered, he became absolutely subjected unto him, trodden under his feet, and the prey he had taken was delivered from him.
This is the next foundation of the authority of Christ over the evil angels. He had a great contest and war with them, and that about the glory of God, his own kingdom, and the eternal salvation of the elect. Prevailing absolutely against them, he made a con- quest over them, and they are put into subjection unto him for ever. They are subjected unto him as to-their present actings and future condition. He now rules them, and will hereafter finally judge them. Wherein he suffers them, in his holiness and wisdom, to act
| in temptations, seductions, persecutions, he bounds and limits their tage, malice, actings ; orders and disposes the events of them to-his own holy and righteous ends; and keeps them under chains for the judg- ment of the last day, when, for the full manifestation of his dominion over them, he will cause the meanest of his servants to set their feet on the necks of these conquered kings, and to jom with himself in senteneimg them unto eternal ruin, 1 Cor. vi. 3; which they shall be cast into by him, Rev. xix. 20.
3. The ends of this lordship of Christ are various; as,—(I.) His -own glory, Ps.cx.1. (2.) The church’s safety, Matt. xvi.18; Rev. xii. 79. And, (3.) Exercise for their good,—[1.] By temptation, 1 Pet.
_¥. 8-10; and, [2.] Persecution, Rev. i.10, xii 10; both which he directs, regulates, and bounds, unto their eternal advantage. (4) The exercising of his wrath and vengeance upon his stubborn ene- ‘mies, whom these slaves and vassals to- his righteous pewer seduce, blind, harden, provoke, ruin and destroy, Rev. xii. 15, xvi. 13, 14;
Ps. cvyi And how much of the peace, safety, and consolation of be- Tievers, lies wrapped up in this part of the dominion of Christ were easy to demonstrate; as also, that faith’s improvement of it, in every
_ ondition, is the greatest part of our wisdom in our pilgrimage. IE. All mankind (the second sort of intellectual creatures or ra- tional subsistences) belong to the lordship and dominion. of Christ. All mankind was in the power of God as one gipaye, “ one mass,” or “Jump,” out of which all individuals are made and framed, Rom. i. 21, some to honour, some to-dishonour; the rd durd gigaua not soting the same substance, but one common condition. And the king of the individuals is not by temporal creation, but eternal tiom. So that all mankind, made out of nothing and out of condition, destined to soverah ends, for the glory of God, ‘are branched into two sorts ;—elect, or vessels from the common mass unto honour; and obates, or vessels from the common mass unto _ dishonour ae atemmannd typed by Jacob and Esau, Rom. ix. 11-15; and are expressed under that distribution, 1 Thess v. 9.
56 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cHap. I.