The doctrines of grace are not just abstract theories, of no relevance to the world in which we live. We see them at work in the world every day.

On the one hand, we see total depravity demonstrated for us every day in world events (and, more painfully, within our own hearts, as we see our own sinfulness). On the other hand, we see, in the midst of a sinful world, the great mystery unfolding, of sinners being saved by grace--people of every age, nationality and background, turning from idols to serve the living and true God, often against all worldly expectations, the worst of sinners becoming the most eminent of saints. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

At the time of writing, the small town of Beslan in Russia is mourning its dead, after the tragic events at School No.1--where 1,200 people, both pupils and teachers, were taken hostage, and over 500 are thought to have died, and many more injured. Beslan is mourning, and the world is mourning with them. Believers as well as unbelievers are caught up in this. The local evangelical church is near the school, and several church families have lost children. We can only “weep with them that weep” in such terrible circumstances. The whole world is united in condemning the hostage takers--and yet, as believers, we ought not to be surprised. This is one more terrifying example of the depths to which mankind can sink. Many, however, will react with self-righteousness, and say that such wickedness is the work of a fanatical minority; we are not like that. No, we might not sink that low--but the seeds of sin are in us all.

Robert Cordle’s address on Total Depravity, extracts from which are published in this issue, deals with this solemn subject, whilst John Newton’s candid letter to his friend, William Bull, reveals how even the most eminent of saints still know the workings of sin in their hearts.

The tragedy in Beslan has also another dimension. It challenges our faith in the sovereignty of God. Here is one of those extreme cases that test our beliefs to the limits, and there will be many who think it tests them beyond their limits. “How can a God of love allow innocent children to be slaughtered in this way?” people will ask, and we have no real answer.

Or again, the people of Beslan themselves have asked, “Why us? What have we done to deserve this?” And again we have no answer. The answers to these heart-wrenching questions belong to those “secret things of the Lord” which have not been revealed to us.

The “sovereign ruler of the skies” has no need to explain and justify himself to sinful men. Our part is simply to trust in Him. As the hymn by Ryland puts it,

Sovereign Ruler of the skies, ever gracious, ever wise;
All my times are in thy hand, All events at thy command.

We must say with Medley,

God shall alone the refuge be, and comfort of my mind;
Too wise to be mistaken, He, too good to be unkind.

The alternative, certainly, does not bear thinking about. If God were not sovereign--if the events in Russia were outside His control, if God were unable to do anything about human wickedness, what hope would there be? The Russian government proved helpless in the face of the terrorist threat; what if God were helpless as well? That would be unthinkable. But God is not helpless. “The Lord is King for ever and ever” “He is a great King over all the earth”, and eternity will reveal both the love and the justice of God.

Thomas Boston’s characteristically logical and yet warm-hearted analysis of the Kingdom of God (“logic on fire”) will help us to see with fresh eyes the sovereignty of God, whilst Wylie’s account of the coronation of King Gustavus Vasa of Sweden will remind us that there are men in high places who recognise One higher than themselves--kings of the earth who have kissed the Son and desire to serve Him.

God grant that these articles may be a blessing to each reader.

I am very conscious as we come to this great subject this afternoon, that I am coming in at the first of the five points in the doctrines of grace which we know to be the doctrines of the reformers & of Calvin. We must begin where the scripture begins, where indeed the gospel begins. And that is with sin. And I would like to suggest to you by way of introduction that how we understand this truth, the doctrine of man in his sinfulness, the doctrine we refer to as our total depravity, will influence absolutely, not just greatly, but absolutely how we go on to understand salvation.

I have a great fear, that the doctrine of sin is no longer considered a vital part of preaching as far as evangelicalism is concerned. We go to churches, and they preach about Christ, and they preach about God’s love, and they preach about salvation, to a certain degree, and the way to heaven, and they delight in the blessings of the gospel, but there is no mention of sin, of the penalty due unto our sins, or the guilt that every one of us has because of sins. There is no mention of that offence for which Christ did come. But if we take away sin, we take away any need that we have for salvation. We take away any need that we have that Christ should come. If there is no sin we have no need of imputation of righteousness from Christ--we are in heaven already. It seems to me that there is a lack, a terrible negligent lack, concerning the preaching of the doctrine of our sinful estate.

