the visible is nothing else but the outward appearance of the invifible, fuch as it now makes, 1 John ii. 19. "They went "out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had "been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; "but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that "they were not all of us."

3. By this truth Christ's subjects are all diftinguished and differenced from all others, howfoever agreeing with them in other things, and however related to them, and bound toge ther with them by many other ties. The church ftands diftinguished from all other focieties, as has been noticed, bearing this motto, The Lord our righteoufnefs. This truth Iles at the bottom of all that divifion and enmity betwixt the feed of the woman and the feed of the serpent, and of all that hatred of the men of this world at the fubjects of Christ's kingdom: for whatever fair pretences the world may make for this hatred, yet our Lord tells us the true cause of it, when he fays, John xvii. 14. "I have given them thy word; " and the world hath hated them, because they are not of "the world, even as I am not of the world." The men of this world may love Chrift's fubjects on account of other things common to them with the world appearing about them; but as they appear to be of this truth, and keep the teftimony of Jefus Chrift, they cannot love them; neither do they hate them for those fame things that they find with others who are not of this truth, in whom yet they take plea. fure.

However we be joined with the people of Chrift, if we be not with them in this, we are none of Chrift's fubjects, nor have we any part in the kingdom of Chrift. And all feparations from the world, that flow not from this truth, are none of that controverfy which the Lord hath established in the the earth between the feed of the woman and the ferpent, and are not feparations from the world, but divifions in it.

4. In this truth all Christ's subjects are one, however otherwise differenced. They are of different nations, different stations in the world, and of different parties in the world; they have different measures of gifts and grace, different measures of light, whence differences of opinion and practice will be found among them, and they are liable to error in many cafes while they are in this world; fo that u niformity, in all these things, which fome of them may judge very neceffary, is not to be expected here; but herein they are all one, they are every one of his truth," yea,

Q 2

yea, even though they may have different fpe rulations about it, and controverfies of words, while the truth itself reigns in all their hearts.

This is that unity of the faith wherein all the members of the body of Chrift, even the babes not very skilful in the word of righteoufnefs, are every one according to their meafure, growing up unto the measure of the ftature of the "fulness of Chrift," Eph. iv.

Thus they are united by Chrift's word, according to his prayer to the Father, that they "may be one," John xvii. 20. 21. "Neither pray I for thefe alone, but for them alfo "which shall believe on me through their word: that they "all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; "that they alfo may be one in us that the world may be"lieve that thou haft fent me." They are more closely joined together in this truth, than they can be by any other means whatfoever; and it is of more force to unite them than any thing can be to divide them; fo that it is impoffi ble for any difference to break this union. Here is Chrift their peace, on whom all their iniquities met, If. liii. 6.; and his righteousness, which is unto them all, and upon them all without difference, and is the foundation of one and the fame hope unto them all, Rom. iii. 22. Gal. iv. 5.7. and v. 5.; his blood, his crofs, whereby the enmity is flain, and they all reconciled to God in one body. By this truth they are all made to drink into one Spirit, which they receive through the hearing of faith, and are all related to God as their fa ther, and to Chrift as their brother-ranfomer, their one Lord Redeemer. And in being of this truth, they are all united to Chrift by it, as fellow-members of that one and fame body whereof he is the head; and though the members be many ways differenced, yet there is but one body, wherein all the members are growing up in this unity of the faith, and knowledge of the Son of God. Ought they not therefore to endea. vour to "keep the unity of spirit in this bond of peace, for"bearing one another in love," as to other differences? Should any party of them rise up to oblige all others to uniformity with them in matters of difference, and so to efta. blish another bond of peace, to the dividing of the body of Chrift, which yet muft remain united in this bond in fpite of all differences? Or dare we exclude from the privileges of Chrift's kingdom, and reject from our church.communion, the leaft of them that are of this truth, because they follow not with us in our uniformity; and this after the only Lord

of

of the churc has faid, "Every one that is of the truth, "heareth my voice?"

THE HE hearing of Christ's voice, and being his subject, are the fame thing; but we shall inquire a little more particularly concerning this his voice, which his fubjects hear ; and then concerning their hearing it.

"

As to the first of thefe; we may find the short sum of our Lord's voice to his people, in his commiffion to the gospel. ministry: Mark xvi. 15. 16. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every "creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be fa"ved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." Matth. xxviii. 18. 19. 20. "And Jefus came, and spake unto them, "faying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth; go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in "the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy "Ghoft; teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I "have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even "unto the end of the world. Amen."

And, 1. Christ's subjects hear his voice, preaching" peace แ through his cross to them that were afar off, and to them "that were nigh," Eph. ii. 17. " even the word of reconci"liation," 2 Cor. v. 18.-21.

