Of the kingly office of christ
John Gill
The prophetic and priestly
offices of Christ having been considered; the kingly office of Christ is next
to be treated of. Christ is king in a twofold sense: he is a king by nature; as
he is God, he, is God over all; as the Son of God, he is heir of all things; as he is God the Creator, he has a right of dominion
over all his creatures: and he is king by office, as he is mediator; and
accordingly he has a two-fold kingdom, the one natural, essential, universal,
and common to him with the other divine persons; the kingdom of nature and
providence is his, what he has a natural right unto, and claim upon; it is essential
to him as God; dominion and fear are with him; it is
universal, it reaches to all creatures visible or invisible, to all in heaven,
earth, and hell; it is common to the three divine persons, Father, Son, and
Spirit, who are joint creators of all the creatures, and have a joint rule,
government, and dominion over them; and as Christ is the creator of all,
nothing that is made being made without him, but all things by him, he has a
right to rule over them. This kingdom of his extends to
angels, good and bad; he is the head of all principality and power; of the good
angels, he is their creator, lord, and king, from whom all worship, homage, and
obedience are due unto him; and who are at his command to do his will and
pleasure; and whom he employs as ministering spirits in nature, providence, and
grace, as he pleases: and the evil angels, though they have left their first estate, cast off their allegiance to him, and rebelled
against him, yet whether they will or no they are obliged to be subject to him;
and even when he was manifest in the flesh, they trembled at him, and were
obliged to quit the possession of the bodies of men at his command, and could
do nothing without his leave. Men also good and bad, are under the government
of Christ as God, who is Lord of all; he not only is king of
saints, who willingly become subject to him; but even those who are sons of
Belial, without a yoke, who have cast off the yoke, and will not have him to
reign over them; whether they will or not, they are obliged to yield unto him;
over whom he rules with a rod of iron, and will break them in pieces as a
potter's vessel; so easy, so inevitable, and so irreparable is their ruin and
everlasting destruction by him. This his kingdom rules over
all men, of all ranks and degrees, the highest and the greatest; he is King of
kings, and Lord of lords; he sets them up and puts them down at his pleasure;
by him they reign, and to him they are accountable. But besides this, there is
another kingdom that belongs to Christ as God-man and Mediator; this is a
special, limited kingdom; this concerns only the elect of God, and others only as they may have to do with them, even their
enemies; the subjects of this kingdom are those who are chosen, redeemed, and
called from among men by the grace of God, and bear the name of saints; hence
the title and character of Christ with respect to them is "king of
saints"; this kingdom and government of his is what is put into his hands
to dispense and administer, and may be called a dispensatory,
delegated government; what is given him by his Father, and he has received
authority from him to exercise, and for which he is accountable to him; and
when the number of his elect are completed in the effectual calling, he will
deliver up the kingdom to the Father, perfect and entire, that God may be all
in all. And this is the kingly office of Christ, now to be treated of; and
which will be done much in the same manner the other offices
have been treated of.
1. I shall show that Christ
was to be a king; as appears by the designation of his Father, in his purposes,
council, and covenant; by the types and figures of him; and by the prophecies
concerning him.
1a. That he was to be a king,
appears by the designation and appointment of him by his Father to this office;
"I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion", says Jehovah, #Ps 2:6
that is, he had set up Christ his Son, in his eternal purposes, to be king over
his church and people; and therefore calls him his king, because of his choosing, appointing, and setting up. And as he appointed him
to be a king, he appointed a kingdom to him; which is observed by Christ;
"I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath, appointed unto me",
#Lu 22:29. In the council and covenant of grace, Christ was called to take upon
him this office, "feed the flock of slaughter", the church, subject
to the persecutions of men; and the act of feeding them,
designs the rule and government, care and protection of the people of God; in
allusion to shepherds, by which name kings and rulers are sometimes called: to
which Christ assented and agreed; saying, "I will feed the flock of
slaughter", take the care and government of them, #Zec 11:4 upon which he
was invested with the office of a king, and was considered as such; "Unto
the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and
ever", #Heb 1:8.
1b. It appears from the types
and figures of Christ, in his kingly office. Melchizedek was a type of him; not
only in his priestly office, of whose order Christ was; but in his kingly
office; both offices meeting in him, as they do in Christ, who is a priest upon his throne; from his quality as a king he had his name
Melchizedek, king of righteousness, or righteous king; and such an one is
Christ, a king that reigns in righteousness; and from the place and seat of his
government, king of Salem; that is, king of peace; agreeable to which, one of
Christ's titles belonging to him, in his kingly office, is, prince of peace;
see #Heb 7:1 Isa 9:6. David was an eminent type of Christ in
his kingly office; for his wisdom and military skill, his courage and valour,
his wars and victories, and the equity and justice of his government; hence
Christ, his antitype, is often, with respect to the Jews, in the latter days,
called David their king, whom they shall seek and serve; and who shall be king
over them, #Jer 30:9 #Eze 33:23 37:24 Ho 3:5. Solomon also was a type of Christ
as king; hence Christ, in "the Song of Songs", is
frequently called Solomon, and king Solomon, #So 3:7,9,11 8:11,12 because of
his great wisdom, his immense riches, the largeness of his kingdom, and the
peaceableness of it; in all which he is exceeded by Christ; and who, speaking
of himself, says, "a Greater than Solomon is here", #Mt 12:42.