I shall attempt to conclude with you that this is not a depressing subject, not one to discourage us and bow us down--but one that leads us to the sublimest views of God, and a proper humility of heart. I believe quite firmly that when we study the controversies that arose between Calvin and Arminius, Luther and Erasmus, Pelagius and Augustine, we see that error begins in a faulty recognising of our sinful state.

Thomas Goodwin once gave the following illustration. He pictured in his mind two vast giants, so vast that their feet spanned the circle of the earth and their height reached to the extremities of the universe. Both were vast, but they differed greatly in their appearance. The first had been created in righteousness or in whiteness, but in time he falls into blackness, and then stands up again in the blackness of darkness. The other--the greater giant--is not created. He begins in brilliant whiteness, then for a short time is bowed down into blackness, then is raised up into the glorious, beautiful whiteness of purity forever. Now both of these giants have around their waists a girdle, and on the girdle are multitudes upon multitudes upon multitudes of hooks. And he beholds the first giant, the giant that fell down, and is now in blackness, and hooked into the belt of the girdle of this first giant is every living soul that ever had breath of life, whether man or woman or child--every soul. And behold a hand comes forth--called grace--and unhooks an innumerable number out of the belt of the first giant, and hooks them in the belt of the giant that is in the beauty of whiteness forever. The two giants are the two giants of mankind--the giants into which man is at first born, then the giant into which believers are reborn--Adam and Christ. The grace of God, working upon the sinful, depraved nature of man, unhooks him out of the belt of Adam and hooks him into the belt of Christ. Now our being hooked into the belt of the girdle of the first giant, as best I can illustrate it is that doctrine of total depravity that I want to address this afternoon.

Now I want to deal with the subject this afternoon in four brief and simple heads--its derivation, its degree, its description, its delights--for this doctrine is not one that should lead to discouragement, but I believe is superabounding in encouragement and exaltation of our Saviour. I shall not be able to exhaust this subject, and I am not professing at all this afternoon to be teaching you anything that you don’t already know. We will simply be looking into the Word, studying it carefully, seeking to be edified and built up in our understanding of the gospel, which begins with our understanding of sin and its coming into the world.

I am going to be using this passage in Romans 5 that we read simply as a springboard. I am not proposing to give you an exposition of it, but the apostle Paul is describing here in v12-21, that which we saw in the illustration of Thomas Goodwin. In every verse (except verse 13) he mentions us in Adam--that one man. He mentions his disobedience, his wickedness, and he shows how that this disobedience, this wickedness, is conferred upon us all, and with it, the judgement of this wickedness. We are guilty of Adam’s first sin. Perhaps I could single out that phrase, “sin hath reigned”--and that word “reigned” is the same word that was used of kings. When King Herod died, his son “reigned” it says in his stead--it is the same term here. In the Revelation it says of Christ, “He shall reign”--same word. So in the same degree that we are under the reign and authority of Christ, in an eternal dominion, we are described in verse 21 as being under the reign and dominion of sin.

Its derivation

To see how this came about, it is necessary to turn back to Genesis. We must ask ourselves what state it was into which man was created--“What is man?” We see firstly, man’s creation, Genesis 1 and verse 26. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

We see firstly that he was created in the image and the likeness of God. In the eternal trinity and unity, God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let us take our image as the eternal, holy, holy, holy one, and let us imprint, stamp that image, upon a man. Let us distinguish him then from the animal beasts. Let us make this man to be over the earth, to subdue it, to have dominion over it.” (It seems increasingly important to defend that position--that we are not as brute beasts. When theologians talk about base instinct, we are not in any way suggesting we are created like the beasts.) We then read in chapter 2 and verse 7, (it is not chronological) “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostril the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” Man became a living soul--he is given a physical and a spiritual life in union together. Now it is a peculiar act, isn’t it? It doesn’t take place with any of the other beasts, fishes, creeping things. And it is to teach us very clearly--and these are foundational principles on which the house of God’s Word is going to be built.

We see then man’s covenant. God gives him responsibilities. He sets him to dress the garden. Then we read, “The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him….. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife” God makes him a moral being, he binds him in companionship, he shows that he has emotions and affections, he knows that he is prone to loneliness. We start to then see and understand and see our own image here. Adam is given a will, and that principally to keep the covenant “And the Lord God commanded the man saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Man is a moral being, and he is accountable. God is entering into a covenant with him, a covenant of works, so that if Adam obeys God promises his blessing. This is the probationary covenant of Eden.

