sec Rev. v. 10, saith the church there, Who hath made us unto our God kings and priests.

Oh, sirs, it is better to be a member of Christ than the head of nations: oh, how infinitely happy are all Christ's subjects! they be all kings, all heirs, all favorites, all sons, all true believers are so; the believer is the only happy man. Alas! where is there such a king to be found that makes all his subjects kings? there are many kings that undo their `subjects, but Christ makes his subjects. kings; many kings make their subjects beggars, but Christ makes his subjects kings; many kings put their subjects to death, but Christ died that his subjects might live. They give their subjects titles, but Christ gives all his subjects grace and glory.

Sirs, in a word, this is the greatest nobility, to be the servant of the great God; he is nobly defended, who is born from above. Oh! how many lords hath that man that hath not Christ for his Lord? every sin is his lord, and every lust lords it over him. Now where Jesus Christ comes to be king, he makes them kings to his Father, and kings over their lusts. Now, beloved, here is the blessedness and happiness of our King, he makes us all kings, and gives us all crowns of glory.

Secondly, Jesus Christ is a most just and righteous King; he reigns in righteousness, he brings peace by righteousness, he makes us righteous, and there he is called the LORD of our Righteousness. Jer. xxiii. 6. Now beloved, other kings often deal unjustly, they bear the sword to execute wrath upor

well doers, and strengthen the hands of evil doers; justify the wicked, and condemn the godly; and break oaths, falsify covenants; and many times they oppress their subjects, and wrong their people; and therefore the Scripture says, When the wicked bear rule the people mourn, Prov. xxix 2. When the righteous is in authority the people rejoice; but when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn. But now beloved, Jesus Christ as he is a righteons king, so he rules in righteousness, and thou shalt have nothing but righteous dealing from him; mind this text of scripture which infinitely speaks out Christ's righteous dealing with poor souls, in Rev. xv. 13. Just and true are thy ways. Mark who are just and true here.

Why? It is the King of saints, just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints, justice and truth well becometh the king of saints. In Prov. iii. 27, it is said, her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace: speaking of wisdom, which is meant of Christ; Oh, what a golden king is here! what a glorious king is here! he is just and true, and all his ways are pleasantness, and all his paths are peace. Oh sirs, this is the excellency of Christ, he oppresseth no body, he wrongs no body, therefore he is called just and true; he infinitely excels all the kings of the earth in righteousness: he is a righteous King, and deals for nothing but for right

eousness.

Thirdly, Christ is a king that liveth for ever, and reigns forever: other kings they are but of yester

day; they be dead and gone: what has become of all those great and mighty kings we read of? why they be gone like a tale, like a dream. But it is not so with the king of saints, the Lord is king for ever, he reigns for ever: and therefore the apostle calls him a King immortal, eternal, as you may see in 1 Tim. i 17. Christ is there called a King im mortal, because he lives for ever. So in Heb. vii. 25: speaking of Christ who ever lives, saith he, to make intercession for us. Now beloved, here is the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, he lives for ever: other kings die, and their subjects may do what they will, but Jesus Christ lives for ever.

Fourthly, Jesus Christ is a King that hath perfect knowledge of all his subjects: Oh, sirs, kings and princes, and states do not know all their subjects; nay, they know very few: alas! they do not know a quarter of them, the poor subjects are unknown to them, they be not acquainted with all the wrongs, wants and miseries that their poor subjects lie under. We are unknown most of us to our prince: but now here is the excellency of Christ, he hath a perfect knowledge of all his subjects, he' knows them all by name; he knows all their thoughts, all their wants, all their ways, all their conditions. Now I say this is a greater happiness, that we have a king that knows us so well.

Oh, poor souls, Christ knows you all, all your wants, all your conditions, all your necessities whatsoever. The Lord Jesus knows all thy sufferings, and therefore saith Paul. in Phil. iv 19, My God

shall supply all your wants. Oh it is a sweet scripture, My God shall supply all your needs. So say I to you, sirs, your King will supply all your needs: he knows all your needs, he knoweth all your straits, all your fears; yes, and he will supply all your needs: Oh, here is the excellency of this King. Fifthly, Jesus Christ is a King that sits upon his Father's throne, at this very time he sits upon his Father's throne. But beloved, this is not all. Christ doth not only sit there himself, but he hath promised that all men, who overcome, shall sit down with him upon his throne; you have a full text to this purpose, in Rev. iii. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit upon my throne.

Mark, sirs, Christ promises all his subjects, that they should sit upon the throne with him; now, I wonder where there is any king but Christ, who will suffer his subjects to sit upon his throne with him. Alas! this would be treason for a man to desire it. I remember among other things, I have read of a king, who passing over a water, his crown fell from his head into the water, and one of his poor servants, out of love to him, leaped in and fetched it up, and for his more ease put it on his head, that he might get the better out; and for this the poor man had his head cut off. So high, mighty and lofty was this prince; ay, but sirs, the Lord Jesus is not so, he is no such proud King, he did not only uncrown himself to crown us, and wear the crown of thorns, that we might wear the crown of glory, but he consents and gives leave to his sub

jects to sit upon the throne with him. To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me upon throne. Oh, what a glorious King is this! that every one of his poor-subjects shall sit upon the throne with him. So in Rev. xxi 7: He that over cometh shall inherit all things. A man would think, sirs, this very thing would draw the whole world after Christ.

Oh! how should this draw the affections of men to be in love with those great proffers, provileges and honor that Christ bestoweth upon his poor followers? He doth not only make them kings, but he grants them to sit upon his throne with him; thou wouldst say, it were an honor indeed? Oh! true believer, couldst thou look into heaven, and see Christ sit upon his throne! But this honor hath all his saints; yea, much more, he makes them all kings, and grants to them to sit upon the throne with him.

Sixthly, Jesus Christ is a king that loves all his subjects, and all his subjects love him; and I am sure that this cannot be said of any king under heaven, but it may be said of the Lord Jesus Christ, for he is a king that loves all his subjects, and all his subjects love him; and this I shall endeavor to show by this afternoon's exercise, and the next day I shall handle the other part, That all his subjects love him. There is nine or ten particulars wherein the love of Christ to his subjects doth appear, and is wonderfully manifested.