1c. This
still more fully appears, that Christ was to be a King, by the prophecies
concerning him, in this respect; as in the very first promise or prophecy of
him, #Ge 3:15 that "the Seed of the woman", meaning Christ, should
break the "serpent's head"; that is, destroy the devil, and all his
works; which is an act of Christ's kingly power, and is expressive of him as a
victorious prince, and triumphant conqueror over all his and
his peoples enemies. Balaam foretold, that "there should come a Star out
of Jacob, and a Sceptre", that is, a Sceptre bearer, a King, should
"rise out of Israel", #Nu 24:17 which prophecy, some way or other,
coming to the knowledge of the magi, or wise men in the East, upon the
appearance of a new star, led them to take a journey into Judea, to inquire
after the birth of the King of the Jews, where he was born.
In the famous prophecy of Isaiah, concerning Christ, #Nu 9:6,7 it is said, that
"the government should be upon his shoulders"; one of his titles be,
"the Prince of peace"; and that of his government, and the peace of
it, there should be no end; as well as it should be ordered and established
with justice and judgment: and to the same purpose is another prophecy in
Jeremiah, #Jer 23:5,6 of the Messiah, the Man the Branch,
it is said, "And a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute
judgment and justice in the earth; and this is his name whereby he shall be
called, The Lord our Righteousness": and there can be no doubt but Christ
is here meant; as well as in that known prophecy of the place of his birth,
Bethlehem Ephratah; of which it is said, "Out of thee shall he come forth
unto me, that is to be Ruler in Israel", the King of
Israel, as Christ is sometimes called, #Mic 5:2. To which may be added, another
prophecy of Christ, as King, and which was fulfilled in him; "Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion----behold thy King cometh unto thee", #Zec 9:9
Mt 21:4,5 yea, the angel that brought the news to the Virgin Mary, of Christ's
conception and incarnation, foretold unto her, that this her Son should be "great, and be called the Son of the Highest"; and
that "the Lord God would give unto him the throne of his father
David"; and that he should "reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there should be no end", #Lu 1:32,33.
2. I proceed to show, that Christ
is a King; as it was decreed and determined he should be,
and according to the types of him, and prophecies concerning him. And,
2a. Christ was a King before
his incarnation, during the Old Testament dispensation. He was King over the
people of Israel; not as a body politic; though their civil government was a
theocracy; but as a church, a kingdom of priests, or a royal
priesthood; and he is the Angel that was with them, the church in the
wilderness, which spoke to Moses on mount Sinai; from whose right hand went the
fiery law, the oracles of God; for the rule, government, and instruction of
that people: he is the Angel that went before them, to guide and direct them,
and to rule and govern them, whose voice they were to obey: he appeared to
Joshua, with a drawn sword in his hand, and declared
himself to be the Captain of the Lord's hosts, to fight their battles for them,
and settle them in the land of Canaan. David speaks of him as a King in #Ps
45:1-17, and represents him as a very amiable Person, grace being poured into
his lips, and he fairer than the children of men; as a majestic and victorious
Prince, whose queen stands at his right hand, in gold of Ophir,
his church, who is called upon to worship him, to yield homage and subjection
to him; because he is her Lord and King; and as such he is acknowledged by the
church in the times of Isaiah; "The Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our
Lawgiver; the Lord is our King", #Isa 33:22 26:13.
2b. Christ
was King in his state of incarnation; he was born a King, as the wise men
understood it he was, by the prophecy of him, and by the star that appeared,
that guided them to come and worship him as such. The angel that brought the
news of his birth to the shepherds, declared, that that day was born a Saviour,
Christ the Lord, Head and King of his church; agreeable to the prophecy of him
by Isaiah, that the child born, and Son given, would have
the government on his shoulders, and be the Prince of peace; and Christ himself
acknowledges as much, when he was asked by Pilate, whether he was a King? he
answered in a manner which implied it, and gave assent unto it; though at the
same time, he declared his kingdom was not of this world, but of a spiritual
nature, #Joh 18:36,37. He began his ministry with giving notice,
that the "kingdom of heaven was at hand"; that is, his own kingdom,
which was going to take place, with some evidence of it; and he assures the
Jews, that the kingdom of God was then within them, or among them; though it
came not with the observation of the vulgar: nor with outward show, pomp, and
splendour, like that of an earthly king, #Mt 4:17 Lu 17:20,21 and Christ was
known, and owned by some, as a King, though not by many:
Nathaniel made the following noble confession of faith in him, respecting his person
and office, upon a conviction of his being the omniscient God; "Rabbi,
thou art the Son of God! thou art the King of Israel!" #Joh 1:49. When
Christ entered into Jerusalem, in a very public manner, whereby was fulfilled
the prophecy of him as a King, #Zec 9:9 not only the children cried, Hosanna to the Son of David! expressive of his royal character
and dignity; but the disciples, in so many words, said, "Blessed be the
King, that cometh in the name of the Lord!" #Mt 21:4,5,9 Lu 19:38.
