QUEST. 26. How doth Christ execute the office of a king?

ANSW. Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.

Q. Why is Christ called a king?

A. Because he gives laws to, and rules over many subjects.

Q. What different kingdoms has Christ?

A. An essential and mediatorial kingdom.

Q. What is the essential kingdom of Christ?

A. That dominion he as God has over all things.

Q. What is his mediatorial kingdom?

A. That dominion he has over the church, and all the concerns of it.

Q. Wherein do these two kingdoms differ?

A. He has the essential kingdom by nature; but he has the mediatorial kingdom by his own purchase, and his Father’s gift, Philippians 2:7-10.

Q. What ensigns of royalty or kingly honour are ascribed to Christ in scripture?

A. A palace, throne, sceptre, ambassadors, armies, tribute, and laws, etc.

Q. What is Christ’s palace?

A. Heaven.

Q. What thrones has Christ, and where do they stand?

Q. Christ has a throne of grace in his church on earth, a throne of glory in heaven, and a throne of judgment, probably in the air, at the last day.

Q. What sceptre has Christ?

A. The golden sceptre of the gospel, and the iron sceptre of his wrath.

Q. Of what use is his golden sceptre?

A. To gather, subdue, strengthen, and comfort his people.

Q. Of what use is his iron sceptre?

A. To punish and destroy his incorrigible enemies, Psalm 2:9.

Q. Who are Christ’s ambassadors?

A. Sometimes angels, but especially gospel-ministers, 2 Corinthians 5:20.

Q. Is it not high treason for any to intrude themselves into this office without Christ’s call?

A. Yes.

Q. What armies has Christ?

A. The heavenly armies of angels, saints, stars, etc. and the armies of hell and earth.

Q. What is Christ’s tribute or revenue?

A. All the service and praise of angels and saints; and he makes even his enemies’ wrath to praise him.

Q. Of what nature is Christ’s mediatorial kingdom?

A. Of a spiritual nature, and not of this world.

Q. Do civil magistrates derive their authority from Christ as Mediator?

A. No; for God acknowledges the authority of Pagan magistrates, Jeremiah 27:17.

Q. How may Christ’s mediatorial kingdom be distinguished?

A. Into his kingdoms of grace and of glory.

Q. How do these differ?

A. His kingdom of grace is on earth, amidst enemies, and consists of imperfect subjects; but his kingdom of glory is in heaven, and consists only of perfect subjects.

Q. For what different ends [intended purposes] has Christ erected his kingdoms of grace and glory?

A. His kingdom of grace is erected for gathering and gaining subjects to him; but his kingdom of glory is for making them fully happy.

Q. How is Christ’s kingdom of grace distinguished?

A. Into his visible and invisible kingdom.

Q. What is Christ’s visible kingdom or church?

A. The society of them who, in all ages and places, do profess the true religion, and their children.

Q. What is Christ’s invisible kingdom of grace?

A. True believers, in the hidden man of whose heart Christ reigns, Luke 17:20-21.

Q. Are not the unconverted elect members of this invisible kingdom of grace?

A. They are intended, but not actual members of it, Colossians 1:13.

Q. Why is Christ’s church on earth called militant?

A. Because the members of it are duly called to fight with sin, Satan, and the world, Ephesians 6.

Q. Why is his church in heaven called triumphant?

A. Because their only work is to sing and share of Christ’s victories, Revelation 7 and 15.

Q. When did Christ enter on the discharge of his kingly office?

A. When he published the first promise.

Q. When was he most solemnly installed in this office?

A. When he ascended into heaven.

Q. When will be most fully display his royal power?

A. At the last day.

Q. Over whom does Christ exercise his kingly office?

A. Over his people, and his and their enemies.

Q. How does he exercise it over his people?

A. In subduing, ruling, and defending them.

Q. How does he deliver them from bondage by these acts?

A. He brings them out of bondage by subduing them, he prevents their voluntary return to bondage by ruling them, and saves them from being driven back to bondage by defending them, Psalm 110; Jeremiah 31.

Q. Why must Christ first in order subdue his people?

A. Because by nature they are his enemies.

Q. By what means does Christ subdue us to himself?

A. By his word and Spirit, Psalm 110:3.

Q. How do these subdue us to Christ?

A. The Spirit, by the word, applies the blood of Christ and love of God to our consciences, renews our hearts, slays our enmity, and constrains us to yield ourselves to Christ.

