DISCOURSE III. 619 it seems to import his human nature in an especial manner; for there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus ; 1 Tim. ii. 5. The manhood is eminently re- presented in the person of the Mediator, though the godhead being united, rendered all his actions infinitely efficacious and powerful. 6. It presents its' also with a fair and rational account why God himself was called King of Israel, and took upon hire the political government of that peculiar nation ; and we learn why the Messiah had also this title given him, the King of the Jews, when we consider the pre- existent soul of the Messiah personally united to the divine nature. That God was oftencalled the King of Israel, is sufficiently manifest in many places. 1 Sam. xii. 12. Samuel reproved them when they wanted another king to reign over them, " while the Lord their God was their King." 'David and Isaiah often called God the " Creator of Israel and their king, the Redeemer of Jacob and his king, the holy one of Israel and his king ;" Psal. lxxxix. 18. Isa. xli. 21. Isa. xlifi. 15. And in the vision of Isaiah, chapter vi. verse 6. the pro- phet says,Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts, which is properly applied to Christ by John the evangelist, chap. xii. verse 51. He is called the " King of glory ;" Psal. xxiv. 7, 9, 10. When the ark was brought up to Zion, he is intitled the " King of Zion ;" Zech. ix. 9. which is attributed to Christ ; John 'xii. 25. and the common name of the Messiah was the " King of Israel ;" John i. 49. Nathanael saith to Christ, Thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. All these expressions are very natural, and just, and proper when we consider the soul of Christ in its pre-existent state united to the divine nature, and becoming a patternand protector of the holy seed, assuming the Jews above any other nation, into a peculiar relation to himself. And upon this account is said in John i. 11. 11e came to his own os 1a r8Oa, to his own property or possession, tohis own people the Jews, but the Jews, his own subjects received him not. Now if we suppose the soul of our blessed Redeemer in union wills his godhead to be the appointed or anointed king of the Jewish church and nation, through all the ages of that eco- nomy, and if we consider that when he took flesh upon him and came down to dwell in the midst of them, according to the pro- phecies of the Old Testament, he was renounced, disowned, scorned, reproached, scourged and crucified by his rebellious subjects ; and when we remember that all these sorrows were sustained in obedience to the will of his heavenly Father, and in compassion to sinful man ; how just and meritorious a found- ation does this lay for his exaltation to a greater and more exten- sive kingdom, even to beraised tp the goverument of all churches
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