If then Christ,whilst he was on earth,had no kingdom in this world,to what end was his first coming?It was to restore unto God,by a new covenant,the kingdom which,being his by the old covenant,had been cut off by the rebellion of the Israelites in the election of Saul.Which to do,he was to preach unto them that he was the Messiah,that is,the king promised to them by the prophets,and to offer himself in sacrifice for the sins of them that should by faith submit themselves thereto;and in case the nation generally should refuse him,to call to his obedience such as should believe in him amongst the Gentiles.So that there are two parts of our Saviour's office during his abode upon the earth:one to proclaim himself the Christ;and another by teaching,and by working of miracles,to persuade and prepare men to live so as to be worthy of the immortality believers were to enjoy,at such time as he should come in majesty to take possession of his Father's kingdom.And therefore it is that the time of his preaching is often by himself called the regeneration,which is not properly a kingdom,and thereby a warrant to deny obedience to the magistrates that then were;for he commanded to obey those that sat then in Moses'chair,and to pay tribute to Caesar;but only an earnest of the kingdom of God that was to come to those to whom God had given the grace to be his disciples and to believe in him;for which cause the godly are said to be already in the kingdom of grace,as naturalized in that heavenly kingdom.
Hitherto therefore there is nothing done or taught by Christ that tendeth to the diminution of the civil right of the Jews or of Caesar.
For as touching the Commonwealth which then was amongst the Jews,both they that bore rule amongst them and they that were governed did all expect the Messiah and kingdom of God;which they could not have done if their laws had forbidden him,when he came,to manifest and declare himself.Seeing therefore he did nothing,but by preaching and miracles go about to prove himself to be that Messiah,he did therein nothing against their laws.The kingdom he claimed was to be in another world:he taught all men to obey in the meantime them that sat in Moses'seat:he allowed them to give Caesar his tribute,and refused to take upon himself to be a judge.How then could his words or actions be seditious,or tend to the overthrow of their then civil government?But God having determined his sacrifice for the reduction of His elect to their former covenanted obedience,for the means,whereby He would bring the same to effect,made use of their malice and ingratitude.Nor was it contrary to the laws of Caesar.For though Pilate himself,to gratify the Jews,delivered him to be crucified;yet before he did so,he pronounced openly that he found no fault in him;and put for title of his condemnation,not as the Jews required,"that he pretended to be king,"but simply,"that he was King of the Jews";and notwithstanding their clamour,refused to alter it,saying,"What I have written,I have written."As for the third part of his office,which was to be king,I have already shown that his kingdom was not to begin till the resurrection.
But then he shall be king,not only as God,in which sense he is king already,and ever shall be,of all the earth,in virtue of his omnipotence;but also peculiarly of his own elect,by virtue of the pact they make with him in their baptism.And therefore it is that our Saviour saith that his Apostles should sit upon twelve thrones,judging the twelve tribes of Israel,"When the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory":whereby he signified that he should reign then in his human nature;and "The Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father,with his angels,and then he shall reward every man according to his works."The same we may read,Mark,13.26,and 14.62,and more expressly for the time,Luke,22.29,30,"Iappoint unto you a kingdom,as my Father hath appointed to me,that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom,and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."By which it is manifest that the kingdom of Christ appointed to him by his Father is not to be before the Son of Man shall come in glory,and make his Apostles judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.But a man may here ask,seeing there is no marriage in the kingdom of heaven,whether men shall then eat and drink.What eating therefore is meant in this place?This is expounded by our Saviour where he saith,"Labour not for the meat which perisheth,but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,which the Son of Man shall give you."So that by eating at Christ's table is meant the eating of the tree of life;that is to say,the enjoying of immortality,in the kingdom of the Son of Man.By which places,and many more,it is evident that our Saviour's kingdom is to be exercised by him in his human nature.