doth the Lord make a sweet promise of this for the Comfort of His people Hos. 13 v. 10. I will be thy King Whereby we see that there is such a relation betwixt God and His People that will yeeld Comfort in an evil day 2. He is not a King that is far off but is neer at hand in the midst of His Kingdome and People And this is also comfortable Kingdomes may have a King and yet be little the better of Him he may be far away and unable to help them in the day of their greatest necessity But it is not so with Zions King He is alwayes at hand in the middest of His People He is established King in Zion Psal. 2 v. 6. Yet I have set my King saith the Father of His Son the Mediator upon my holy hill Zion His whole Kingdome is as it were his Throne and there He sitteth as King on his Throne and He is placed and fixed there by a sure and unchangable Decree That question of Ieremiah Chap. 8 v. 19. putteth the matter out of question Is not the Lord in Zion Is not her King in her So Ps. 99 2. The Lord is great in Zion Zions King then is a great King in the midst of her 3. Zions King is a King actually reigning upon His Throne and exercising His Kingly Office not like a King imprisoned or put out of a capacity of helping or releiving his distressed Subjects for He reigneth Psal. 93 v. 1. and 97 1. and 99 v. 1. It is the bringing of good tidings the publishing of Peace the bringing of good tidings of good the publishing of Salvation to say unto Zion Thy God reigneth Esai 52 v. 7. Zions King is not a King outted and dethroned but actually reigning and sweying His Scepter exerceing His Kingly Office and Government 4. Zions King is an everlasting King He shall reigne for ever and ever He cannot be dethroned He must reigne until all His Enemies be made His footstool 1 Cor. 15 v. 25. for He is settled on His throne by an everlasting and unchangable decree Ps. 2 v. 6 7. And therefore He is called the King eternal 1 Tim. 1 17. That is a sweet and comfortable Word of Promise Ps. 146 v. 10. The Lord shall reigne for ever even thy God O Zion unto all generations Micah 4 7. And the Lord shall reigne over them in mount Zion from hence forth even for ever Psal. 10 v. 6. The Lord is King for ever and ever And Psal. 45 6. Thy Throne ô God is for ever ever Ier. 10 10. The Lord is an everlasting King and so His Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdom for it is said Luk. 1 33. He shall reigne over the House of Iacob for ever and of His Kingdome there shall be no end So Revel 11 15. And the Seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ and He shall reigne for ever and ever 5. Not onely doth this King reigne in the midst of Zion His Kingdome and Throne but He ruleth in the midst of His Enemies Psal. 110 2. This is advantagious and comfortable For He can reach them a blow when He will And all their Consultations and Cabinet Counsels are well known to Him He ruleth in the midst of them and over-ruleth all their Plots and Actions as He seeth good is working out His own holy ends and designes by what they are doing Hence it followeth ver 5 6. That He shall strike thorow Kings in the day of His wrath He shall judge among the Heathen He shall fill the places with the dead bodies He shall wound the heads over many Countries Other Kings must make use of Spies and Intelligencers to know the purposes and motions of their Enemies and after all their paines remaine ignorant or if they come to some knowledge thereof be unable to prevent the mischiefe designed But this King ruleth as Commander in chiefe among the very Enemies though they know it not 6. This King of Zion is a mighty and great King He is excellent in Power Majesty and therefore is stiled King of Kings Revel 17 14. He is the blessed and only Potentat the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6 15. He hath on His thigh and on his Vesture a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Revel 19 16. And therefore by Him Princes rule and all the Iudges of the earth vers 16. He is a King therefore endued with Supream Power and Authority higher than the Kings of the earth whose petty Soveraignity is as nothing compared with His. 7. As He is a Mighty and Powerful King so is He a Righteous and just King He shall reigne in righteousness Esai 32 1. The scepter of His Kingdome is a right scepter Psal. 45 6. He loveth righteousness and hateth wickedness vers 7. just and true are all His wayes who is King of Saints Revel 15 3. Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne Psal. 97 2. Yea the King's strength loveth judgment He establisheth equity He executeth judgment and equity in Iacob Psal. 99 4. His strength and Power needeth not be terrible unto his Subjects for His throne is a throne of judgement and His scepter is a scepter of Righteousness All His Regalia have this engraven on them to the great comfort of His Subjects 8. He is a King that is clothed with Majestie and Terrour and so is able to affright and strike terrour in the heart of the greatest proudest Adversaries The Lord reigneth and He is clothed with Majesty Psal 93 1. This mighty one girdeth His sword on His thigh marcheth with Glory and Majesty and in Majesty he rideth prosperously Psal 45 3 4 5. The Lord is great in Zion and He is high above all people and His name is great and terrible Psal. 99 2 