by that man, whom he bath ordained. And therefore he himself has told us, that he will fummon all men before his judgment-feat, and pafs and execute a final fentence on them: a fentence of abfolution upon the godly, and a fentence of condemnation on the ungodIv. Matth. xxv. 34. Come, ye bleffed of my Father, &c. 41. Depart, je curfed, into everlafling fire, &c. 46. Thefe fhall go away into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into life eternal.

Queft. 2. What fort of commander is Jefus Chrift? Anfw. 1. He is fupream commander. There are rulers among men, in various ftations, fome lower, fome higher. But Jefus Chrift is fuperior to the higheft and greatest of them. He is far above them all in excellency and authority. Solomon was an exceeding great and renowned king; but Jefus Chrift was far greater than he. Matth. xi. 42. A greater than Solomon is here, faid Chrift of himfelt. He is the Prince of the kings of the earth, Rev. i. 5. He is Lord of lords, and King of kings, Chap. xvii. 14. & xx. 16. He has power to command them, and they ought to obey him: And are therefore bid to kifs the Son, and to yield fubjection to him, Pfal. ii. 10, 11, 12. Hẹ has power to difpofe of them, to fet them up or pull them down. Prov. viii. 15. By me kings reign-He has power to over-rule them. Their very bearts are in his hands, turned by him, which way foever it pleases him, Prov. xxi. 1.-.He has power to judge them, and the very highest must stand before his judgment-feat, Rev. vi. 15, 16.---So that Jefus Chrift is the chief commander of the people, their fovereign Ruler.

Anfw. 2. He is a moft wife commander. As God, he is infinitely wife. As man, he is far wifer than all men, yea, than all angels. His human nature, to the utmoft capacity, was replenished with wifdom and understanding. Ifai. xi. 2. The Spirit of the Lord fhall rest upon Lim, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding. Hereby he is qualified for the ordering all things moft wifely

and

and prudently. And accordingly all his adminiftrations are guided by unerring wifdom. He is no ftranger to, but thoroughly acquainted with, the best methods for managing all things, unto his own glory, and the truest good of his people. And in the winding up of the kingdom of providence, it fhall be confpicuous to all, that there was not the least confusion, but the most admirable order, in his government of the world.

Anfw. 3. He is a moft juft commander. All his adminiftrations are righteous and equal. Ifai. xi. 4. With righteoufnefs fhall be judge the poor, and reprove with equity. Heb. i. 8, 9. A Scepter of righteousness, is the Scepter of thy kingdom. Thou haft loved righteouf nefs, and hated iniquity. He cannot do an unjust thing himself, nor can he require an unjust thing of others. Mich. vi. 8. He hath fhewed thee, O man, what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? All his commandments are just and right. Pfal. cxix. 128. I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right. Rom. vii. 12. The commandment is boly and juft, a rule of justice and equity.

Anfw. 4. He is an irresistible commander. 2 Chron. xx. 6. Art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heatben? and in thine hand is there not power and might, fo that none is able to withstand thee? He is an almighty Lord, who doth according to bis will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, Dan. iv. 35. When he was here on earth, he gave plentiful demonftrations of his uncontroulable power. The moft rooted diftempers of body, that were incurable by all the art and skill of man, yet gave way to his power. At his command fickneffes were removed, and health reftored. This power of Chrift the centurion believed and owned, and therefore faid to Chrift, Speak only the word, and my fervant fhall be healed, Matth. viii. 8.--. Again, the boisterous winds and raging waves were immediately filled at his command. Luk. viii. 24, 25.

He

He arofe and rebuked the wind, and the raging of the water; and they ceafed, and there was a calm. And the men wondred, faying one to another, What manner of man is this? for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. Again, the very devils, thofe powerful and obftinate fpirits, were overpowered by him, and constrained to yield unto him. Mar. i. 27. They were all amazed, faying, With authority commandeth be even the unclean Spirits, and they obey him. Yea, death itself, is under his command, and at his call gives up its dead. Job. xi. 43. Jefus cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth. And at the laft day, all that are in their graves, fhall hear his voice, and come forth, Joh. v. 28,

29.

Anfw. 5. He is a moft rightful commander. He does not ufurp, or affume to himself, a power that belongs not to him. For, he has all manner of right to rule and command the people. Ex. gr.

