ble government and jurisdiction; for he is also just: "The sceptre of his kingdom is a right sceptre : he loves righteousness, and hates wickedness," Psalm xlv. 6, 7. "He is of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, and he judges not after the sight of his eyes, and reproves not after the hearing of ears: but with righteousness doth he judge the poor; and with equity doth he reprove for the meek of the earth," Isaiah xi. 3, 4. Therefore his government is also pleas ant and gentle. Though Israel prospered exceedingly under the reign of colomon, he nevertheless imposed such heavy burthens upon them, that they refused to be governed by his son under those grievous impositions; but the yoke of the Son of God is easy, and his burthen is light," Matt. xi. 30. His commandments are not grievous; "There is no nation that hath statutes and judgments so righteous," Deut. iv. 8. He doth not hate the mean nor the weak, but he feeds his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms, he carries them in his bosom, and gently leads those that are with young," Isaiah xl. 11. Doth he chasten them, when they transgress, it is with measure, and "for their profit, that they may be partakers of his holiness," Heb. xii. 6-11. Neither doth he empoverish his subjects, as many kings do, who eat the flesh of their subjects, flay their skin, and break their bones to enrich themselves:" but he enriches them greatly, so that the apostle could say to believers, 1 Cor. iii. 21, 22, 23, "All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." It is true, ye have many enemies, who endeavour to detach you from his desirable government, and to carry you captive to your destruction; but he sees it, and it is evil in his eyes: "For he who toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye," Zech. ii. 8. Think not that he is deficient in power to revenge the wrongs that are done to you: no, he is mighty to redeem : "Your Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is his name; he shall thoroughly plead your cause," Jer. 1. 34. "The gates of hell shall not prevail against you, none shall pluck you out of his hand." (d) Let me add this also what a high price did he pay, before he became your Lord, and ye his property! 7! It cost him his own blood and life: "Ye were not edeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your yain conversation; but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb Mithout blemish and without spot," 1 Peter i. 18, 19. How sad was his condition, when he was obliged to wrestle under the burthen of God's wrath with the powers of hell! Hear and see how he mourned, Luke xii, 50. Matt. xxvi. 36-44. xxvii. 46. How much was to be done to you, before he broke your yoke, and burst your bonds! It was necessary that he should bind the strong devil, that he might spoil him of you, Matt. xii. 29. How did ye struggle against it before ye would submit to his government! he was therefore obliged to exert the exceeding greatness of his power, that he might cause such rebels as ye were to dwell with him. With good reason then do we cry out concerning you: "Happy art thou, Israel, who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places," Deut. xxxiii. 29. Are ye desirous now of knowing who can triumph thus in the faith, behold, 1. They are those who have disengaged themselves from all things, and from themselves, and have resigned and surrendered themselves unto him, in order to be his property. Thus it is said, Isaiah xliv. 5. One shall say, I am the Lord's, and another shall subscribe with his hand, I am the Lord's." And that not only to be saved by him, but also to be sanctified by him; therefore they cry unto him, “Unite my heart to fear thy name," Psalm lxxxvi. 11. "They join themselves to him to serve him, to love his name. and to be his sevrants," Isaiah lvi. 6. They submit themselves to him in a most hearty, willing and ready manner, and say, "O Lord, truly I am thy servant, I am thy servant," Psalm cxvi. 16. They esteem all his commandments to be holy, just and good, with David, Psalm cxix. 128. "I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right: I hate every false way." They choose them also for their treasure and possession, and keep them as such; "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always even unto the end," saith David. Psalm cxix. 111, 112. And as they are so intent upon doing the will of the Lord, "they will swear and will perform it, that they will keep his righteous judg ments," Psalm cxix. 106. And though they cannot attain to perfection, yet knowing that they can be more perfect than they are, they will still seek, strive, and follow after perfection, like Paul, Philip. iii. 12, 13, 14. Yea, this is their glory, their soul saith, The Lord is my portion, I have said that I would keep thy words," Psalm cxix. 57. Others who cannot triumph herein, that the Son of God is their Lord, remain in themselves, they set themselves against him, and they will not have him to rule over them. It is forsooth too strict a bond, and they will not be brought under it. Doth he call them they cry aloud with their actions, "We are lords, we will not come unto thee," Jer. ii. 31. They think that it doth not concern others, what they either say or do, and therefore they say, "Our lips are our own; who is lord over us? Psaim xii. 4. And they do the Do the servants of will of the flesh and of the mind," Eph. ii. 3. God reprove and convince them, they become angry, and are wroth, like the Jewish council, Acts vii. 51, 54. They are indeed not all so wicked, many will own the Son of God for their Lord; but they will nevertheless not yield themselves up to him in truth and sincerity, to be actually and inwardly ruled by him, but they content themselves with a little civility, with an outward devotion, with knowing and talking somewhat about him: but he saith, Matt. vii. 21. "Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 2. They who can triumph thus in the faith, do also choose the party of the Lord; they join themselves to the people of God, and. cleave to them; "Ten men of all languages of the nations take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you," Zech. viii. 23. They love heartily and really what their Lord and his people love: "They choose that in which the Lord delighteth," Isaiah lvi. 4. "The Lord delighteth in his people," Isaiah lxii. 4. But they who triumph thus delight also in the saints, who are in the earth, and in the excellent," Psalm xvi. 3. Doth the Lord hate sin, they also " hate every false way," Psalm cxix. 128. Doth the Lord abhor the ungodly, they can say with David, Psalm cxxxix. 