3. Clouds and darkness are round about Him a fire goeth before Him His lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw and trembled the hils melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth Psal. 97 vers 2 3 4 5. What Enemie then is able to withstand or resist this Potentat 9. He is a King thorowly fournished with all Enduements and necessarie Qualifications for the Exercise of this His Government Grace is poured into his lips and He is anoynted with the oile of gladness above His fellowes Psal. 45 2 7. In Him are hid all the treasurers of wisdom and knowledge yea in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2 3 9. He is then a Compleet King fully able to administrate this Kingly Office and to performe all Acts belonging thereunto in truth and faithfulness and in due season 10. As he is a King terrible unto the Kings of the earth Psal. 76 12. and is clothed with Majestie and Power so is He a King
that is meek and lowlie Even when he rideth in Majestie it is upon truth and meekness as the words may be rendered Psal. 45 4. When He rideth in state it is upon Meekness He is a King that cometh having Salvation lowlie and rideing upon an Asse and upon a colt tho fole of an asse Zech. 9 9. Mat. 21 vers 5. Though He be the terriblest King that ever was unto Enemies and Rebels yet He is all meekness unto his own 11. This King who sitteth and ruleth upon His throne is a Priest upon His throne Zech. 6 12 13. Behold the man whose name is the Branch and He shall grow up out of His place and He shall build the Temple of the Lord even He shall build the Temple of the Lord and He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne and He shall be a Priest upon his Thron and the Counsel of peace shall be betwixt them both Such a King is He that will not destroy His followers notwithstanding of their sins and rebellions but will rather make an attonement for them lay down His life for them and become an Intercessour on their behalfe 12. He is an ancient King His throne is established of old and He is from everlasting Psal. 93 2. The goings forth of this Ruler of Israel have been of old from everlasting Micah 5 2. And thus His throne is from everlasting to everlasting 13. This King of Zion hath Dominion over all the earth over hell over death Angels and Authorities and Powers are made subject unto him 1 Pet. 3 vers 22. He hath them all under his command and Authority that He may dispose and make use of them as He seeth fit By Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth Visible and Invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by Him and for Him Col. 1 16. God hath put all things under His feet and hath given Him to be Head over all things to the Church Ephes. 1 22. He is King of all the earth and He reigneth over the Heathen Psal. 47 7 8. All Power in Heathen and in Earth is given unto Him Mat. 28 18. 14. He is a King that rideth prosperously Psal. 45 4. The work He undertaketh doth not misgive in His hand nothing miscarrieth or can miscarry which He undertaketh He is the happiest sweyer of a scepter that ever was His purposes fail not He is not disappointed of his Projects or Designes all of them succeed well in His hand The pleasure of the Lord shall Prosper in His hand Esai 53 10. Secondly From these Comfortable Propositions let us draw some comfortable Conclusions 1. The Church and People of God are not an headless helpless Company as many take them to be They have an Head and a living head though Strangers and On-lookers do not observe it nor beleeve it The world and the men of the world look upon them as a contemptible Company yet they have a King reigneing over them and a King that shall reigne for ever and ever They themselves are oft times perplexed and distressed in minde when they see not one great Person owning them and their Interest and offering himself to be an head unto them but if they knew what anone they had for their Head Husband and King they would not be much troubled though not one great Person in all the earth should owne them and theirCause So that when all earthly Powers forsake them and withdraw their helping hand this may comfort them That there is a standing relation betwixt Christ and them as is betwixt a King and his Subjects and this relation neither is nor can be broken off 2. Let devils men do what they can they shall not be able to destroy and root out the People of God They may intend to destroy to cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more made mention of and may make a strong combination for this end as Psal. 84 vers 4. But this their Interprise is vaine they will never be able to effectuate what they designe Seing He is a King that reigneth on his Throne He must have a Kingdom and a People whom He must governe and over whom He must swey His scepter So that whoever would resolve to destroy His Kingdom must first think of making Him no King take away His Kingdom and take away His Scepter too Himself must be dethroned ere He have no Kingdome Enemies then may attempt great things and promise to themselves great success but in end they will prove themselves to be fooles for He must reigne for ever and ever and His Kingdom must be to all Generations He shall reigne for ever and of His Kingdom there shall be no end Luk. 1 vers 33. His people