I Finde a threefold interpretation of this second Psalm among Expositors,

1. The first of such who say that it was wholly intended concerning Da­vid, and is simply to be understood of him; and thus the Jews generally hold, though some few expound it of Jeho­shaphat, and the vain conspiring of his enemies against him, 2 Chron. 20.

2. The second of those who hold that it is simply intended concerning Christ, without any respect at all to David; and thus the most of the Fathers of old expound it.

[Page 2] 3. The third, of the best, who conceive that it is to be understood in a mixt way, and partly to be interpreted con­cerning David, but properly and principally touching Christ.

That it cannot be understood simply of David, 'tis mani­fest, in regard sundry things in this Psalm cannot in any sort belong to him, as in ver. 8. where 'tis said, I will give thee the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. And ver. 12. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. And the holy Ghost, Acts 4. 25. Acts 13. 33. Heb. 1 5. and 5. 5. mentions one intended in the Psalm who is greater than David or any earthly King.

That it should be understood simply of Christ without any respect to David, I see no cogent reason; in regard that David was one who in his life and Office, did typifie Christ, and foreshew those things that belong to him, which things like­wise seem the more plainly to agree to Christ, by being shadowed out in the type.

I therefore approve of the mixt way of interpreting this Psalm, conceiving that David spake it properly and by way of first intention of Christ, though not without the type of his own Kingdom, in which he saw the Kingdom of Christ to be shadowed forth (as in the opposition which it had from sun­dry people, both Jews and others, the enlarging of his Domi­nions, and his victories over his enemies, &c.) and that David by occasion of the vain and fruitless endeavours of his ene­mies against his Government, prophesieth in this Psalm of the successeles and contemptible undertakings of all those who in any age should oppose Christ and his Church, which was sure to be blest with perpetuall stability.

The Psalm hath three Parts; The first contains a descriptionFirst part of the Psalm. of the endeavours of the enemies of Christ against his King­dom, in the 1, 2, & 3, Verses. And

These endeavours are described, 1. From the Parties using them: Said to be the heathen, the people, the Kings of the earth, the Rulers. Words importing not only the general­lity of Christs enemies, both Gentiles and Israelites, but their [Page 3] great dignity and worldly eminency, as being also Kings and Rulers.

2. The parts of their endeavours, they rage, imagine, or meditate; Idem verbum legimus de An­gelo, qui adver­sabatur Bala­am, & ei stricto gladio in via ne tran­siret opposuit: stetit Angelus contra Balaam. Numb. 21. 32. set themselves (as in a posture of resistance) take counsell together. Noting, First, Fury. Secondly, In­dustry. Thirdly, Resolution. Fourthly, Policy.

3. The Parties whom they oppose, the Lord and his anoin­ted, Father and Sonne, served and resisted together.

4. The scope and end they aime at in this opposition, viz. to be exempted from all obedience to Father and Son, whose Laws, these lawless Rebels here express by those odious termes of bonds and cords, excusing their unsubmissiveness by asper­sing the Government.

The second part contains a description of the ineffectualness 2^d part of the Psalm. (and to the undertakers the perniciousnes) of those endeavours of the enemies of Christ against him; from the 3^d to the 10^th verse.

This is proved two waies, 1. By Gods setting himself against those enemies, at once both contemning their power, ver. 4. and punishing their rebellion, ver. 5.

2. By his shewing himself for his Christ, First, In appoin­ting, ver 6, 7. Secondly, Enlarging his Kingdom, ver. 8. And Thirdly, In preserving and stablishing it, promising him success, in the easie and irrecoverable overthrow of all his enemies, ver. 8.

The third part contains an Exhortation to the greatest of3^d part of the Psalm. Christs enemies, that had so vainly and so foolishly gone a­bout to dash a head of glass against a Piller of brass, and the weak wayes (themselves) against this Rock the Lord Jesus. to desist from their undertakings, and to submit to God in Christ: and this Exhortation is laid down in the three last ver­ses, Wherein you have considerable,

• First, A preparatory Exhortation, Be wise now therefore, 1 O ye Kings, be instructed ye Judges of the earth. This is preliminary to what he is saying.
• Secondly, The maine Exhortation it self; And that is 2 two fold.

First, In relation to God the Father, saith he, Serve the 1 Lord Jehovah, against whom and his anointed, ye have taken counsell, ver. 2. Serve him with fear, rejoyce with trembling. In joyning both an act, and a suitable manner of performing it: a due mixture for those that are ready to be hindred by a proud fearlesness from the service of God. Serve him with fear: And then

Secondly, You have here the Exhortation in relation to 2 God the Son, out of whom the Father cannot be served (for he that honoureth not the Son, cannot honour the Father.) Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way. In the Text I take notice of three Particulars.

Fi [...]st, Here are the Parties unto whom the Exhortation is 1 made, the Parties Exhorted, Kiss ye, they are the Kings and the Judges of the earth. So you have it in the 10^th ver. Ye Kings, ye Judges of the earth. q. d. Kiss ye him, you that I have advised before to be wise, for this is your true in­terest, your true wisdom.

Secondly, I here take notice of the substance of the Exho­tation, 2 and that is to Kiss the Son. Here I observe, 1. The Object, and that is the Son. And 2. The Act, that is kissing of him, Kiss the Son. And then the

Third part considerable, is the Argument by which he 3 doth inforce this Exhortation, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way. Here I note two things; The first is the cause of their ruine, if they will refuse subjection to Christ, viz. the anger of the Son. Secondly, The manner of their ruine, it shall be in the way: for so Calvin under­stands the words. And so I conceive we are here to take the meaning of them, lest ye perish in the way, in the midst of your counsels, lest you be suddainly taken away, even when you cry peace, peace, before you come to the end of your undertakings, and think you are well and secure. And thus I have given you the Parts of the Text, in these three Con­siderations: And now I have broken the words into these three Parts, you must give me leave to knit them up all three again, together in one Proposition, and it shall be this;

That the Kings and the Judges of the earth must kiss the Observ. Son if they would avoid his anger.

You must not be offended with the Doctrine, unless you be offended with the Text; I have in a manner given it you in the very words thereof; and now again I shall break the Doctrine into those three parts that I mentioned before; which three having doctrinally explicated and illustrated, we shall come (God willing) to the using, and to the impro­ving of it, for our own benefit by application.

Three Particulars, I say, are here doctrinally to be explica­ted and amplified:

First, Who are those Kings and Judges here called upon, 1 and Why are they exhorted to kiss the Son rather than others?

Secondly, How they may be said to kiss the Son? and then 2

Thirdly, Why by this same arguing from the anger of the 3 Son, are they put upon this duty of kissing the Son, and where­in lyes the force of the Argument? These are the three things that in the doctrinall illustration of this Point I shall (God willing) insist upon; and then in the second place, we shall come to the application of the whole.

First, Who are those Kings and those Judges that are here 1 exhorted? and why they are exhorted? These Kings and Judges are the same that are spoken of in the first verse of this Psalm, where 'tis said, not only concerning the Heathens and the people, that they raged and meditated, (the Heathens without the Church, and the people within, the Israelites as some interpret it,) but that the Kings of the earth set them­selves, and the Rulers take counsel together: there it is, melakim and rozenim, Kings and Rulers; here it is, melakim and shopetim, Kings and Judges; but both places intend the same thing. The word Kings is (you see) again repeated, and Judges here may very fitly answer to that of Rulers ver. 2. and by them may be meant, inferior Governors and Rulers, which might be Counsellors to Kings, and preside in judg­ments under Kings: and to judg is oft in Scripture taken more largely than to examine and determine causes and cases, even to rule and govern, or to be in authority, in which respect [Page 6] the Judges (in that book) are frequently said, so many years to have judged Israel, that is, to have ruled and governed them: by Judges then, are meant Rulers under possibly Kings, who are named here before Judges, because as 'tis their part to put their Judges upon, and also to quicken them in their duty, so commonly according to the pleasure of the King, you shall see in most places the deportment of the Judges or infe­rior Rulers. To these Kings and Judges, this exhortation is principally directed, and that for these reasons:

First, These of all others are most unwilling to stoop to Christ. The greatest in place are most hardly brought to be­come 1 the lowest in their own apprehension: Every knee must bow unto the Lord Jesus, but the knees of Princes are of all others the stiffest and unwilling to bend, non facile mansues­cunt, 'tis hard to make them pliable to Christs pleasure: and this both in regard of their apprehension of their wisdome and carnall policy, as also of the greatness of their strength and wealth (their strong Tower in their own opinion.) Commonly where there's no want there's much wantonness: 'tis true, they have more temptations than others, it is a hard thing to be full and not to kick; (and certainly they do deserve, in this respect, more our pity than our anger) a great condition, never that I yet heard of, occasioned any mans conversion. I will get me to the great men (said Jere­miah Chap. 5. 5.) and I will speak unto them, but these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds. Who is the Lord (said potent and proud Pharaoh, Exod. 5. 2) that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Greatness unsanctified, is but as oyl to nourish the flame of pride and contempt of God: and God to make his people lowly and pliable, often makes them low and poor. Religion seldom flourisheth in the soyl of a rich mans soul: and 'tis our duty not only to be willing to want, but even to pray against that worldly greatness, which may occasion us to deny subjection to Christ: It is as rare to see a man high and humble, as to see one poor and patient. There is the first Reason. But then

Secondly, Unto the Kings and Judges of the earth this 2 Exhortation is directed, to shew the greatness of Christs exaltation, intended here in this Psalm. The highest must stoop, and certainly then Christ himself is very high. If every knee must bow to him, then surely Christ himself is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and higher than the Kings of the earth, yea to be worshipped by the Angels. Worshipped he must be, by ministring spirits, and so he must be by Ministers both of Church and State. How great is he whose subjects are Kings!

Thirdly, Kings and Judges are here exhorted, because they have more engagements lying upon them than others, to 3 yeeld obedience. This was the greatness of Davids sin, that 2 Sam. 12. 18. he would lift up the heel against God that had lifted him up into the Throne. It is by Christ that Kings reign, and Prin­ces decree justice. It was Baashas sin, as you read 1 King. Prov. 8. 15, 16. 16. 2. that when God had exalted him out of the dust, he would walk in the way of the house of Jeroboam. God had raised him up to power, and he raiseth himself up to rebellion. God having given unto Nebuchadnezzar a Kingdom, ma­jesty, Dan. 5. 18. and glory and honour, would not endure that he should strut and vaunt it in his great Babel, and not take notice of that God that had advanced him. It is all the equity in the world, that they who have more honour from God than others have, should return more honour to God than others do, even return as they have received. Nothing more per­verse and unseemly, than for people to obey Kings, and for Kings and Judges to disobey God, and to fight against him with his own weapons.

