SERM. existence to all things in it:-as Jehovah, the Being, in CIV. Whom we particularly, as well as other things, live and

move, and have our being:-as Jehovah, the Lord para-
mount over the whole world, to Whom all the Angels and
Arch-angels in Heaven, with all the kings and kingdoms
upon earth, are entirely subject:-as Jehovah, in Whom
all perfections are so perfectly united, that they are all but
one infinite perfection: as Jehovah, knowledge itself,
always actually knowing all things that ever were, or are,
or will be, or can be known:-as Jehovah, wisdom itself,
alway contriving, ordering, and disposing of all, and every
thing, in the best order, after the best manner, and to the
best end that is possible:-as Jehovah, power, Omnipotence
itself, continually doing what He will, only by willing it
should be done, and always working either with means, or
without means, as He Himself sees good:- as Jehovah,
light and glory itself, shining forth in, and by, and through
every thing that is made or done in the whole world:-as
Jehovah, holiness, purity, simplicity, greatness, majesty,
eminency, super-eminency itself, infinitely exalted above all
things else, existing in, and of Himself, and having all
things else continually subsisting in Him:-as Jehovah,
goodness itself, doing and making all things good, and so
communicating itself to all His creatures, as to be the only
fountain of all the goodness that is in any of them :-as
Jehovah, justice and righteousness itself, giving to all their
due, and exacting no more of any than what is absolutely
due to Him:-as Jehovah, mercy itself, pardoning and
forgiving all the sins that mankind commit against Him,
so soon as they repent and turn to Him:-
:- as Jehovah,
patience and long-suffering itself, bearing a long time, even
with those who continue in their rebellions against Him,
waiting for their coming to a due sense of their folly and
madness, that He may be gracious and merciful to them:-
as Jehovah, love and kindness, and bounty itself, freely dis-
tributing His blessings among all His creatures, both good
and bad, just and unjust, those that love Him, and those
that love Him not:-as Jehovah, truth and faithfulness
itself, always saying as He means, always doing what He
saith, always performing what He promiseth to His people:

as Jehovah, infinitude, immensity itself, in all things, to all things, beyond all things, every where, wholly, essentially, continually present:-as Jehovah, constancy, immutability, eternity itself, without any variableness, or shadow of change; yesterday, to-day, and for ever the same. In a word, when we think of the Most High God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we should think of Him as Jehovah, Unity in Trinity, Trinity in Unity, Three Persons, One Being, One Essence, One Lord, One Jehovah, blessed for ever. This is that glorious, that Almighty Being, which the Psalmist here means when he saith, "The LORD reigneth."

The word in the original, 7, which we translate ' reigneth,' is commonly used to signify the exercise of supreme authority and power; especially that which is originally and most eminently in God Himself, Who is therefore frequently said to reign. As," the Lord reigneth, Ps. 93. 1. He is clothed with majesty the Lord is clothed with strength." "The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble." Ps. 99. 1. And this is that which He would have all people take special notice of, "Say among the Heathen, the Lord reigneth." Ps. 96. 10. But the word is commonly used also of sovereign princes and emperors upon earth, who derive their titles from it, being called, persons that reign, or, as we translate it, 'kings.' And therefore God Himself is pleased to call Himself" a Great King;"" the King of Glory," or the Glorious Ps. 95. 3. King; and absolutely, "the King." "Mine eyes," saith the Prophet, "have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts." Isa. 6. 5. And our blessed Saviour hath taught us to acknowledge this in our daily prayers to God, saying, "for Thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever." "Thine is the Kingdom," Thou reignest in a more special and peculiar manner than any other persons can be said to do. "Thine is the Kingdom," so as that in comparison with Thee, none else can be said to reign at all.

II. But that we may the better understand the nature of this Kingdom, and so in what sense it is here said that "the Lord reigneth;" we shall by His assistance, consider,

1. The extent of it.

2. The title He hath to reign over it.

Ps. 24. 8.

SERM.
CIV.

Ps. 97. 5.

ch. 4. 17.