then may be at peace though they know what great things their Enemies designe against them and that their cruelty and rage is such as nothing but their utter overthrow and destruction will satisfie seing it is all one as if they should presume to pull God from His throne Let the Devil and his trustee Livetenant Antichrist conspire and use what Machinations and bloody Devices they will to destroy the whole Interest of Christ He must not want Subjects He shall not want a Kingdom so long as Sun and Moon endure Howbeit the people of God may be several times brought very low yea and almost out of sight as a Woman fled to the wilderness yet this exalted King who is set upon His throne by an everlasting Decree must have a Kingdom shall have a Kingdom over which to swey His Scepter 3. Yea Christ's Kingdom must be a coming and a growing Kingdom Luk. 1 vers 32. He must be great and have the throne of His Father David Many excellent promises have we of this Micah 4 1 2 3. But in the last daies it shall come to passe that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall be established on the tope of the mountains and it shall be exalted above the hils and people shall flow unto it and many Nations shall come and He shall judge among the people So Esai 2 2 3 4. Rev. 11. vers 15. And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reigne for ever ever We are taught to pray daily Let thy Kingdom come Our Lord shall be great to the ends of the earth Micah 5 4. 4. Wherefore Let Enemies do what they can His Church shall not get much hurt For so long as He is in the midst of her she cannot be moved though the earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though Mountains shake with the swellings thereof Psal.
God equal with the Father in power and glory having the fulness of the God head dwelling in him bodily Col. 2. vers 9. should condescend so low as to take on Him mans Nature and suffer therein It is true the Divine Nature could not suffer but his Humane Nature being personally united unto the Divine Nature the Person was one and so He who was and is God over all blessed for ever did suffer while his humane Nature was put to suffer 2. Consider by whom He was put to suffer even by all ranks of Persons both high and low by rich and poor by noble and ignoble by Church-men and States-men and by souldiers by judges higher and lower and by lixes by Jewes and Romans Some of whom were Malicious Invective Cruel Merciless and Irreconcilable Enemies such as the Priests the Scribes and the Pharisees who were ringleaders and did all out of pure malice and wickedness of heart committing thereby that unpardonable sin Mat. 12. v. 31 32. These drove forward their cruel designe and forced Pilat in a manner to condemne Him though he found no fault in Him and urged a late law of their own thereunto saying Ioh. 19. vers 7. We have a law and by our law he must die because he made himself the Son of God a strange law by which they had bound themselves to condemne and pursue unto death the Messiah whom they pretended to be waiting for when ever he came for the true Messiah was to be Immanuel and when this was not like to work their malice carrieth them further Vers. 12. saying If thou let this man go thou art not Caesars friend for whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar. Others of those his Persecuters were led on against Him in their ignorance and blind Zeal for Christ himself prayeth for them saying Luk. 23 34. Father forgive them for they know not what they do And Peter saith Act. 3 17. And now Brethren I â—…ot that through ignorance you did it as did also your Rulers 3. Consider the duration of his Troubles they lasted not for a short time for a few Dayes or Moneths but during this whole Life For His whole Life was nothing but a Life of Suffering no sooner came He into the world but Herod sought his Life He was forced to flee into Aegypt being but a childe in the cradle He was a Man of sorrowes and acquanted with griefe Esai 53 vers 3. from the Cradle to the Grave His Life was interwoven with sufferings of one kind and another and especially after He entered into the publick exercise of His Offices and was Baptized He is not well out of one trouble while He meeteth with another How oft is He put to flee and hide himself for his Life How oft is He maligned tempted slandered persecuted called a Devil hated and hunted until He is at length condemned and killed 4. Consider what it was that He suffered It was not one kinde of Trouble and Affliction that He was exercised with but in a manner all sorts came upon Him He was a Man of Sorrowes and acquanted with griefe He was oppressed and afflicted Esai 53 3 7. He was despised and rejected of men Esai 53 3. He hid not his facefrom shame and spitting but gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair Esai 50 v. 6. Matth. 26 67. and 27 26. He was exercised with Hunger Thirst Weariness Poverty and the like He was apprehended as a Thiefe or a Robber Imprisoned falsely Accused Condemned Scourged and Crucified He was mocked and reproached by Words and Deeds when they put a Crown of Thorns on His Head clothed Him with a Rob and put a Reed in His Hand and bowed the knee before Him saying Hail King of the Iewes 5. Consider what beside all this that He suffered in His Body and Name He suffered in Soul when He was in the Garden Matth. 