Fourthly, These are here exhorted, because they have 4, greater opportunities and abilities to do good than other men, both by precept and example: Scilicet in vulgus manant exempla regentum, upon the common people commonly flow the examples of Princes; it is oft their fault that the people are so bad, and either from the imitation of their lives, or obedience to their Laws, that people are so disobedient to Christ: one Jeroboam made thousands sin with him. Ephraim Hos. 5. 11. [Page 8] willingly walked after the commandement. 'Tis too much for any to be a follower in sin, but none can too much be a leader in holiness. Though Rulers cannot put in security to save any harmless at the day of judgment, for following them in sin, yet seldom go they to hell without mis-led company; And if Religion at the Barr, when it is in a holy and a poor Paul, make a sinfull Magistrate to tremble, certainly Religion in the Throne, or on the Bench, will sooner make a Malefactor at the Barr to tremble. Though it be the holiness which we love not, yet if it be joyned with the power which we fear; though it be the goodness which we despise, yet if it be joy­ned with the greatness we admire, it will probably have many followers.

Fifthly, Because the obedience of Kings and Rulers to Christ, shews the necessity of the subjection of inferiours to him. 5 Will not God exempt Kings from his service? surely then poor ones must stoop. Kings, as Calvin saith upon my Text, seem among men, legibus soluti, & communi ordine exempti, to be exempted from regular obedience, and to have a dispensa­tion to live as they list. And if any men in the world have liberty to be and do so, they are accounted the men; but you see that these are commanded to stoop, and therefore their sub­jects must needs become subject unto the Lord Jesus. If God will not indure a proud King in a Throne, yea not a proud Angel in Heaven, certainly then not a proud worm in a dunghill. This for the opening of the first Particular: and that is, who these are that are here exhorted, namely the Kings and the Judges of the earth. I now proceed unto the

Second, and that is the Exhortation it self. And there I 2 take notice,

First of the Object, and that is the Son: Kiss the Son. The word Bar here translated Son, sometimes in Scripture, 1 signifies pure, or clean, Job. 14. 4. Job. 11. 4. or purity, Psal. 24. 4. Psal. 73. 1. Isa. 1. 25. Psal. 18. 24. But then it comes from the root [...], he purged, or purified. But it likewise in Scripture very fre­quently signifies a Son: Thus it's used thrice in one ver. [Page 9] Pro 31. 2. What my son, and what the son of my womb, and what the Son of my vowes! and thrice in two verses: namely [...] Ezra the 5^th, ver. 1, 2. Zechariah [ [...]] the son of Iddo, Zerobabel [ [...]] the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua [ [...]] the son of Jozadak. So Dan. 3. 25. The form of the fourth is▪ like the Son of God, [ [...]] which fourth, we may understand to be Christ: and its thought by some to note a chosen, belo­ved Filium de­lectum & di­lectum Pagn. son, above the rest; the deriving it from [ [...]] that signifies to chuse, and gather a thing apart as the chief among many. But Buxtorf, Pagnine and others, rather think it to be a Chaldee word, answering to the Hebrew Ben, a son: and its used in severall Names importing the same: as Bar­jona, Barnabas, Bartholomew, Bartimaeus. The word Bar then signifieth son, (though the 70 render it [...], and the [...]. vulgar Latin disciplina, yet herein are they opposed even by the Papists themselves, Pagnin, Vatablus, Arias Mon­tanus:) And what son can be here meant, but the eternall Son of God, the second Person in the glorious Trinity, who is here called the Son, by way of peculiar excellency, from whom it is that others are, and are called the sons of God. And very fitly is subjection to the son subjoyned to the ser­ving of the Lord in the forgoing verse, this being the only true and acceptable way of serving the Father, who is only known, worshipt and enjoyed in the Son. Whatever wor­ship is given to the Father, is nothing worth, unless it be given through Christ. If Christ be dishonoured, God the Fa­ther cannot be honoured: to acknowledg a Jehovah as the Jews do, one great supream power that made Heaven and earth as the Turks do, and not to acknowledg a Christ, is but to place an Idol in the room of God, and to embrace their own shadow and figment. The Father who is invisible, Vid. Calvin in 1 Ioh. [...]. 23. Ioh. 8. 19. Ioh. 14. 9, 7. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Ioh. 15. 22. hath only manifested himself to be served or saving in Christ: the bare majesty of God, must needs with its brightness and glory dazle our eyes, yea he is a consuming fire without the Son: All confess a God is to be worshipt, 'tis imbred in na­ture, but yet serving him out of Christ, their minds meerly vanish: and hence 'tis that there are so many false worships [Page 10] and fictitious Deities in the world. As the Father and Son are not separated in essence or operation, so neither must they be in our worship and honour: In the Son the Father is both honoured and despis'd: Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father, 1 Joh. 2 23. he hath him not so as to worship him, he hath him not so as to receive any good from him: So Joh. 5. 23. He that honoureth not the Son, ho­noureth not the Father: the Son is the only way unto the Fa­ther: and therefore the Heathens, Eph. 2. 12. may well be [...]. said there to be without God, they being likewise said to be without Christ. And this is not only in regard that the Son and the Father are of one essence and nature, (I and the Father are one, Joh 10. 30. I in the Father and the Father in me, Joh. 14. 11.) but because it hath pleased the Father to advance his Son unto that dignity which he will have all the world to acknowledg, under pain of eternall damnation: and there­fore Joh. 5. 22. He hath committed all judgment to the Son, by way of execution and manifestation, and hath sealed him, Joh 6. 27. giving him the sanction of his authority, for the discharging of his Office: and hath made him Lord and Christ, Acts 2. 36. and hath given all things into his hand, Joh. 3. 35. Heb. 2. 7; 8. Phil. 2. 9. so that this is the true and the legitimate proving of our re­verence to the Father, when we embrace and receive the Son: The accepting of Christ is the great Commandement of God, and without this, all our services are disobediences. And hence we may gather, if the Father be our God, and be served only in the Son, that all the Patriarchs who had God for their Portion, as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and the holy men of old, did every one serve him in the Son, the promised Messiah; and 'tis this Messiah that we love and believe in, who was the way, the truth, and the life, to all those Saints of old. And hence 'tis likewise evident, if we sincerely submit our selves to the Son, accepting him to all those purposes for which the Father appointed him; as namely, to be served by us, as well as to be a Savi­our of us; to prepare us for Heaven, as well as to prepare Heaven for us: that the Father is ours, and that he will sup­ply [Page 11] and draw forth himself unto us, suitably to all the wants and exegencies of our souls, as our soul-satisfying portion. So much may suffice for the first branch in this second part, and that is the Object, the Son. But

Secondly, The Act in which we are to be imployed about the 2 Son, and that is to Kiss him.

There are (besides severall other sorts of Kisses mentioned in the Scripture, these two) eminently observable:

The first is of Love; a Kiss bestowed upon an inferior by a superior, and by equals upon one another: and so you read 1 of Jacobs kissing of Ephraim and Manasseh, Gen. 48. 10. Rom. 16. 16. 1 Cor. 16. 10. Precibus finitis nos invicem osculo saluta­mus, amoris symbolo. Just. Mart. 2. Apol. and so you finde a holy Kiss mentioned, and of it speaks Justin Martyr, Ap. 2. though afterwards it being abused and becoming an occasion of wantonness in the Church, it was left off and prohibited.

Secondly, There is a Kise of homage and duty from the inferior to the superior, and this was a symboll or a token of subjection and honour: and thus Xenophon speaks of the Persians, that they were wont to give it to their Kings: and thus Plutarch tells us concerning the souldiers, that they were every one of them ambitious to kiss Catoes hands; and so vassals were wont to do unto those to whom they gave homage by the kissing with the mouth, shewing, that they had faithfull hearts towards them, and mouthes ready to speak for them; thus I understand that Kiss that is spoken Q. os. fidele domino suo▪ osserens. of 1 Sam. 10. 1. where you read, that Samuel having anointed Saul, and poured oyl upon him, he kissed him as being his so­veraign to whom he would shew his loyalty and subjection: And this Kiss of subjection was not only used among persons in a civil, but also in a divine and religious way of adoration, and so the Heathens gave kisses unto their Idols; so you read Job 31. 26, 27. Job saith, If I beheld the Sun when it shined, or the Moon walking in brightness. And my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth hath kissed my hand. Because (as Molerus notes) they were not able to reach their supposed deity which they worshipped, so as to kiss it, they did stretch forth their hands toward that which they worshipped, and [Page 12] then they kissed their hand in token of subjection to it. And thus I understand that place, 1 King 19. 18. where God saith, I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. And so, Hos. 13 2. there the Lord speaks con­cerning those that worshipped the Calves, they called one upon another to Kiss the Calves. Thus Minutius Felix Caecilius simu, lacro serapidis denotato ut vulgus super­stitiosus solet, manum ori admovens, os­culum labiis pressit. Minut Fel. in Oct. Affectatione Caelestia ado­randi, ad solis ortum labia vibratis &c. Tert. Apol. 16. speaks of one Caecilius, that looking upon an Image, ac­cording to the custome of the superstitious vulgar, kist his his hand with his lips; And Tertullian speaks of this, saying, that the Heathens were wont at the rising of the Sun, every one to give kisses unto their hands in token of subjection to that their dumb deity; and by the way, it seems not to be without the providentiall wisdom of God, that the Sun which the Heathens did so frequently worship for their God, should have in the Hebrew a word that signifies a servant, shemesh, the Sun coming from shamash, to serve, as noting the unfitness of making that to be a Lord, which was appointed to be a servant to us, to hold the Candle, or to go before us with the Lanthorn, and to be the common servant of the world. (But that by the way.)

By the Kiss here mentioned in the Text, I understand, that of this second sort, even such an one as denotes sub­missive and humble subjection given by way of homage and loyalty unto the Lord Jesus. To Kiss the Son, is to be sub­ject By this Kiss s [...]j [...]ction is in [...]n [...]ed; to him, and to take him for our alone supream Lord and Governour. This is intended by this command of kissing, in the generall, but more particularly.

There are sundry duties expressing this respect and sub­jection comprehended in the same. As And shewn,

First, An honorable opinion and high estimation of the Son Ru­lers 1 that are high in place, should be high in their Subjects In h [...]gh estima­tion. thoughts: Despising them in the heart will make way for re­proaching them with the tongue. The Subjects of David, (the type of Christ in this Psalm) thought him worth ten 1 Sam. 18. 3. thousand of them. 'Twas Corah's sinne to think, that Moses and Aaron were but as the rest of the people. Christ Jesus [Page 13] is to be lookt upon by the greatest, as the chiefest of ten thou­sand, and to them he is to be precious. God would not en­dure proud Pharaoh to say, Who is the Lord, in a way of contempt? Kings should rather say, Who is as the Lord, by way of respect! 'Tis the common sinne of great ones, to have eyes so dazled with the Sunne-shine of worldly glory, as to see no excellency in Christ; as a man whose weak eyes have been overcome with the brightness of the Sunne, can see nothing, though laid never so plainly before him. Hence 'tis, they despise the spiritual beauty of his Ordinances, ser­vice and servants, &c, Christ is small to him, to whom the world is great. Herod and his men of warre mockt and set him at naught; And this is the ordinary usage that still Christ meets with in the world; The outside-meanness and con­temptibleness of the wayes of Christ, a proud Potentate will hardly brook, no Christ will please them without external Grandeur: Beauties in fancy, outside-glisterings, and well-acted vanities, so affect them, that solid glory is neglect­ed by them. They, to whom Christ is a stumbling stone in re­gard of his smalness, and appearing despicableness, shall here­after finde him a stone to crush them, when he fals upon them, and dasheth them in peeces. Worldly great ones often honour wickedness in robes, and contemn holiness in rags. Him, who hath his Throne in Heaven, they labour to make their foot­stool upon Earth. And this is the reason that God oft makes them who are adored as gods by men, to become the 2 lowest of men, and poureth shamefull spewing upon their glory. In high almi­ration. Est vis quae­dam per quam princeps con­ciliat sibi in hominum ani­mis, singula­rem quandam admirationem, & veneratio­nem Gerh [...]rd. d [...]ng. Pol.

