xxxiii. 14). Christ comes from heaven to take vengeance on his enemies (2 Pet. iii. 7, Jude ver. 14, 15), as well as to be glorified in His saints, and admired in them that believe (2 Thess. i. 7-10); and therefore we have the great and rich men of the earth calling out to the rocks to fall upon them, and to the hills to cover them' (Rev. vi. 16, 17), because truth of holiness and nothing else will be of any avail at that day, which should make us very serious in examining ourselves about it.

"Among many other signs which may be given of our saintship, I shall content myself with mentioning only two, because they do in an especial manner relate to the matter in hand.

"First, What love have we for the appearance of Christ, and how are we affected with the thoughts and hopes of His coming? Abraham rejoyced in hope to see that day, and when he saw it, by an eye of faith, he was glad (John viii. 56). The same disposition should be in all believers who are the children of Abraham; and so much the rather, because now Christ is to appear without sin, i.e., in His full beauty, and for lustre of majesty, without any cloud of imputed sin to eclipse and to hide His comliness, as formerly there was (Isa. liii. 2), and this He will do for salvation unto them who expect Him (Heb. ix. 28). This the Apostle Paul makes a certain sign of the Corinthians' conversion to the faith, that they did expect the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. i. 7); for he cannot be a true disciple of Christ, a child of the bride-chamber, who doth not inwardly grieve and mourn for the absence of the bridegroom (Matt. ix. 15), which mourning must necessarily be accompanied with earnest longing to see one of his dayes (Luke xvii. 22); and therefore the apostle, speaking of the great work that was wrought by the Spirit of God upon the Thessalonians, he makes the summe and height of it to be this, 'They were turned from idols to serve the living and the true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven' (1 Thess. i. 10). And again, in his epistle to Timothy, he saith, The crown of righteousness was laid up, not for himself alone, but for all those that loved our Lord's appearance' (2 Tim. iv. 8). So that to have a love for Christ, and a longing earnestness that His name may be glorified, and His kingdom set up in the earth, it is an undoubted sign of the truth of faith, and that the faith of Christ hath taken possession of us. For the Spirit and Bride say, Come; and every one that heareth (or readeth) let him say, Come; yea, O come Lord Jesus, come quickly' (Rev. xxii. 17, 20).

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Secondly, What care have we to walk worthy of Christ? This is that which the apostle very often earnestly presseth.

'We testifie,' saith he, that you walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory' (1 Thess. ii. 12); and having said (2 Thess. ii. 14), that they were called to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,' he adds, Therefore stand fast (ver. 15). We are not onely 'to be holy as the Lord is holy,' as Peter exhorts (1 Peter i. 15, 16); but we are to have this end in it, that when Christ appears we may have confidence (1 John ii. 28). So also the Apostle Peter, expecting, saith he, these things (i.e., new heaven and a new earth, wherein righteousness, and the practicers of it, is to dwell), give diligence to be found spotless and blameless by him (2 Pet. iii. 13), which likewise, upon the same grounds, is the exhortation of the Apostle Paul (1 Thess. v. 23).

"There are four things which these expectants should have an especial care to purifie, and to separate themselves from :1. Fleshly lust; 2. Worldly cares; 3. False worships; 4. Servile fears.

"First, From fleshly lusts. What they are I need not mention, for, as the apostle observes, the works of the flesh are manifest' (Gal. v. 19. 20), which whoever do indulge and allow themselves in, they cannot inhabit the kingdom of Christ and of God (ver. 21, Eph. v. 5). The New Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven, and is nothing else but the kingdom of Christ, and of His saints upon earth, is a place of so great purity that no unclean thing shall enter into it (Rev. xxi. 27); dogs and swine, and all voluptuous, hurtful beasts like them, they are without the gates of that city (Rev. xxii. 15). A Christian is said to be already raised with Christ' (Col. ii. 12); and as to the truth of our graces, we are to look upon ourselves as citizens and inhabitants, not of earth, but of heaven (Phil. iii. 20), and so to live like those that are acted by an heavenly spirit, which daily prompts us to look after a better hope then anything this present flesh affords. To sow unto, i.e., to gratifie which, is onely to take a great deal of pains that we may reap corruption (Gal. vi. 8). The same Spirit which hereafter shall raise and glorifie our mortal bodies must now sanctifie them (Rom. viii. 11), or else we shall die (ver. 13)-i.e., we shall rise only to have our portion in the lake of fire, which is the second death, where all the abominable and unbelievers are (Rev. xxi. 8).

Secondly, From worldly cares. We are commanded in an especial manner to beware that our hearts be not burdened with the cares of this life (Rev. xxi. 34), for by such the day of the Lord's coming can neither be foreseen nor desired, both their heart and eyes being already filled and possessed with

another object. When we cry out, as Peter did, 'It is good for us to be here,' we shall never care to come down from the mount which we here reared up and fancied to ourselves. As in the time of publick judgements, it is our duty not to seek after great things for ourselves (Jer. xlv. 5), so when we are assured that Christ at His appearance and kingdom will destroy this present frame of things, and cause all the beauty of it to perish-for any ambitiously to affect and pursue a present fading greatness and glory-it argues plainly that their faith is but small, and that they have little or no expectation of something better. Who rightly apprehend, and frequently reflect upon, the inevitable shakings and convulsions which the kingdoms of this world are subject to will never rest satisfied till they have secured unto themselves a place in that kingdom which cannot be shaken' (Heb. xii. 28). Believers with Abraham, David, and the patriarchs of old, are but pilgrims and strangers here (1 Pet. ii. 11), and therefore they are daily to be looking for and up to that heavenly city, which is the New Jerusalem let down from heaven, whose maker and builder is God' (Heb. xi. 1).