26 37 3â—… Where He began to be sorrowful even unto Death Yea so sad and heavy was He that He cried out Vers. 39 O my Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me And this He cried thrice over which showeth the vehemency of that pressure under which He lay at that time when He was beginning to wrestle that bloudy combat with the Wrath of God and to drink that galled Cup wherein was the Law curse because of Sin And all this was from the Hand of His Father for it was He who bruised Him and put Him to griefe Esai 53 vers 10. And it was He who hid His face from Him so that He cried out while on the Cross My God My God why hast thou forsaken me And that when He was presently to give up the Ghost Mat. 27 v. 46 50. 6. Consider how little outward Comfort of Friends or Relations He found all this time While He was sweating drops of Bloud through the vehemencie of the bitter agonie He was into while in the Garden He could not prevail with His Disciples to watch with Him but one houre And when He was apprehended by the treacherie of His own Disciple who ate of His Bread by Iudas the Traitour all His other Disciples forsook Him Couragious Peter denied Him thrice not without Oaths and Execrations His loving and beloved Disciple Iohn stood a far off bleeding and sorrowful-hearted Mary His Mother durst not come neer to Him When the Shepherd was smitten the Flock was scattered 7. Consider how innocent He was He had done no violence neither was any deceit found in His mouth Esai 53 9. Though He was just yet was He put to suffer 1 Pet. 3 v 18 and 2 22. We know what false accusations were brought-in against Him But by all their false witnesses they could not get Him convict of sin The Causes wherefore as to men He was judged and condemned were Glorious and Fundamental Truthes such as His affirming that He was the Son of God and that He was a King though His Kingdom was not of this World and therefore was not inconsistent with Caesars Kingdom Luk. 22 70 71. Ioh. 18 36 37. 8. Yea not only had He done no wrong but He was come about the most necessary and useful Business of the World to wit to save sinners He was come to bear witness to the truth and to lay down His Life for His People He was come to save them from Sin and Destruction by bearing the Wrath and Curse of God that was due to sinners in their stead as being their Cautioner and substitute by the Father in their Room and Place He was Iesus the Saviour of His People The Horn of Salvation for us in the House of David that we should be saved from our Enemies and from the hand of all that hate us as Zacharias sung Luk. 1 vers 68 69 71 c. And yet notwithstanding that this was his errand this was the welcome He gote He came unto His own but they received Him
guaird our hearts or rather to give heart and tongue and all unto Christ to keep that we may be helped to suffer holily to His glory 2. When He was reviled He reviled not againe when He suffered He threatned not When they were doing the worst they could do against Him He did not in the least requite them or wish harme unto them but on the contrary as we heard Luk. 24. 34. He prayed the Father to forgive them So in this should we endeavour to follow our copie and thereby give proof of our Christian Patience to bless when they curse us and pray for them when they dispitfully use us and persecute us and to do them good that hate us thus shall we evidence that we are the Children of our Father who is in heaven Mat. 5 44 45. 3. He committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously He referred Himself and His Cause unto the righteous Judg of quick and dead So should we do we should not fret our selves because of evil doers neither be envious against the workers of iniquity but commit our way unto the Lord and trust also in Him and He shall bring it to passe Psal 37. vers 1 5. waite for His decision who is the righteous Judge Further the right Consideration of this Patience of Christ in all His sufferings would help us unto a more Christian and Patient way of bearing the crosse for we would see ground to say 1. Was Christ who did no sin put to all this suffering and did He bear it all with wonderful patience and should I take it ill to be thus persecuted seing howbeit men have no just quarrel against me yet God hath just cause to pursue me Was sinless and holy Jesus patient and should I be impatient who am punished of God less than mine iniquities deserve 2. Was Christ so patient under such an heavie cross with which mine is not to be compared or named in one day and should I be impatient and thereby offend God more It were better for me to be following my copie and keeping mine hands clean of sin let the crosse be what it will 3. Could not all the wrongs that Christ met with at the hands of cruel and ungrate wretches move Him once to give them one evil word or to wish them the least evil imaginable But did He rather pray for them And is it fit for me to be wishing them evil in my heart Should I not rather desire to imitate Christ and to strive against mine own passion and willingly forgive them all the wrongs they do unto me 4. Did Christ commit His cause to God and waite for His decision And should not I possesse my soul in patience resting on God by