But we have to go a little further. Man is not in the state in which Adam was originally created. In chapter 3, we start to see the origin of sin. Adam is created as the creation of God only could be, in righteousness, in holiness, in perfection. Now Augustus H. Strong says there are two dangers when we look at Adam in his original state--the danger that we lift him so high that he cannot progress and the danger that we push him so low that he cannot fall. Adam is pleasing to God But the serpent comes. The serpent is the chief of the fallen angels--and what is his plan, what’s his design? To see sin and corruption and rebellion enter into this perfect creation. He does this by coming to Eve. Now, we are told in the New Testament, that the woman was deceived. We are told also that the man was not deceived. This is not to degrade, demoralise, put down women, no, it is shown to reveal how man’s sin in Adam is wilful rebellion against God. He wasn’t deceived into it. The serpent comes, he questions God’s Word, and brings about the suggestion and the possibility of sin. He alludes to man’s emotion and desires and appeals to that emotional, physical part of man, and leaves out and denies that spiritual, and Eve is tempted. She sees that the fruit is good to look upon and it would be good to eat and she reaches forth and plucks it and she eats and then presents it to her husband. Adam is presented with an opportunity to gratify flesh but to disobey the Lord. And we can only to conclude that here was a deliberate, wilful act of rebellion against God. He said, “I will take it, and I will eat it. The devil says, we shall be as gods, the devil says, he shall not surely die.” and as a part of believing the devil’s lie, Adam falls, and great is the fall of him.

Now, there’s none here that can say that after Adam has taken of that fruit and disobeyed God, he is any longer in the state in which he was originally created. He has fallen. And he is punished. There are four aspects to his punishment. Firstly, shame--he is aware of his nakedness. Sin causes shame. There is not one of us who will want someone this afternoon to stand up and proclaim to all the rest of us our sins, in this day. Secondly, spiritual death. Now the word of the Lord must stand. and God’s Word is quite clear, “In the day”--immediately, at that very hour, in that very day, the same day--“you shall surely die.” Well, Adam doesn’t die--does he? Well, he must have done, because God had said. He died a spiritual death--that spiritual, sentient part of him that has ability in consciousness and communication and fellowship with God, has died. He is dead in trespasses and in sins. Thirdly, separation from God--sin is abhorrent to God--He can’t look upon it--He must separate sin from Himself. And then, fourthly, physical death--the physical pain, the sorrow, the corruption, the eventual death of the body has set in and a process begun. Man is no longer in the original state of perfect righteousness and holiness in which God created him.

Some theologians say man is created in equilibrium, neither good nor evil. We don’t see this. He is created in the image of God, and totally inclined to God. But the fulcrum swings, and then he is completely inclined away from God. and spiritually dies. That is the vital point to understand--that he is spiritually dead.

Its degree

I want to move to my second point, which is, its degree. Now most concede that there is some sinfulness in us. Most concede certainly that we are prone to sin. To what extent have we fallen in Adam? Well, let me try in the best way I can by way of illustration to suggest to you the true force of sin.

Now Arminius, Pelagius and Erasmus, they see Adam as a great oak tree, and his seed is in him. “Be fruitful and multiply” God’s Word said, so his seed is within. In the fall, they say, a branch is cut off and dies, and in process of time, the oak tree will die, and--this is their contention is, and it is not logical--the acorns from this branch will not mature. It is both natural and logical that they would grow into completely formed oak trees. What they are saying is, yes, a part of Adam dies, but Adam had his seed within himself already and begat man in the image of God, in which he was created.

Not so, for then what is the illustration to teach us? We see that Adam is an oak tree, but man has not a branch severed from him- he has become a thorn bush. He does not beget man in the image in which he was created in God, but he begets man in his own image, and we are inherently of that unrighteousness and sinfulness and cursedness, particularly that spiritual death that is in Adam. The psalmist says, In the very conception of me, in the very forming of me, it is in sin. Man is born after the image of Adam with original sin already within him, spiritually dead. So those that are spiritually dead can’t make themselves alive in time and incline to God

Now here is my illustration from nature. It is like this. A bird in its freedom can fly to and fro through the earth, but it cannot decide it wants to become a mole, and burrow under the ground! And likewise it cannot become a fish, and live under the sea. This is true of man. We are born in sin, and sin reigns. It has a tyranny, a dominion--we are under the kingship, the authority of sin. By the disobedience of one, death is conferred upon us--spiritual death--and we are born dead. We are born under the curse of God. and under the condemnation of our sinfulness, and in each one of us, it cannot be, ever, that original sin does not yield its proper fruit. As the thorn bush cannot yield acorns, so there was never yet one man or woman or boy or girl that yielded a fruitful life of righteousness.