Secondly, This Subjection and Homage to the Sonne, imports the high Admiration due to him. It is a part of his honourable Title, he is called Wonderfull, Isa. 9 6. and Gerhard speaking concerning Magistrates saith, They are cal­led in Scripture [...] Glories and Dignities, because they cause in Subjects a singular admiration and veneration. Per­sons in dignity respected, are more or less admired, and admi­ration is not the least part of the respect given to them. And therefore where we reade in Scripture of respecting of persons, as that God is not a respecter of persons, 2 Chron. 19 7. [Page 14] Deut. 10. 7, &c. The Septuagint they render them, God is no wonderer, no admirer at persons: And Jude is thought to follow them, where he taxeth some for unduly respecting of others, By having mens persons in admiration; And the Septuagint, 2 King 5. 1. where it is said, that Naaman was honourable, they translate it, He was wondered at, in his per­son. And thus our Lord Jesus is then honoured as our Su­pream [...] Lord, when we look upon him as wonderfull, and admire him. The glorious Angels who adore him, also ad­mire him; and particularly in regard of mans redemption by the mysterious concurrence of the Divine and Humane Na­ture 1 Tim. 3. 16. Ephes. 3. 10, 11 1 Pet. 1. 1 [...]. in one Person, a mysterious depth, which they are not able to fathom, though they do [...] stoop to pry into it, with never so much curiosity, and are never such industrious Students in this Divinity. A work which any creature was so farre from contriving, that it had been bla­sphemy Niexemb. de Ador. without divine Revelation once to have imagin'd it. Oh admired mystery, for God to begin to be what he was not, and yet to remain what he was; for the Natures to be united, and yet unmixed; to be unmixed, and yet inseparably united; for a reconciliation to be found out between God and man, by the Marriage of the Natures of both; for the Ma­ker of the world, to be made of a woman; for the Everla­sting Father, to become a Childe; for him that measur'd the Heavens with a span, to become a Childe of a span long; for him whom the Heavens cannot contain, to lodge in the womb; yea for the King of glory to become a worm, that worms might be advanced even to Angelical Dignity. How admirable is our Lord in his Life, Death, Resurrection, Pre­servation of his Church, Conquest over his Enemies! Who ever heard of a God to be poor! Majesty to lie buried in the chips; A Physician to cure, with giving his own Bloud for the Potion; Of Rebels, to be pardon'd by their [...], Cyril. Hier. Catech, 14. killing the Ambassadour (the Kings only Sonne;) Of one that was dead, not only to arise by his own power, but be­ing free among the dead, to be the Person that should free the living; Of Powers and Principalities, to be vanquished [Page 15] in frail flesh; Of Life, to be caused by death; Of Subjects, to be increased by being cut off, and a Kingdom to be enlar­ged by losing; Of one who was once a despicable, poor worm, in whom all sufferings and disgraces centred, to be­come the Judge of the whole world, (attended with millions of such servants, every one whereof shall shine more glori­ous than the Sunne in his beauty, to whose lustre, the glory of all the Kings of the Earth, is no more than a black coal to the Sun beams) and before the Tribunal of this Judg the greatest Emperours of the Earth to be the arraigned and trembling malefactours, accounting the loads of Rocks and Mountains; light and easie, in comparison of his displeasure. In one word, Infinitely admirable is this glorious Person, in his Conditions of Humiliation and Exaltation; Admirable in his endowments of Power, Wisdom, Love, Holiness, &c. Admirable in his dispensations towards all his Subjects, high, low, good, bad, in Heaven, in Earth, Hell. And surely, if such a Lord as this, be not served with admiration, he is not served like himself, like Gods Son, or our Lord.

Thirdly, This Subjection to the Sonne of God our su­pream Lord, betokens Humiliation, and the abasing of our 3 Self humilia­tion. selves before him. You read when the people of Israel stood by the Gyants, they looked upon themselves as Gras­hoppers. Oh when we think of this highly advanced Sonne of God, who is higher than Heavens and Angels, how should all knees bow before him, and the greatest be aba­sed! David saith, when he beheld the Moon and the Stars, What is man that thou remembrest him, or the sonne of man Psal. 8. that thou visitest him? And what self-debasing thoughts should then possess us, when we consider the great God that made these things, before whom these, and all the world are less than nothing? Great Abraham cals himself Dust and ashes, when he came before him: Yea the Angels worship him. Michael (who is like to the Lord) is the name of hu­mility, bestow'd upon the Archangel. The highest on earth must remember there is an higher in Heaven, and take heed how they resent, if not how they receive Titles of honour. [Page 16] The greatest care of most great ones is, how to get honour; truly our greatest care should be how to use honour, how not to be proud of it when we have it, It is a hard thing to be low with contentedness, and to be high with humility. It's a rare and noble temper, when that excellency which all others observe, is only hid to him who hath it; and as Mo­ses, who (speaking with God) pull'd off his shoes, and hid his face, to discover by acknowledgement, our infirmities, and conceal the comeliness of any thing wherein we seem to excel. Humility is the sutablest Robe for a King, who thinks (as he ought) of this King of Kings. Humility is the ornament of Angels, and the deformity of Devils. The command of being cloathed with humility belongs to Princes as much as (if not more than) to beggars. In conditions of highness, 1 Pet. 5. 5. there's greatest heed to be taken of high-mindedness. Pover­ty and worldly lowness are the food of Humility. Riches and Honours are the fewel of pride. David, Asa and Hezekiah (though good, yet) shew'd themselves men in being unduly lifted up by worldly glory, and they all smarted for it suffici­ently. I have heard of a Bird that is so little, and so light and feathery, that it alwayes flies with a stone in its mouth, lest otherwise the windes should carry it away. In high conditi­ons we shall easily lose our selves, unless we carefully pre­serve Humility in the heart.

Fourthly, This subjection to the Sonne of God, as our Supream Lord, imports, Confidence in him, dependance upon 4 him, and trusting to him for all good. This is a duty princi­pally Trust and de­pendan [...]e. incumbent on Potentates, Some trust in Chariots, and some in horses, but they must remember the Name of this great Lord. It's hard to have the world much, and to trust it lit­tle. God sets the greatest in slippery places, that they may trust to Christ for sustentation. 'Tis here said to Kings and Rulers, Blessed are all those that trust in him. It may be the sin oft of us in subjection, to trust in you, but it cannot be your sin to trust in him. There are two things that men are most ready sinfully to trust in, the one is their Phari­saicall righteousness, and the other is their worldly great­ness: [Page 17] Now he that would take the Son for his supream Lord, must trust to neither of these reeds; not to his righteousness, he must throw that away, though it seem his gold. If a man be in the water ready to be drowned, and hath in one hand a handfull of pibbles, and in the other an handfull of gold, there being a cable thrown out to save him, he must cast away his gold out of the one hand, as well as his pibbles out of the other. Luther makes the application, when he adviseth to take more heed of our seeming good works, lest they hinder us from Christ, then of our sinnes. If God hath appointed that we should go out of our selves for a vital subsistence to things below, to Bread for food, to Cloathes for warmth, &c. much more will he have us to go out of our selves for a blessed subsistence not to his worldly greatness: when the world is but promising, Christ is seldom trusted. It's observed by some, that the Book of Ecclesiastes is prefixed before that of Canticles, because Ecclesiastes, takes us off from the Creature, by shewing its emptiness, and Canticles woos un­to Christ, by shewing his worth and fulness. We can hardly be brought to look upon Christ as one that is fully and solely to be trusted to, till God gives to see the weakness and vanity of all creature dependencies; so long as a man stands upon his legs in the water, he ventures not himself upon the stream to bear him up: Till we see our selves fatherless, we shall hard­ly go to Christ to find mercy. The Vine, the Ivy, the Hop, the Wood bind, are taught by nature to cling and wind about stronger Trees; and hence 'tis, that God takes even great ones often off from their own legs, and shews them the brittleness and vanity of their creature crutches, before (or­dinarily) he doth any great good either to them or by them and seasons them commonly (like timber) by wants and sufferings, before he either builds them up, or builds up o­thers by them.

Fifthly, This subjection to the Son of God as our supream 5 Lord, imports the fearing and reverencing of him. I meane Fear. an ingenuous fear, the fear of a loyal subject toward a gracious Prince; not that of slaves, under and for wrath, this [Page 18] is bondage, that is duty, to fear him as voluntary subjects, not as unvoluntary slaves: to fear him, not because he sets himself against sinners, but because sin sets it self against him. First fear him, and then fear his wrath, Fear him more out of sense of duty enjoyned, then of danger threatned. Let your fear therefore be regardfull of Gods wrath, because it proceeds from a faith which reposeth it self on his mercy. Its no cow­ardize for the most warlike Emperour, to fear offending this greatest Lord: true valour stands in stooping to him, and fearing of sin: 'tis not magnanimity but madness to fight against the Lord of Hosts: it is not courage but fool-hardi­ness to go boldly to hell, and only proceeds from the ignorance of danger; like that of the silly Americans, who press upon the mouth of the Musquet, because they are unacquainted with its force: Men of greatest courage, have been most fearfull of, and sorrowfull for sin. Josiah was stout hearted, and yet tender-hearted. David who had kild the Lyon and the Bear, yet waters his bed with tears; and he who had over­thrown Armies, and set his feet upon the neck of Goliah, is himself laid flat by one poor Prophet. There is mercy enough in this great Lord, to allure the most trembling sub­ject, and majesty enough in this gracious Prince, to dismay the stoutest rebel. Particularly fear him in that wherein you are commonly most fearless, I mean your worldly rejoycing. In your greatest abundance you must not feast your selves Jud. 12. without fear. You must know, that though you be Lords of rich well-furnished tables, Christ is more the Lord of your enjoyments then your selves: 'Tis the supream Lord who will call you to an account, how you have used his creatures, and whether you have not kickt against him when you have been fall: and thus Musculus interprets the foregoing verse, Admonentur, ne, dum aliis imperantes exultan▪ timo­tis Dei obli viscantur. Musc. in Loc. Rejoyce before him with trembling, that is, when you are in the midst of your worldly enjoyments, and when you rejoyce in ha­ving men (as the Disciples did once in having devils) subject unto you. Even then take heed lest you forget your supream Lord, who hath not lost his propriety in any thing you have, by his giving it to you.

