creates it. And deliverance shall | against the Grecians and, 2 come in his time. Isa. Ix. 22., Chron. xx. 23., the children of "I the Lord will hasten it in his Ammon helped to destroy one time." QUEST. When is the time that this king will deliver his people? Ans. When the hearts of his people are humblest, when their prayers are ferventest, when their faith is strongest, when their forces are weakest, when their enemies are highest, now is the usual time that Christ puts forth his kingly power in their deliverance, Isa. xxxiii. 2, 8, 9. another. Thus Christ is king in vanquishing the enemies of his church. This is a great ground of comfort to the church of God in the midst of all the combinations of the enemy, "Christ is king ;" and he can not only bound the enemies' power, but break it. The church hath more with her than against her, she hath Emmanuel on her side, even that great King to whom all knees must bend. Christ is called 3d. Christ is a king to reward his people. There's nothing lost a man of war," Exod. xv. 3., by serving this king: 1. He re- he understands all the policy of wards his subjects in this life: chivalry; he is described with (1.) He gives them inward peace seven eyes and seven horns, Rev. and joy; a bunch of grapes by v. 6. The seven eyes are to disthe way; and oftentimes riches cern the conspiracies of his eneand honour. "Godliness hath mies, and the seven horns are to the promise of this life," 1 Tim. push and vex his enemies. Christ iv. 8. These are, as it were, the is described with a crown and a saints' vails. But besides, the bow, Rev. vi. 2., " He that sat great reward is to come, "An on the white horse had a bow, eternal weight of glory," 2 Cor. and a crown was given unto him, iv. 17. Christ makes all his sub- and he went forth conquering and jects kings, Rev. ii. 10., "I will to conquer." The crown is an give thee a crown of life." This ensign of his kingly office, and crown will be full of jewels, and the bow is to shoot his enemies it will never fade,' 1 Pet. v. 4. to death. Christ is described -(2.) Christ is a king in refer- with a vesture dipt in blood, ence to his enemies, in subduing Rev. xix. 13. He hath a golden and conquering them; he pulls sceptre to rule his people, but an down their pride, befools their iron rod to break his enemies: policy, restrains their malice. Rev. xvii. 12, 14., "The ten That stone cut out of the moun- horns thou sawest are ten kings; tain without hands, which smote these shall make war with the the image, Dan. ii. 34., was an Lamb, but the Lamb shall overemblem, saith Austin, of Christ's come them;" for he is the King monarchical power, conquering of kings. The enemies may set and triumphing over his enemies. up their standard, but Christ Christ will make his enemies his will set up his trophies at last, footstool, Ps. cx. 1. He can de- Rev. xiv. 18, 20., "And the anstroy them with ease, 2 Chron. gel gathered the vine of the earth, xiv. 11.," It is nothing with and cast it into the great winethee, to help." He can do it press of the wrath of God, and with weak means, without means. the wine-press was trodden, and He can make the enemies destroy blood came out of the winethemselves; he set the Persians press." The enemies of Christ subdue thy corruptions, to bind these kings with chains, Ps. cxlix. 8. We are apt to say of our sins, "These sons of Zeruiah will be too strong for us :" we shall never overcome this pride and infidelity: ay, but go to Christ, he is king; though our lusts are too strong for us, yet not for Christ to conquer, he can by his Spirit break the power of sin. Joshua, when he had conquered five kings, caused his servants to set their feet on the necks of those kings; so Christ can and will set his feet on the necks of our lusts. shall be but as so many clusters | to go, when we are foiled by corof ripe grapes, to be cast into the ruption; go to Christ, he is king; great wine-press of the wrath of desire him by his kingly power to God, and to be trodden by Christ till their blood come out. Christ will at last come off victor, and all his enemies shall be put under his feet; gaudeo quod Christus Dominus est, alioqui desperassem, -“ I am glad Christ reigns, else I should have despaired," said Miconius in an epistle to Calvin. Use 1st. Branch 1. See hence, it is no disparagement to serve Christ; he is a king, and it is no dishonour to be employed in a king's service. Some are apt to reproach the saints for their piety; they serve the Lord Christ, he who hath this inscription upon his vesture, KING OF KINGS. Theodosius thought it a greater honour to be a servant of Christ, than the head of an empire, Servere est regnare. Christ's servants are called vessels of honour,' 2 Tim. ii. 21. ; and a royal nation,' 1 Pet. ii. 9. Serving of Christ ennobles us with dignity: it is a greater honour to serve Christ, than to have kings serve us. Use 2d. Of caution. Is Christ King of kings? Let all great ones take heed how they employ their power against Christ. Christ gives them their power, and if this power shall be made use of for the suppressing of his kingdom and ordinances, their account will be heavy. God hath laid the key of government