Moreover, Christ, in the days of his flesh on earth, received authority from
his divine Father, to execute judgment; that is, to exercise his kingly office
in equity and justice; and this before his sufferings and death;
and had all things requisite to it, delivered unto him by his Father, #Joh
5:22,27 Mt 11:27 and after his resurrection from the dead, and before his
ascension to heaven, he declared, that "all power was given him in heaven
and in earth"; in virtue of which, he appointed ordinances, renewed the
commission of his disciples to administer them, promising his presence with
them, and their successors, to the end of the world, #Mt
28:18-20. All which shows how false the notion of the Socinians is, that Christ
was no King, nor did he exercise his kingly office before his ascension to
heaven. It is true, indeed,
2c. That upon his ascension to
heaven, he "was made both Lord and Christ", #Ac 2:36
not but that he was both Lord and Christ before, of which there was evidence;
but then he was declared to be so, and made more manifest as such; then he was
exalted as a Prince, as well as a Saviour, and highly exalted, and had a name
given him above every name; and angels, authorities, and powers, were made
subject to him. He then received the promise of the Spirit, and his gifts from
the Father, which he plentifully bestowed upon his
apostles; whom he sent forth into all the world, preaching his gospel with
great success, and causing them to triumph in him in every place where they
came; and so increased and enlarged his kingdom: he went forth by them with his
bow and arrows, conquering and to conquer, making the arrows of his word sharp
in the hearts of his enemies, whereby they were made to submit
unto him; sending forth the rod of his strength out of Zion, the gospel, the
power of God unto salvation; he made multitudes willing in the day of his power
on them, to be subject to him; whereby his kingdom and interest were greatly
strengthened in the world; and from small beginnings, his kingdom being at
first but like a grain of mustard seed, became very flourishing and populous:
and in this way, more or less, Christ has been exercising
his kingly office in the world; which, though sometimes it has been in great
obscurity, yet will more gloriously appear in the latter day, in that
remarkable period of time which may be properly called, "the spiritual
reign of Christ"; when he shall take to himself his great power and reign;
not begin to take it, nor begin to reign; but shall take it and exert it in a
more conspicuous manner; and will reign before his ancients
gloriously; when the kingdoms of this world shall become his, and he shall be
King over all the earth; and there shall be one Lord, and his name one; and
more especially, when the kingly office of Christ shall appear in its full
glory, in his personal reign on earth a thousand years; of which two types of
his kingly office, I shall treat separately and distinctly,
in their proper place; and at present shall only observe,
2d. That all the rites and
ceremonies used at the inauguration of kings, and their "regalia",
are to be found with Christ. Were kings anointed? as Saul, David, and Solomon
were, so was Christ; from whence he has his name, Messiah; he whose throne is for ever and ever, is anointed with the oil of
gladness above his fellows; that is, with the gifts and graces of the Holy
Spirit without measure; as he more eminently was, upon his ascension to heaven,
when he was made, or declared, Lord and Christ; and, indeed, because of this
ceremony used at the instrument of kings into their office, the original
investiture of Christ with the kingly office is expressed by
it; "I have set", or as in the Hebrew text, "I have anointed my
King upon my holy hill of Zion", #Ps 2:6 Ps 45:6,7. Were kings crowned at
the time of their inauguration? so was Christ at his ascension to heaven; he
was then "crowned with glory and honour"; his Father set "a
crown of pure gold on his head"; not a material one; the phrase is only
expressive of the royal grandeur and dignity conferred upon
him: his mother, the church, is also said to crown him; and so does every
believer set the crown on his head, when, rejecting all self-confidence, and
subjection to others, they ascribe their whole salvation to him, and submit to
him, as King of saints; and he, as a mighty Warrior, and triumphant Conqueror,
is represented as having many crowns on his head, as emblematical of the many
great and glorious victories he has obtained over all his,
and the enemies of his people, #Heb 2:9 Ps 21:3 So 3:11 Re 19:12. Do kings
sometimes sit on thrones when in state? Isaiah, in vision, saw the Lord sitting
on a throne, high and lifted up, when he saw the glory of Christ, and spake of
him: and when our Lord had overcome all his enemies, he sat down with his
Father on his throne, as he makes every overcomer sit down
with him on his throne; and this throne of his is for ever and ever: and when
he comes to judge the world, he will sit on a great white throne; an emblem of
his greatness, purity, and justice, in discharging this part of his kingly
office, judging quick and dead, #Isa 6:1 #Ps 45:6 Re 3:21 20:11. Do kings
sometimes hold sceptres in their hands, as an ensign of their royalty? so does
Christ; his sceptre is a "sceptre of
righteousness"; he reigns in righteousness; he has a golden sceptre of
clemency, grace, and mercy, which he holds forth towards his own people, his
faithful subjects; and he has an iron one, with which he rules his enemies; see
#Ps 45:6 #Ps 2:9. Do kings sometimes appear in robes of majesty and state? Christ
is arrayed with majesty itself; "The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with
majesty", #Ps 93:1 and so is he apparelled, as now set
down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; of which
his transfiguration on the mountain was an emblem, when his face did shine as
the sun, and his raiment was white as the light, #Heb 8:1 Mt 17:2.