And that essentially is the state of our totally depraved nature, totally devoid of life, totally in every part and faculty of being--in our spirit, we are dead; in our heart, it is stone, it is deceitful; in our mind, it is darkened and cannot lighten itself; in our flesh, it is depraved.

Its description

In the picture of Isaiah, we drag sin behind us, “as it were with a cart rope.” We look back on life and see, sin--why? and we look ahead to our pathway and we see--sin! Why? Because we are spiritually dead--and because our heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, inclined towards the flesh, and inclined towards self, and to the gratification and pleasures of the flesh. And why is it that when believers are saved, they don’t live in perfect righteousness and holiness? Because they have the old nature still within them. We see in the Scriptures we are blind, and we are deaf, and we are dumb and we are thirsty and we are poor and we are naked and we are maimed and we are lame and we are halt and we are broken hearted and we are in bondage, and we are bruised, and we are damned, condemned, and we are under judgement and under wrath, bound fast by nature’s night, bound unto that physical and then eternal death.

I have only touched upon our will, but we see--what do we see? We see dead men that can’t make themselves alive, and dead men that have no power to make themselves hear, and we see spiritually wicked men that have no power to make themselves righteous. We see spiritually bound men that have no power to deliver themselves, and bruised men that are crushed by the weight of sin and the burden of it and the conscience of it and the guilt of it. We see overcome men--by the evil one, by the appetites of the flesh and by the penalty which shall be eternally endured.

Paul describes in Ephesians 2 our natural state. He says in verse 1 we are dead in trespasses and sins; he goes on in v12, to say that in our natural state, before we are saved, we are without God, without hope, strangers to the covenants of promise. There is no hope. That is the true and accurate and Biblical representation of the state into which every person in this room, together with all mankind, is born--totally depraved.

Its delights

Can I conclude by lifting our thoughts--its delights. Not because we delight in our sinful, fallen state, not because we delight in ourselves--there is nothing to glory in. But I say the delights, because this leads to the most exalted view and love for Christ. It leads to the most humble reverence and fear of God. It leads to the most dependent frame of eternal thankfulness and praise and consecration in the heart and mind of the believer. Why? For we see its reflection in the other points in the doctrines of grace. Election--there was nothing in us to merit esteem or give the creator delight--we are totally depraved. But we see God’s grace. In atonement--in limited atonement. That means particular, personal--for me! He died for me personally. All the actual sins that I committed. He died for me in such a depraved and wicked state that I was totally at enmity with him and darkened by the God of this world, blinded by him, so that I couldn’t see, even though he revealed clearly to me, in the scriptures, his will for me, yet he died for me. Then in irresistible grace. I couldn’t have inclined to God. There was nothing in me that wasn’t bound by spiritual deadness. And it wasn’t that I had some spark of good left in me, so that in perceiving God in his word I repented. In the picture, God’s hand of grace comes down, by the moving of the Holy Spirit, and lifts us from the belt of Adam and hooks us to the belt of Christ. We wouldn’t come. The appeal of the Scriptures is clearly given. “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out”. But He goes on to say that in our nature, we can’t come. “No man can come except the Father draw him.” We see it in our perseverance. How many believers here this afternoon have ever lacked assurance? I have. Sometime the devil comes, and he slings his darts, but he sets them on fire first. He slings them at us, and all that we have is our puny shield of faith, and it seems so weak and so small. He slings doubts. When I look into this glorious truth, and I see that there is absolutely nothing in nature by me, and yet God loved me. No matter how many times I fall and fail and backslide, and rebel, it’s all by grace. From beginning to end, the perseverance of the saints is all by grace.

This doctrine is one that delights the soul, because it leads to the most humble view of man and we say with John, “I must decrease.” It leads to the most exalted view of Christ and of God. “He must increase.” We see that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so now grace reigns. Where sin did abound, grace did much more abound. And as sin reigned unto death, this was so that grace should reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dear and Reverend Sir,

I call you dear because I love you; and I shall continue to stile you reverend as long as you dignify me with that title. It is indeed a pretty sounding epithet, and forms a striking contrast in the usual application. The inhabitants of the moon (if there be any), have, perhaps, no idea how many reverend, right reverend and most reverend sinners we have in England. And yet you are reverend, and I revere you, because I believe the Lord liveth in you, and has chosen you to be a temple of his presence, and an instrument of his grace.