1. He has a right to be commander, by creation. Jefus Chrift, as God, is the Creator of the whole world. Col. i. 16. By him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, vifible and invifible,--all things were created by him, and for him. Now, on this account, Jefus Chrift has an abfolute right to command the whole world. The Maker of man is undoubtedly the Lord of man; to give laws to him, to govern him, and difpofe of him. Pfal. xcv. 6. O come, let us worfhip, and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our MakInafmuch as he is our Maker, he is our Lord, and as fuch a one, is to have religious worship and homage paid to him, as his due.

2. He has a right by divine donation or grant. As Jefus Chrift is mediator, he is conftituted of God the Father, the lord and commander of men. This is, particularly intimated to us in the text; I (fays God the Father) have given him (i. e. the Meffiah) to be a commander to the people. Ilence our Lord Jefus Chrift

fays,

fays, Matth. xxviii. 18. Ail power is given unto me (i. e. by the Father) in beaven and earth. His mediatory kindom, is delegated and commited to him, by God the Father. Acts. ii. 36. Therefore let all the house of Ifrael know affuredly, that God hath made that fame Jefus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Chrift. God, by exalting him, has established and fettled him in his throne, to rule over all people.

3. He has a right by lawful conquest. A just conqueror, has right to rule thofe that are conquered by him. Such a right has Jefus Chrift to command his people. For he has fubdued them to himself. They were enemies and rebels to him, fighting against him under the banner of fatan. But by his power he deli-' vered them out of the hands of fatan, and took away from them their rebellious heart against himself. By bis powerful grace, he overcame their enmity against him, and won them over to be his willing fubjects. Pfal. cx. 3. Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power. Such a victory as this, fo full of love and grace, gives him an everlasting right to command them, and receive obedience from them.

4. He has a right by purchase. When a man pays down a full price for a thing, the dominion over it paffes into his hand. A bought fervant, is under the command of the buyer. Thus Jefus Chrift has purchafed his people by his own precious blood, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. He has given a full ranfom-price for them, and fo has acquired a right to command them and difpofe of them. And in this regard, all refpect and honour is due from them to Jefus Chrift, as their Lord and Owner. I Cor. vi. 19. 20. Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your Spirit, which are God's. O think of this, when you come to the table of Lord, the next Lord's day.

APPLICATION.

The USE fhall be in one word of exhortation. Let us receive Jesus Christ as our commander. If God has given

him to be a commander, we should accept him as our commander. Col. ii. 6. Ye have received Jefus Chrift the Lord. He is to be received by us, as the Lord. And that two ways.

1. By refigning up our felves to his difpofal. All creatures are at his command, ordered and difpofed of, according to his fovereign will and pleasure. (Pfal. cxv. 3.) This difpofing power of his, we ought to acknowledge, by a refignation of ourselves thereunto. We fhould put our felves over into his hands, confenting that he should do by us and with us what he pleases. 2. Sam. xv. 26. Behold, here am I, let him do to me as Seemeth good unto him. This refignation must be abfolute and unlimited; not prefcribing to Him what he shall do with us, but wholly referring ourfelves to his infinite wifdom and will. Never do we more confult our own intereft, than when we do thus entirely leave ourselves with him, to lay out our condition for us. We know not what is beft for us, he only knows this. And if we refign up ourselves to him, he will afluredly order our circumftances for the beft; provided, this refignation to his providence, be attended with a care of yielding obedience to his precepts. Which leads us to the fecond thing.

2. By fubjecting ourselves to his commandments. We muft receive him as our commander, by endeavouring to keep his commandments. 'Tis not enough, that in words we call him Lord, but we must be careful to do what he requires of us. Luk. vi. 46. There must be in us, a practical acknowledgment of his authority, by a due and regular fubjection thereunto in heart and life. And here we may confider our duty in this cafe, in a few qualifications.

1. We should keep the commandments of Christ willingly. Jefus Chrift is to be obeyed with a willing mind. Thus David charged his fon Solomon, I Chron. xxviii. 9. Thou Solomon my for, know thou the God of thy father, and ferve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. Right obedience, is free and voluntary obedience. When any brought an offering for the tabernacle,