3. Having shown that Christ
was to be a King, and is one; I shall next consider the exercise
and administration of the kingly office by him; and observe,
3a. First, his qualifications
for it. David, who well knew what was requisite to a civil ruler, or governor,
says, "He that ruleth over men, must be just, ruling in the fear of
God"; and this he said with a view to the Messiah, as appears by what follows,
#2Sa 23:3,4 and with whom these characters fully agree; he
is the righteous Branch, raised up to David; and sits upon his throne, and
establishes it with judgment and justice; a king that reigns in righteousness,
and governs according to the rules of justice and equity; who with
righteousness judges, and reproves with equity; the girdle of whose loins is
righteousness, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins, all the while he is executing his kingly office; his sceptre is a
sceptre of righteousness; and his throne is established by it; and one of the
characters of Zion's King, by which he is described, is just, as well as lowly;
see #Jer 23:5,6 Isa 9:7 11:4,5 Ps 45:6 #Zec 9:9. And the other character,
"ruling in the fear of God", is found in him; on whom the Spirit of
the fear of the Lord rests, and makes him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, so that he judges impartially; not through
favour and affection to any, nor according to the outward appearance; but with
true judgment, #Isa 11:2,3 and a king should be as wise as an angel of God, to
know all things appertaining to civil government, as the woman of Tekoah said
David was; even to know and to be able to penetrate into the designs of his
enemies, to guard against them, to provide for the safety and
welfare of his subjects: and such is David's Son and Antitype, the Messiah; on
whom rests "the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and of
knowledge"; and who has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and all
that wisdom by which kings reign, and princes decree judgment, is from him; to
which may be added, "the Spirit of might" rests upon him, #Isa 11:2
he has power and authority to execute judgment, to enforce
his laws, and command obedience from his subjects; all power in heaven and on earth
is given to him, and which he exercises; yea, he is the Lord God omnipotent;
and as such reigns, #Mt 28:18 Re 19:6 and how capable therefore, on all
accounts, must he be to exercise his kingly office? The next inquiry is,
3b. Secondly, Who are his subjects?
a king is a relative term, and connotes subjects: a king without subjects, is
no king. The natural and essential kingdom of Christ, as God, reaches to all
creatures; as has been observed; "His kingdom ruleth over all", #Ps
103:19 but his kingdom, as Mediator, is special and limited, and is over a certain number of men; who go under the names of Israel, the
house of Jacob, the holy hill of Zion, and are called saints; hence Christ is
said to be "King of Israel"; to reign over "the house of
Jacob"; to be set King upon "the holy hill of Zion"; and to be
"King of saints", #Joh 1:49 Lu 1:33 Ps 2:6 #Re 15:3 and by Israel,
and the house of Jacob, are not meant the people of the Jews, as a body
politic, of whom Christ was never king in such a sense; nor
carnal Israel, or Israel according to the flesh, especially the unbelieving
part of them, who would not have him to reign over them, in a spiritual sense;
nor only that part of them called the election of grace among them; the lost
sheep of the house of Israel Christ came to seek and save, and so to rule over,
protect, and keep: but the whole spiritual Israel of Gods consisting both of Jews and Gentiles; even that Israel God has chose for his
special and peculiar people, among all nations; whom Christ has redeemed by his
blood, out of every kindred, tongue, and people; and whom, by his Spirit, he
effectually calls, through grace; and who are saved in him, with an everlasting
salvation: and these are meant by the holy hill of Zion, over which he is set,
appointed, and anointed King; even all those whom God has
loved with an everlasting love, and chosen in Christ his Son, and who are
sanctified and made holy by his Spirit and grace; and are brought to make an
open profession of his name, and become members of his visible church, and are
immoveable in grace and holiness; for all which they are compared to mount
Zion, the object of God's love and choice, a hill visible, holy, and immoveable: and to these Christ stands in the relation, and
bears the office of a King; and they are his voluntary subjects; and who say of
him and to him, "Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!"