Q. What is the language of the soul, when thus melted and overcome by the love of Christ?

A. It is, Truly I am thy servant: thou hast loosed my bonds.

Q. What bonds doth Christ loose us from?

A. From the bonds of the guilt, filth, and power of sin, which bind us in the kingdom and prison of Satan.

Q. How does he loose the bond of sin’s guilt?

A. By applying his blood to our conscience for justification.

Q. How does he loose the bonds of sin’s filth and reigning power?

A. By shedding abroad the love of God in our heart, for melting, purging, and renewing it.

Q. What is the effect of this loosing of bonds?

A. We are hereby translated from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of Christ, Colossians 1:13.

Q. How does Christ exercise his dominion over these he has subdued?

A. He rules in and over them.

Q. Does he free them from their obligations to magistrates, masters, and other superiors?

A. No; he requires that such be obeyed in all things lawful.

Q. Whereby does Christ rule his people?

A. By his word and Spirit, Jeremiah 31:33.

Q. How does he rule them by his word?

A. By giving them laws to direct their conversation.

Q. What laws does he give them?

A. The law of the ten commandments as a rule of life, 1 Corinthians 9:21.

Q. With what motives does he excite them to obedience?

A. With the motives of gracious rewards when they obey, and of heavy chastisements when they offend.

Q. How does Christ rule his people by his Spirit?

A. He thereby gradually writes his law upon their hearts, and excites and enables them to keep it.

Q. Does not he sometimes make providence a means of ruling them?

A. Yes; he thereby often hedges them in to their duty, Hosea 2:6-7.

Q. How are believers safe in the paths of duty?

A. By Christ’s defending them.

Q. From whom does Christ defend his people?

A. From all their enemies, Psalm 91:10.

Q. Who are their enemies?

A. Sin, Satan, the world, and death; the worst of which is indwelling sin.

Q. How does Christ defend believers from sin?

A. By keeping alive the spark of their grace in an ocean of corruption, till it be quite dried up.

Q. How does he defend them from Satan?

A. By a close application of his own blood to their consciences for the quenching of his fiery darts, and by strengthening their graces in opposition to his temptations.

Q. How does he defend them from the world?

A. By outward dispensations of providence, and such powerful impressions of his love on their hearts, as over-balance the influence of the smiles or frowns of the world.

Q. How does he defend them from the hurt and fear of death?

A. By securing their eternal life, and giving them comfortable views of it, 2 Corinthians 5:1.

Q. How does Christ exercise his dominion over his and our enemies?

A. In restraining and conquering them.

Q. Whence is it that Christ and his people’s enemies are the same?

A. From Christ and his people’s being one.

Q. How does Christ restrain his and our enemies?

A. By hindering them, even while their strength remains, to execute their attempts any further than he sees meet for his glory and our good, Psalm 76:10.

Q. Wherein does Christ limit the attacks of his enemies?

A. In their kind, number, degree, and duration.

Q. How does Christ conquer his and our enemies?

A. By taking away their power and strength; and in punishing them, if reasonable creatures.

Q. In what different ways does Christ conquer his enemies?

A. Two ways; in his own person, and in the persons of his people.

Q. In what periods are they especially conquered in his own person?

A. At his death, and at the last day.

Q. How does Christ in his own person conquer sin?

A. By fulfilling the law, and so removing the curse, which is the strength of sin; and by condemning sin publicly at the last day, Romans 8:3; Matthew 25:41.

Q. How does Christ in his own person conquer Satan?

A. He in his death spoiled him of his warrant to be the executioner of God’s justice; and he will condemn him to hell at the last day, Hebrews 2:14.

Q. How does Christ in his own person conquer the world?

A. In his life he despised it; in his death he crucified it to us, and delivered us from it; and he will condemn the men of it to hell at the last day.

Q. How does Christ in his own person conquer death?

A. In his death he unstinged it [removed its sting]; and in his resurrection he opened the gates of its prison, Hosea 13:14.

Q. Shall all his people also conquer these enemies?

A. Yes; in him they shall be more than conquerors.

Q. Why say you they are conquerors in him?

A. Because it is only in a state of union to Christ, and in his strength, that they conquer.

Q. How are they more than conquerors in him?

A. They lose nothing, their conquest is easy and complete, and they gain even when they seem to be conquered.

Q. How does Christ conquer Satan in his people?

A. By enabling them to oppose and baffle his temptations, Romans 16:20.

Q. How does Christ conquer sin in his people?

A. By pardoning their guilt, and making grace in their hearts prevalent over all their lusts.

Q. How does Christ conquer the world in his people?

A. By raising their affections above it, and fixing them on heavenly things, Psalm 4:6-7.

Q. How does Christ conquer death in his people?

A. By making it a great gain to them, enabling them to triumph over it, and freeing them from its bonds at the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55.

Q. How should we improve [prove and confirm in our lives] Christ as a king?

A. By submitting to, loving, glorying, and trusting in him; zealously maintaining his rights of government, and fighting under his banner against his enemies.