authority which become the Anointed of God, and from which his dominion over all may appear. Or,— "hath made," even truly and properly; not with regard to the commencement of his lordship, for he was "born Lord," and in his deepest abasement he continued "the Lord of glory;" but with regard to the highest degree and the glorious perfection of his lordship. man. XXII. The kingdom of Christ is two-fold. 1. He has a Divine, or essential kingdom, which he possesses in common with the Father and the Holy Spirit. 2. He has a Mediatorial, or personal kingdom, as GodThis distinction, however, must not be understood to imply, that Christ's dominion as Mediator over the Church, so far as it involves a plenitude of power, and a name above every name, to which every knee must bow, differs in substance from the essential kingdom, or denotes a majesty of dominion inferior to the dominion of the Most High God: For this kingdom is of such a nature, that it imports a substantial demonstration of the true divinity of Christ, and of his being of the same essence, and of equal dignity, with the Father. It is of such a nature, in a word, that it can belong to no mere creature: "For Jehovah " is our Judge; Jehovah is our Lawgiver; Jehovah is "our King."c XXIII. Christ's coming to his Mediatorial kingdom is also to be viewed in different lights, according to the disparity of the two distinct natures in his person. If you attend to the Divine nature, it is the vindication and demonstration of that authority over all, which, in his own right, the Son of God, who has become man, possesseth, possessed from eternity, and will possess to eternity. He emptied himself, in some reespects, of the glory of his kingdom, during the period of his humiliation; not by divesting himself of that dominion which is inseparable from godhead, but by veiling it under the form of a servant. So, when he laid aside the appearance of a servant, he is said to have received the kingdom;-not by attaining a new authority that he did not formerly possess, but by manifesting, and signally demonstrating that ancient sovereignty, which he had always enjoyed; that, although clothed with a human nature, he may be universally recognised as Lord. But if you look to the human nature, his coming to his kingdom, signifies the glorious exercise of that very great, yet limited, and subordinate authority, which is given to Christ as man, exalted far above all creatures; to which, owing to the personal union with the Word, the highest orders of Angels, neither have, nor can have, any thing equal,—" that in all things, he might have the pre-eminence."d XXIV. Further, the Mediatorial kingdom, is either Universal, by which he rules over all creatures with Sovereign authority, yet with a certain respect to the Church, as he makes use of all creatures for her benefit: Or it is Particular, being a sovereign and glorious power to build and preserve the Church, collected from all nations. f "He gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church."g 66 xxv. Christ will illustriously assert and display this d Col. i. 18. Mat. xxviii. 18. Eph. i. 20-22. Philip. ii. 9-11. 1 Cor. xv. 27. Heb. ii. 8. Ps. ii. 8. cx. 1—3. Ephes. i. 22. authority, when he shall restore the people of Israel, overturn the throne of Antichrist, and destroy the destroyers of the earth; and when, in consequence, great voices shall be heard in heaven, at the sound of the seventh trumpet, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are be"come the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and " he shall reign for ever and ever;" and the four-andtwenty elders shall say, "We give thee thanks, O Lord "God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; "because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and "hast reigned."h XXVI. Christ is to sit at the right hand of the Father; that is, to possess his Mediatorial kingdom, "till he hath put all enemies under his feet." "Then "cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the 66 kingdom to God, even the Father." For, "when "all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the "Son also himself be subject unto him that put all 66 things under him, that God may be all in all." In what sense these expressions are to be understood, we have been at some pains to show, in the tenth Exercitation, Sect. 39. &c. XXVII. We must know, besides, that this royal dignity of Christ extends itself also to the rest of his of fices. He now executes his prophetical office with regal majesty, by the powerful co-operation of his Holy Spirit with the preaching of his Ministers, and, where circumstances might render it expedient, by accompanying miracles. They went forth and preached 66 every where; the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." He exer 66 h Rev. xi. 15-17. j Mark xvi. 20. 66 i 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25, 27. 66 cises also a regal priesthood, whilst he pleads our cause in heaven, not ignobly, but gloriously, as becometh a King; being a priest for ever, after the order "of Melchizedec," and a "PRIEST UPON HIS 66 THRONE."1 XXVIII. This highest step of Christ's exaltation, is sometimes ascribed to the Father, sometimes to Christ himself, as its cause. In some passages the Father is said to have "set Christ at his own right hand."m To this effect are the following expressions: "Being by the right hand of God exalted:"n" Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Sa"viour:"0 "Thou crownedst him with glory and "honour, and didst set him over the works of thy "hands." In other places of Scripture, Christ is said to have "sat down at the right hand of God ;" and to have taken that glory to himself by his own authority. We read in Zechariah,-" and he shall take "the glory."44 XXIX. Neither of these forms of expression is without its emphasis. The Father, according to the covenant into which he entered with Christ, gave him glory, conformably to the dictates of justice; which requires, that the glorious exaltation of the Son of God, should be exactly proportioned to his voluntary abasement. Since the latter was carried to the lowest degree, it is proper that the former should rise to the greatest height. That Christ hath acquired this right, we learn from the following words: "Ask of me," that is, according to the tenor of the covenant, " and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance:" "There"fore will I divide him a portion with the great ;"because he hath poured out his soul unto death:" "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness;" (this refers to the obedience of Christ;)" therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of joy, above thy fellows." The anointing here meant, is not the unction of grace on earth, but of glory in heaven. The metaphor is taken from joyful and festive entertainments." 66 66 xxx. The conferring of this glory is attributed elsewhere to grace, as in these words; "In mercy shall "the throne be established ;"w 45 and again," He hath "graciously given him a name which is above every "name." Two things are thus taught us; first, that the exaltation, no less than the humiliation of Christ, flows from grace towards his people; and, secondly, that from the impulse of strong affection, God gratified the Son by conferring this glory upon him. The Greek expression, according to Hesychius, signifies, to do what is agreeable.* The term grace, however, must by no means be wrested for the purpose of disparaging that right, which on the very best grounds appertains to Christ; for the Apostle has, in this very place, clearly asserted that right. It is twofold. He has a Χαρίζεσθαι, est δρᾶν τα κεχαρισμένα, grata facere. $ Ps. ii. 8. u Ps. xlv. 7. Comp. Ps. xxiii. 5. Is. lxi. 3. Luke vii. 46. V w Is. xvi. 5. * Εχαρισατο, Philip. ii. 9. 45 See NOTE XLV.. |