I hope the two sermons you preached in London were made useful to others; and the medicines you took there were useful to yourself. I am glad to hear you are safe at home, and something better. Cheerful spring is approaching, then I hope the barometer of your spirits will rise. But the presence of the Lord can bring a pleasanter spring than April, and even in the depths of winter. That heathenish, fulsome compliment of Horace to Augustus, is a beautiful prayer in the mouth of a Christian, and has sometime touched my heart, as if I had found it in the Bible:

Lucem redde, tuae, dux bone, patriae;
Instar veris enim vultus ubi tuus
Adfulsit populo, gratior it dies
Et soles melius nitent.

(Restore the light to your fatherland, O good leader,
for where, with truthful presence, it once shone forth
upon your people, the day passes more pleasantly
and the sunlight shines much brighter.)

Time has been when I could say, and did say, something like this, in my own way:

How tedious and tasteless the hours
When Jesus no longer I see!
Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flowers
Have lost all their sweetness with me.
The Midsummer sun shines but dim--
The fields strive in vain to look gay;
But when I am happy in him,
December’s as pleasant as May.

At present it is January with me, both within and without. The outward sun shines and looks pleasant, but his beams are faint, and too feeble to dissolve the frost. So it is in my heart. I have many bright and pleasant beams of truth in my view, but cold predominates in my frost-bound spirit, and they have but little power to warm me. I could tell a stranger something about Jesus, that would perhaps astonish him. Such a glorious person, such wonderful love, such humiliation, such a death. And then, what he is now in himself, and what he is to his people. What a Sun! what a Shield! what a Root! what a Life! what a Friend! My tongue can run upon these subjects sometimes, and could my heart keep pace with it, I should be the happiest fellow in the country. Stupid creature! to know these things so well, and yet be no more affected with them. Indeed I have reason to be upon ill terms with myself. It is strange that pride should ever find anything in my experience to feed upon; but this completes my character for folly, vileness, and inconsistence, that I am not only poor but proud; and though I am convinced I am a very wretch, as nothing before the Lord, I am prone to go forth among my fellow creatures as though I were wise and good.

You wonder what I am doing, and well you may. I am sure you would, if you lived with me. Too much of my time passes in busy idleness, too much in waking dreams. I aim at something, but hindrances from within and without make it difficult for me to accomplish anything. I have written three or four pages since you were here, in the little book I showed you. It is to be but about the size of a shilling pamphlet; and if I go on as I have begun, it may be finished before Christmas. I dare not say I am absolutely idle, or that I wilfully waste much of my time. I think I could complete my book in five or six days, if I had nothing else to do; but I have seldom one hour free from interruption. Letters come that must be answered--visitants that must be received--business that must be attended to. I have a good many sheep and lambs to look after, sick and afflicted souls dear to the Lord; and therefore whatever stands still, these must not be neglected. Amongst these various avocations, night comes before I am ready for noon, and the week closes when, according to the state of my business, it should not be more than Tuesday. Oh precious irrecoverable time! Oh that I had more wisdom in redeeming thee! Pray for me, that the Lord may teach me to serve him better.

Mrs Newton has been one week confined to her chamber through illness, but is pretty well again. We abound in mercies and causes for gratitude; but what a shame and pity to make such poor returns to the Author of them! I long to come to Newport to see you, but I believe I must wait for that pleasure till the days are a little longer. In the meantime you will be as welcome to us here, if you will trot over, as a new guinea to a miser’s pocket.

I am very affectionately yours,

John Newton

PS: Send or bring me some notes on Job 14.14, or Proverbs 3.6, or any other texts.

A Prayer of Self-abasement before God

‘O Lord Jehovah, how little do we poor miserable mortals know of thy supreme deity and incomprehensible perfections! How far short do our thoughts come about thee, who art infinite or immense in thy being, thine attributes, thy sovereignty over the creatures! What mortal can take upon him to set bounds to this thy sovereignty, where thou dost not lead the way! Lord, we know that thou art indebted to none, and that there is none who can say to thee, ‘What dost thou?’ or ‘Why dost thou so?’ that thou art also holy, and infinitely good, and therefore a lover and rewarder of holiness. May the consciousness of our ignorance in other things kindle in our hearts an ineffable desire of that beatific vision by which, knowing as we are known, we may in the abyss of thine infinity behold those things which no thought of ours at present can reach.’ [Herman Witsius]

There is a fourfold kingdom of God mentioned in Scripture.