"Thirdly, From false worships. Who follow the Lamb must have His and His Father's name upon their foreheads, and keep themselves undefiled with women (Rev. xiv. 1, 4, 5)—i. e., they must openly own the true worship of God, and carefully avoid all idolatrous mixtures; shunning all manner of communion with false and adulterous churches, from which who so keep themselves they are the virgins mentioned in the Revelation; and this is to be their state during the whole time of the reign of antichrist, in opposition to whom (because they hold the commands of God and the testimony of Jesus) they are called witnesses (Rev. xi.). Since we are redeemed by Christ, we must take heed in every respect, but especially in this, wherein His Father's honour is so much concerned, how we be found the servants of men (1 Cor. vii. 23).

"When the sixth vial is poured out, which I take to be the time when the Jews (who are called the kings from the east) shall have their way prepared for them over Euphrates to return into their own land, at which time Christ himself shall appear at the head of them (Micah ii. 12, 13), then is there this voice, as it were from heaven, Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and who keepeth his garments, that he doth not walk naked' (Rev. xvi. 17). By garments there, is meant the righteousness of Christ for justification, and that way of holiness for sanctification, which Christ hath revealed He will be served and obeyed in. Which whosoever

shall not at that time be found walking in, but worships God according to his own or other men's devices, his works (as the prophet threatned the hypocritical and ceremonial Jews) shall not prove a covering to him, but both they, and all the lies which are found out to support them, shall be swept away; the fire, wherein that day shall be revealed, will burn up all the dross and stubble, wherewith vain men think they adorn, but indeed only disfigure, or rather defile, God's worship. Whatever paint may be put upon men's inventions, it will, upon an impartial search, be found almost as little a sin not to serve God at all, as to serve Him in any other way then He himself hath commanded; for the one indeed is barefaced impiety, but the other is thus far like unto it, in that it presumes to teach God wisdom, and so, Judas-like, betrays God's honour, while it pretends to kiss Him.

"Lastly, From servile fears. There is nothing more unworthy of a Christian then to be afraid of men, since this tends to the dishonour of Christ, as if He were not a great King, and able to save all His subjects. This charge He laid upon His disciples when He sent them to preach, Be not afraid of them which can only kill the body' (Matt. x. 28); and afterwards, when He encouraged the Church of Smyrna, Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer; the divil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tempted; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life' (Rev. ii. 10). This promise we do evidently disbelieve, if we give way so far to our fear as to be kept from open confessing, and, therefore, the fearful and unbelieving are joyned together, as those that are to have their part in the same lake of fire (Rev. xxi. 8). When the apostle presseth Timothy to be earnest in stirring up that gift which God had bestowed upon him (2 Tim. i. 6), he useth this argument, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power' (ver. 7); and thence he proceeds to exhort him, 'Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord (ver. 8), but suffer affliction with the gospel according to the power of God,' all those distinctions and evasions which men have devised to shift off the cross, will be found at last to be only the hiding-places that fear hath provided to shelter itself in; and what the apostle affirmed concerning the ceremonie pressed and contended for in his time, may be asserted concerning all, that those who compelled others to them, did it only that they might not be persecuted by the cross of Christ (Gal. vi. 12). But since the cross doth prepare the way for the crown, let us not fear, but rather pray, as the apostles did when they were silenced by their rulers, Now, Lord, behold 2 A

VOL. XI.

their threats, and give unto thy servants with all boldness to speak thy word (Acts xiv. 29). Courage becomes a Christian so much, that without it he cannot be one, but will, upon every trial, expose his Lord's honour and power to contempt and

censure.

ART. II.-THE KING OF TYRUS.

EZEKIEL XXviii. 1-19.

THE prince, in ver. 1-10, is evidently a man-everything in the passage agrees with this. But the prophecy can be applied to no mere man, however magnificent, wise, powerful, or proud; and, of course, whether it be regarded as already fulfilled, or as still awaiting its fulfilment, it cannot be explained by referring it to any merely human king of Tyre, or to any dynasty of Tyrian kings. The king is said to have been in Eden, the garden of God; and whatever Eden and the garden of God may mean, they cannot refer to any place that has existed on earth since the disappearance of the Paradise in which our first parents were placed. The only persons that can here be thought of as having been in Eden are Adam and Satan to the former this passage cannot apply, whatever may be said as to the latter. In ver. 14 the king is called a cherub, and is said to have been upon the holy mountain of God, which does not agree to any man. In ver. 15 it is said, "Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee," which can only be understood of some being who fell from a state of original righteousness and integrity; Adam is here out of the question, and to none of his descendants is the verse applicable. The king of Tyre, therefore, is manifestly superhuman.

The question very naturally suggests itself, Is the king of Tyre identical with the prince of Tyre? This question may seem unnecessary, for if the prince is only a man, while the king is more than man, how can they be the same? But we do not see how the consideration of this or a similar question can be avoided, without abandoning the obvious meaning of the words, and adopting some figurative or spiritualistic mode of interpretation. Did we deem ourselves at liberty to do this to treat the Word of God as a book of riddles, with less respect and reverence than is accorded to any merely human writing-we should be able, with the utmost ease, to evade every question that might threaten to be in the least degree em