A Practical Expojition Firft, All are God's Subje£ts in that they can G~ nothing without his Pcrmi/fron. Neither the Devil, that Arch-Creature, nor the worfi.ofhis Infiruments, can iQ much as touch an Hair of our Head, unlefs leave be__granted them. Yea, we find that a :whole Legion of Devilr, afrerrhey were difpolfdlt:d of their ufurped Abode, durlt nor fo much as houfe themfelves in a Herd of Swine without firfi craving leave of our Saviour, Mark 5· 12. And all the Villar.ies and Outrages that ha ve ever been committed in the World have had their Pafs from G0d's Permifiion, without which the Lults of Men, as furious and eager as they are, muft needs have mifcarrying Wombs and dry Breafrs. Nor is it any Taint at all ro the Pure Holinefs of God thar he doth thus permit the Wickednels of Men, which if he pleafed he might prevent. For though we are obliged to keep others from Sin when it lyes in our Power ro do ir, yet no fuch Obligation lyes upon God ; though he can keep the wickede!l Wretch on Earth from ever finning any more, yet he permits wifely, fOr the greater Advancement of his own Glory, and the Exerci!e of his Peoples Graces, and at the lafr he punifhes j u!tly. Secondly, His Kingdom is over all, in that he can bo1d in and rdbain his Rebel lious Subjei.\s as be p,leaferh. Sometimes he doth it by cutting fbott thdr Power of doing Mifchief. He Chains up rhofe Madmen, and rakes from them thofe Swords, Arrows, and Firehrands, which orherwife they might hurl abroad, both to their own and others Hurt. · Sometimes he raifeth up an oppo!ite Power a~:;ainft them that they cannot break through to the Commiffion of their SinS: So the Jews would ofi:en ha\·e taken Chrift and put him ro Death, but they feared the People, whom his Miracles and Cures had obliged unto him. Sometimes Providence calls in fame Seafonable Di. verfion ; and thus he over-ruled Jojepb's Brethren, reftraining them from killing him, by the Providential pa!ling by ol M<rchants that Way. And fometimes by removing the ObjeOs againft which they intended to Sin; So Herod intended ro put Peter to Death, but that very Night God fenr his JJ.ngel to work his efcape, and prevented that Wickcdnefs. Many other Ways there may be o£ his exercifing his Sovereignty and Dominion over his mort Rebellious Creatures, Who though they ' are Slaves to their Lulls, yet God holds their Chain in hiS own Hand, fl ackning it by his Permif. fion, and IOmetimes ftrairning it by his pOwerful Reftraints. And therefore we find in Scripwre that God bath a certain Meafure for Mens Sins, beyond which they lhall not exceed. Zach. 5· there is mention made ofan Ephah of Wickednefs . And •his fignifies to us_, that though '<Vicked Men break the Bounds of his Laws, yet they cannot break the !jounds of h_is Providence. God hatlt fC:t them their Meafure, which they can neither fill without his Permiffion, nor exceed becaufe of his Refiraint. Thirdly, God declares his Kingdom ro be over all, by inftii.\ing deferved Puni!h· ments on themofi Stubborn and Rebellious Sinners: Though they rranfgrefs his Laws, and provoke his Holinefs, yet they !hall never outbrave his juftice; but he will cer· tainly humble them, if not to Repentance, yet to Hell and Perdition, LuA.e 19. q. Tbofc mine Enemies that would notrhat I jhould Reign over them bring tbmz··bitber, and flay them before me. And therefore we fee how God bath erefled Tt·ophies and Monuments to the Praife of his Dread Power and Severe Juftice out of the Ruins of rhe moft Proud and lnfolenr Sinners. Pharaoh, who was both the great Type and lnftrument oftbe Devil, how did God break that llubborn Wretch with Plague upon Flague, and one Mifery after another~ For to this very Purpofe God fct him up that he might !hew his Signs and Wonders upon him. And rhus God deals with many others in this Life by fome Signal and Remarkable Pumfhments, mak1ng them Examples to deter others from the like Crimes. But thus he deals with all his Rebels in Hell,' for even that is one, and a large, Part of his Kingdom: It is his Prifon, wherein he bath fbur up all his MalefaEtors whom his grim Serjeant, Death, bath Arrefted. It is the great Slaughter-houfe of Souls, and the Shop of Jufi:ice; Devils are there his Executioners, and Fire, and Rack, and Torments, the due Guerdon ofthofe impenitent Rebels, who fuaking off his Yoke, and calling ofF his Cords, from them, are qufh'd for ever under th~ infupportable Load of his Wrath, and hound in Chains of mafly Darknefs, referved for the Judgment of the Great Day. Thus we fee God's Univerfal Kingdom confifts of Three great Provinces, Heaven, Earth, and lie//. ln Heaven only Grace and Mercy Reigns; on Earth both Mercy and Juftice, in the various Difpenfations of them towards the Sons of Men; in Hell pure and unmixed Jullice triumphs in [be Eternal Damnation of his Apofiare Creatures: This is ·God's Univerfa/ Kingdffll. Bur, Secondly,
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