"

This preaching of the gospel to every creature, this pro. clamation of peace, fuppofes a controverfy between God and them to whom it is fent, and that they are thereby in a perishing condition, from which they are uncapable to recover themselves: "For the Son of man came to seek and to fave "that which was loft," and he "came not to call the righ"teous, but finners to repentance." Wherefore, that finners may hearken to this word of falvation, they must know that they have destroyed themselves" And because they do not eafily entertain fuch a thought of themselves, and fo flight the glad news of falvation, they are awakened to hear them by the voice of the law, and its work upon their confciences; the Lord Chrift, by his Spirit, making the law fubfervient to the gospel, by this means, fhutting up finners to the faith, and stopping their mouths, that they may be fubject to the judgment of God, and fo hearken to the glad ti dings of falvation, Rom. iii. 19. & vii. 9. Gal. ii. 19. when the law hath done its work upon the finner, he will

But

not

not for all this hearken to the news of falvatic, but defpair, if he be not caft into the mould of the gospel-doctrine; for it is only they "that are of the truth, that have an ear to "hear Chrift's voice;" and of the hearing of this voice, we have spoken already.

2. His fubjects hear his voice in his commandments: Teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have "commanded you."

He speaks to his people in all his inftitutions; all the ordinances of the gospel are his voice. He hath appointed the gofpel-miniftry, firft extraordinary, for the first erection of the church, the first joining together of the faints in the body of Chrift, which miniftry is now ceased; and then ordinary, for the edifying of this body of Christ, by adding the elect unto it, and building them up in it in all ages unto the end of the world, Eph. iv. 11. 12. 13. He hath commanded them to preach and teach, and to baptize the disciples, and their infants, (who are to be reckoned by us in the fame ftate with them), with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, Matth. xxviii. 19. Acts ii. 38. 39. 1 Cor. vii. 14. Mark x. 13. 14. He hath inftitu ted the great ordinance of his fupper, to be observed in the churches, or worshipping congregations of the faints, who are one bread and one body in the communion of that bread which they break, and that cup which they blefs, which is the communion of the body and blood of Chrift; even as that bread and cup is his body and blood, 1 Cor. xi. 18. 20. 23-26. 1 Cor. x. 15.-18. A gofpel-church is his inftitu tion, with its officers, elders, or bithops, and deacons, Phil. i. 1. and its difcipline, Matth. xviii.15.-20. 1 Cor. v. 2 Cor. ii. 5.-8. And in fuch a church, his difciples, made fo by the influence of the word, are to continue " ftedfaftly in the go"spel doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, "and in prayers, and in praifing God, glorifying the Father "of our Lord Jefus Chrift with one mind, in one mouth," Acts ii. 41. 42. 47. Rom. xv. 5. 6. 7. "Not forfaking the "affembling of themselves together, but confidering one an"other to provoke unto love and good works, and exhort❝ing one another," Heb. x. 23. 24. 25. And this is the most eminent mean of our worshipping in the heavenly fanctuary, while we are here upon the earth, Heb. x. 19.-25. He hath alfo changed the fabbath from the feventh to the first day of the Jewith week, when he finished his work, and entered into his reft in the new creation, even as God refted from all

his works in he firft creation; fo that this day remains as the fabbath of the people of God, Col. ii. 16. Heb. iv. 3. 8. 9. 10. Acts xx. 7. Rev. i. 10.

Chrift fpeaks to his people in the moral law, which he hath explained and delivered to his people, as their Lord Redeemer, and which "he writes on their hearts." The leaft of his commandments must be great and precious, as they are his, unto his people: and " he that breaks the least of them, "and teacheth men fo, is leaft in the kingdom of heaven;" his people must be taught " to observe all things whatsoever "he commands them." But there are fome things much infifted on, and vehemently preffed upon his people, in the New Teftament, which were not fo clearly revealed, nor fo much inculcated before, and which are especially fuited to the NewTestament revelation: as, for inftance, the "command to "deny ourselves, and take our crofs, and follow Christ," Matth. xvi. 24. 25.; the command "to love our enemies, to "bless them that curfe us, to do good to them that hate us, "and to pray for them which despitefully use us and perfe"cute us," Matth. v. 44. Luke ix. 51-56.; and the command "to call on the name of the Lord Jefus, and to ask of "the Father in his name," John xvi. 24. Rom. X. 13. 14.; and "to enter into the holieft by the blood of Jefus, by a new and living way, which he hath confecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, his flesh," Heb. x. 19.

20. 22.

But we have a commandment in the New Testament, whereby the fincerity of all our obedience is to be tried, and whereby diftinction is efpecially made betwixt Chrift's fubjects and the feed of the ferpent, or the children of the devil; and we have this commandment, 1 John iii. 23. "And this " is his commandment, that we should believe on the name "of his Son Jefus Chrift, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." Chrift gave this commandment of charity or brotherly love to his difciples, when about to leave them, John xiii. 34. 35. "A new commandment I give un"to you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, also love one another. By this shall all men know "that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." This love is plainly distinct from that love which, by the law of nature, we are bound to have to all men, and which is alfo injoined us by Jefus Chrift: for after the entrance of fin, the Lord laid the foundation of this brotherly love among the woman's feed, in that intimation of his defign to put enmity

"that

ус

betwixt