1. The kingdom of his power, which reaches over all the world. The subjects of this kingdom are all creatures whatsoever, Ps 103.19, His kingdom ruleth over all. It reaches from the highest angel to the meanest worm that creeps on the earth. It is a vast dominion, comprehending heaven, earth, seas, and hell, and all that in them is. He made them all, and therefore has dominion over them all, and to him they must all submit themselves, willing or unwilling, Rom 14.11, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God. Compare Phil 2.10,11, At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. In this respect God is universal Monarch, and all the kings and emperors of the world are but his vassals.

2. The kingdom of his gospel, Matt 21.43, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, says Christ to the Jews. This is not as large as the former. It is erected within it, but comprehends the whole visible church, in which God has set up the light of his gospel, and Christ’s name is known, and men profess subjection to him.

The subjects of it are all members of the visible church, whether godly or ungodly, sincere or hypocrites, (Matt 13.47), with their children. Even the worst of them are privileged persons, in comparison of those of the world without the church. Ps147.19, 20, He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any other nation; and as for his judgements, they have not known them.

The King of it is Jesus Christ, Psalm 2.6, Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. He is the alone Head of it, and only supreme in it. And neither Pope nor King can pretend to the supremacy over it, without invading his royal prerogative, to their own cost, Eph 1.22,23, God hath put all things under his feet, and given him to be Head over all things to church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. And this glory he will not give to another.

The laws of it are the word of God. The Bible is the book of the laws of the kingdom, which great and small within the kingdom are equally bound to walk by, Is 8.20, To the law and the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. These laws are attended with the most weighty sanction; and as they have the promise of eternal life of free grace to those who obey him, sp they have the threatening of eternal wrath to the disobedient, suitable to the majesty of the King, Mark 16.16, He that believeth shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

The ordinances of it are gospel ordinances, instituted by the King himself, bearing his own signature, Matt 23.20, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And for men to pretend to add or alter, as if they were not bound up to the divine institution, is the product of their own blindness, and enmity against Zion’s King, a saying in effect, We will not have this man to reign over us, Luke 19.27, For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King, Is 33.22.

Lastly, the officers of it (ordinary) are, pastors and teachers, for the work of the ministry, Eph 4.11,12; ruling elders for government, 1 Tim 5.17; and deacons for the care of the poor, Acts 6. As for prelates or bishops, archbishops, metropolitans etc, whatever is to be said of their persons, their offices belong not to the kingdom of Christ, but of Antichrist, as well as priests, cardinals and popes, there being no institution of them in the book of the manner of Christ’s kingdom.

3. The kingdom of his grace, Matt 6.33, Seek ye first the kingdom of God etc. This is yet narrower than any of the former, and comprehends only the invisible church; for it is not an external, but an internal kingdom, in which grace, saving grace, reigns in the hearts of those who belong to it, for, says Christ to his disciples, Behold, the kingdom of God is within you, Luke 17.21.

The subjects of it are believers, true saints, and they only; and they commence subjects of this kingdom in the day of Christ’s power on their hearts, their new birth-day, Ps 110.3. Well may it be called a kingdom, for it is a kingdom of kings, Rev 1.6, as all the subjects of it are made kings unto God. Out of prison (their natural state) they come to reign over their spiritual enemies.

The King of it is Christ, dwelling in their hearts, Eph 3.17, sitting in their hearts as on his throne, and all things else made his footstool, Luke 14.26. The gospel comes with power to the elect souls, Psalm 24.8. The everlasting doors are lifted up, and the King makes his triumphant entry, and receives the crown at his entrance, Cant 3.11.

The laws of it are the laws of the Bible, but written ever in their hearts, Heb 8.10. What others have in their book only, they have in their book and heart too; that is, inclinations of soul suited to the word are framed in them, which is a new nature, naturally disposing them to obedience without force. This is the law of their mind, Rom 7.23.

The ordinances of it are the same gospel ordinances, but observed in a spiritual manner, in spirit and in truth, John 4.24, Phil 3.3. For this kingdom consists not in outward observances, but inward graces, Rom 14.17, whereby the soul is conformed to the image of Christ, and the inner man serves the Lord Christ, as well as the outward man, for it is “not in word, but in power.”