Sixthly, This subjection to him as our supream Lord, 6 appeares in the way of acknowledging him, celebration and Praise. praising of his Name, for all the good that he hath done for his subjects. This tribute of praises is given him at large, Rev. 5. 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. If you have a power to do or receive any good, this supream Lord must be magnified for it. I Phil. 4. 13. can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. If God hath pardoned sins, the Bloud of the Lamb must be magni­fied for it; If deliverance from wrath he bestowed, Jesus must have the praise; If worldly maintenance, our very life, motion, and being, must be acknowledged to be from him. By him all things consist, and he upholds all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1. 3. Col. 1. 15. And of him, and from him, and for him, are all things. If victories be given, it is by this Lord of Host, he it is that orders the great transactions of the world, and changes the times and seasons, and puls down one, and sets up another. If at any time any good work be done for us, in us, by us, Christ must have the praise thereof. I read of Constantine, that when he had built many Hospitals for the poor, he wrote Jesus up on every entrance into them; He would not take any glory to himself, but gave all to Christ. Now unto the King, 1 Tim. 1. 17. eternall, immortall, invisible, the onely wise God, be honour and glory, for ever and ever. 'Tis reported that a certain King being in a Ship upon the Sea, and his Crown falling from him into the water, a subject of his in the Ship, would needs offer to dive into the Sea to fetch back the Crown a­gain, he adventures to dive, and brings up the Crown with him, but being not able to bring it back in his hands, he puts it on his head, and the King (they say,) rewarded him for bringing back the Crown with him, but punish't him with the loss of his head, for putting the Crown on it. God will not endure to have that honour given to the creature, that is only due to Christ; Fetch up his honour if you see it fall, but you must take heed lest you set it upon your own [Page 20] heads. When Herod unduly accepted of applaus, the Angel of Act. 12. 23. [...]. the Lord smote him, and made him worms meat presently; Just is God to hinder the creature from incroaching on his own prerogative: Their's none fit to waite upon the King of Glory, but such as give all glory to this King. By the grace of God I am, what I am, (saith holy and humble Paul) in respect of good, yea, 'tis by his grace (as Austin excel­lently) That thou art not, what thou art not, in respect of sin, and hast not, what thou hast not, in respect of punish­ment. It's a naturall evil to make our selves the centers of our own excellencies: and God singles out those to be the most notable monuments of his justice, and their own folly, who share with him in divine prerogatives. Nothing is more ordinary then for high services to usher in that pride, which often hurts the performers; There's no poyson that hurts so delightfully and dangerously, as reflection on our seeming deservings.

Seventhly, This subjection to the supream Lord appeares in 7 the way of obedience to him in all transactions, in taking heed Obedience. that nothing be done against the commands of this great Lord. The King (as you read, 2 King. 11. 12.) had the Crown put upon his head, and the testimony into his hand. And God commands, Deut. 17. 18. That he should write him a copy of the Law. As God hath put his livery upon the backs, so must his work be put into the hands of Rulers; Though Kings are often titular Kings over people, yet they must not be titular servants unto Christ; It is not enough for them to call him Lord, they must also do his will. His commands must be obeyed 1. Absolutely. Thus, Him onely shalt thou serve, Mat. 6. 24. Men must be obeyed, as they obey Christ. When Christ commands, consider who com­mands, not what is or why 'tis commanded: When men command, enquire what is commanded, not who commands; (that for which God will call thee to an account, in reference to obeying of man, is not what man hast thou obeyed, but wherein hast thou obeyed him? and (as Augustine excel­lently) what matters it under whose command or government Quid refert sub cujus im­perio vivat ho­mo moritu [...]us, si illi qui im­perant, ad ini­qua & impia nen cogeant. Aug. de civi­tate Dei. lib. 5. cap. 17. ad init. [Page 21] dying man lives, so long as he who governs, commands not un­lawfull things?) The commands of earthly Rulers, are rules ruled by another an higher rule. The commands of Christ, are rules purely ruling: he alone cannot err, his will is the rule of all righteousness. 2. This supreme Lord must be obeyed universally in all his commands, none must pick and chuse his precepts, nor prefer one before another. Jehu seemed a uery obedient servant, till he came to a command that made against his interest: he walked, yea he ran, all the while his path was smooth, but when it began to be (as he conceived) stony and rugged, he soon halted: but we must obey the Son in the most difficult commands, and walk in a rugged way, as well as in a smooth grass-plat, obeying Christ in things that cross carnal interest, yea carnal reason. 3. Christ must be obeyed willingly and ingenuously, with a love to com­mands and commander, not only because of his power to pu­nish. Obedience to this power must be for conscience sake. If the eye be not to the command, the servant acts not with obedience, though the thing be done which is commanded. Its very possible, that a work for the matter agreeable to the command, may yet be an act of disobedience in respect of Rom. 1. 9. Col. 3. 23. Psal. [...]0. Joh. 4. Si non possunt a domino libe­ri fieri, suam servitutem ip­si quodam mo­do liberam fa­ciunt Aug. de civ. Dei. l. 19. c. 15. the intent of the performer: This Lord must be served from the heart, and he must be served in the spirit. This Lord as he was his fathers servant, delighted to do his will, 'twas his meat and drink. This willingness makes the service easie to the servant, and acceptable to the master. Lastly, Christ must be served perpetually, there must be no end of working, till of living: the dead are they who rest from their labours. Life and labour must be of equall continuance: none can be­gin too soon or continue too long in Christs service: Faith­fullness to the death, hath the only promise of the Crown of life. If the service of Christ be bad, why do any enter into it? if good (as 'tis infinitely the best) why do they not con­tinue in it?

Eighthly and lastly, Subjection to this supream Lord, is 8 seen in zeal for the promotion of his honour, and that both in Zeal. the furthering and setting up of whatever tends to his ad­vancement, [Page 22] and in removing and opposing whatever disho­nours him. Rulers must respect all Christs good subjects, as their follow-servants, and particularly his Ambassadours must be regarded, not discountenanced, much less destroyed with force or famine: their double labour must not be reward­ed with scarce a single maintenance: They must not be left to the courtesie of those, who though they account enough for themselves but a little, yet they think a little for the Mi­nister too much. Its not enough for faithfull Ministers to be kept from being batterd and stormd by cruel persecutors, unless also from being starved by common Protestants. In short, the great King cannot have your subjection, if his messengers have your scorn: If it comes to that once, there will be no remedy for you, his wrath will burn, their disgraces he accounts his own, he will not put them up. His Ordinances and worship must be establisht, the sanctifying of his day 2 Chro. 14. 3. 2 Chro. 34. [...]3. Nehem. 13. 19 enjoyned. Asa commanded Juda to seek the Lord. Josiah made the people to serve the Lord. Nehemiah commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened, till after the Sabbath. Zeal for the honour of this supream Lord, must also be shewn in opposing his enemies. Do those kiss the Son, who make much of those that would dethrone, yea kill the Son? You heard in the morning excellently, M^r Caryl preaching. If we be cold in regarding the glory of God, his anger will be hot against us. That passage was my Text in other words, Kiss the Son lest he be angry. You then likewise heard, God will not dwell in a polluted house; nor will he drink of a trou­bled Nescit de tur­bato fonte amicus bibere. Bern. fountain where seducers and sectaries dabble with their errours and ungodly opinions, and where they mud and spoil those sweet streams of the word and all divine institu­tions. Ample testimony is given to David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah, of their zeal for religion: nor ever is the 2 Chro. 31. 1. 1 Chro. 17. 6. 2 King. 23. 6, 7, 8. contrary mentioned in any of the other Kings, but as their great sin and infamy. Nor will the names of Constantine, Theodosius, Justinian, cease to be precious for their care of the Church. If zeal for God in suppressing of offenders 2 King. 18. 4. 2 Chro. 14. 4. against the first Table, were the Magistrates chief duty and [Page 23] commendation in the old Testament, must not lukewarmness 1 King. 15. 12, 13. 2 Chro. 34. 33. in suffering them, be his great sin and dishonour in the new. Clear precept there is Deut. 13. for punishing them: and (as Piscator proves) we have no warrant from God to abolish the Judicial, as it commands the punishing of sins against the Moral Law. Are not the punishments as immu­table as the offence? Is the offence a standing offence, and shall the punishment be a temporary and vanishing punish­ment? Is the inclination of people to such wickedness less than heretofore? Is not the ground of the command, viz. that Israel may hear and fear, and do no more such wickedness, a standing and perpetuall ground? Is the suffering the great­est evils to be done, an execution of wrath upon evil doers? or Rom. 13. 4. is the execution of wrath upon evil doers, consistent with the suffering the worst of them? Are we not to pray, that we may live a peaceable life under Magistrates, as well in all god­liness 1 Tim. 2. 2. as honesty? Are either Rulers or people, less behold­ing to the Lord Jesus in the new Testament, than they were in the old? Have we less light and love from Christ, or ought we to have less love to Christ than they had of old? or are peoples souls less precious now than they were then? Was it such a punishable wickedness heretofore to set up a Quomodo ser­viunt Domino, nisi ea quae sunt contra Domini jus­sum, religiosa severitate ple­ctunt. Musc. in Psal. 2. v. penult. Quis mente sobrius regibus dicat, nolite curare in reg­no vestro, a quo defenda­tur vel oppug­ [...]etur Ecclesia Domini vestri? Aug Ep. 8. graven Image, and is it now become an offence more veniall and tolerable, to pull down (as much as lies in the power of an hereticall seducer) the express Image of the Father, by an open denying the Deity of the Son of God? Because no conscience can be touched, must all practices be suffered? Musculus excellently observes upon the verse going before my Text, that the civil Magistrate cannot be said to serve God, if he doth not exercise religious severity upon the op­posers of Gods Commands. Its not enough for him only as he is a man, to serve him, by trusting in him, praying to him, &c. but he must serve him also as a Magistrate: (Who dares say, that the chief Magistrate of a Nation is only to honour God, and kiss the Son, as doth a Merchant or a Draper?) and how doth he serve him as a Magistrate, if he do nothing against the open enemies of this great King [Page 24] and supream Lord, but carelesly suffer them to dishonour him, not regarding whether Religion stand or fall, be op­posed or maintained in his Kingdom? And to those who object, that we have no example in the Apostles writings, that any thing was desired of Kings and Rulers, for the helping of the Church against these her enemies? the answer is ob­vious: Non inveni­tur exemplum in Apostolicis literis, aliquid petitum a regi­bus terrae pro Ecclesiá & contra ini­micos Eccle fiae. Sed non­dum impleba­tur illa Pro­phetia, & nunc Reges intelligite, service Domino in ti­more. Adhuc enim illud implebatur quod in eodem Psalmo paulo superius dici­tur: Quare tre­muerunt gen­tes &c adsti­terunt Reges terrae, &c. Tempo ibus Apostolorum & Martyrum illud impleba­tur, quod figuratum est quando Nebuchadnezar, pios & justos cogebat adorare simula­cra, & recusantes in flaminas mittebat, [...]unc autem & illud impletur quod paulo post in eodem Rege figuratum est, cum conversus ad honorandum Deum verum, decrevit in egno suo, ut quicun{que} blasphemaret Deum Sidrac, Misac & Abednego, poenis debitis ubjaceret. Aug. Ep. 48. pag mibe 170. The Apostles lived under Infidels and Persecutors, who were so far from defending Christianity, that they mar­tyrd the Christians: And thus Augustin answers in his Eight and fourtieth Epistle written to one Vincentius, where he hath these words: 'Tis true, saith he, we finde no such ex­ample, but then was not fullfild the Prophecy in the second Psalm; Be wise now therefore O ye Kings, &c. Serve the Lord with fear: but then was fulfiled that which before in the second Psalm was mentioned: Why did the Gentiles rage, &c. The Kings of the earth set themselves, &c. against the Lord and against his anointed, &c. In the Times of the Apostles and Martyrs, was fulfilled what was figured in the command of Nebuchadnezzar, that all the righteous should worship his Image, and that they who refused this command should be thrown into the fire. But now in our times, is fulfilled that which a little after was figured in the same King, who being himself brought to honour the true God, made a Decree, that whosoever blasphemed the God of Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego, should be punished severely: The first time of that King, sig­fied the primitive times, wherein the Christians living under Kings that were Infidels, suffered instead of the wicked: and the latter time of that King, signified these after-ages, wherein Kings being converted, the wicked suffer instead of the Chri­stians.