21. "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with them that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies." Others choose the party of the world; it appears by their looks, their clothing, their thoughts, and discourse, "They are of the world, therefore speak thou of the world, and the world heareth them," 1 John iv. 5. Yea, they oppose the people of Jesus, because they separate themselves from them: therefore this Lord said to his people. "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you," John xv. 19. To whom do ye now belong? to us, or to our foes? have ye never yet surrendered yourselves to him to serve him, nor chosen his party, ye cannot then triumph thus in the faith; but it is your reproach, that the raler of this world is your lord and king. And what a wretched, despicable, cursed and cruel lord do ye then serve? and what a wretched reward will he bestow on you for your faithful service? (for ye serve him with great faithfulness) Your reward will be "everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," Matt. xxv. 41. Think not that ye shall escape the hands of our great Lord, he will command you to be brought to him, and to be slain before his face, Luke xix. 27. "Ye shall perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little," Psalm ii. 12, O that ye might recover out of the share of the devil, in which ye are taken captive at his will; flee, I beseech you, from him and from the wrath to come, and join yourselves to the Lord, and to his people, that ye may prevent your destruction. But with respect to you, who have joined yourselves to the Lord, and chosen his party, conduct yourselves worthily of your Lord. And therefore. 1. Believe, and be assured, that the Son of God is also your Lord. Ye certainly confess this in your creed; he hath bought you with his blood, delivered you from all the power of the devil, and rendered you his property. Hath he not drawn your souls, so that ye have run after him? have ye not dedicated yourselves sincerely and heartily to him and to his service, and do ye not still do this? Are not your sins your greatest grief, and do ye not withstand them ? can ye deny this? do ye not know then that ye have believed in him? Why are ye then so mistrustful, and say, "The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people, and I am a dry tree?" Isaiah Ivi. 3. As long as your souls indulge such imaginations, they will never exert a single act towards him, which will be worthy of him; therefore encourage yourselves in this, and say with David, Psalm xlii. 11. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, snd why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." 2. Contemplate much the glory of the Son of God, as your Lord. Are ye not permitted with Stephen to see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God, behold him then with an enlightened eye of faith, according to his word, and see how the Father anointed him from eternity King of Zion, how he sent him into the world, so that every one beheld his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, how he spoiled on the cross principalities and powers. and made a show of them openly, and triumphed over them; how his Father hath therefore exalted him, and given him a name above every name, that in his name every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father; how by his gospel he subdues the world to himself, causes the rebellious to dwell with him, governs the hearts of all, how the angels worship him, the souls of the blessed glorify him, and every believer looks to him, to receive of his fullness, and grace for grace. Ye are exhorted to this, Song iii. 11. “Go forth, Ö ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.” Ye endeavour to be conformed to him in a glorious holiness, but this view of him transforms the soul: for "we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord," 2 Cor. iii. 18. : 3. Acknowledge the Son of God, as your Lord, this ye must do (a) by extolling him as your Lord, praising him, and crying to him with elevated minds, in order to glorify him, like Nathanael, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel," John i. 4. Hear how his people shout to him, (unite with them in heart and voice) Psalm xlvii. 7-10, "Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth, sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together to the people of the God of Abraham; for the shields of the earth belong unto God; he is greatly exalted." (b) It behooves you to acknowledge him as your Lord also by submitting yourselves wholly to him, and in all things, bow. ing to him, with a total denial of yourselves, not seeking yourselves, nor following your inclination, but him only; as well in adversity as in prosperity, as well in darkness as in light, he is your Lord, ye are his servants, and his property: he may do with his own, as seemeth good to him: " Because he is your Lord, therefore worship ye him,” Psalm xlv, 11. (c) Acknowledge him as your Lord by devoting yourselves wholly to his service; he hath rendered you his property in soul and body it is therefore your duty to dedicate yourselves with soul and body to him, and to employ them in his service: "He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself, a peculiar people, zealous of good works," Titus ii. 14. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" Rom. xii. 1. (d) Ye must also acknowledge him as your Lord by improving him as such, : |