#Re 15:3 the church of God is Christ's kingdom, and the members of it his
subjects.
3c.
Thirdly, The form and manner of Christ's executing his kingly office; which is
done, ---lst. Externally, by the ministry of the word, and administration of
ordinances; and in the exercise of discipline in his church, which is his
kingdom. And, ---2dly, Internally, by his Spirit and grace, in the hearts of
his people; and by his power, with respect to their enemies.
3c1. First,
Externally, by the word and ordinances, and church
discipline.
3c1a. By the
ministry of the word; which is his sceptre he holds
forth,
and by which he invites his people to come and submit
to him; and
by which he rules and governs them when come; it
is the rod of
his strength he sends out of Zion, and which
is the power
of God unto salvation to them that believe: it
is signified
by the weapons of warfare, the sword of the
Spirit,
the bow and arrows, with which Christ rides forth,
conquering
and to conquer; and with which he smites the
hearts of his
people, while enemies to him, and causes them
to fall under
him, and be subject to him; it is the rule and
standard of their
faith and practice, he sets before them,
showing
them what they are to believe concerning him, and
what is their
duty in obedience to him; it is the "magna
charta"
which contains all their privileges and immunities
he grants
them; and which he, as their King, inviolably
maintains;
and it is according to this his word, that he
will
execute that branch of his kingly office, judging the
world in
righteousness at the last day.
3c1b. By the
administration of ordinances; as baptism: Christ, in
virtue of
that power in heaven and earth, which he received
as
King of saints, issued out a command, and gave a
commission to
his apostles, as to preach the gospel, so to
baptize, such
as are taught by it, in the name of the three
divine
Persons; and directed that all such who become
members of
his visible church, the subjects of his kingdom,
should
first submit to this ordinance of his; as the
instance of
the first converts after the commission given
shows; who
were first baptized, and then added to the
church: this
is part of that yoke of Christ's kingdom, which
is easy; and
one of those commandments of his, which are not
grievous.
The Lord's Supper is another of the ordinances
kept by the
church at Corinth, as delivered to them; for
which the apostle
commends them; the account of which he had
from Christ
himself, and delivered to them; and which he
suggests was
to be observed in his churches, and throughout
his
kingdom, to the end of the world. Public prayer in the
house of God,
is another appointment in Christ's kingdom,
the church;
which is distinct from the duty of private
prayer, in
private meetings, and in the family, and the
closet; and
is what goes along with the public ministry of
the
word; and is meant by what the apostles proposed to give
themselves
continually to; and which was attended to by the
first
Christians, and continued in, and by which they are
described,
and for it commended; see #Ac 2:42 4:31 6:4.
Singing of
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, in a public
manner,
in the churches, is another ordinance of Christ,
enjoined
them, #Eph 5:19 Col 3:16 and in doing which, they
express their
joy and gladness, in Zion's King, #Ps 149:2.
3c1c. In the
exercise of church discipline; about which Christ,
as
King in his church, has given orders and directions; in
case of
private offences, the rules how to proceed, are in
#Mt 18:15-18.
In case of public, scandalous sins, which
bring a
public disgrace on religion, and the church; the
delinquents
are to be rebuked before all in a public manner,
and
rejected from the communion of the church, #1Ti 5:20. In
case of
immoralities and disorderly walking, such are to be
withdrawn
from, till repentance is given to satisfaction;
and in case
of false doctrines, and heretical opinions, such
that hold
them, are not only to be rebuked sharply, in a
ministerial
way, that they may be sound in the faith; but
being
incorrigible, are to be cut off from the communion of
the church,
#Tit 1:13 3:10.
3c1d. For the
execution and due performance of all this, the
ministry
of the word, administration of ordinances, and
exercise of
church discipline, Christ has appointed officers
in his church
and kingdom; whom he qualifies and empowers
for such
purposes; who have a rule and government under
Christ, and
over the churches, to see his laws and rules
carried
into execution; and who are to be known, owned, and
acknowledged,
as having rule over the churches; and to be
submitted to
and obeyed by them, so far as they act
according to
the laws of Christ, #Eph 4:10-12 1Th 5:12
#Heb 13:7,17.
3c2.
Secondly, The kingly office of Christ is exercised
internally,
by his Spirit and grace in the hearts of his
people, and
by his power, with respect to their enemies; and
which chiefly
lies in the conversion of his people; in the
protection
of them from their enemies; and in the utter
abolition and
destruction of them.
