made to blot out the remembrance of it from under heaven. — No sooner was the name of Jesus exalted by the preaching of the Apostles, than the rulers exerted all their power to sup- press it : they beat and imprisoned the preachers, and menaced them with yet severer punishment, if they should presume to speak any more in his name". Thus also, in all subsequent ages, " the potentates of the earth have taken counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed, saying. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us '^." What name, like that of Jesus, is proscribed at this day? We may descant upon the virtues of ancient sages; and the more light we can throw upon their characters, the more acceptable we shall be in every company : but let us speak of Jesus, let us set forth his transcendent excellencies, and expa- tiate upon all the wonders of his love, and we shall excite in our hearers nothing but disgust. But has this confederacy prevailed to banish his name ? No ; rather, " the more his people have been afflicted, the more they have grown and mul- tiplied :" and however earth and hell may combine their efforts to efface his memory, or diminish his influence, " He who sitteth in the heavens shall laugh at them, and have them in derision^."]
IL 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 any king to communicate. Wliat can a creature do to mitigate our pains, or to rescue us from the dominion of unbridled 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 maybe "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 understanding^." 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 we may be saved with an everlasting salvation ''." It is not ufficient to say that the subjects 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 repre- sent them all as saying, " In the Lord have I righteousness
c Acts iv. 17, 18. and v. 28, 40. ^ Ps. ii. 2.
« Ps. ii. 4. f Rom. v. 9. s John xiv. 27.
^ Phil. iv. 7. ' Phil. iv. 13. ^ Isai. xlv. 17.
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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 spirit ual and eternal blessings™."]
III. Its universality —
[The greatest monarchs of this world have had a very limited sway : and many who have been called their subjects have been so rather in name than in realitv. But Christ's dominion shall be strictly and literally universal : " the king- doms 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 unculti- vated parts of the earth, where human nature seems but little elevated above the beasts, and there we shall find some who acknowledge him as their sovereign Lord. But his dominion is certainly at present very limited. There is a time however coming, when " all nations shall call him blessed." The rich and great shall take upon them his yoke : according as it is said, " All kings sliall fall down before him ; all nations shall serve him°." The poor and mean 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 greatesf^." As at this present time all the subjects of his kingdom are blessing and adoring him as the one author of all their happi- ness, 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 the full accomplishment of this prophecy shall be seen. Then *' a multitude that no man can number, of all nations and kindreds, and people and tongues, shall stand before him, and cry with united voices. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain ! Salvation to our God, and to the Lamb for ever*!"]