Lastly, the Administrator of it is the Holy Spirit of Christ, John 14.16,17. He teaches the subjects the laws of the kingdom. So they are taught of God. He enlivens, excites, and strengthens them to obedience. He leads them out to war against their spiritual enemies, inspires them with courage and resolution in the conflict, and crowns them with victory. He makes use of the word for all this, and brings every thought into obedience, 2 Cor 10.5.

4 The kingdom of his glory, 1 Cor 15.50. This is the blessed state of eternal happiness in the other world. This kingdom is now a-gathering, but shall fully come at the second coming of Christ.

The subjects of it shall be all the elect, being prepared for it by conviction, regeneration, justification, sanctification and perseverance. This is the end of the golden chain, Rom 8.29,30. (And the elect angels make up a part of this kingdom too.) However long any of them lie among the pots, there shall none of them be left there, nor missing in that kingdom. There they shall be in body and soul too. For Christ will summon death to deliver him his own, and then he will deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and present them spotless.

The King of it is God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, reigning most gloriously over all the kingdom, without the least degree of rebellion or uneasiness under the government among all the subjects, and without any mixture of enemies or malcontents among them, Luke 20.36. This, then, is the kingdom by way of eminency, where the Lord reigns for ever and ever. The kingdom of his power has many malcontents in it, ready to quarrel with their Maker and his administration. The kingdom of the gospel has many adversaries, without and within men, and is held out of many nations. The kingdom of grace has no access to the hearts of many who hear the gospel; and where it is set up, ill neighbours, corrupt lusts, mar the progress. But in the kingdom of glory there are no such things.

The laws of it are the eternal law of righteousness, indelibly engraven on their hearts, without the least blot. There is no Bible needed there, for the rule of conduct is written on the mind, and the writing neither waxes old, nor can be erased.

The ordinances of it are perpetual praises and hallelujahs, never ceasing songs to God and the Lamb. There is no temple there, for God and the Lamb are the temple thereof. There is no need of preaching or prayer; for perfect knowledge takes place, and every saint is made perfect and full, so as to seek no more. Want is a stranger there; faith is swallowed up in vision, and hope in fruition.

Lastly, the Administrator of this heavenly kingdom is the Holy Spirit, but without any external means. He trained up the saints while in the world for this royal state, and at once, by his internal agency and invisible operations, disposed, fitted them for, and ever presides over them, in the delightful employments of the kingdom of glory, John 14.16.

From what has been said, Use 1, Submit yourselves contentedly to the disposals of Providence. If God be King over all, is there any fault in the administration; nay, is not all well done, yea, best done? Let his sovereignty silence us; should it be according to thy mind? His infinite wisdom should satisfy us, who knows better than we do what is best for us, and can over-rule all things for his glory and our good.

2, Submit yourselves to the gospel-sceptre. Are ye subjects of the gospel-kingdom? Then it becomes you to be subject to the laws, to observe the ordinances, and to be submissive to the officers of the kingdom. The contempt poured on these falls on the Prince of the kingdom. Beware, then, of transgressing or offending in this matter, lest ye incur the guilt of high treason against the majesty of Heaven, and the stone cut out of the mountain without hands fall upon you and crush you to pieces. Answer the gospel-call, and let it have its due effect upon you, in submitting to the sceptre of Jesus Christ as King of Zion, and resigning yourselves wholly to him, as your Prophet, Priest and Sovereign, to be taught his will for your salvation, to be redeemed by his blood, sanctified by his Spirit, and to be ruled and governed by his laws as in the hand of the Mediator.

3, Let our royal Master have your hearts for his throne, and set up his kingdom of grace there. Let him sit enthroned there, without any rivals or competitors, and without any squint looks to any other sovereigns that may have had dominion over you, whether the devil, the world or the flesh. Lie no more to him with your lips, nor offend him with any sinful or corrupt practices. Give him your hearts, and let them be his for ever, to meditate on his word and delight in his laws. There is no getting to the kingdom of glory without this. For all the loyal subjects of this kingdom are absolute nonconformists to the world, and are conformable to Christ their King in righteousness and holiness; and it is their study to be conformed to him more and more; and they are grieved that they are not so perfectly.

