First, What the Name of Lord doth import.

Secondly, In what fenfe Chrift is so often faid to be our Lord.

Thirdly, How he exercises this Lordship or Dominion

over us.

For the First, The Name of Lord, in general, imports not only Honour and Dignity, but likewife Power and Authority; for they who were antiently invested with this Title, were wont to be intrufted with fome Rule and Government over others: more particularly, the Name of Lord, as attributed to Jefus Chrift, imports that Power, Dignity and Authority which he is invefted withal, and exercifeth over the Church. Thus we read, that God hath given him to be Head over all things to his Church, Eph. 1. 22. So that if the Church be fometimes (as it frequently is in Scripture) fyl'd a Kingdom, Chrift is the King and Governour of it. Hence he is often faid to be the King of Ifrael, that is, of the Church; of whofe Government there fhall be no end, and of whom it was truly faid, Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever, Heb. 1. 8.

If the Church be fometimes call'd a House or Family, as it likewife is, Chrift is the Mafter to order and difpofe all things in it; and as the whole Family of Heaven and Earth is nam'd of him, fo are all things in it rul'd and govern'd by him; and as a Son is over his Houfe, fo is Chrift the Lord of his Church, whofe House are we, Heb. 3. 6.

Again, Chrift is fometimes call'd our Teacher, to direct and inftruct his Church; and in this fenfe he is the fole Lord and Master of our Faith and Confcience: By virtue hereof we are to receive and believe his Doctrine, and no other befide or contrary to it. You call me Lord and Master (fays he) and you fay true, for fo I am; be not ye the Servants of Men! that is, let none impofe upon your Faith, or obtrude any new Doctrines upon you. Have not many Mafters, for one is your Mafter, even Chrift; to him you must hearken, without enthralling your Minds and Consciences to any other.

Furthermore, Chrift is fometimes call'd our Captain and Leader; and as a Soldier is to obferve the Orders and Commands of his General, fo are we to follow the Conduct and Directions of this Captain of our Salvation. He is the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls, the great Apostle

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and High-Prieft of our Profeffion and having in all things the Preheminence, we are to fubmit ourselves to his Rule and Government. So that in all the Inftances of Power and Authority, Chrift is truly and properly ftyl'd Our Lord.

But by what Title is he invefted in this Power? or by what Right does he thus become our Lord? Why,

1. As to his Divine Nature, he is our Lord by Right of Creation for all things were created by him, and for him; and he likewife upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power and therefore by a Divine Uncontroulable Right is he Lord of All; for he that made them, hath certainly the best Right to govern them: Hath not the Potter power over the Clay which he hath made and form'd? faith the Apoftle. How much better Right muft God have over the Works of his own hands?

2. Chrift, as to his Human Nature, is our Lord by a Right of Grant and Donation from the Father; for all Power is given to him both in Heaven and Earth, and all things are fubjected under his feet. God, for the Greatness of his Perfon, and the Merit of his Performances, hath confer'd on him the most fupereminent degree of Dignity and Authority; making him not only Heir, but Lord of all things: Let all the House of Ifrael know affuredly (fays St. Peter) that God hath made him both Lord and Chrift, Acts 2. 36. Hence we find our Saviour declaring, All things are delivered unto me by my Father; and elfewhere, The Father hath loved the Son, and hath given all things into his band.

3. Chrift, as God and Man, is our Lord by Right of Purchase and Redemption; for he laid down a Price for us, and ransom'd us from eternal Mifery, and hath thereby acquir'd a juft Right and Title to us. We are not our own (fays the Apoftle) we are bought with a Price: and that no mean Price neither, not with fuch corruptible things as Silver and Gold, but with his own precious Blood, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. Hence he is faid to have purchased his Church with his own Blood, Acts 20. 28. Under the Law, he that bought another out of Bondage, acquir'd a Right to him, who thereby became his Servant for ever; how much more juftly may our Saviour, who at the dearest rate redeem'd us from the vileft Bondage, claim our Service, and become our Lord ?

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4. Chrift is our Lord by a farther Right of Conqueft; for he hath (as the Apoftle tells us) fubdued all things to himfelf and therefore is justly become the Lord of all. He hath vanquifh'd all our Enemies, and deliver'd us out of their hands; he hath refcu'd us from the Tyranny of Sin and Satan, and deftroy'd the Power of those imperious Lords that ruled over us: having Spoil'd Principalities and Powers, be made a fhew of them, and openly triumph'd over them. And therefore we rightfully fall under his Subjection, as the Trophies of his Victory, and Acceffions to his Conqueft; infomuch that tho other Lords have ruled over us, yet now to us there is but one Lord.

Laftly, To all this we may add another Right, confirm'd by our own Consent and Agreement; for we have all given up our Names to Chrift in our Baptifm, and folemnly engag'd to be his faithful Soldiers and Servants to our lives end. We then renounc'd all other Mafters, and folemnly took him to be our Lord and King: We have vow'd perpetual Allegiance and Fealty to him, freely fubmitting to his Government, and promifing entire Subjection and Obedience to him; fo that he is become our Lord by our own voluntary Compact and Covenant. By which we fee, what a just Right and Title of Dominion our Saviour has over us, and how truly we are here taught to believe, and fay, That Jefus Chrift is our Lord.

