_God is king, let the earth rejoice_, saith the psalmist, (xcvii. 1). And again, (_Psalm_ xcix. 1) _God is king, though the nations be angry; and he that sitteth on the cherubims, though the earth be moved_. Whether men will or not, they must be subject always to the divine power. By denying the existence, or providence of God, men may shake off their ease, but not their yoke. But to call this power of God, which extendeth itself not only to man, but also to beasts, and plants, and bodies inanimate, by the name of kingdom, is but a metaphorical use of the word. For he only is properly said to reign, that governs his subjects by his word, and by promise of rewards to those that obey it, and by threatening them with punishment that obey it not. Subjects therefore in the kingdom of God, are not bodies inanimate, nor creatures irrational; because they understand no precepts as his: nor atheists, nor they that believe not that God has any care of the actions of mankind; because they acknowledge no word for his, nor have hope of his rewards or fear of his threatenings. They therefore that believe there is a God that governeth the world, and hath given precepts, and propounded rewards, and punishments to mankind, are God’s subjects; all the rest, are to be understood as enemies. [Sidenote: A threefold word of God, reason, revelation, prophecy.] To rule by words, requires that such words be manifestly made known; for else they are no laws: for to the nature of laws belongeth a sufficient, and clear promulgation, such as may take away the excuse of ignorance; which in the laws of men is but of one only kind, and that is, proclamation, or promulgation by the voice of man. But God declareth his laws three ways; by the dictates of _natural reason_, by _revelation_, and by the _voice_ of some _man_, to whom by the operation of miracles, he procureth credit with the rest. From hence there ariseth a triple word of God, _rational_, _sensible_, and _prophetic_: to which correspondeth a triple hearing; _right reason_, _sense supernatural_, and _faith_. As for sense supernatural, which consisteth in revelation or inspiration, there have not been any universal laws so given, because God speaketh not in that manner but to particular persons, and to divers men divers things. [Sidenote: A twofold kingdom of God, natural and prophetic.] From the difference between the other two kinds of God’s word, _rational_, and _prophetic_, there may be attributed to God, a twofold kingdom, _natural_, and _prophetic_: natural, wherein he governeth as many of mankind as acknowledge his providence, by the natural dictates of right reason; and prophetic, wherein having chosen out one peculiar nation, the Jews, for his subjects, he governed them, and none but them, not only by natural reason, but by positive laws, which he gave them by the mouths of his holy prophets. Of the natural kingdom of God I intend to speak in this chapter.