This for the opening of the second Particular in the Do­ctrine, viz. the duty of kissing the Son. The third follows, [Page 25] viz. The Argument by which Rulers are put upon this duty Third branch of the Doctrine. of kissing the Son, lest he be angry. There are two things in this branch considerable by way of explication,

• First, The certainty of the Sons anger if Rulers will not Kiss him.
• Secondly, The Severity and dreadfulness of this anger here threatned, to put them upon kissing the Son.

The first of these, the certainty of the Sons anger, is clearly intended in the word, lest, lest he be angry. For [...] though the word be sometime used in Scripture as a note of doubt and hesitation, yet it here imports certainty: as Gen. 3. 3. Ye shall not eat, &c. lest ye die. For there was no doubt but Adam by eating of the forbidden fruit, should become subject unto death, as neither in this place, can it be doubted, but that they shall be destroyed by the anger of the Son, who will refuse to Kiss him. And the certainty thereof is manifest upon these grounds.

First, The certainty of their ruine by the Sons anger is clear, by considering the truth of his threatning against them. Truth is that which makes every threatning smart, and every promise sweet. Take away truth from a threatning, and the greater the woe is which is threatned: the more ridiculous is the threatning, it being but as a charge of Powder in a Gun without a Bullet. If the Word be true, the woes of re­fusers of subjection to Christ, must needs be certain. Deut. 18. 19. Whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my Name, I will require it of him. And this is repeated again, Act 3. 23. Every soul that will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. And that Scripture, Luk. 19. 27. is as full of certainty as of severity. Those mine enemies, that would not I should rule over them, bring them hither and slay them before my face Let them be of what kind, rank, degree soever, yet if enemies, they must be slaine. And 2 Thes. 1. 8. Vengeance in flaming fire is denounced against those that obey not the Gospel of Christ, and what is that but to Kiss the Son, which is the great com­mand of the Gospel, and the Law of Faith. All these [Page 26] threatnings without truth, are but scare-crows. He that de­nounced them is true, yea truth it self; and as truely, as it's impossible for him to lie, shall they be executed on all those that will not Kiss him; God will not deny himself to gratify sinne.

Secondly, The certainty of this destroying anger, appears 2 by the great disproportion that is between this Son of God, and all the Sons of men. Oh infinite, amazing disproportion! Can your hands be strong, or can your hearts endure in the day wherein he will deale with you? Ezek. 22 14. There is a greater disproportion between the Son of God, and all his enemies, then there is between an Army of Angels and the least Ant that creeps upon a mole-hill; All the world before him is less then nothing; There is no way to fly from him, but by flying to him; All your abilities, and armies, and whatever is an arme of flesh, will vanish and wither in the day of his wrath. 'Twill be the vain desire of his stoutest enemies, that the Rocks and Mountains would fall upon them, to shelter them from his fury.

Thirdly, The certainty of the Sons anger appeares, in 3 that full authority which the Father hath given him, to re­quire this Kiss of homage. He hath sealed him a commission for this purpose, Joh. 6. 27. Christ his authority hath the stamp of Divine sanction. The Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honour the Son, as they honour the Father, Joh. 5. 22. And he hath authority given him, to ex [...]cute Judgment, Joh. 5. 27. And the Father hath committed all things into his hand, Joh. 3. 35. Ordained him to be Judge of quick and dead, Act. 10. 42. Made him Lord and Christ, Act 2. 36. Now, shall God authorize and commissionate his Son to be the great Lord and Judge of the world, and do you think that God will indure the abuse of his own glorious Institution, his eternal and merciful plot of infinite wisdom? And as the Father will exempt none from subjection to the Son, because he hath appointed and or­dained him to be Lord of all, so neither will the Son suffer any to deny subjection to himself, because thereby his Father is dis­honoured, [Page 27] who gave him authority to receive it. And hence Christ aggravates the sin of the Jews, in refusing him, by their dishonouring the Father: I am come (saith he) in my Fathers Name, and ye receive me not. And Phil. 2. 11. Every tongue must confess that Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Fourthly, The certainty of this wrath against all that re­fuse subjection to the Son, is evident, because by that refu­sall, 4 he that is the onely deliverer from wrath is contemned: A great Saviour, yea, great salvation is neglected. The meanes of recovery despised, must needs make misery as inevitable, as 'tis inexcuseable. He who hath been in rebellion may die, but he who scornes a pardon must die. If a Saviour help not, who shall save? If the Father be an­gry, the Son may interpose: But if the Son be angry, there is no Mediatour between God and a Mediatour. (Let the Papist say what he will) If mercy be our enemy, what then will Justice be? If the Gospel condemns, what doth the Law? He that is sick may die, but certainly he that will not submit to the onely meanes of cure must die. And a despiser of Christ, concludes himself under a necessity, (yea) of heightned condemnation; For, salvation offered, and yet neglected, needs must prove condemnation increased. How great is that destruction, where a Saviour is the de­stroyer. No liquor more scalding then the oyl of mercy.

Fifthly, The certainty of wrath appeares from the righte­ousness of God. Shall not the Judge of all the earth be 5 righteous? Either he must be righteous, or no Judge. Nei­ther would he be righteous, nor God, should he love sin, and those who sinning, though they themselves be unable to satis­fie, will not accept of another to satisfie for them. Is it imagi­nable, that God should lose his own nature to gratifie impie­ty? If it be a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them, would it not be unrighteous to bestow love upon 2 Thes. 1. 6. them? Is God righteous in forgiving the sins of believers in Christ? and can he be likewise righteous in accepting the 1 Ioh. 1. 9. refusers of Christ?

Secondly, In this last branch we are to consider the severi­ty 2 of his anger, as well as its certainty. I might tell you [...], C [...]pidltas ulciscendi. [...]. how anger is here attributed to the Son: not as it is described a desire of revenge, as betokening passion or perturbation of the mind, but as it doth comprehend two things.

First, A will and a resolution to punish, and so you have it Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is revealed against all ungod­liness: i. e. the will of God to punish wicked men is now re­vealed and made known in their punishment.

Secondly, It doth comprehend the effects of that wrath, 2 those plagues and judgments that the Son of God will lay upon those that refuse to kiss him: and thus Gods wrath is fre­quently taken in Scripture: where you read, that the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience, Ephes. 5. 6. that is, the expressions of his wrath. So Matth 3. 7. Who Rom. 13. 5. Rom. 2. 5. hath warned you to slee from the wrath to come. Luk. 21. 23. Great wrath shall be upon this people. And here by the wrath of Christ, I understand the great discovery thereof in it's effects against wicked men.

Now the severity and dreadfulness of this anger, consider in these Particulars:

First, In the common Scripture resemblances, 1. Its 1 compared to a fire: so in my Text, If his wrath be kindled: a fire so hot, that if it be kindled but a little, or as it were a little, [...] blessed are all they &c. His indignation is said▪ (Heb. 10. 27.) to be fiery: yea so much will he be in it, that he himself is said Deut. 4. 24. Ezek. 22. [...]1. Isa 30. 10. Mat. 10. 28. to be a fire, yea a consuming fire, Heb. 12 29. Nothing more dreadfull then fire, and no fire so dreadfull as the fire of the Sons wrath. For, 1. This fire burns spiritually, it destroyes the soul: other fire can but burn the body, and therefore (in comparison) is not to be feared. It scorcheth the conscience: Other fire burns the dross, this the gold. 2. It therefore burns much more painfully than materiall fire, 'tis of Gods own kindling, yea he himself is said to be this fire: no mar­vell that the breath of the Lord should be called a stream of brimstone, Isa. 30 33. Its a fire not blown as ours, by mans breath, or any created blast, but by God himself, whose [Page 29] breath is fire, and fewel, and bellows. It most exquisitely tormenteth, ordinary fire is but painted in comparison there­of, 'tis pure perfect wrath: how unconceivably tormenting must needs be the pains inflicted by angry omnipotency! 3. It burns everlastingly, nor tears nor time can put it out. It eats not up what it burns, its over destroying, never destroyes, he that burns in it, shall never be burnt up in it: none an quench it, but he whom the sinner refuseth to quench it: That which makes other fire so dreadfull, namely to make an end of things, would make this fire mercifull. If he who cries fire▪ fire at midnight, at once both wakens and affrights us, with what amazement should they affect us, who know and denounce the terrors of the Lord!

2. Another Scripture-resemblance of this wrath is, the rage of a Bear rob'd of her whelps, Hos. 13. 8. whose naturall love to her whelps, whets her fury and strength against any whom she thinks stole them from her.

2. Consider the dreadfulness of this anger, in respect of the person who is thus angry, and so this anger must needs be unspeakable; he being not only 1. Infinitely wise, and so knowes what will vex his enemies, as also how to draw forth. every degree of force in any instrument, and how to apply it most fitly for torment: but likewise 2. All-powerfull, and so 1 Cor. 10 22. Ezek. 22. 14. Phil. 3. 21. Isa. 33. 14. Neh. 1. 6. can set home every degree of force and vigour in the creature, either according to the strength of his own all-powerfull arm, and can create unconceivably greater torments than we can oppose or express: the force of Rocks, Mountains, Leviathans, is but weakness to his strength; they and all the world with all its force, are less than nothing. But also

