Ground your prayers and confidence on this, as David doth, "I am thine, save me." (Psal. cxix. 94.) And in all our labours, and the affairs of our lives, when our consciences can say that we live to God, and study to do all we do for him, and to improve all our time and parts, and other talents, to his use, it may very much quiet us in all his disposals of us. If he keep us in the lowest case, if we be his, we must rest in his wisdom, that knows best how to use his own. If he take our friends from us, he taketh but his own. If he deny his saving grace to our ungodly children (a heavy judgment of which we must be sensible); yet when we have devoted them to God, and done our own part, we must be silent, as Aaron was when his sons were destroyed; (Lev. x. 3;) and confess that the "potter hath power over his own clay, to make of the same lump a vessel to honour, and another to dishonour." (Rom. ix. 21.) All his disposals shall work to that end which is the most universal perfect good, and most denominateth all the means. But those that are his own by consent and covenant, may be sure that all shall work to their own good. Let us die with Christ, and be buried to the world, and know no lord or owner but our great Creator and Redeemer (except in a limited subservient sense), and then we may boldly argue with him to the quiet of our souls from this relation, "I am thine, help me." "Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even to my cause, my Lord and my God;" when faith and love have first said as Thomas, "My Lord and my God." (John xx. 28.)

CHAP. XIV.

13. The next Relation to be spoken of, is God's Sovereignty : Both by creation and redemption he has the right of governing us as our Sovereign King, and we are obliged to be his willing subjects, and as such to obey his holy laws. He is the Lord or Owner of all the world; even of brutes as properly as of man: But he is the Sovereign King or Governor only of the reasonable creature; because no other are capable of that proper moral government which now we speak of. Vulgarly indeed his physical motions and dispositions are called his rule or government; and so God is said to govern brutes and inanimate creatures; but that is but a metaphorical expression: as an artificer metaphorically governeth his clock or engine, or a shepherd his sheep. But

we now speak of proper moral government. God having made man a rational and free agent, having an immortal soul, and capable of everlasting happiness, his very nature and the end of his creation required, that he should be conducted to that end and happiness by means agreeable to his nature; that is, by the revelation.of the reward before he seeth it, that he may seek it and be fitted for it and by prescribed duties that are necessary to obtain it, and to his living here according to his nature: and by threatened penalties to quicken him to his duty: so that he is naturally a creature to be governed, both as sociable, and as one to be conducted to his end. He therefore that created him having alone both sufficiency and right, doth by this very creation become his Governor. His government hath two parts (the world being thus constituted the kingdom of God). The first is by legislation, or making laws and officers for execution. The second is by the procuring the execution of these laws to which end he doth exhort and persuade the subjects to obedience, and judge them according to their works, and execute his judgment. His first law was to Adam, the law of nature, obliging him to adhere to his Creator, and to love him, trust him, fear him, honour him, and obey him with all his might, in order to the pleasing of his Creator, and the attainment of everlasting life: to which was added a positive law, against the eating of the tree of knowledge; and death was the penalty due to the sinner. This law was quickly broken by man; and God delayed not his judgment, but sentenced the tempter, the woman and the man; but not according to their merits: but graciously providing a redeemer, he presently stopt the execution of the far greatest part of the penalty, the Son of God undertaking as our surety to become a sacrifice and ransom for us.. Hereupon the covenant of grace was made, and the law of grace enacted with mankind; but more obscurely in the beginning; being cleared up by degrees in the several promises to the fathers, the types of the law, and the prophecies of the prophets of several ages, and the law being interposed because of transgression: In the fulness of time the Messiah was incarnate, and the first promises concerning him fulfilled, and after his holy life, and preachings, and conquests of the tempter and the world, he gave himself a ransom for us, and conquering death he rose again, ascended into heaven, being

possessed in his manhood of the fulness of his power, and all things being delivered into his hands; so that he was made the General Administrator and Lord of all. And thus he more clearly revealing his covenant of grace, and bringing life and immortality to light, commissioned his ministers to preach this Gospel to all the world. And thus the primitive Sovereign is God, and the Sovereign by derivation is Jesus the Mediator, in his manhood united to the second person in the Godhead; and the laws that we are governed by, are the laws of nature with the superadded covenant of grace; the subordinate officers are angels, magistrates and pastors of the church (having works distinct); the society itself is called the church and kingdom of God; the reward is everlasting glory, with the mercies of this life in order to it and the punishment is everlasting misery, with the preparatory judgments, especially on the soul, which are here inflicted. Subjection is due upon our first being; and is consented to, or vowed in baptism, and is to be manifested in holy obedience to the death. This is the Sovereignty and Government of God. And now let us see how God, as our Sovereign, must be known.