upon Christ's shoulders, Isa. ix. 6., and to go to oppose Christ in his kingly office, it is as if the thorns should Branch 2. If Christ be king, set themselves in battalia against it informs us, that all matters of the fire, or a child fight with an fact must one day be brought be- archangel. Christ's sword on his fore him. Christ hath jus vitæ thigh is able to avenge all his et necis, the power of life and quarrels: it is not good to stir a death in his hand, John v. 22., lion; let no man provoke the "The Father hath committed all" Lion of the tribe of Judah, judgment to the Son." He who once hung upon the cross, shall sit upon the bench of judicature; kings must come before him to be judged; they who once sat upon the throne, must appear at the bar. God hath committed all judgment to the Son, and Christ's is the highest court of judicature; if this king once condemns men, there is no appeal to any other court. Branch 3. See whither we are whose eyes are as a lamp of fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him," Neh. i. 6. " He shall cut off the spirit of princes," Ps. lxxvi. 12. Use 3d. Branch 1. If Christ be a great king, submit to him. Say not, as those Jews, "We have no king but Cæsar,"-no king but our lusts. This is to choose the bramble to rule over you, and "out of the bramble will come forth a fire,” Judg, ix. Submit to Christ willingly. All not need subjects, he hath legions the devils in hell submit to Christ; of angels ministering to him; but it is against their will, they but in his love, he hath honoured are his slaves, not his subjects. you to make you his subjects. O Submit cheerfully to Christ's how long was it ere Christ could person and his laws. Many prevail with you to come under would have Christ their Saviour, his banner! How much opposibut not their Prince; such as will tion did he meet with, ere you not have Christ to be their king would wear this Prince's colours! to rule them, shall never have But at last omnipotent grace his blood to save them. Obey overcame you. When Peter was all Christ's princely commands; sleeping between two soldiers, an if he commands love, humility, angel came and beat off his chains, good works, be as the needle Acts xii. 7., so, when thou wert which points which way soever sleeping in the devil's arms, that the loadstone draws. Christ should, by his Spirit, Branch 2. Let such admire smite thy heart, and cause the God's free grace, who were once chains of sin to fall off, and make under the power and tyranny of thee a subject of his kingdom. Satan, and now Christ hath made O admire free grace! Thou who them of slaves to become the sub-art a subject of Christ, art sure jects of his kingdom. Christ did to reign with Christ for ever. OF CHRIST'S HUMILIATION IN HIS INCARNATION. 1 TIM. iii. 16. Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh. QUEST. XXVII. Wherein did In the creation, man was made Christ's humiliation consist? in God's image; in the incarnation, God was made in man's image. Ans. In his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross. QUEST. How came it about that Christ was made flesh? Ans. It was by his Father's special designation, Gal. iv. 4., Christ's humiliation consisted "God sent forth his Son, made in his incarnation, his taking of a woman." God the Father flesh and being born. It was real did in a special manner appoint flesh Christ took; not the image Christ to be incarnate, which of a body (as the Manichees er- shews how needful a call is to roneously held) but a true body; any business of weight and imtherefore Christ is said to be portance: to act without a call, "made of a woman, Gal. iv. 4. is to act without a blessing. As the bread is made of the Christ himself would not be inwheat, and the wine is made of carnate, and take upon him the the grape, so Christ is made of work of Mediator, till he had a a woman, his body was part of call "God sent forth his Son, the flesh and substance of the made of a woman.' virgin. This is a glorious mystery, "God manifest in the flesh." way for QUEST. But was there no other the restoring of fallen man but this, that God should take flesh? Ans. We must not ask a reason of God's will; it is dangerous to pry into God's ark; we are not to dispute but adore. The wise God saw this the best way for our redemption, that Christ should be incarnate; it was not fit for any to satisfy God's justice but man; none could do it but God; therefore, Christ being both God and man, he is the fittest to undertake this work of redemption. QUEST. Why was Christ born of a woman? the type; he was without father and without mother; without mother as he was God, without father as he was man. QUEST. How could Christ be made of the flesh and blood of a virgin, and yet be without sin! The purest virgin that is, her soul is stained with original sin. Ans. This knot the scripture unties, Luke i. 35., "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and overshadow thee: therefore that holy thing, which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God." "The Holy Ghost Ans. 1. That God might fulfil shall come upon thee," that is, that promise, Gen iii. 15., "The the Holy Ghost did consecrate seed of the woman shall break and purify that part of the virthe serpent's head.