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other, the Lord is merciful to nefs, and bears with them all.

their weak

And as they

grow in grace, and drink more into his Spirit, their hearts are enlarged, and they approach nearer to his pattern of long-fuffering, patience and tenderness.

pre

4. The word church is applied to particular focieties of chriftians, who are connected by a participation in the fame ordinances of the gofpel, and who maintain a fcriptural feparation from the finful fpirit and customs of the world. And though there may be tenders among them, as there were among the apoftolic churches, they are denominated by the better part. They belong to the catholic church by their profeffion of the truth, of course they are a part of the visible church; and those of them who are in deed and in truth what they profess to be, are living members of the myftical church, to which all the promises are made. By whatever name they are known or diftinguished among men, they are branches of the true vine, they have their fruits unto holiness, and their end, everlafting life. But to return,

In this his church, or fpiritual kingdom, he rules by wife and gracious laws and ordi

nances,

nances. He releases his fubjects from all authority, in point of confcience, but his own, and enjoins them to call no one mafter, but himself*. If they stand faft in the liberty wherewith he has made them free †, they will not give themselves up implicitly to the dictates of any man, nor follow him farther than he follows their Lord. And confequently, if they are influenced by his royal law of doing to others, as they would that others should do unto them, they will not attempt to exert an undue authority, or wish to be called masters themselves; so as to asfume a dogmatical carriage, or to expect a univerfal and abfolute fubmiflion. But it must be owned, that in our present state of infirmity, this privilege is not fufficiently prized, nor this command duly complied with. There being scarcely a man who does not either arrogate too much to himself, or allow too much to others. A fault in the one or the other of these respects, may be affigned as a principal cause of most of the evils which deform the appearance, or injure the peace of the church. But the defign of his gofpel is to fet his people at li† Gal. v. 1.

*Matt. xxiii. 8-10.

2

berty

berty from the yoke of men, from the fetters of custom and tradition, of fuperftition and will-worship; that they may enjoy, in his fervice, a state of perfect freedom.

For it is the principal glory of his kingdom, that he reigns in the hearts of his peo ple. There he writes his precepts, impreffes his image, and erects his throne; ruling them, not merely by an outward law, but by an inward fecret influence, breathing his own life and fpirit into them, so that their obedience becomes, as it were, natural, pleasurable, and its own reward. By the discoveries he affords them of his love, he wins their affections, captivates their wills, and enlightens their understandings. They derive from him the spirit of power, of love, and of a found mind*, and run with alacrity in the way of his commandments.

It is impoffible therefore to make this fong our own, and cordially to rejoice that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, unless we are the willing fubjects of his government; unlefs we are really pleafed with his appointed way of falvation, approve of his precepts, and, from a view of his wifdom and good* 2 Tim. i. 7.

nefs,

nefs, can cheerfully submit and refign ourfelves to the difpofal of his providence. In all these respects we are by nature at variance with him. We are too proud to be indebted to his grace, too wife in our own conceits to defire his inftruction, too obftinately attached to the love and practice of fin, to be capable of relishing the beauty and spirituality of his commandments. And our love of the world, and the things of it, is too strong and grasping, to permit us to be fatisfied with the lot, and with the difpenfations he appoints for us. We wish, if poffible, and as far as poffible we attempt, to be our own carvers. We are unthankful when he beftows, impatient if he withholds, and if he fees fit to refume the gifts of which we are unworthy, we repine and rebel against his will. This enmity must be fubdued, before we can be pleased with his government. In other words, we must be changed, we must be made new creatures. To produce this change, this new creation, the gofpel is the only expedient; and when revealed and applied to the heart by the power of the holy Spirit, the miracle is wrought. The finner who is first convinced of his guilt and mifery, and then

recon

reconciled to God by faith in the great atonement, willingly yields to his administration. He owns and feels the propriety of his proceedings, is ready to acknowledge, in his fharpeft afflictions, that the Lord is gracious, and has not dealt with him according to the defert of his iniquities. He confiders himfelf as no longer his own, but bought with a price, and brought under the strongest obligations, to live no longer to himself, but to him who loved him, and gave himself for him. And what was before his dread and diflike, becomes now the joy of his heart, the thought, that the Lord reigneth, and that all his concerns are in the hands of him who doeth all things well.

Are there any among us, who say in their hearts, We will not have this Saviour to rule over us? The thought is no less vain than wicked. He muft, he will reign, till he has fubdued all enemies under his feet. You must either bend or break before him.

SER

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