pendence on him, and of their unreserved devotion to his will*. " He is Lord of lords, and King of kings :" and if any will not bend to the sceptre of his grace, they shall be broken in pieces with a rod of iron ^]
Infer,
1 . The folly of refusing submission to him —
[The word of Jehovah is pledged, that " the kingdoms of the earth shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ™ :" yea, the Lord Jesus Christ himself hath " sworn, that unto him every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear"." To what purpose then shall we hold out against him, when we know what must infallibly be the issue of the contest ? He has told us what he will say to his attendants in the last day ; " Bring hither those that were mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, and slay them before me°." Let us then be wise in time : let us " kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and we perish P^"]
2. The blessedness of being his faithful subjects —
[It is a rich blessing to live under a mild and equitable Go- vernment. But no earthly monarch, however well disposed, can^ render his subjects happy, like the adorable Jesus. He gives us access to him at all times, and sheds forth upon us his benign influences, whereby our spirits are revived, and our souls strengthened. What Solomon speaks figuratively in reference to earthly kings, is literally true with respect to him ; " In the light of the King's countenance is life ; and his favour is like a cloud of the latter rain^." " Happy then art thou, O Israel ! Who is like unto thee"^ ?" " Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him, and redeemed him 3 and let the Children of Zion be joyful in their KingV]
This seems to be the true meaning of *' licking the dust." Com- pare Isai. xlix. 23.
' Ps. ii. g. ■" Rev. xi, 15. " Isai. xlv. 23.
• Luke xix. 27. p Ps. ii. 10 — 12. "^ Prov. xvi. 15.
^ Deut. xxxiii. 29. ' Ps, cxlix. 2.
248 PSALMS, Lxxii. 17. [385.