faith that He will judge all these wrongs and injuries in due time Is not God the judge And doth not vengeance belong unto Him And should I think to dethrone Him and take his office and work upon me Oh! It is better that I follow Christ roll all over on God and quiet my Soul in hope of a righteous Determination from God the righteous judge of all the world 7. The right consideration of Christ's sufferings upon such an account as to men I mean His suffering because He affirmed Himself to be a King would make the Beleever called to suffer upon that same account to wit for Asserting Maintaining Avowing and by their actions and practice Declaring that Christ is King and only King and Head over His spiritual Kingdom and Church rejoice in that honour that is put upon him to be called to witness unto such a Truth that Christ Himself was a Martyr for in respect of Men. O! how should this fill the hearts of such with joy make them sing in the midst of the flames and rejoice in that they are counted worthy to suffer for so noble a cause or for the least branch thereof 8. From Christ suffering so willingly so cheerfully so resolutly for the unjust for sinners and for rebels the Suffering beleever will draw this Conclusion did Christ suffer such things and that so cheerfully heartily and willingly for my cause and should not I be ready to suffer cheerfully heartily and willingly for his Cause Word Truth and Interest So that this would hearten unto an hearty and couragious witnessing for the Lord and for His Truth and for the Word of His Patience and shame the man from a discouraged faint-hearted dead and drouping manner of following Christ and of bearing His cross for he would see cause to say did Christ suffer so much for unworthy sinful nothing Me and that with so much Patience Cheerfulness Sted fastness and fixed Resolution and should I be ashamed of Him who is the God of glory the Prince of the Kings of the earth King of Kings and Lord of Lords or of His Cause and Interest Should I carry when suffering upon His account and upon the account of His Truth His Word His Testimony His work and Interest as if I were an evil door Should I carry as if I repented of owning Him and His Interest No no I should account it my glory as it is indeed CONSIDERATION XII Our Sufferings are nothing comparable to Christ's WHen we spoke to the last Consideration we mentioned something of this But because more is to be said of it and it may be edifyingly Improven for the ends designed we shall speak alittle more to it here by it self though it be but a branch of the former And for this cause we shall do these two things 1. We shall mention some particulars whereby the disproportion betwixt Christ's Sufferings and Ours will appear manifest 2. We shall shew how thoughts of these my prove advantagious unto a Christians spiritual life in a day of Affliction and Tribulation In order to the understanding of the first we would take notice 1. That the disproportion is infinite in respect of the Persons suffering what are we Yesterday-Nothings base and worthless wormes whose life is in our nostrils vaine empty shadowes But He is the standart-bearer amongst Ten Thousand Cant. 5. vers 10. The wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father and the Prince of peace Esai 9. vers 6. This maketh that all our Sufferings are not worthie to be compared with His. We know that the Greatness Nobility Worth and Dignity of the Person who is put to suffer maketh the Sufferings more in the account of men than otherwise they would be That a poor base unworthy beggar is scourged spit upon and buffeted is nothing or not much considerable but to see a King a Prince or great Noble-man so used that is a considerable matter in the eyes of men It is not much to see beggars sitting on dung-hils but it is much to see such as did feed delicatly sit desolat in the streets and to see such as were brought up in scarlet embraceing dunghils that is indeed matter of a lamentation Lam. 4. vers 5. To see base men
midst of all persecutions that they meet with they are animated unto the like stedfastness and to resolution in adhering fixedly to the truth such examples will make even a timorous man wax bold and the exemplary carriage of sufferers is very encouraging and comfortable wherefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1 6. whether we be afflicted it is for your Consolation Therefore these Sufferings are much for the advantage of the Church 6. Hereby is the Church awakened from security and made to look out for a suffering lot when thus it is done to the green tree they are made to take Warning Such a dispensation is as the sounding of the trumpet for an alarme and this is no small advantage when she is raised to her feet and put in a postour and made ready for the battel then she needeth not fear a surprisal but hath time to prepare and make ready for the storme In order to the Improvement of this Consideration we would 1. Beware to conclude that all is gone when we hear or see Christs eminent Servants put to sad sufferings We are ready to wonder why the Lord should suffer such and such things to be done why He should suffer such sad things to befall His eminent and useful Servants who cannot well be missed one whereof is worth an hundered so that the Death or Imprisonment