" a kingdom, that all people, nations, and lan

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guages fhould ferve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, " and his kingdom that which shall not be destroy"ed." In confequence of these predictions of Daniel, in which he calls the Roman Empire the kingdom of the earth, and Chrift's kingdom the kingdom of heaven; it is, that, uniformly in this book, the Roman Empire, whether heathen or papal, is called by the fymbolical name of The Earth, and Chrift's kingdom by that of Heaven. Under thefe appellations they are very frequently mentioned through the whole of the New Teftament. But the reafon of that application of these fymbolical names shall be explained more fully in its proper place. The whole of the fecond pfalm is a very plain prediction of Chrift the Son of God, as the prince of the kings of the earth, which the reader is defired to confider with attention. In the fecond verse of that pfalm he is called "The Lord's anointed." The word in the original is (or his Meffiah) which should have been tranflated, his Chrift. But indeed, anointed in the English language is of the fame fignification with Chrift in the Greek, and Meffiah in the Hebrew languages. In the 6th verfe he is ftiled a "King upon Zion." In the 7th he is called the Son of God; from the 8th to the 12th verfe, the extent of his dominion is mentioned, and the kings and the judges of the

earth

earth are called upon to act a wife part in fubmitting to his iron scepter, and in doing obeisance to the Son. It is thus, that, in the fymbolical language, Christ's kingly office is defcribed. By the fuperintendency of his providence he over-rules, controuls, and governs the kingdoms of this world, and particularly the Roman empire both in its heathen and papal ftate, in fuch a manner that, without their intending it, they fhall bring about the full efta, blishment and triumph of his kingdom in this: world, and accomplish the purposes predicted in this book. One kingdom fhall be diffolved and another fhall rife out of its ruins; not by chance,› but by the appointment of the Prince of the kings of the earth. And at the appointed time the Roman empire, in its last form of government, fhall be totally destroyed; and then all the kingdoms of the world fhall become the kingdom of our God and of his Chrift. But this will fall more properly to be explained in chap. xix. 11,—21, to which paffage the reader is now referred.

Laft claufe of verse 5th and 6th.-Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us Kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and

ever.

Amen.

C 2

This

This fong of praife John offers up in name of the whole church of Chrift, It contains not only praises for bleffings already received; but predic tions of praises, which fhall be offered up by gene rations yet unborn, for bleffings which are yet to come. In it he praifes Chrift for loving his church. The tongue of man cannot exprefs, nor the heart of man conceive love more pure, warm and permanent, than that, which, for us men and for our falvation, when we were ftrangers, aliens, and enemies to God by wicked works, brought the Son of God from heaven to earth; made the Word become flesh and dwell among us; take upon him the form of a fervant; become a man of forrows! and acquainted with grief; and at last die upon the cross, the juft for the unjuft, that he might bring us unto God; Rom. v. 6,-8. He praises him for washing us from our fins in his own blood." He "is the propitiation for our fins." "He took away fin by the one facrifice of himself."" The "blood of Jefus Chrift cleanseth us from all fin !". 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Heb. ix. 11,-28. And laftly, he praises him for making us kings and priefts unto God, even his Father. In one refpect true Chrif tians are made kings in every age of the church, as they are refcued from the flavery of fin and Satan, and vindicated to the liberty of fons of God. In one respect they are made priests to God in every age, because under the gospel, they are al

lowed

lowed near access to God in acts of devotion. The Christian, needs not, like the Jew of old, a prieft to offer up facrifices to God for him. He approches unto God through the mediation of Chrift alone. John iv. 23, 24. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers fhall worship the Fa"ther in fpirit and in truth

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for the Father feek

God is a fpirit, and

"eth fuch to worship him. "they that worship him, must worship him in spirit"and in truth." Pfalm li. 17. "The facrifices of "God are a broken fpirit: a broken and a contrite.

46

The

heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Christian as a prieft unto God, can not only offer up unto God prayers and praises for himself, but also interceffions and thanksgivings for others. In these senses the apostle Peter stiled Christians in his. day, (1 Pet. ii. 9.)" A chosen generation, a royal "prieft hood; that they might fhew forth the "praises of him who hath called them out of dark"nefs, into his marvelous light." But this ground of praise is prophetic, and refpects a period of time as yet at about two hundred years diftance from us, in which the church of Chrift fhall be raised to fo triumphant and pure a ftate in this world, that, in a much more exalted fenfe of the words, Christians fhall be made kings and priefts unto God. This triumphant and pure state of the church is foretold in Daniel vii. 25,-27. And in this book, v. 10. and xx. 4,-6, on which laft paf

fage

fage this prediction will fall moft properly to be explained.

By afcribing glory and dominion to Chrift forever and ever, John foretells that all these gracious interpofitions of Chrift, however defpifed, and contemned by many, fhall illuftriously difplay the glory of all perfections in him; and that his kingdom, however oppofed by "principalities, powers, "the rulers of the darkness of this age and fpiri"tual wickedness in heavenly places," fhall not be overthrown, nor its triumph over all oppofition retarded a fingle day beyond the time foretold by the prophets of God. The Affyrian, Perfian, Grecian, and the heathen Roman empire have all been diffolved. The modern kingdoms of the earth, fhall have their rife, decline and downfall, like these antient ones; but Chrift's kingdom fhall never be overthrown. In a period yet to come, it shall flourish much more in this world than it hath hitherto done. And, when not only the kingdoms of this world, but this world itfelf fhall be diffolved, his kingdom of truth, righteoufnefs, peace, and joy fhall flourish forever in heaven. His dominion is an everlafling dominion, which "fhall not pass away, and his kingdom that which "fhall not be destroyed."

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Amen," So be it, or So let it be. By this word, with which John closes his fong of praife, and with. which, we ordinarily close our prayers and thankf

givings