3. The soveraign Lord of Heaven and earth, who if he please can marshal all the forces of the creation into one body, and can Commissionate and impower for services of bloudiest revenge, not only his chief Officers, the Angels, but even his common souldiers the poorest creature and lowest worme. He it is that hath all sorts of woes and torments at his own command, and can appoint more of them by mil­lions than we ever heard of. 'Tis his anger that can make [Page 30] offenders their own greatest afflicters and terors to them­selves, and transgressors to be their own tormentors, and in­dustriously to fetch in matter of excessive horror to themselves out of their own bosoms, to gaze willingly in that false glass which Satan sets before them, and to be led by that lying cruelty which misrepresents to their affrighted imagi­nations, every gnat as a Camel, every mote as a molehill, every molehill as a mountain, every lustfull thought as a so­domitical vilany, every idle word as a d [...]sperate blasphemy, every angry look as a bloudy murder, every transgression against ligdt of conscience as a sin against the holy Ghost. In this amazedness of spirit, God can cause a man to turn his own artillery, his wit and learning upon himself, to argue with (almost unanswerable) subtilty, against the pardon­ableness of his sins, to wound his wounds, with a conceit that they are incurable, to vex his very vexations with a refusing to be comforted. In a word, to turn to his own torment not only his crosses and tentations, but even the very comforts of his life, wife, children, gold, goods, preferments, as that wofull Spira did. And if God speak the word, the rebellious hand shall strike the head, the nails shall tear the skin, the teeth shall gnaw the flesh, and those who are made to take one anothers parts, shall become mutinous like the Midianites, who shea­thed their swords in one anothers bowels; and all this to prove, that a man forsaken of God, hath least mercy for himself: and that he with whom God is angry, shall be to himself cruel. And as God can thus torment the conscience of the stoutest, so can he infatuate the counsels of his subtilest ene­mies, and (in Ainsworths sense) can make Princes perish from the way, to wander and lose the right way, and not to know whither to go: yea he can cause them by their most poli­tick consultations, to consult shame to their houses, can give Hab. 2. 10. Nebuchadnezzar the heart of a beast; can make Princes to wan­der in the wilderness where there is no way, Psal. 107. 40. and can take away the understanding of the aged, Job 12. In short, this soveraign Lord hath all miseries at hand that may punish the outward man, he hath thousands of loathsome torturing [Page 31] diseases, which with a word he can send upon your bodies; upon your goods, houses, Navies, Armies flocks, he can send shours of fire and brimstone, and horrible tempests; upon your Names and all worldly grandeur, he can pour shamefull spewing, and so can stain the pride of all your glory; he can make a proud and puissant Bajazet, to be carried up and down in a wooden cage for a gazing stock: He can rouz up the fury that lurks and sleeps in your enemies breasts, and can turn your friends, your fellowers, your subjects against you, and cut you off be­fore your own doors, and spurn you about as dirt in the streets, and all this suddenly when you are at the highest, in your way, going on securely, and crying peace, peace▪ &c. and easily, with a word: Then shall be speak unto them in his wrath: ('tis but speaking and his enemies are undone:) with a breath, the breath of the Lord is a streams of brimstone: as if one who hath a plague-sore, should kill his enemies with but breathing on him; yea and irresistibly, when your friends Lam. 1 9. and forces are at the height of strength, even then (as 'tis said of Jerusalem) bringing you down wonderfully.

3. And lastly, Consider the dreadfulness of this anger, in regard of the persons with whom he is angry, and that both as they are weak, and so not able to resist him, and wicked, and so not fit to be spared by him: as they are wicked, prepa­red Rom 9. 2. Hos. 13. 9. for destruction, fitted fewel for the fire of vengeance, not as the green tree but the rottenstick, made combustible mat­ter by all sorts of aggravations of sinne committed against him, as a Creator, who made them of nothing; as a Law­giver who enjoynd them their duty; as a Judg who told them of his speedy and dreadfull coming to be averged of them; as a friend that woed and wept over them, and made them a fruitless tender of that occan of love, one drop whereof shall not be spared to eternity to cool their scorched tongue: how greatly must they provoke Christ a friend, who have chosen rather to be bruised under Satans feet, then to be lodgd in Christs bosome. 2. Consider them as weak dust and ashes, Isa. 64. 3. 41. 5. and so no more able to resist him than the lightest chaff can a furious whirlwind, or the loosest straw can the most sweep­ing [Page 32] torrent; The wax and stubble can more easily vanquish a violent flame, the tender cawl of the heart of a Lamb, can sooner overcome the paw and tooth of a rending and devour­ing Bear, the most brittle earthen vessel sooner break in pieces an iron pillar, the casting up of a little pible, sooner repell the force of the greatest rock in its fall from Heaven, than can the enemies of Christ withstand the sury of his power, were they a world of Gyants, yea as many worlds of such as there are men in the world.

This for the opening of the third and last particular in the Doctrinè, viz. the Argument by which Rulers are put up­on 2 the duty of kissing the Son, lest he be angry: the Applica­tion Application. of the whole follows.

First, I note, The tender and permanent care of Christ to Ʋse 1 his Church. He requires the greatest Potentates to yeeld their subjection, for the promoting of subjection to him. Christ shews his care of the Church, by making some to be his subjects, who have power to relieve her. He requires that despised goodness, should be joyned with admired great­ness, that so it might have the more command and followers. 'Tis his goodness sometimes to make Religion on the Bench, discountenance wickedness at the Barr. When the governed Kiss the Son, they shall save themselves: but when Gover­nors Kiss him, they may instrumentally save thousands. God sets and keeps up the pole of civill Dominion, that the weak Hop-bine the Church may be sustained. 'Tis promised, Psal. 22. 29. That the fat upon the earth shall whorship, i. e. That they who abound and flow with wealth, shall serve Christ. And Isa. 60. 3. That Kings shall come to the bright­ness of the Churches rising. & 10. 11. That Kings shall minister to the Church. And Vers. 16. That she shall suck the breasts of Kings. And Isa. 49. 23. That Kings shall be nursing-Fathers, and Queens nursing-Mothers, to the Church, Infant-like for weakness; For Rulers to profess Christianity, and not to promote it, is not to Kiss the Son, unless by betraying him with a Kiss. Christs care to the Church, is so farre from taking away the Magistrats care, [Page 33] that it supposeth it. Your Dominion is given you to advance that of the chief Lord. The greatest Kings are his vassals: And as they must give an account to an higher power hereafter, so should they serve for the promoting thereof for the present. In Isa. 60. 10, 11. where we read that Kings shall be brought, we read also, that they shall minister to the Church. Nor can they Kiss the Son, by ministring to the Church, if they Kiss and countenance her enemies. Wor­thy Patriots, you that are our Rulers in this Parliament, 'tis often said, we live in Times wherein we may be as good as we please: wherein we enjoy in purity and plenty, the Or­dinances of Jesus Christ. Praised be God for this, even that God who hath delivered us from the imposition of prelati­cal Innovations, Altar-genu-flexions and cringings, with crossings, and all that popish trash and trumpery. And truly (I speak no more then what I have often thought and said) The removall of those insupportable burdens, countervails for the Blood and Treasure shed and spent in these late di­stractions. (Nor did I, as yet ever hear of any godly men that desired, were it possible, to purchase their friends or money again, at so dear a rate, as with the return of these, to have those soul-burdning, Antichristian yokes re-imposed upon us: And if any such there be, I am sure that desire is no part of their godliness, and I professe my self in that to be none of the number.) But though it be a mercy that we may be as good as we please, yet I beseech you, as you love your own souls, as you dread the anger of him, whose anger if kindled but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him, let not men be suffered to be as wicked as they please, let them not vent and print what errours they please, to the dishonour of the Son to whom you profess subjection. The first Table should be the Magistrates first care; and if they are injurious to all Christians, who take away but one of the Commande­ments from us, certainly they are as injurious both to Magi­strates and us, who take away one Table from them, as they do who say the Magistrates have nothing to do in matters of Religion. You must keep both Tables not onely [Page 34] as men, but also as Rulers. If you be the Shields of the earth, you must protect the glory of God; If you be Psal. 47. 9. Ezek. 34. 2. Shepherds, you must take care that the Flock of Christ wan­der not in the waies of hell without care to reduce them, that grievous Wolves, seducers have no liberty to devoure it, and that it be not put into poysonfull Pasture to feed in. 'Tis true, you are not to prepare their food, for that be­longs to the Ministers: yet you must hinder those from feeding them, who give them poyson instead of food; as though you take not upon you the calling of Physicians, yet you must so farre regard the bodies of subjects, as to take care that Physicians prescribe not poyson to their Patients in­stead of wholesome Physick. Certainly you are not called Gods in the Scripture, that you should cast off all care of god­liness, and suffer all to be ungodly; God never appointed Magistrates to be Ox-herds (as many people make them) that is, onely to put the people as Oxen into good Pasture, and to give them store of feeding and pasture, but not to care who carries them to the Shambles, or who knocks them on the head; This is a pitifull Magistrate who doth thus, only provides peace and outward plenty for people, not regarding whether seducers draw them into soul damning heresies or no. Surely this Magistrate, though he may approve of our 1 Tim. 2. 2. living a peaceable and quiet life under him, yet lives as if he would have the next words [in all godliness and honesty] blotted out of the Bible. If this latter must be the end of the subjects Prayers, it must likewise be the end of the Ma­gistrats Government. If it be the duty of a naturall Parent to bring up his Child in the fear and nurture of the Lord, Eph. 6. 4. Surely it is more the duty of a Politicall Parent to do so: Must the natural Parent take heed that his Child be kept from knives, poyson, fire, &c. and may the political Parent suffer all his Children to be destroyed by damnable heresies, and by being brought up in the nur­ture of the devill. I will never believe that; 'tis a Doctrine against all sense as well as Scripture. Are you to have parentall honour by vertue of the [Page 35] fith Commandement, and are you not to perform paren­tall duties by vertue thereof? Never did I hear that those Rulers long preserved their own Names, who suffered Gods to be prophaned. And though possibly they may please the distempered appetites of some, yet certainly, they are ene­mies to the spirituall health of all, and to their own tempo­rall and eternall happiness. The fear of God is the best foun­dation 1 Pet. 2. 17. Prov. 24. 21. of obedience to Magistrates: Ungodly men will not conscienciously be good subjects. Men may from a principle of self-love, forbear the opposing of Magistracy, as a dan­ger, but onely from a principle of conscience, can they abhor it as a sin. Humane Laws may make men hide, onely Gods Law can make men hate disobedience. The power of the Word in the consciences of people, binds more strongly to obedience, then the power of the Sword over the bodies of people. The way for the Magistrate to bring men under his subjection, is to his utmost to make them subjects to Christ. If Rulers provide for the keeping of Gods Laws, the observation of their own will follow of course.

Secondly, I note, Magistracy is consistent with the ser­ving Ʋse 2 of the Lord, and the kissing of the Son.

