Philipp. ii. 6, 7. He offered himself, however, more particularly in his human nature, as many passages of Scripture expressly indicate. Matt. xx. 28. the Son of man came....to give his life a ransom for many.' Acts xx. 28. the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.' blood of his cross.' v. 22. through death.' Heb. ix. 12.

Col. i. 20. through the

in

the body of his flesh by his own blood he

entered in.' x. 10. through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.' 1 Pet. ii. 24. who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.' iv. 1. 'forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh.' 1 John iv. 10. he sent his son to be the propitiation

for our sins.'

Rom. iii. 25. whom God hath set

forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness.'

he hath made him to be sin

Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath of the law, being made a

For sinners. Isai. liii. 12. he bare the sin of many.' 2 Cor. v. 21. for us, who knew no sin.' redeemed us from the curse curse for us.' Heb. ix. 28. to bear the sins of many.' own self bare our sins in his iii. 18. he hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust.' 1 John ii. 2. he is the propitiation for our sins.'

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Christ was once offered 1 Pet. ii. 24. who his own body on the tree.'

Has always made intercession. Isai. liii. 12. he made intercession for the transgressors.' Jer. xxx. 21. 'I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me; for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me?' John xiv. 6, 13. 'no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.' xvii. 9. I pray for them.'

Rom. viii. 24. who maketh intercession for

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us.' Heb. vii. 25. he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' viii. 1. 2. 'who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary.' He makes intercession, first, by appearing in the presence of God for us,' Heb. ix. 24. 1 John ii. 1. we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.' Secondly, by rendering our prayers agreeable to God. John xiv. 13. whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do.' As to the expressions, Rom. viii. 26, 27. the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us,' and, 'he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God,' the preceding words of the same verse show in what sense they are to be understood; 'the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities;' and Gal. iv. 6. 'God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father;' that is, encouraging and persuading us to address God as our Father through faith. This is easily distinguished from the intercession which Christ makes for us in his sacerdotal capacity.

The Kingly office of Christ is that whereby being made King by God the Father, he governs and preserves, chiefly by an inward law and spiritual power, the Church which he has purchased for himself, and conquers and subdues its enemies.

Made King by God the Father. Psal. ii. 6. 'I have set my King upon my holy hill.' cx. 1. compared with Matt. xxii. 44. the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand.' Ezek. xxxvii. 25.my servant David shall be their prince for ever.' Dan. ii. 44. the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom.' vii. 14. there was given him dominion.'

Matt. xi. 27. all things are delivered unto me of my Father.' xxviii. 18. all power is given unto me.' Luke i. 32. the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.' Eph. i. 20—22. when he set him at his own right hand. . . far above all principality-'. Rev. i. 5. prince of the kings of the earth.' xix. 16. 'King of kings.'

His Church. Psal, ii. 6. yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion.' Matt. ii. 5, 6. 'thus it is written by the prophet ... out of thee shall come a governor, that shall rule my people Israel.' Luke i. 33. he shall reign over the house of Jacob.' Eph. i. 22. who gave him to be the head over all things, to the church.' Col. i. 18. he is the head of the body, the church.'

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.

21.

I will put

behold

John iv. 23, 24. my kingdom is not were of this world, Hence the law of

Chiefly by an inward law. Jer. xxxi. 31, 32. compared with Heb. viii. 8. and x. 16. this is the covenant that I will make with them. . my laws into their hearts.' Luke xvii. the kingdom of God is within you.' ' in spirit and in truth.' xviii. 36. of this world; if my kingdom then would my servants fight.' the kingdom, the gift of the Spirit, was given at Jerusalem on the fiftieth day from the passover in Mount Sinai, Acts ii. 1. in sign that the old law was superseded by the new, the law of bondage and of the flesh by the law of the Spirit and of freedom. Rom. xiv. 17. the kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.' Psal. Ixviii. 18. compared with

Eph. iv. 8. he gave gifts unto men,' that is, spiritual gifts. Accordingly, the weapons of those who fight under Christ as their King, are exclusively spiritual. 2 Cor. x. 4. 1 John v. 4. this is the victory that overcometh the world.' Herein it is that the preeminent excellency of Christ's kingdom over all others, as well as the divine principles on which it is founded, are manifested; inasmuch as he governs not the bodies of men alone, as the civil magistrate, but their minds and consciences,* and that not by force and fleshly weapons, but by what the world esteems the weakest of all instruments.† Hence external force ought never to be employed in the administration of the kingdom of Christ, which is the church.

Governs and preserves. Isai. ix. 6, 7. Counsellor .. the Prince of peace: of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.' Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. in his days Judah shall be saved.' John x. 28. neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.' Heb. vii. 2. the King of righteousness. King of peace.'

....

* To guide nations in the way of truth
By saving doctrine, and from error lead
To know, and knowing worship God aright,
Is yet more kingly; this attracts the soul,
Governs the inner man, the nobler part;
That other o'er the body only reigns,
And oft by force, which to a generous mind,
So reigning, can be no sincere delight.

t..

Paradise Regained, II. 473.

by small

Accomplishing great things, by things deem'd weak

Subverting worldly strong.

Paradise Lost, XII. 566.

Overcomes and subdues his enemies. Psal. ii. 9. 'thou shalt break them with a rod of iron,' namely, at his second coming. Psal. cx. 1, 2. compared with Matt. xxii. 44. Dan. ii. 44. it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms.' The world; John xvi. 33. and 1 John v. 4. Death and the law, and sin; 1 Cor. xv. 26, 54-57. the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law: but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Satan; Rom. xvi. 20. Luke xix. 27. those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither.' Rev. xvii. 14. the Lamb shall overcome them.'

The kingdom of Christ is also styled the kingdom of grace, and the kingdom of glory. The kingdom of grace is the same as the kingdom of heaven, which is at hand,' Matt. iii. 2. The kingdom of glory is that which is destined to be made more manifest at his second advent.

The kingdom of Christ, as appears from the authorities just quoted, is, like his priesthood, eternal; that is, it will endure as long as the world shall last, and as long as there shall be occasion for his mediatorial office. This is clearly taught by the apostle, 1 Cor. xv. 24, 28. then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father... and shall also himself be subject unto him ;' in like manner as a period is assigned to his priestly office (although that also is called eternal) as well as to his prophetical office, that God may be all in all." See more on this subject in the last chapter of the present book, on the kingdom of Christ in glory.

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