3c2a. In the
conversion of his people; which is no other than a
rescue of
them out of the hands of those who have usurped a
dominion
over them. While unregenerate, they are in a state
of enmity to
Christ, and in open rebellion against him; they
who are
reconciled by him, are not only enemies in their
minds, by
wicked works; but enmity itself, while their minds
remain
carnal; and such they were when reconciled to God, by
the
death of Christ; and so they continue until the enmity
is slain, by
his powerful grace in them; by which the arrows
of his word
are made sharp in them; and thereby they are
conquered,
and fall under him. While in a state of nature,
other lords
have dominion over them, sin, Satan, and the
world;
sin reigns in their mortal bodies, and they yield
their members
instruments of unrighteousness! and are
servants and
slaves to sin, even unto death; for it reigns
in them to
death; and though its reign is so severe and
rigorous, yet
they yield a ready obedience to it; "We
ourselves",
says the apostle, "were foolish and
disobedient",
disobedient to God, and disobedient to Christ,
"serving
divers lusts and pleasures": Satan, the prince of
the power of
the air, works in them, while they are the
children of
disobedience; and they have their conversation
according
to him, and according to the course of the world,
while in such
a state; and live according to the will of
men, and not
according to the will of God, #Isa 26:13
#Tit 3:3 Eph
2:2,3. Satan particularly, the god of this
world, has
power over them, and leads them captive at his will,
until
the prey is taken from the mighty, and the lawful
captive is
delivered; he is the strong man armed, that keeps
the palace
and goods in peace, till a stronger than he
comes; who is
Christ, the King of glory, who causes the
everlasting
doors of mens hearts to lift up, and let him in,
when
he enters, binds the strong man armed, dispossesses
him, and
spoils his armour, wherein he trusted; sets up a
throne of
grace in the heart, where he himself sits and
reigns,
having destroyed sin, and caused grace to reign,
through righteousness;
and will not suffer sin to have any
more
dominion there. By the power of his grace he makes
those his
people willing to submit to him, and serve him,
and him only,
disclaiming all other lords, #Isa 26:13 33:22.
Christ, as
King in Zion, enacts laws, appoints ordinances,
and gives out
commands, which he enjoins his subjects to
observe
and obey; and those he writes, not on paper, nor on
tables of
stone, nor on monuments of brass, but upon the
tables of the
heart; and puts his Spirit within his people,
to enable
them to walk in his statutes, and to keep his
judgments,
and do them. Moreover, Christ being set up as an
ensign
to the people, they flock unto him, and enlist
themselves
under his banner, and become volunteers, in the
day of his
power, or when he musters his armies; and declare
themselves
willing to endure hardness, as good soldiers of
Christ; to
fight the Lord's battles, the good fight of
faith,
and against every enemy; when they are clad by him
with the
whole armour of God, and become more than
conquerors,
through their victorious Lord and King; by, and
under whom,
they abide as his faithful subjects and soldiers
unto death.
3c2b.
Christ's kingly office is further exercised, in the
protection
and preservation of his people from their
enemies; out
of whose hands they are taken, and who attempt
to reduce
them to their former captivity and slavery: they
are
protected and preserved from sin: not from the
indwelling
and actings of it in them; but from its dominion
and damning
power; and the grace that is wrought in them is
preserved,
and its reigning power is continued and
confirmed.
Christ, as a Prince, as well as a Saviour, gives
repentance
to his people, attended with the manifestation
and
application of pardon of sin; and he not only gives this
grace; but
every other, faith, hope, and love: these are his
royal
bounties, and are principles of grace, wrought in the
souls of his
people; according to which, and by the
influence
of which, he rules and governs them: and these he
preserves,
that they are not lost; that their faith fail
not; their
hope remain, as an anchor, sure and stedfast; and
their love
continue: and the fear of God, put into them,
abide; so
that they shall never depart from him: he is able
to
keep them from falling, finally and totally, and he does
keep them;
they are in his hands, out of which none can
pluck them:
they are protected by him from Satan; not from
his assaults
and temptations, to which the most eminent
saints are
exposed; but from being destroyed by him, who
goes
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour,
and would
gladly devour them: but Christ is able to help
them, and
does; and knows how to deliver them out of
temptation,
and does, in his time and way, and bruises Satan
under their
feet; so that, instead of being destroyed by
him,
he himself is destroyed by Christ: and they are
protected
from the world, its force and fury; he makes their
wrath to
praise him, and restrains the remainder of it. In
short, he
protects them from every enemy; and from the last
enemy, death;
not from dying a corporal death, but from the
sting
of it; and from it as a penal evil; and from a
spiritual
death ever more taking place in them; and from an
eternal
death, by which they shall not be hurt, and which
shall have no
power over them.
3c2c.