of one such threatneth more destruction to the Church than the loss of many But we know not the thoughts of the Lord we know not what He is designing and what He mindeth to effectuat thereby And if we beleeved that even such a dispensation as this could do no harme to the Church how little would we be troubled at it If we saw what an effectual way this were in the steady unerring Hand of God to bring about the spiritual advantage of the Church how would we lay our hands upon our mouth and be silent And though we can not see in particular what advantage the Church is like to get by the taking away of such as were as Pillars of the Church Yet we should by faith rest assured that the Head and Husband of the Church would not suffer such a Dispensation to come if He knew not how to bring good and advantage out of it and that thereby good seed was sowen which though accompanied with teares and bloud yet should yeeld full sheaves at length which should be brought home with Joy 2. We would do well to search ourselves at such a time to see if we as particular members of the Church be reaping any advantage by what we hear and see of the Sufferings of Christs eminent Servants as for example see if thereby the truth of the Gospel become more riveted in our souls we becometh more rooted in the faith and assurance thereof and more fixed in our Resolution to adhere thereunto See if Truth becometh lovely desireable to us upon this account See if grace be growing more within and if our hearts and affections be loosed more and more from the things of a world and we be prepared more to quite all for Christ and His Cause See if by the example of others we be more animated and encouraged to avow and abide by the truth cost what it will See if these newes be raising us out of our bed and making us prepare for the battel and make ready for the approaching storme if we finde any such advantage thereby let us blesse Him who is giving us meat out of the eater and doing us good by the dear cost and charges of others 3. This should comfort such as are called forth to suffer for the Name of Jesus they need not trouble themselves with thoughts what shall become of the Church and Interest of Christ but leave that upon the Lord and beleeve that He shall make it contribute to the furtherance of the Gospel and to the enlairgment of His Kingdom Ministers called to suffer may possibly think Oh what shall become of the poor people we cannot get preached unto them as formerly but what if God make their stedfastness in suffering more advantagious than their preachings would have been What if that edifie more than many preachings did or would do Ought not they upon this Consideration rejoice in their Lot and suffer cheerfully that Christs Interest may prosper more thereby What know they what influence their Christian carriage may have on all On-lookers yea and on Enemies and Persecuters themselves beside what confirmation friends may have thereby CONSIDERATION XVII The Lord Reigneth in Zion BEleevers are not like unto the Subjects of Kings here on earth who may be dethroned and their Crowns may fall from their Heads and the Scepters be taken out of their hands and they may lose all the Ensignes of Royalty and when it falleth out so as is done many a time Subjects have but cold Comfort in looking to the Throne when it hath forsaken him that sat thereon But Beleevers have a King who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever and whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom It cannot then but be strange that when Men who have all their temporal happiness hanging upon the standing of Kings of Clay can rejoyce in adversity when they have any hope of their King 's recovering of his lost Throne and Kingdome though the grounds of their Hop be most disputable and uncertaine that the Children of God in the day of their Adversity can draw so little Comfort from the sure and certaine Grounds of Hope which they have to look to If Christs Crown and Throne were not surer than the fading and perishing Regalia of Men what would beleevers do Whither could they go for consolation in the day of their Distress and Anguish But now seing their King is not like the Kings of the Earth why are they so heartless in the day of their extremity Sure the Reason must be because they beleeve not that He is such a King as He is indeed or they know not how to improve to any spiritual Advantage such a noble Ground of Consolation as this is Wherefore it may be useful to speak a little unto this And so we shall first lay down some Propositions clearing up this Truth and next some Conclusions pointing out the improvement that may be made thereof First As for the Propositions take these following 1. The Lord standeth under the Relation of a King to His Church and People He hath taken to himself that Name and Title and accordingly we finde them eyeing this in the day of their Distress So David Psal. 5 vers 2. and 84 v. 2. embraceth Him crying My King and my God and he comforteth himself with this Ps. 10. v. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever And the Church crieth out Psal. 74 v. 2. God is my King of old and comforteth herself with this Esai 33 v. 22. The Lord is our judge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King He will save us So