But how does he exercife this Lordship and Dominion over his Church? This is the

Third Thing propounded: In answer to which, I fay, 1. He does not exercife his Power as a Temporal Lord or Prince, with worldly Pomp and Grandeur; for his Kingdom is not of this World: neither did he come to make any fhow of earthly Power or Greatnefs in it. The Jews indeed vainly expected his restoring again the Kingdom to Ifrael: they look'd when he would fubdue the Power of the Romans, and give them Victory over their Enemies, refcuing their Bodies from Captivity, and their Purses from Tribute: these are the grofs Notions and Expectations they had from the Power of the Meffias. Whereas we are told,

2. That Chrift's Power is wholly fpiritual: A Scepter of Righteousness is a Scepter of thy Kingdom. He reigns not fo much over the Bodies, as the Souls of Men; nor is his Power fo much without, as within us. He rules in our

Hearts

Hearts by Faith, and by his Holy Spirit fits and prepares us for Glory. He came not to fubdue our Temporal, but Spiritual Enemies, to deliver us from the Power of Sin; by the Power of his Grace to turn us from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God. He came to redeem us from the Curfe of the Law, to pluck out the Sting of Death, and to refcue us from the Wrath to come; and to that end, made no fhow of any worldly Greatness, but triumph'd over Principalities and Powers, over the Rulers of the Darkness of this World, and over spiritual Wickedneffes in high places. Thefe are the Acts of his Sovereignty, and are indeed the noblest Instances that can be given of the Divine Power and Goodness. Moreover,

3. As our Lord, he governs us with the greatest Clemency and Condefcenfion. 'Twas foretold of him, that he should not cry, nor cause his Voice to be heard in the streets; that he would not break the bruised Reed, nor quench the smoking Flax meaning, that he would allow for our Infirmities, and help them too. Accordingly, he reigns over us not with the Infolence and Cruelty of a Tyrant, but with the Bowels of a gracious, tender, and loving Father. He rules his People not with a Rod of Iron, but with a Scepter of Righteousness: which made himself declare, that his Toke is easy, and his Burden light. Indeed,

For thofe that will not that he should reign over them, he brings them forth, and will flay them before him; he will bruise them with a Rod of Iron, and dafh them in pieces like a Potter's Veffel. But for thofe that yield themselves to his Dominion, and become the faithful and loyal Subjects of his Kingdom, he governs them with all imaginable Meeknefs and Clemency; guiding them with his Grace and Counsel here, and after bringing them to Glory.

Thus I have briefly explain'd both the Nature and Manner of Christ's Kingdom, and in what fenfe he is so often in Scripture faid to be our Lord.

As he is a Man, he has this Power and Dominion confer'd upon him by the Father, as a Reward of his Sufferings; upon which account he was, after his Refurrection, faid to be made both Lord and Chrift.

As he is God, he has a natural independent Dominion, as the Maker, Preferver, and Proprietor of all things.

The former being a deriv'd dependent Right, imparted to him by way of Reward and Covenant, muft ceafe at the VOL. I. P

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Confummation of all things, when the end of it is accomplifh'd. For being to reign till he had put all his Enemies under his feet; when that is done by their Subjection to him, then is this Power to determine, with the reason of it: which is thus exprefs'd by the Apostle; When he shall have put down all Rule, and all Authority and Power, then fhall he deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father: And when all things shall be fubdu'd unto him, then shall the Son alfo himself be fubject unto him, that God may be all in all; 1 Cor. 15. 24, 2 28.

The latter being an inherent Right of the Divine Nature, must be coeval with it, and continue for ever.

But let us fee what Ufe we are to make hereof. And,

1. If Chrift be our Lord, then we must be his Servants, and confequently pay him the Duty and Obedience that belongs to that Relation; If I be a Master, where is my Fear? faith the Lord of Hofts, Mal. 1. 6. Hence we find our Saviour thus upbraiding fuch nominal Chriftians; Why call you me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I command you? Luke 6. 46. As if it were an abfurd Compliment or Contradiction to give him that Title, and deny him the Homage and Service that appertains to it. Such do but flatter him with their Tongue, and draw nigh to him with their Lips, when their Hearts are far from him; which will be rather found an Affront, than obtain Acceptance: for not every one that faith, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the Will of my Father which is in Heaven; Mat. 7. 21. Again,

2. If Chrift be our Lord, then we are not the Lords and Masters of ourselves. This the Apoftle exprefly tells us ; We are not our own, but are bought with à Price: and therefore we are not to live to ourselves, but to him who has fo dearly bought us. We are not to feek our own Glory, but the Honour of our Maker, and to glorify him both in our Souls and Bodies, which are his. "Twas an arrogant Speech of his, who faid, Our Tongues are our own, who is Lord over us? As if we might ufe them to Swearing, Curfing, and Blafpheming at pleafure: whereas our Tongues and all other Members are his, and therefore are not to be us'd to bad purposes, but to be made Inftruments. of Holiness unto God.

3. If Chrift be our Lord, then we must have no other Lords in oppofition to or competition with him: for our Saviour has told us, that we cannot Serve two Lords, whofe

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