Christ's kingly office appears to be exercised in the utter
destruction
of the said enemies of his people. He came to
finish
transgression, and make an end of sin; and he did it
meritoriously,
on the cross; where the old man was
crucified,
that the body of sin might be destroyed; and by
his
Spirit and grace he weakens the power of sin in
conversion;
and will never leave, till he has rooted out the
very being of
it in his people: he came to destroy Satan,
and his
works: and he has destroyed him; and spoiled his
principalities
and powers, on the cross; and rescued his
people
out of his hands, at conversion; and will not only
bruise him
under their feet shortly, but will bind him, and
cast him into
the bottomless pit for a thousand years; and
after loosed
from thence, will cast him into the lake which
burns with
fire and brimstone, where be will continue for
ever.
Christ has also overcome the world; so that it could
not hinder
him from doing the work he came about: and he
gives his
people that faith by which they overcome it also;
and nothing
they meet with in it, even tribulation,
persecution,
and everything of that kind, shall not be able
to
separate them from Christ, from a profession of him, and
love unto
him; but they become more than conquerors over the
world,
through Christ that loved them; and who must reign
till all
enemies are put under his feet; and the last enemy
that shall be
destroyed is death: which will be destroyed at
the
resurrection; when mortal shall put on immortality, and
corruption
incorruption; and then that saying will be
brought to
pass, that "death is swallowed up in victory"; in
a victory
obtained by Christ over that and every other
enemy, #1Co
15:25,26,54.
3d. Fourthly, The properties
of Christ's kingdom and government; showing the nature and excellency of it.
3d1. It is
spiritual; not carnal, earthly, and worldly: "My
kingdom",
says Christ, "is not of this world", #Joh 18:36.
Though it is
in the world, it is not of it; its original is
not from it;
it is not founded on maxims of worldly policy;
it is not
established by worldly power, nor promoted and
increased by
worldly means, nor attended with worldly pomp
and
grandeur; "The kingdom of God", that is, of Christ,
"cometh
not with observation", with outward glory and
splendour,
#Lu 17:20. The Jews, at the coming of Christ,
having lost
the notion of the spirituality of his kingdom,
thought of
nothing but an earthly and worldly one; and
expected
the Messiah as a temporal king, who would deliver
them from the
Roman yoke; and make them a free and
flourishing
people, as in the days of David and Solomon: and
this was the
general and national belief; the disciples and
followers of
Christ were possessed of it; as appears from
the
request of the mother of Zebedee's children,
#Mt 20:20,21
and from the question of the apostles to
Christ, even
after his resurrection, #Ac 1:6. But this
notion was contrary
to the prophecies of the Messiah; which
represent him
as poor, mean, and abject; a man of sorrows and
griefs,
despised of men; and should be treated ill, and be put
to death,
#Isa 53:2-4,8,12 Zec 9:9 and not being able to
reconcile
these prophecies, with those which speak of him as
exalted and
glorious, they have feigned and expect two
messiahs; the
one they call the son of Ephraim, who shall
make
a poor figure, be unsuccessful, and shall be slain in
the war of
Gog and Magog; the other they call the son of
David, who
prosperous, gain many victories, and shall live
long; restore
the Jews to their own land, and make them an
happy people.
But the true Messiah was neither to destroy
his
enemies with carnal weapons; but smite them with the rod
of his mouth,
and consume them with the breath of his lips,
his gospel;
nor to save his people by bow, by sword, by
horses and
horsemen; but by himself, his righteousness and
sacrifice.
His kingdom was not to be, and has not been, set
up
and spread by the sword, by dint of arms; as the kingdom
of Mahomet
has been; but by his Spirit and grace attending
the
ministration of his gospel. Christ never had, nor never
will have, an
earthly, worldly kingdom; such will not be his
personal
reign on earth a thousand years, as some have
fancied,
imagining it will be a state of worldly grandeur,
riches, and
civil power; which has brought the doctrine of
the
millennium into disgrace and contempt; whereas they that
are worthy to
obtain that world and kingdom, which will take
place at the
first resurrection, will neither eat nor drink,
nor
marry, nor be given in marriage; but will be like the
angels of
God: there will be nothing carnal nor worldly in
it; it will
be a spiritual state, suited to bodies raised
spiritual;
and to the spirits of just men made perfect: what
will have the
greatest appearance of a worldly kingdom, will
be
in what we call the spiritual reign of Christ, when
multitudes of
all ranks and degrees shall be converted; and
great
personages, as kings and queens, shall be nursing
fathers and
nursing mothers to the churches; shall join
them, and
submit to the ordinances in them; and when they
shall
bring their riches and wealth into them; and all civil
power and
authority shall be in the hands of true
Christians;
and the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be
given to the
saints of the most High; but then there will be
such a
pouring down of the Spirit, which will be an
over
balance to this worldly grandeur, and shall check it,
that it shall
not hurt, or do prejudice to the spirituality
of God's
people. But of this, more hereafter, in its
proper place.
