SERM.

VII, VIII

one as if he had promifed to be always with him; fince Jacob could have no reafon to doubt but that God would be with him, after he had done that Thing of which he had spoken to him. So again, when St. Paul prays that the Philippians may be fincere and without Offence till the Day of Chrift, he cannot mean that they fhould ceafe to be fo after the Day of Chrift; it being certain, that they who fhould be fincere and without Offence till that Time, fhall continue, fo to all Eternity. And not to multiply Inftances, when our Lord told his Difciples, That he would not any more eat of the Paffover till it fhould be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God; undoubtedly his Meaning was, that that was the laft Paffover he fhould ever eat of: It being abfurd to fuppofe, that our Lord intended to eat of the typical Paffover again, after that by fulfilling it, he had abolished it. In like manner, when God promifes the Meffiah that he fhall fit at his right Hand, or reign till all his Enemies are put under his Feet; it seems

SERM.

VII, VIII

very reasonable to understand this Promife of an everlasting Reign; For what fhould hinder him from Reigning, when all who are against his Reigning fhall be fubdued? If he reigneth while his Enemies make head against him and oppose him, much more fhall he reign when he fhall have mastered all Oppofition. The moft natural Meaning then of these Words is, That the Kingdom of Chrift fhall be Eternal. And the Apoftle's De fign in citing them was not to prove, that the Kingdom of Chrift fhould have an end, but that the Kingdom of his Adverfaries, Death and the Devil, fhould have an end; or, to ufe the Apostle's own Words, That Chrift fhould put down all Rule and all Authority and Power. Indeed there is good Proof, that St. Paul understood thefe Words to be a Promife of an everlasting endless Reign.. For he thus refers to them in his Epiftle to the Hebrews, This Man after he had Heb. x. offered one Sacrifice for Sins, for ever 12, 13 fat down at the right Hand of God, from henceforth expecting, till his Enemies be

made

SERM.

VII, VIII

made his Footstool. But because fome judicious Interpreters, joyning the Words for ever with what goes before, read the Sentence thus, This Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever, fat down on the right Hand of God; I will repeat that Passage which I before quo ted from the Epiftle to the Ephefians, in which St, Paul declares, That God hath Eph. i. raifed up Chrift from the Dead, and fet 20, 27. him at his own right Hand in the Heavenly Places, far above all Principality and Power, and Might and Dominion, and every Name that is named, not only in this World, but in that which is to come. Which Words do plainly teach us, that Chrift shall fit at the right Hand of God, as was foretold by the Pfalmift not only in this World, while his Enemies are unfubdued, but also in the World to come, after that his Enemies are fubdued. Nay, they do farther intimate, that in the World to come there fhall be many Powers fubordinate to Jefus Chrift; fo far was the Apoftle from afferting, that all fubordinate Authority hould

04

fhould end with the prefent State of

SERM. Things.

VII,VIII

Phil.

11. 11.

* Pet.

iii. 22.

3. CHRIST's being fubject to the Father does not imply any Refignation of his Authority, or his being reduc'd to the State of a private Subject. For he may be subject to the Father, and yet not bẹ a private Subject. For even now, while he exerciseth all Power in Heaven and in Earth, he is as truly fubject, as he could be if he had no Power at all. For he is Lord to the Glory of God the Father; and doth all Things by Virtue of an Authority deriv'd from the Father, and in Obedience to his Will. St. Peter affures us, That Angels and Authorities and Powers are fubject unto Chrift; but it cannot be concluded from hence, that there are no fubordinate Rulers among the Angels. The Authorities and Powers may ftill have the Command of inferior Angels, altho' they themselves to gether with the Angels under their Com mand, are fubject to the Son of God. As the Rulers among the Angels, fo all Earthly Potentates are fubject unto Chrift; notwith

SERM.

notwithstanding which they retain their Authority over thofe, who are fubject unto them. Even fo the Subjection of, Christ to the Father may well confift with his Dominion over all other Beings.

4. IT does not follow from God's being all in all at the End of the World, that Christ shall not then reign in Subordination to him, any more than it follows from St. Paul's Words to the Coloffians, Chrift is all in all, that there were then Col. iii. no fubordinate Governours under Chrift in the Church. In fome Senfe, God may now be faid to be all in all, as being now the fole Fountain of all rightful Authority, and of all the Bleffings which are derived unto the Creatures.

But he

II.

fhall be all in all in a more eminent and higher Senfe, when the Devil and his Affociates, who are now permitted to exercise an ufurped Authority, fhall be finally fubdued; when, as it was forefold long ago by Ifaiah, Every Knee Ifai. xlv. Shall bow to God, and every Tongue shall confefs to him. Which famous Predic

23.