d. The princes, and all the rulers of the world, must understand their place and duty: They are first God's subjects, and then his officers, and can have "no power but from God," (Rom. xiii. 3, 4,) nor hold any but in dependance on him, and subordination to him. Their power extendeth no further than the Heavenly Sovereign hath signified his pleasure, and by commission to them, or command to us, conferred it on them. As they have no strength (or natural power) but from the Omnipotent God, so can they have no authority (or governing power or right) but from the absolute King of all the world. They can less pretend to a right of governing not derived from God, than a justice or constable may to such power, not derived from the earthly sovereigns.

Princes and states also must hence understand their end and work. God who is the beginning, must be the end also of their government: Their laws must be but by-laws subservient to his laws, to further men's obedience to them. The common good, which is their lower nearer end, must be measured by his interest in the nations, and men's relations unto him. The common possession of his favour,

blessing and protection, is the greatest common good. His interest in us, and ours in him, must therefore be principally maintained.

2. The knowledge of God as our sovereign King, must bring the whole man in subjection to him. Our understandings must be subject to his doctrine, and resigned to him, as teachable and tractable: when we know what is his law and will, we must rest in it, though we know not the reasons of it. We take not on us to be competent judges of all the reasons of the laws of men, but must obey them without disputing the reasons (with the limitations after to be mentioned). How much more must we submit to the wisdom of the infallible Lawgiver, that cannot deceive, or be deceived! Our wills also must be fully subject to his will, revealed by his precepts. We must desire no more to move us, or to stop us, but to know what God would have us do. As the first wheels in a watch or other engine moveth all the rest, so the will of God must move all our wills, and rule our lives. We must take heed above all things in the world, lest our wills (which are the lower wheels) should have any such defects, distempers, reserves, any carnal bias, interest, or inclination, that makes them unfit to receive the law of God, or be ruled by his will. We must imitate our Lord, (Heb. x. 7,) and learn of the prophet, "I delight to do thy will, O God." (Psal. xl. 8.) With cheerful readiness to obey, we must stand waiting for the word of his command; and say as Psal. cxliii. 10. "Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God:" And as Samuel, (1 Sam. iii. 9,) "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." When a man's selfish carnal will is mortified, and his will lies flat before the Lord, and wholly applieth itself to his will, and it is enough to a man to move him in the greatest matters, to know that it is the will of God, this is a state of true subjection. Thus must we be "in subjection to the Father of Spirits," submitting even to his sharpest dispensations. (Heb. xii. 9.) And all the church is subject unto Christ. (Ephes. v. 24.) And this is essential to our holy covenant and Christianity itself. When God is taken to be our God, and we give up ourselves to be his people; when Christ is taken to be our Saviour, and we give up ourselves to him as his members, and redeemed ones, it essentially containeth our taking him for our chief Governor, and giving

up ourselves to him as his subjects. Take heed of that wisdom that would overtop the wisdom of God, and be your guide itself, without depending on his wisdom. This is the foolish damning wisdom of the world. Take heed of that concupiscence or will that would be your ruler, and overtop the will of God. For this is the grand rebel, and greatest enemy of God and us.

3. And subjection must produce obedience; subjection is the consent of the will to be subjects, and to obey: obedience is the actual performance of commanded duties. Subjection is the root of obedience, and virtually containeth it: Obedience is the fruit of subjection, and supposeth it. If God be your master, shew it by his fear, or service. (Mal. i. 6.) It is not calling Christ our King, but obeying him before all, that will prove us subjects. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. vii. 21.) "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, your reasonable service: And be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed (or turned into other men) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, that acceptable and perfect will of God." (Rom. xii. 1, 2.) "And this is the will of God, even your sanctification." (1 Thess. iv. 3.) "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: For he that hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin: that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." (1 Pet. iv. 1, 2.) Yea, we should "stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." (Col. iv. 12.) And by the power of the word of God, "every thought should be brought in obedience unto Christ." (2 Cor. x. 5.) Our obedience should be public and exemplary. (Rom. xvi. 19.) "For so is the will of God, that with well doing we put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." (1 Pet. ii. 15.) "Obedience is better than sacrifice." (1 Sam. xv. 22.) Whatever you do therefore, keep close to the law of God.

4. To this end we must labour to know the law, and be acquainted with God's will. The book of nature must be studied: The holy Scripture must be searched, (John v. 39,)