My Text indeed commands Kings and Judges to serve the one, and to Kiss the other: but neither it, nor any other Scripture saith, lay away your Crowns, and Scepters, throw away your Purple, and give over your Magistracy. With­out doubt, this Psalm was penned for Gospel-times, as Augustine tels us in his forty eighth Epistle, even for Times wherein the Son was to have the utmost parts of the earth for his possession, verse 8. And yet onely the regulating of Ma­gistracy, being here enjoyned, the establishing thereof is also here plainly impli'd. The Authour of this Psalm was no fifth-monachy-man, he endeavours to divert the stream of Non eripit mortalia qui sceptra dat coelestia. Prud. Dan. 3. 12. Ezra 4. 13. Acts 17. 18. Magistratical power into the right channel, but not to dry it up. God is not a God of order in the Church, and the Author of confusion in the Common-wealth; nor do the Laws of Christ in the former bring in lawlesness into the later: One of his Ordinances doth not abolish another. Christs [Page 36] Scepter swallowes not up (as did Arons rod the rods of the Aegyptions) the Scepters of earthly Monarchs, nor doth he who come to give heavenly, take away earthly Crowns. It hath been the constant endeavour of Satan to perswade civil Governours that Christs Kingdom is an enemy to theirs: but he who when he had a right, would not be made a King, gives no liberty to those who have none, to pull down those whom he hath set up. No, his example and precept teach private Christians the contrary, even to be subject to the higher powers, those which are by his providence, not onely those which ought to be by his precept, to inquire indeed into the nature of all Commands, not to dispute the Solent pleri{que} inquitere ni­mium scrupu­lose quo quis{que} jure adeptus sit imperium, atqui hoc solo contentos esse decet quod vi­demus eos prae­sidere. Calv. in 1 Pte. 2. 1 [...]. Apostolus tol­lit frivolam hominum cu­riositatem, qui saepe solent in quirere quo ju­re adepti fue­rint imperium qui rerum po­tiuntu [...], satis autem nobis esse debet quod praes [...]nt, nam manu Domini sunt impositi. Calv. in Ro. 13. Gerentibus me­ram imperium debent se sub­j [...]cere. Non est spectandum quo j [...]re, vel quâ in [...]uriâ quis potesta­tem invaserit, sed tantum si potestatem ha­beat. Bucer. in Rom. 13. Nihil refert qu modo perso­na ad officium▪ pervenerit, dum enim ibi est, certum est De­um ibi illum collocasse. Olevian. in Rom. 13. Quaecun{que} potestas usum gladii, & [...]e­rum habet imperium, à Deo est. Mus [...]. in Rom. 1 [...]. Non est sub­ditorum de principis jure disputare, sed simpliciter prasent [...]bus ma­gistratibu [...] o­bedire. Gualt. in Rom. 13. Sic Petrus Martyr, Parae­us, &c. & om­nes fere Do­ctores refor­mati. titles of those which are Commanders: (and truely, were every private Christian to satisfie his conscience in the goodness of a Go­vernours title before he yeelded obedience, I think it would be hard to determine, whether the condition of the Governor, or the conscience of the governed would be exposed to the greater misery.) Christ hath not so little care of his Church (as yet in her tender infant-age) as to leave her altogether with­out some indulgent and fostering friends, in whose bosome she may lodg, and whose breasts she may suck▪ He sees not the World (as yet) so safe a place, as totally to deprive her of the protection of Princes. No, nor is he so regardless of the good of those who cry down Magistrates, as they are them­selves. They who are weary of Magistrates, are weary of all the blessings and comforts of peace; and in labouring to pull down the Pillars, they strive to pull down the building on their own and others heads. What would Countries be without Government, but the dens of wild Beasts. Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his Vine and Fig­tree all the daies of Solomon, 1 King. 4. 25. Even Nebuchad­nezar was a Tree whose fruit was meat for all, under which the Beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches, the Fowles of the Heaven had their habitation, Dan. 4. 21. The Funerals of a political Parent, millions of Children will ce­lebrate with tears. Over Saul who was wicked and tyran­nical, doth David bid the Daughters of Israel to weep, who [Page 37] cloathed them with scarlet, 2 Sam. 1. 24. And when God threatens the taking away the staff of Bread, and the stay of water, he adds (as no less judgment) the taking away the Judge and the Prophet, the Prudent and the Ancient, Isa. 3. 1, 2. Dominion is the breath which so many thousands draw: Take it away, none can say this is mine. If the Magistrate were not a God to man, man would soon prove a Devil to man. Violent and bloody men fear not Hell, so much as the halter. Like beasts, they are more afraid of the flash of powder, then of the bullet: And though their fear of the Magi­strate, saves not their own souls, yet many times hath it saved our lives. Without Magistrates, robbery would be a Law, and men like Dogs, try all right by their teeth. Where there is no Ruler, any man may be a Tyrant. ('Tis just with God, that they should feel the curse of Anarchy, who were never thankfull for Magistracy) And if any Professors of Christianity be enemies to Magistrates, 'tis not because of Christianity, but because they are but Profes­sors of it. Though I suspect that the reason why they cry out against Government, is not because they would have no Government, but because they would have it in themselves, or else they desire to burn this rod, that they may play the wantons the more freely.

Thirdly, I note, The greatest in the world are not allowed to be loose and lawless. Its not consistent with the soveraign­ty of the great King, to suffer any subject within his Do­minions, Ʋse 3 who will be absolute, and not yeeld him his homage, nor with his wisdom, to make any thing which he indends not to use. Superiority gives no dispensation for impiety: The Qui se excipit se decipit. Bern. ad E [...]gen. greatest are not exempted from obedience to Christ. Here, what Bernard speaks in another case, is most true, He that exempts himself, deceives himself. The highest Potentate cannot be ungodly by Authority. The tallest Cedar, the stoutest Oak must bend or break. No eminency of place bears any out in sin. The Grave and Judgment-seat, gives Kings and Vassals an equality of condition, and the Scripture gives both an equal obligation to duty. Nor yet is Religon, any dis­paragement [Page 38] to greatness, or diminution to Majesty. To serve Christ, is to raign; A Christian Ruler, is as thankfull, that Christ will deign to be his Master, as an heathen Po­tentate is proud, that he can make many to be his servants. Theodosius esteemed this, the highest of all his Titles Ultimus Christi seruus. (Though an Emperour) the lowest servant of Christ. He who in his dignity serves not Christ, is at best but like a small letter in a great gay, where there is (though much flourish) yet little benefit, much hinderance to the Reader. Its more honour to serve him, then to have Emperours serve us. Indeed, all things serve him, that serves Christ. How needless, How unsuitable is it for great ones, to fear nothing more then to have a name to fear God? and of all things to be most ashamed of their glory! The desirable thing even in a Prince is godlinss. As soon as Angels ceased to be holy, they began to be Devils, though their other accom­plishments of strength, wisdom, spirituality, &c. remained with them. The rarest endowments without grace, make none excellent, nor beside this will any thing have a luster at the last day: All created beauties will die, decay, and disappear, when the Son of righteousnes appeares. Holiness though veyled with the most contemptible outside, is accom­panied with a silent Majesty: and sin even in the highest dignity, bewrayes a secret vileness. Sinne alone is the deflou­ring and deformity of the creature, the debasing, disennoble­ing and degrading of nature. How guilty even of a most un­suitable condescension is it, for a Princes spirit to be inslav'd to sinne! The highest never go below themselves, but in sinning against God.

Fourthly, I note, That they who refuse subjection to the Son, Ʋse 4 cannot be sheltred from destruction by their worldly greatness. The greatest Potentates if they will not Kiss the Son, must feel his wrath, and finde to their cost, that they are but weaklings. No strength upon earth can make an enemy to the Son of God, shot-proof against the Arrows of his ven­geance. As nothing can offend where is goodness will pre­serve, so nothing can defend where his justice will strike. [Page 39] Though the high-towering pride and power of Princes may hold the earth in awe, yet they cannon threaten Heaven, but the closer they press to the Seat of God, the nearer they lie to his lightning. If the heads of worldly Potentates, were raised to the Stars, rebellion against the Son of God, will bring them down into the dust. He can easily stain the pride of all their glory, and bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth, Isa. 23. 9. Soon shall they feel the weight of Christs power, and their own rebellions. Their's no evasion from, no fortification against the Lord. The strongest and the best fortified Castles, the most formidable preparations of war, the closest confederacies with the most potent allies, the fullest treasuries, the best furnished Armories, the proudest Na­vies, the most numerous and resolved Armies, are infinitly more unable to withstand the Son of God, then the flax is to resist the flames, or the chass and smoke to contend with the most boisterious whirlewind; all creature-defences against an incensed God, are but paper-towers, or childish Castles of Cards. What were the proudest walls and towers of Jerico, but the derisions of rams-horns? What that of Babel, but a monument of the madness of those who build it? The horse is a vain thing for safety, Psal. 33. 17. The hors-man as vain as his horse. Horse and rider were once thrown into the Sea, Exo. 15. The stout-hearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep, and none of the men of war have found their hands, Psal. 76. 5. In the day of his wrath the Lord will strike through Kings, Psal. 110. 5. And if the strength of Poten­tates cannot deliver them, how should their weakness? If their Armour cannot save them, how should their nakedness? If their warlike puissance cannot preserve them, how should their dissembling, their perjury, their oppression, their lukewarmness, cursed neutrality in the cause of God, and all such impolitick policies? They who would shun wrath by any other meanes then by Kissing the Son, take mistaken courses. That Coun­cill thought themselves doubtless very wise, Joh. 12. 48. who thought to prevent their destruction from the Romanes, by killing the Son, but that very policy which thy expected [Page 40] should preserve them, proved the loss of their Nation, and its destruction by the Romanes. That Prince onely sets up him­self upon a solid foundation, who sets up Christ above himself, and advanceth the Sons interest by and beyond his own, who makes the Son his friend, and sets himself against his own and peoples sinnes, the Sons enemies. And if this counsell will not be taken, then let the despisers thereof, though crowned, sceptered, adorned, adored Monarchs know, 'tis not because the Sons wrath is not terrible, but because they are insensible. If they will needs contend, some fellow-worm would be their fitter match. The Sons wrath is infinitly disproportionable to such an inconsiderable part of a dust, a drop, or of that which is less then nothing and vanity.

Fifthly, I note, That they are the best friends to Magi­strate, Ʋse 5 who by admonishing them of their duty of kissing the Son, endeavour to prevent their feeling of the Sons wrath. I know the nearness is so great between pride and principali­ty, that faithfull admonishers can hardly oppose the former, but they are counted enemies to the latter. And though plain dealing by reproofs be a Jewel, yet he who useth it, Quid est pre­dicare Chri­stum, nisi de­rivare in se odium totius mundi & in­ferni. Luther. Odium Evan­gelii genius. Id. doth instead of humbling the reproved, commonly harm the reprover: and that the most compendious way to derive upon a man the hatred of the Sons of men, is to plead for subjection to the Son of God. Not onely did a wicked Ahab, call plain dealing Elijah, a troubler of Israel, but even good Asa was wroth with the seer. Truth, the more wholesome and pure it is, commonly the less toothsome and pleasing it is. And the thankfull receiving of holy reprehension, is a noble though a bloodness Martyrdom. And certainly till Satan lays down his hatred to Christ, and love to himself, he will never be in love with them who advance Christ, and oppose him; But grant all this, the servants of Christ must more study duty, then safety. And they can better endure the wrath of the Sons of men, for discharging, then the wrath of the Son of God for neglecting their duty. That Spirit by which they ought to be acted, had as well the shape of fiery tongues, as that of a Dove. They must not study to shew a smooth, [Page 41] but a safe way: not to prepare sauce, but Physick, and re­member it's better, as Augustin well expresseth it, To love with severity, then to deceive with lenity. What evil have Magistrats above all other men deserved, that they should be destructively soothed, when a poor man shall be savingly admonished? I confess, reprehensions ought not to degene­rate into sedition. The dignity of a Magistrates Office, ought not to suffer for the vices of his person: But yet nei­ther must sinfull flattery abolish love to the souls of those who are great, or zeal for him who is the greatest. In short, Even sincere reproofes, which tend to prevent the wrath of the great God, are not onely excusable, but commendable. 'Tis an holy impudence, to be impudent in urging any to take heed of damnation. It's a sinfull bashfulness▪ to be so conrteous as to forget Christianity. We can never warn too much of eternall danger. It's very good manners to stay, and knock again, though we have knockt more then thrice at the door of a great mans conscience. Either here or hereafter, his conscience will commend us, though now his lusts be angry with us. If importunity overcame an unrighteous Judg to Luk. 18. 5. do good to another, how much more should it prevaile with him to do good for himself?