Lastly, Labour and be restless till ye get your interest in the kingdom of glory secured. And this is done by closing with Christ for all the ends for which he is given of God. It is dangerous to delay this. Therefore kiss the Son, lest he be angry. Now is the time, now or never.

The coronation of Gustavus Vasa had been delayed till the kingdom should be quieted. This having been happily effected, the monarch was crowned with great solemnity on the 12th of January, 1528, at Upsala, in presence of the whole Senate. It cost Vasa no little thought beforehand how to conduct the ceremony, so as that on the one hand it might not be mixed up with the rites of the ancient superstition, nor, on the other, lack validity in the eyes of such of his subjects as were still Popish. He refrained from sending to Rome for investiture; he made three newly ordained bishops--Skara, Aabo and Strennäs- perform the religious rites; the Divine name was invoked; that part of the coronation oath was omitted which bound the sovereign to protect “holy Church”; a public declaration, which was understood to express the sentiments both of the king and of the Estates, was read, and afterwards published, setting forth at some length the reciprocal duties and obligations of each.

The declaration was framed on the model of those exhortations which the prophets and high priests delivered to the Kings of Judah when they were anointed. It set forth the institution of magistracy by God; its ends, to be “a terror to evil-doers” etc; the spirit in which it was to be exercised, “in the fear of the Most High”; the faults the monarch was to eschew--riches, luxury, oppression; and the virtue he was to practise--he was to cultivate piety by the study of the Holy Scripture, to administer justice, defend his country, and nourish the true religion. The declaration concludes by expressing the gratitude of the nation to the “Omnipotent and most benignant Father, who, after so great a persecution, and so many calamities inflicted upon their beloved country, by a king of foreign origin, had given them this day a king of the Swedish stock, whose powerful arm, by the blessing of God, had liberated their nation from the yoke of a tyrant.” “We acknowledge,” continued the declaration, “the Divine goodness, in raising up for us this king, adorned with so many gifts, pre-eminently qualified for his great office; pious, wise, a lover of his country; whose reign has already been so glorious; who has gained the friendship of so many kings and neighbouring princes; who has strengthened our castles and cities; who has raised armaments to resist the enemy should he invade us; who has taken the revenues of the State not to enrich himself but to defend the country, and who, above all, has sedulously cherished the true religion, making it his highest object to defend Reformed truth, so that the whole land, being delivered from Popish darkness, may be irradiated with the light of the Gospel.”

In the year following (1529), the Reformation of Sweden was formally completed. The king, however zealous, saw it wise to proceed by degrees. In the year after his coronation he summoned the Estates to Orebrogia, in Nericia, to take steps for giving to the constitution and worship of the Church of Sweden a more exact conformity to the rule of the Word of God. To this Diet came the leading ministers as well as the nobles. The chancellor Lawrence Andersen, as the king’s representative, presided, and with him was joined Olaf Patersen, the Pastor of Stockholm. The Diet agreed on certain ecclesiastical constitutions and rules, which they subscribed and published in the tongue of Sweden. The bishops and pastors avowed it to be the great end of their office to preach the pure Word of God; they resolved accordingly to institute the preaching of the Gospel in all the churches of the kingdom, alike in country and in city. The bishops were to exercise a vigilant inspection over all the clergy, they were to see that the Scriptures were read daily and purely expounded in the cathedrals; that in all schools there were pure editions of the Bible; that proper care was taken to train efficient preachers of the Word of God, and that learned men were provided for the cities. Rules were also framed touching the celebration of marriage, the visitation of the sick, and the burial of the dead.

Thus the preaching of the Word was restored to the place it undoubtedly held in the primitive church….

Gustavus I had now the happiness of seeing the Reformed faith planted in his dominions. His reign was prolonged after this thirty years, and during all that time he never ceased to watch over the interests of the Protestant Church, taking care that his kingdom should be well equipped with learned bishops and diligent pastors. Lawrence Patersen (1531) was promoted to the Archbishopric of Upsala, the first see in Sweden, which he filled till his death (1570). The country soon became flourishing, and yielded plenteously the best of all fruit--great men. The valour of the nobles was displayed on many a hard-fought field. The pious and patriotic king took part in the great events of his age...

He went to his grave in 1560. But the spirit he had kindled in Sweden lived after him, and the attempts of some of his immediate successors to undo what their great ancestor had done, and lead the nation back into Popish darkness, were firmly resisted by the nobles.