MCCIX.

STABILITY AND EXTENT OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.

Micah v. 4. He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

OF whom the prophet speaks, there can be no doubt. The preceding context indisputably refers to the Lord Jesus Christa. Till he should come into the world, the kingdoms of Israel and of Judah should never be re-united: but after he should have come, and finished his course on earth, he should establish his empire over the whole earth; and unite all, both Jews and Gentiles, in one body, as one fold under one Shepherd. Of this the prophet speaks in our text, even of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and he declares,

I. Its first establishment

66

[Christ is the Shepherd of Israel." As such, he feeds and rules his people. In his appearance, indeed, he was mean; but he established his kingdom with power. It was announced as at hand by his forerunner, John: and was declared by himself as already come. By all his words and actions he shewed himself entitled to establish it. And at the judgment-seat of Pilate he confessed himself a Kings. For this, indeed, he was put to death": as the superscription on his cross proclaimed. On the very cross he acknowledged himself a King, and promised to the dying suppliant a participation of his throne. Indeed, it was upon the cross that he triumphed over his enemies, and established his kingdom'. After his resurrection, he gave commission to his disciples to go forth in his name m: on the day of Pentecost he subdued multitudes to himself; and from that day he has been enlarging his kingdom in every quarter of the globe. Through the whole of his ministry on earth, he acted with authority, as here foretold; "standing and feeding in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God."]

From its first

to speak of,

establishment, the prophet goes on

II. Its subsequent preservation

[From the first instant that the establishment of Christ's kingdom was announced, it was assailed from every quarter. The question asked by the eastern Magi was, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" And instantly was Herod's jealousy moved to such a degree, that, to ensure the death of Jesus, "he sent forth and slew all the children in Bethlehem and the surrounding country, from two years old and under"." From the time that he entered on his ministry, his life was sought; till at last his enemies accomplished their cruel purpose, unwittingly accomplishing, at the same time, the very end for which he came into the world. The same opposition has been made to his kingdom in every age and every place. The history of the Acts of the Apostles is one continued illustration of this fact. But greater was He that was in them, than he that actuated his malignant foes. In different places, indeed, his interests have been subverted, as in the Seven Churches of Asia; but if the candlestick have been taken from one place, it has been sent to another. The Church itself has stood, as a rock in the midst of the ocean, and has defied all the waves that beat upon it. Our blessed Lord said, that "it was founded on a rock, and that the gates of hell should never prevail against it ":" and this saying of his has been fulfilled for though, like the burning bush, it has been continually immersed in flames, it never has been, nor ever shall be, consumed by them. "It shall abide," as the prophet has said: "it shall break in pieces, and consume all other kingdoms; but itself shall stand for ever and ever."]

:

My text yet further declares,

III. Its ultimate extension

[Its limits hitherto have been narrow and contracted; but the time is coming when they shall extend "to the very ends of the earth." Yes, indeed, "He shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high." "All kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him"." All the kingdoms of the world shall be hist; and under the whole heavens "there shall be but one Lord, and his name one"".

u Zech. xiv. 9. See, to the same effect, Ps. ii. 8. and xxii. 27.

1. Let the kingdom of our Lord be welcomed by you

[Verily his subjects are happy; for "his yoke is easy, and his burthen light." Not so the subjects of sin and Satan. No: "they are in sore bondage: for the way of transgressors is hard." Submit ye then, Brethren, to his sceptre : 66 obey his voice; for God's name is in him." and know assuredly, that if you still continue to rebel against him, the time is coming when he will say, "Bring hither those that were mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, and slay them before me."]

2. Let his name be dear unto you

["To them that believe, he is precious." And he deserves to be so: for he "delivers his subjects from the powers of darkness," and makes them kings like unto himself. He will be dear, and his name will be great amongst all nations*. O let him be so to you! Receive him into your hearts as your Saviour and Redeemer, yea, and as your Lord and Governor.]

Exod. xxiii. 21.

• Luke xxii. 29. Rev. i. 6. and iii. 21.

y 1 Pet. ii. 7.

a Ps. lxxii. 17-19.

MCCX.

CHRIST OUR PEACE IN TROUBLE".

Micah v. 5. This man shall be the Peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land.