Sixthly, I note, Rulers who upon their refusall of subjection to Christ, have felt the smart of his severe dispensations, Ʋse 6 should justifie him, and condemn themselves. When he puls them down, or plucks them out, laies their honour in the dust, and makes them as the 70 Kings, whose thumbes and great toes being cut off by Adonibezek, they were by loss of the for­mer made unfit for fight, and by the loss of the latter, un­fit for flight: Or as Samson when his hair was cut off, even as other men: let them consider whether they have not cut off their lock of loyalty to the Lord Jesus. We need not go far for Instances of divine severity against great ones. How Isa. 14. 16. low and contemptible hath he laid those who have made the earth to tremble (as Isaiah) and have been (as Ezekiel speaks) Ezek. 32. 27. the terrour of the mighty in the Land of the living! Was it not the exalting himself against God that overthrew Pharaoh, [Page 42] that drove Nebuchadnezar out of his Kingdom among the beasts, that brought Manasseh and Zedekiah into Babiloni­an fetters, that made Jehoiakim buried with the buriall of an Jer. 22. 18, 19. Asse (none saying, ah his glory!) Drawn and cast forth be­yond the gates of Jerusalem, that made Coniah a despised broken Idol, a vessel wherein is no pleasure, and cast into a Ier. 22. 28. Land which he knew not. Is it any wonder, if they will let as many be Christs enemies as please, that he should retaliate in hindering none from being theirs? When the Lord deals thus with Rulers, they should look beyond a sturdy head­strong people. They have negotium cum Deo (as Calvin speaks) To do with God, who (as Job speaks) Job. 12. 18. loseth the bond or belt of Kings, degrading them of their dignity, both regal and military, and girdeth their loyn [...]s Luk. 17. 7, 8. with a girdle, as servants were wont to be girded in the: attendance upon their Masters, for greater readiness: so that from Commanders, they are turned into servants, and made (as Solomon speaks Ecl. 10 7.) to walk as servants on the earth. Into this condition (I say) when God brings great ones, their work is to look inward, and upward, and to study what their sin hath been, which hath provoked God to debase that which he commands all other to honour. When their subjects cast off the yoke of obedience to them, let them consider whether they have not denied homage and obe­dience to the Son of God, and whether it be not for their despising of God, that now they are so lightly esteemed among men. If it be the Lord who subdues the people under Prin­ces (as David speaks, Psal. 18. 47.) doubtless 'tis he who subdues them under their people. And if at any time they be born down with the floods of popular tumults, by Gods breaking the banks and bounds of his wonted protection about them, let them examine themselves, whether they have not transgressed the bounds of Gods Commandements; and the putting of proud Princes upon an holy and humble conside­ration Dan. 4. 17. hereof, is one main end of such severe dispensations of Providence, shewn in their debasement. As for those whose worldly greatness and power is still continued, in their continu­ing [Page 43] of rebellion against Christ, they must know that these are but angry smiles in the face of God. God holds his peace, but Ultrix miseri­cordia. he is not dumb; he winks, but he is not blind. The abused pati­ence of the Son, wiat length be turned into burning fury, not­withstanding, yeall, by and proportionably to his forbearance.

Seaventhly, How easily can the wrath of the Son reach in­feriors and those of low degree who continue in rebellion against Ʋse 7 him? If he smites Princes, he will not alway, nor is it for want of power, if for the present he doth spare mean peo­ple: Yea commonly people are deep sharers both in the punishment, and in the provocations of Princes. How should we in a lower rank, humble our selves before this great God! The low shrub may be stubd up or crusht, if the tall Cedar be cut down: Certainly God will not endure a proud heart in those of a low condition. And truly the rea­son oft, why men of low degree are not as notorious opposers of Christ, as are proud Potentates, is not for want of poyson but of power. A little thimble may be as full as the largest vessell, though it cannot hold so much. According to his measure, a private person may be as wicked as the most des­perate enemy that ever Christ had among the worst of Prin­ces. 'Tis therefore the duty of subjects who observe the se­vere Judgments of God upon Princes, at once to tremble be­fore God, and to take heed of sin. Tutors usually correct young Princes for their faults, by correcting the Chil­dren of Plebeians in their presence, their Governours putting them in fear by the smart which others feel; How should common people then fear and mend when God corrects the greatest Monarchs in their sight, for their warning! How happy we, and how cheap our schooling, to have all our Learning at the cost of another! Princes in their wickedness, are too often examples of imitation; but it would be our greater wisdom, to make them in their woes, examples of Caution. They who are not warned by the miseries of others (especially great ones) cannot sin at a cheap rate. They who sin against such examples, sin presumptuously. How just is God in hitting those to whom he had said before, stand off!

To conclude with some suitable Considerations to engage Ʋse last. you to this your duty of Kissing the Son.

1. Study the brittleness of all worldly greatness; how unable it is to endure the shock of the Sons fury! how easily he can dissolve and dissipate it! A little prick with a pin lets all the wind out of the most swolne bladder; and if the Son do but touch you, speak to, yea, breath or look upon you in wrath, all your greatness vanisheth: men of high degree are vanity to all that trust in them, and their height and strength shall prove in the day of the Sons wrath but vanity and a lye to themselves, if they confide therein. Riches profit not in the [...]. Prov. 11. 4. day of wrath. Make not lies your refuge. The greatest is but soul and soyl, the one a puff of wind, the other a pile of dust, made of the same mettall that the meanest are, and their flesh (Neh. 5. 5.) the same with theirs; the greatest Judges on earth are but earthen Judges, frail sons of men.

2. Study the end of the Sons advancing of you. You were never set up by him to suffer him to be low, much less to make him so, this was never the end of your being men, Christians or Magistrates: Say as Mordecai to the (at first) In maximâ fortunâ mini­ma est licentia. timorous Esther, Who knows whether we are come to the King­dom for such a time as this? If you do not more for Christ than those who have no power at all in their hands, you are therefore worse than they, because you are not better, and do therefore less because you do not more: To whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required, Luk. 12. 48. What more equall than that you should honour him again, when he honoureth you, whom you stand bound to honour, whether he thus honour you or no? And consider whether there be any worth in any honour of the world, but only that thereby Christ may be advanced.

3. Labour for faith in threatnings: restrain not belief only to what God hath promised: let faith overcome all Jer. 17. 10. Heb. 11. Jona 5. 5. probabilities that seem to keep away judgment, as well as those that seem to keep away mercy: Faith will teach to fear, and fear will prevent feeling. 'Tis the nature of faith to apply a threatned plague, as 'tis the nature of sense to [Page 45] mourn under an inflicted punishment. When God threatens wrath, say not in security, 'tis the shadow of the mountnais, the vision fayleth. Ezek. 12.

4. Yeeld subjection to the Son for himself: let it not be swaid by interest. The most (like the Roman, who being commanded to bow before that Persian, stoopt indeed, but 'twas only to take up his Ring) in their seeming respects to Christ, do indeed really but adore their own designs. Re­ligion is therefore so ill-shaped in most Princes Dominions, because 'tis cast into the mould of interest. Let not the ser­vice of Christ be the scaffold, and serving your selves the building, regard Christ as the scope, not in a way of subser­viency to something else: bow down to his person not to his cloathes: Let subjection to him be its own wages: let Christ be sweet for himself. How unworthy is it for policy and base self, to commensurate and subordinate our respects to the Son of God! and to make the Son of God, not to hold, but to be a stirrup to carnal interest.

5. Look on Christ the right way: see him in his spirituall glory, let the eye of faith pierce through the contemptible outside of all his appointments, and followers. Take not the worlds report concerning him; he hath no enemy, but the ig­norant. Christ was never appointed to gratify sense, but onely to relieve faith. A skilfull eye contemns the gaudry of all that workmanship which is onely rich, and hath nothing of Art, but admires the excellency of a Picture curiously drawn, though it be not adorned with gold, but set in a rot­ten frame. Look upon Christ onely, as that truly excellent Object, and on all the beauties of the world, as fictitious and in appearance onely. Behold Christ as the Word discovers, and as Faith discerns him, in regard both of what he is, and doth, and that both for encourragment to his subjects, and affrightment of rebels.

6. Study the happiness of subjection to the Son. First, In the honourableness thereof. The meanest subject of Christ is a King, Rev. 16. A fellow servant with the glorious An­gels, and put upon honourable imployments, the saving of [Page 46] souls, the conversing with God, subduing of Principalities. The greatest honour of Angels, is to be Christs Messengers. Christ yoke is onely beauty, not burden to the neck. The service of sin is the onely debasement of the souls excellency, even the service of what is unspeakably below what ever hath a being, and is that wherein it's onely possible for a man to go truely below himself. Secondly, In its sweetness and pleasantness. Christs subjects have a meek and gracious Prince, Rev. 9. 9. Who never gives a Law that's grievous, who never commands a duty, but he gives strength, never enjoyns a work, but he gives an hand, never sends on an errand, but he gives a tongue, never imposes a burden, but he gives a back: in one word, never is our Master, but he is likewise our fellow-worker: Yea, so sweet is subjection to him, that his subjects count it more of priviledge then task, and would think their lives bitter without it. Subjection to Christ is bitter to nothing, but to that, which he will also destroy, or else it will destroy us, namely sin. Great peace have they who keep his Laws. Were there no Heaven to be expected hereafter, this peace would much more then Psal. 119. countervaile for all outward troubles that accompany it. Subjection to sin, is cruelty to conscience and carcass. How many wounds and woes endures a sinner, to get to those that are eternall! Oh the gripes and wounds of conscience, the heart-vexations of the most gaudy sinner, even when he is in his holy-day cloathes! Like a Book well bound, but full of Tragedies, within he is full of silent scourges, and soul-smart. A vassal to sin, like the Roman slave who had his thumbs cut off, that so he might be able to handle the Oar, but not the Sword, is onely left in a posture of activity in his sins drudg­ery. How many lashes doth Satan give his slaves, to drive them with speed to their own ruine, even as the cruel driver whips his pack-laden Jade through every miery slough! And yet lust is here a wicked mans God (sure 'twill hereafter be his Devill) But Thirdly, View subjection to Christ in its gainfulness and advantage. He withholds from his subjects nothing but clogs, snares, and hinderances from happiness: [Page 47] Christ gives as more for them, so more to them then any o­ther Prince; the rewards he gives them on this side Heaven are unspeakable. In the very keeping of his Commands, there is great reward. Their work seems to have more of wages then work,; those [...], those sweet intimations and fore­tasts of Heaven, how ravishingly delightfull are they! But how great then is their reward in Heaven! Their Joy there, is not so much said to enter into them, as they into it; and Mat. 25. Psal. 16. no marvell, 'tis the joy of their Lord, in whose presence is fulness of joy. Study, but yet expect not to understand the comfort and condescension of that Promise, Luk. 12. 37. to the subjects of Christ. He shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and come forth and serve them. The Son of God serve them! Their dignity will not be less then their delight, if Majesty it self gives attendance at their Table: Nor yet will their delight be less then their dignity; For doubtles their chear and their attendance are both one. Cer­tainly in Heaven there shall be as many Kings as Subjects. To Kiss Thee (dear Lord) is to Reign.