-2. Christ was born of a woman, that he might roll away that reproach from the woman which she had contracted by being seduced by the serpent. Christ, in taking his flesh from the woman, hath honoured her sex; that as at the first the woman hath made man a sinner; so now, to make him amends, she should bring him a Saviour. QUEST. Why was Christ born of a virgin? Ans. 1. For decency. It became not God to have any mother but a maid, and it became not a maid to have any other son but a God. A. 2. For necessity. Christ was to be an high priest, most pure and holy. Had he been born after the ordinary course of nature, he had been defiled; all that spring out of Adam's loins have a tincture of sin, but, that Christ's substance might remain pure and immaculate,' he was born of a virgin. gin's flesh whereof Christ was made. As the alchymist extracts and draws away the dross from the gold, so the Holy Ghost did refine and clarify that part of the virgin's flesh, separating it from sin. Though the virgin Mary herself had sin, yet, that part of her flesh, whereof Christ was made, was without sin; otherwise it must have been an impure conception. QUEST. What is meant by the power of the Holy Ghost overshadowing the virgin? Ans. Basil saith, "It was the Holy Ghost's blessing that flesh of the virgin whereof Christ was formed." But there is a further mystery in it; the Holy Ghost having framed Christ in the vir gin's womb, did, in a wonderful manner, unite Christ's human nature to his divine, and so of both made one person. This is a mystery, which the angels pry into with adoration. QUEST. When was Christ incarnate? 4. 3. To answer the type. Melchisedec was a type of Christ; Ans. In the fullness of time, Gal. iv. 4., " When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman." By he is said to be "without father and without mother." Christ being born of a virgin, answered the fullness of time, we must un- ther, maximus peccator, derstand tempus a patre præfinitum; so Ambrose, Luther, Corn. a Lap., the determinate time that God hath set. More particularly, this fulness of time was when all the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah were accomplished; and all legal shadows and figures, whereby he was typified, were abrogated: "in the fullness of time God sent his Son." And, by the way, observe, this may comfort us in regard of the church of God, though at present we do not see that peace and purity in the church as we could desire; yet in the fullness of time, when God's time is come and mercy is ripe, then shall deliverance spring up, and God will come riding upon the chariots of salvation. When the fullness of time was come, then God sent forth his Son, made of a woman. QUEST. Why was Jesus Christ made flesh? the greatest sinner, having the weight of the sins of the whole world lying upon him. He took our flesh that he might take our sins, and so appease God's wrath. A. 3. Christ took our flesh, that he might make the human nature appear lovely to God, and the divine nature appear lovely to man. 1. That he might make the human nature lovely to God. Upon our fall from God, our nature became odious to him; no vermin is so odious to us as the human nature was to God. When once our virgin nature was become sinful, it was like flesh imposthumated, or running into sores, loathsome to behold: such was our nature when corrupt, odious to God, he could not endure to look upon us. Now, Christ taking our flesh, makes this human nature appear lovely to God. As when the sun shines on the glass, it casts a bright Ans. 1. The causa prima, and lustre ; so Christ being clad with impulsive cause was free grace; it our flesh, makes the human nawas love in God the Father to ture shine, and appear amiable send Christ, and love in Christ in God's eyes.-2. As Christ that he came to be incarnate. being clothed with our flesh, Love was the intrinsical motive. makes the human nature appear Christ is God-man, because he is lovely to God, so he makes the a lover of man. Christ came out divine nature appear lovely to of pity and indulgence to us: non man. The pure Godhead is termerita nostra, sed miseria nostra, rible to behold, we could not see AUG. Not our deserts, but our it and live; but Christ clothing misery, made Christ take flesh. himself with our flesh, makes Christ's taking flesh, was a plot the divine nature more amiable of free grace, and a pure design and delightful to us. Now we of love. God himself, though need not be afraid to look upon Almighty, was overcome with God, seeing him through Christ's love. Christ incarnate is nothing human nature. It was a custom but love covered with flesh. of old among the shepherds, they Christ's assuming our human na- were wont to clothe themselves ture, as it was a master-piece of with sheep-skins, to be more wisdom, so a monument of free pleasing to the sheep; so Christ clothed himself with our flesh, that the divine nature may be more pleasing to us. The human nature is a glass, through which grace. 4. 2. Christ took our flesh upon him, that he might take our sins upon him. He was, saith Lu |