II. Its excellency —
[The administration of Solomon was attended with great benefit to his people : and such a king as he must be considered as a rich blessing to any nation. But there are many benefits which it is not in the power of anvking to communicate. What can a creature do to mitigate our pains, or to rescue us from the
dominion
'' Ps. xlv. 16, 17. & cxlv.4— 6. •= Acts iv. 17, 18. & v. 2S, 40.
^ Ps. ii, 2. ^ ib. ver. 4.
dominibh' of unbriiSled lusts? It is otherwise with the Lord Jesus : he can impart to his subjects whatever blessings they need, for body or for soul, for time or for eternity. Do we desire the pardon of our sins ? We may be justified freely through his blood ^ Do we long for peace of conscience ? He has left it to his subjects as a legacy s, and gives them a peace which passeth all under- standing''. Do we stand in need of strength? Through him we shall be enabled to do all things'. Do we extend our desires to all the glory of heaven ? " In him \ye may be saved with an everlasting salvation ''." It is not sufficient to say that the sub- jects of Christ's kingdom may be thus blessed; for they actually are so : there is not one in all his dominions who is not thus highly favoured. If we consult the Prophets, they declare this uniformly; and represent them all as saying, " In the Lord have r righteousness and strength ^" If we consult the Apostles, they declare, that every blessing we enjoy is "in him, even in him ;'* yea, that " in him we are blessed with all spiritual and eternal blessings*"."]
III. Its universality —
[The greatest monarchs of this world have had a verj/ limited sway; and many who have been called their subjects have been so rather in name than in reality. But Christ's domi- nion shall be strictly and literally universal : " the kingdoms of the world' shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ °." Already there are some of all nations who submit to' his government. We may go to the most uncultivated parts of the earth, where human nature seems but little elevated above the blasts, and there we shall find some who acknowledge him as their sovereign Lord. But his dominion is certainly at present v^ry' limited. There is a time however coming, when " all nations ' shall call him blessed." The rich and great shall take upon^ thiem his yoke; according as it is said, "All kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him°." The poor and niean also shall devote themselves to his service, according to that" prediction, " Holiness to the Lord shall be written upon the bells ' of the horses p." Thus shall " all know the Lord, from the least even to the greatest ^." As at this present time all the subjects of^ his kingdom are blessing and adoring him as the one author of all ' their happiness, so, at a future period, shall " every knee bow to him, and every tongue confess '^;" and " the whole earth shall be filled with his glory \" But it is not till the day of judgment,
that'
'Rom. v. 9. s John xlv. 27. ■• Phil, iv./i ' Phil. iv. IST '' Isai. xlv. 17. ' ib! ver. 24, 25.
" Eph. i. 3 — 13. where it is repeated at least eight times. Strange that any should overlook this truth !
« Rev. xi. 15. o ver. 10, 11. p Zech. xiv. 0; 20, 21.
■J Jer.xxxi.34. ' Rom. xiv. 11. ' ver. 19.