IT is of the very nature of prophecy to be dark and intricate for, if it were perfectly plain, men would either labour to defeat the counsels of heaven, or ascribe the accomplishment of them to second causes. Among the various things which tend to obscure the predictions of the prophets, we notice more especially their complicated allusions to things temporal and spiritual, present and remote. In the prophecy before us, considerable difficulties occur, because it is so expressed as to comprehend several distinct events, and to be accomplished in a variety of ways: nevertheless the general scope of it is sufficiently plain; and the truth which we shall deduce a Preached in July, 1803.

from it, is obvious and indubitable; it is none other than this, that Jesus Christ is the one source of peace to his people, under all their calamities, temporal or spiritual".

Christ then will be the peace of his Church,

I. Under all temporal calamities

God may, for wise and gracious reasons, suffer his people to be reduced to the greatest straits and necessities; just as he did in the days of Hezekiah, when all Judæa was subdued by Sennacherib, and the capital itself was besieged by the Assyrian army. We must not therefore conclude that God has given us up, even though we should see our land invaded, and many strong places taken, and the capital itself in the most imminent danger of being plundered and destroyed. God may suffer it, in order to wean us from confiding in our fleets and armies, and to glorify himself in our deliverance. Supposing such a calamity to come upon this land, Christ will be our peace, 1. Through the instrumentality of others—

[In the words following the text, he promises to raise up for his people "seven shepherds and eight principal men," that is, an indefinite number of eminent and useful men in all the departments of state, whom he would endue with wisdom and courage; and through whose instrumentality he would effect their deliverance. And is it not in this way that he has most marvellously interposed for us? Was there ever a period within our remembrance, when all ranks and orders of men were so unanimous as at the present? In the last war, some doubted whether we might not have avoided war; and others, whether we might not have terminated it long before. But is there a man in this whole kingdom who doubts whether our invete

b The meaning of the context seems to be this: the prophet foretells that the enemies of Judah should "besiege" them, and treat their governor with contempt and cruelty; which may be considered as relating to the times of Hezekiah, and Zedekiah. He then foretells, that in the little city of Bethlehem the Messiah shall be born: but that, notwithstanding that event, the Jews, as a nation, shall be given up, till the time when Zion shall travail in birth (Isai. lxvi. 7, 8. with Gal. iv. 27.) and all, both Jews and Gentiles, be converted to the Lord. In the mean time, however, the Messiah shall govern and protect his people, and be a source of "peace" and comfort to them under their heaviest calamities.

Eccl. xi. 2.

rate enemy would suffer us to be at peace; or whether if we were to make all the sacrifices that his ambition could dictate, he would not speedily find some fresh pretext for insult and exaction? No; we are unanimous in our conviction of the unavoidableness of war; unanimous too in our determination to maintain it with vigour, and to die rather than become the vassals of France: and this is a source of much peace and comfort to us in the midst of our impending dangers. And to whom can we ascribe this astonishing unanimity, but to Him who has all hearts in his hand, and turneth them whithersoever he will?"

2. Through his own immediate agency upon our minds

[The Lord Jesus Christ is the Governor of the Universe; and he makes his people to know, that their enemies derive all their power from his commission, the limits of which commission they cannot exceed, and the effects of which power shall be overruled for good. These are sources of unspeakable peace to their souls. Suppose "the Assyrian to be come into our land," and to be bearing down all before him, our murmurs will be silenced by that reflection, "Is there evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done itd?" The enemy is no more than "the axe with which IIE hews, or the saw with which HE saws;" "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good!" Suppose the enemy to be vaunting like the blaspheming Rabshakeh, and to be regarding the riches of the capital as a nest of eggs on which he is just going to lay his hands; even then, if the plunder of the capital be not within his commission, "God will put a hook in his nose, and a bridle in his jaws, and will cause him to return to his own land" ashamed and confounded. Suppose he be suffered entirely to prevail, yet if it be over-ruled for the good of immortal souls, and the glory of our God, no temporal trials, however great, can counterbalance the benefit derived from them. was by sending his people to Babylon that he cured them of idolatry; and if he may but cure this nation of its manifold impieties, all will be well. In these views then Christ will surely be the peace of his people, yea, he "will keep them in perfect peace, whose minds are stayed on him!."]

It

But these observations apply to us yet more forcibly,

II. Under all spiritual troubles

There is not in all the sacred volume one single prophecy that more clearly speaks of Christ than that

d Amos iii. 6. g Isai. x. 14.

e Isai. x. 15.

h Isai. xxxvii. 33-35.

f 1 Sam. iii. 18.

i Isai. xxvi. 3.