s A I N T s COMPARED TO K I N G s. Book IV. flowed upon us, that we jhould be called the Sons of God! Behold, now are we Sons of God, &c. I John iii. I, 2. II. Kings have great Attendants belonging to them : So the Saints have moll: great and glorious Attendants belonging to them, viz. the holy Angels. No Kings or Mo– narchs on Earth are honored like the Saints and Children of God, in refpetl: of the Excellency of their Retinue. See Angels under the fixth Head. HI. Kings have their Crowns, and do reign, or ·elfe expect to reign : So the Saints have a Crown laid up for them : Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righte– oufnefs, which God the righteous Judge jhall give unto me at that Day; and not to me on!j, but to all them a!Jo that lo·ve his Appearance, 2 'I'im. iv. 18. Be thou faithful unto Death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life, Rev. ii. IO. And as they lhall have a Crown, fo they fhall reign upon the Earrh as Kings, Rev. v. IO. IV. Kings are the principal Men on Earth, far exceeding in Honor and Excellency all common People: So the Saints are the chief and principal Ones, or the moll: ex– cellent in all the Earth; it may be faid of them, as of Jabefo, they are more honor– able than their Brethrm, I Chro11. iv. 9, IO. What bafe and ignoble Perfons are the Wicked, to t!tofe noble Souls! The Ungodly, be they never fo high and great in Power and Sovereignty, are compared to Things very bafe, vile, and contemptible, as will hereafter be fhewn. '!'he Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour, Prov, xii. 26. . V. Kings fometimes meet with great Trouble and Sorrow after they are anointed, before they come to the quiet Enjoyment of their Crowns; they have been' feverely perfecuted, and chafed from one Place to another, as King David particularly was: ·so the Saints of God, though they are anointed with the Oil of Gladnefs, and have an AfTurance given them of the Crown of Glory, meet with very great Trouble in this World, being perfecuted, tormented, afflicted, and fometimes having no certain Dwel– ling-place, as is faid of fome of the ancient Worthies, Heb. xi. VI. Some Kings have pofTefTed and reigned over many Kingdoms, their Dominions have been very great. The Saints are the Heirs of a Kingdom, nay, all the King– doms under the whole Heavens fhall be g1ven to them. '!'be Kingdoms of this World jhall becpme the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrifl, &c. Rev. xi. I5· And the Kingdoms, and Dominions, and the Greatnef< of the Kingdom, under the whole Heaven, fhall begiven to the People of the Saints of the Mofl High, &c. Dan. ix. 2 7· VII. Kings have great and noble Minds, they bufy not themfelves about mean .Matters : So the Saints have great and noble Spirits; they converfe about Things above; being rifen with Chrift, their A~ections are not fet upon Things below, but feek thofe Things that are above, where Chrift is at the Right·hand of God, Col. iii. 1, 2. Our Converfation is in Heaven, &c. Phi/. iii. 20. VIII. Kings have many great and glorious Privileges and Prerogatives appertaining to them; how are they honored and congratulated by the People! So have the Saints. They fhall fit down with Chri£1: on his Throne; they fhall judge the World ; they fhall b.e honored by all ; the Wicked 'fhall bend their Knees before them in the Day t~ come, &c. There are many great Di]parilies, which we leave to the Reader's Obfervatiofi; N F E R E N C E S. I. LET not the Saints be difcouraged, nor faint under their Afflictions. What though David was hunted like a Partridge on the Mountains ? he was the Lord's Anointed for all that, and his Exaltaiion followed : So it is but a little while, if yo11' faint not, before God will exalt you. II. 0 what manner of Lovt and Grace is this ! What! Hath God made us his Sons, .Heirs, Joint-H~irs with Chri£1:! Hath he made us Kings! and flull we reign! &c. ;'What fhall we render to the Lord? ,&c. Ill. This may quicken and ll:ir up all the Saints to live as becomes their honorable Calling and Dignity. Hath God made us Kings, and fhall we live like Beggars? Far be it from noble-fpirited Saints fo ·to do. z SAINTS,
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