The kingdom of Christ is spiritual; he is a
spiritual
King, the Lord from heaven, the second Adam, that
is
spiritual, the Lord and Head of his church; his throne is
spiritual, he
reigns in the hearts of his people by faith;
his sceptre
is a spiritual sceptre, a sceptre of
righteousness;
his subjects are spiritual men born of the
Spirit, and
savour the things of the Spirit of God; they are
subdued,
and brought to submit to Christ by spiritual means;
not by carnal
weapons of warfare, but by the sword of the
Spirit, which
is the word of God; the kingdom of God is
within them, set
up in their hearts, where grace reigns; and
it lies not
in outward things; it is "not meat and drink",
and
such like carnal things; "but righteousness, and peace,
and joy in
the Holy Ghost"; they are spiritual promises
Christ makes
to them, to encourage them in their obedience
to him; and
spiritual blessings and layouts are bestowed
upon them by
him; and even their enemies, with whom their
conflict
is, are spiritual wickednesses in high places; and
are not to be
fought with carnal weapons; nor to be subdued and
conquered by
means of them; but by the shield of faith and
sword of the
Spirit; even by the rod of Christ's mouth, and
the breath of
his lips.
3d2. Christ's
kingdom is a righteous one; this has been suggested
already; the
whole administration of it is righteous; he is
a King that
reigns in righteousness, his throne is
established
by it; his sceptre is a right sceptre; justice
and
judgment are executed in his kingdom, and nothing else,
by Christ the
King; no injustice, violence, or oppression;
just and true
are his ways, who is King of saints.
3d3. Christ's
kingdom is a peaceable kingdom: he is the prince of
peace;
his gospel, which is his sceptre, is the gospel of
peace; his
subjects are sons of peace; the kingdom of grace
in them, lies
in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost; and in the
latter day,
there will be abundance of peace in Christ's
kingdom, the
church; and of it, and its increase, there will
3d4. Christ's
kingdom is gradually carried on; so it has been
from the
first; it arose from a small beginning, in the
external
administration of it; it was like a little stone
cut
out of the mountain, without hands, which will, in due
time, fill
the face of the whole earth; it was like a grain
of mustard
seed, the least of all seeds, in the times of
Christ, which
grows up to a large tree; as Christ's kingdom
afterwards
greatly increased, first in Judea, and then in
the
Gentile world; notwithstanding all the opposition made
unto it;
until the whole Roman empire became Christian, and
paganism
abolished in it: and though it has met with some
stops, in
some periods, yet it has revived again; as at the
reformation;
and will hereafter be extended from sea to sea;
and
from the river to the ends of the earth: and the
internal
kingdom of Christ in the hearts of his people is
gradually
carried on: it is like seed sown in the earth,
which springs
up, and whose appearance is but small, and by
degrees grows
up to maturity; as grace in the heart does;
until
it arrives to the fulness of the stature of Christ.
3d5. Christ's
kingdom is durable; of his government there will be
no end; his
throne is for ever and ever; he will reign over
the house of
Jacob evermore; his kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom.
Christ will never have any successor in his
kingdom; for
he lives for evermore and has the keys of hell
and death in
his hands: as his Priesthood is an unchangeable
priesthood,
which passes not from one to another, as the
Aaronic priesthood
did, by reason of the death of priests;
so
his kingdom is an unchangeable kingdom, which passes not
from one to
another; he being an everliving and everlasting
King; his
kingdom will never give way to another; nor be
subverted by
another; as earthly kingdoms are, and the
greatest
monarchies have been: the Babylonian monarchy gave
way
to the Persian and Median, and was succeeded by that;
the Persian
to the Grecian; and the Grecian to the Roman:
but Christ's
kingdom will stand for ever; his church, which
is his
kingdom, is built on a rock; and the gates of hell
shall not
prevail against it. The word and ordinances of the
gospel,
by which the government of Christ is externally
administered,
will always continue: the gospel is an
everlasting
gospel, the word of God, which abides for ever:
and the
ordinances of baptism, and the Lord's Supper, are to
be
administered until the second coming of Christ: and the
internal
kingdom of grace, set up in the hearts of Christ's
subjects, is
a kingdom that cannot be moved; grace can never
be lost; it
is a governing principle, and reigns unto
eternal life
by Christ: and even when Christ shall have
finished his
mediatorial kingdom, and delivered it up to his
Father,
complete and perfect; all the elect of God being
gathered in;
he will not cease to reign, though in another
and different
manner: he will reign after the spiritual
kingdom is
ended a thousand years with his saints, in a
glorious
manner on earth; and when that is ended, he will
reign
with them, and they with him, in heaven, for ever and
ever.