3. The laws whereby He governs it.

4. The form of its government, or the way and manner whereby He reigns over it.

1. First, therefore, this Kingdom, over which the Lord reigneth, is of very large extent, for it is spread over the face of the whole earth: as King David himself confesseth, Ps. 47. 7; saying, "God is the King of all the earth." So that all the kingdoms, states, empires, and commonwealths, that are in Europe, Asia, Africa, or America, or in the unknown parts of the earth, they are all but parcels of God's Kingdom, Who disposeth of them, and sets over them whom He pleaseth as Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar, that God Dan. 2. 21. "removeth kings, and setteth up kings." And so did the Holy One that appeared to him, acquainting him, “that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will." Yea, God Himself asserts the same thing to His Own people, by His Prophet, Hos. 13. 11. saying, "I gave thee a king in Mine anger, and took him away in My wrath." From whence it appears, that all the kings and emperors upon earth, although they be sovereign princes in respect of one another, yet they are all subject to the Lord of Hosts, and hold their crowns and sceptres of Him, and that too, only during His pleasure. They are all but His vicegerents, or deputies, receiving their power and commission wholly from Him; and therefore are bound to do Him homage both for the kingdoms over which they reign, and for all the authority they have, or can exerProv. 8. 15, cise in them. "By Me," saith He, "kings reign, and princes decree justice. By Me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth." They are all but His commissioners, and as He gives, so He can take away their commissions when He will: and while they hold it, they hold it so perfectly under Him, that they cannot go beyond it if they would for "the hearts of kings are in the hand of the Lord; as the rivers of water, He turneth them whithersoever He will." Though He puts great power into their hands, yet He holds both them and their hearts too, so that they cannot design, much less execute, any thing beyond their commission: as our Lord Himself told Pilate, saying, John 19.11." Thou couldst have no power at all against Me, except it

16.

ch. 21. 1.

:

were given thee from above." And therefore no people upon earth are in such perfect subjection and vassalage to their princes, as their princes are to Almighty God, Who hath absolute dominion over their souls, as well as their bodies: "for He cuts off," or refrains," the spirit of princes, and is Ps. 76. 12. terrible to the kings of the earth." And hence it is that He is called “the King of kings, and the Lord of lords." cause all the kings upon earth are His subjects, and kingdoms but part of His.

Be- 1 Tim.6. 15; their ca. 19. 16.

Rev. 17. 14;

Yea, and but a very small part too; for His Kingdom is not confined to the earth, but reaches as high as Heaven, and spreads itself over the whole world. Indeed, Heaven is the chief seat of His Kingdom; as He Himself saith, "Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool." So that Isa. 66. 1. this part of His Kingdom exceeds the other, as much as the throne a king sits on exceeds the footstool whereon he stands. And so it doth, not only in respect of all quantity, the earth being but a very little inconsiderable thing in comparison of Heaven, but likewise in respect of the quality of it: for as there are an innumerable company of inhabitants in Heaven, the least of them excels the greatest kings and emperors upon earth in power and glory; they being all endowed with all the perfections that creatures are capable of; perfectly wise and prudent, perfectly good and holy, perfectly pure and happy. There are Angels, Arch-angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, all most mighty, most excellent, most glorious princes indeed and yet they are all subject to this Almighty King, the LORD. They are but His ministers of state, waiting continually upon Him, and performing their homage to Him, by prostrating themselves before Him, and being ready, upon all occasions, to receive and execute His Commands: as we learn from the Holy Spirit of God, saying, by David, " Bless the Lord, Ps. 103. 20. ye His Angels, that excel in strength, that do His Com

mandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word."

λειτουργικά πνεύματα, σε

Hence they are called rougyizà viúμara," ministering Heb. 1. 14. spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of

Salvation ;" and are charged" to keep" such" in all their Ps. 91. 11. ways." It is true, this may seem to us but a mean employment for such glorious creatures as they are; but howso

CIV.

SERM. ever, they do it with all the cheerfulness and alacrity imaginable, looking upon every thing as great that God commands, and accounting themselves happy to be employed by Him in any thing. And, therefore, they live in perfect obedience and subjection to Him, without ever neglecting or transgressing any of His commands, but doing every thing just as He would have it done; by which means they always enjoy His love and favour, and have the light of His countenance shining continually upon them; and so are as happy as it is possible for creatures to be. And though their number be vastly great of themselves, so great that I question whether they themselves can reckon it up; yet it is very much augmented by the spirits of just men, who departing out of this life, in the true faith and fear of God, are made equal to them, and fellow-subjects with them in this Kingdom of Heaven, over which the Lord reigneth.

Jude 6.

ch. 2. 2.

But many of those who were first planted in the Kingdom of Heaven rebelled against their Almighty King; Who therefore banished them from thence, and "hath reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." These, therefore, being thus condemned to the infernal pit, constitute there a kind of kingdom, or rather a conspiracy and combination of wicked spirits, of so great power and malice, that they are called Eph. 6. 12. "principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places ;" and "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that worketh in the [1Pet. 5.8.] children of disobedience." Now these go about daily "seeking whom they may devour," doing all they can to keep mankind in darkness, entice them into sin, or withdraw them from their duty to God. But though they go about for these wicked purposes, they always go in chains, fettered and hampered by the Lord, so that they can do nothing without His order or permission, Who employs them only as His executioners, to execute His judgments upon impenitent and obdurate sinners like themselves. But He still keeps so strict a rein over them, that they cannot stir a jot farther than He suffereth them. They could not Job 1 and 2. ineddle with Job's goods till they had obtained a license from God, nor with his body afterwards, until their license was