meet with great oppofition from them. And much of this is owing to fome of their teachers, by whom they have received the gofpel, who prefs upon them the peculiarities of their own fect, which have nothing to fupport them, for most part, but human authority, and that with fuch zeal, as if religion were to ftand and fall with them. 3. As has been noticed, obedience to the Lord's new commandment, and the following of his inftitution in this matter, according to it, cannot mifs of expofing the difciples of Chrift to the hatred of the men of this world. And it is alfo to be noticed, that we have all a ftrong bias toward the friendship and fellowfhip of this world, and toward conformity to a prefent world, and that it is not eafy to reconcile us to the crofs; so that it is no wonder to fee many of the difciples contenting themselves in a way of religion, much magnified and extolled, that does not expofe them much to the world's hatred, and wherein they may indulge themfelves in compliances with, and conformity to the world; and rifing up against a way that exposes them to the crofs, and has no worldly advanta ges attending it. We want not inftances of this in the New Teftament; and what has been, may be again.

By thefe and fuch like confiderations, it may appear, that the blame of divifions arifing upon Chrift's difciples their at tempting to follow his inftitution in this matter, is not to be caft on his inftitution, which ferves to join them all together in love in that wherein they are all one, and divided from the world; but it muft lie upon the difciples them. felves and while thofe difciples of his that do oppofe it are fo far guilty of fchifm, the infirmities and corruptions attending thofe, that have from time to time attempted to follow the commandinent of Chrift in this matter, fhould not be justi. fied, nor should their faults be improven against the pure and holy commandment of Jesus Christ.

:

However many difciples of his may oppofe it, yet it is moft agreeable to the new nature in them, which leads to feparation from the men of this world, and conftant communion in love with the difciples of the Lord. And though we be bound to forbear the practice of indifferent things, in the cafe of offending weak brethren; yet no man will alledge, that we ought to forbear commanded duty, for fear of of fending weak brethren; or that we ought to fet about no ftep of reformation from any corrupt ftate of things, under which the difciples are, till they be all fatisfied in it. The dif ciples that openly confeffed Chrift, and followed him, were not to be blamed for tranfgreffing the law of brotherly love; because

they

they differed therein from thofe that would not confefs him. for fear, and because they were afraid of being put out of the fynagogue, and because "they loved the praise of men more "than the praise of God." The hundred and twenty difciples, Acts i. "waited not for the reft of Chrift's disciples at "that time; and upon them came the Spirit." See Heb. x. 25.

3. There remains yet a third thing that belongs to the fcripture-notion of a difciple of Chrift, and member of a church of his; and that is, the confeffion of the Christian hope, "the one hope." This hope is one of thofe notable three of which the Apoftle fpeaks, 1 Cor. xiii. 8.-13. "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, "they fhall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; "whether there be knowledge, it fhall vanish away."And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but "the greatest of thefe is charity." Concerning this hope, and the profeffion of it, see these texts, Heb. iii. 6. "—But "Chrift as a Son over his own house: whose house are we, if "we hold faft the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope "firm unto the end." Col. i. 23. "If ye continue in the "faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the go" fpel." Heb. x. 23. 24. 25. "Let us hold faft the pro"feffion of our hope" (as in the first language) "with"out wavering, (for he is faithful that promifed.) And let "us confider one another to provoke unto love, and to "good works: not forfaking the affembling of ourselves to"gether," &c.

He does not appear to be a disciple of Chrift, who does. not appear to prefer that eternal life contained in the promifes of the gofpel, and hid with Chrift in God, to appear when he appears, unto a life in this world; and who does not confefs himself denied to the one, in the hope of the other; or does not confefs Mofes's choice, and own himself a ftranger on earth, looking for the heavenly country, and counting all things lofs to be found in Chrift, having his righteoufnefs," and to attain to the" glorious "refurrection "of the dead." There are doubtless various degrees of this hope, and of the profeffion of it. There is hope, and the affurance of hope; and there is the affurance, and the full affurance of this hope: but fomething lefs or more of this hope, in the profeffion of it, belongs unto the notion the fcrip. ture gives us of a difciple of Chrift, and a member of the church. This hope in us, as it is influenced by faith in

Christ, our righteousness, and love in him to all the faints, so it" will be according to the measure of that faith and love,” Col. i. 3. 4. 5. 1 Thess. i. 3. Heb. xi. 1. Heb. vi. 10. 11. 1 John iii. from y 18. to the end. When the profession of faith and love was lively, fo was the profession of this hope; and there is no greater evidence of the decay of faith and love, than the want of that confidence and rejoicing of the hope, in the very profeffion of it that appeared in the first Chriftians, the firft members of the churches of Chrift.

In the beginning, when men became Chriftians only by the influence of the gofpel of Chrift, and when there was no worldly advantage attending Christianity, it appeared in their profeffion of the faith of Chrift, that they were in earnest about the eternal life revealed in the gospel, and that they preferred it unto a life in this world, and that they believed the truth of the gofpel; and when they became companions of the fuffering difciples, there was no reason to question their love to them. And when they confeffed Chrift with joy, in the face of perfecution, and with the hazard of all that was near and dear unto them in this world, it was a good evidence of their hope in the other world. Even then there were hypocrites among them; but there was no ground to queftion their fincerity, while they held faft this profeffion. Yet there was in those days care taken about the profeffion of them that were admitted unto full communion in the churches of Chrift. Some profeffed a good liking to Christianity, that were not presently admitted to full communion in the church. es; but were kept under inftruction, till they were some way able to profefs the Christian faith, love, and hope, and then they were called the perfect, Phil. iii. 15. But when the pro feffion of Christianity came to be attended with worldly ad vantages, there was more need of nice fcrutiny. Yet it fell out quite otherwife, unto the great difhonour of the Chri ftian profeffion. Whole nations were brought to a fort of profession of the name of Chrift; not by the influence of the gofpel, but of the magiftrate: and their profeffion was fuit, able unto the influence by which it was brought about. Ten thousand such converts were then baptized in one day; and, no doubt, there would be great joy among them that had the difpenfing of that ordinance in their hands, to fee so many Chriftians; but there was more than reafon for that question, which was propofed when "Saul was feen among the prophets," "Who is their Father?" And the ancient profeffion of the Chriftian hope, which took place when the Chriftian profeffion

profeffion expofed men to the lofs of their all in this world, was loft, now, when it was no loss to a man's interest in this world, but his great advantage, to call himself a Christian. Thus Chriftianity (if that fort of it may be fo called) became national, intwisted with the civil rights of mankind, attended with a hope in this life, and Chrift's kingdom of this world. After this, the nations that were Heathen, becoming thus Chriftian, were corrupted or reformed, according to the influence of the clergy, now dignified, and great men in the earth, and according to the influence of the princes of the earth, whose power was ferviceable to the clergy. It was eafy for the nations, thus brought from Heathenifm to Christianity, to become Antichriftian and idolatrous. And though the Lord's hand was remarkably seen at the Reformation, in reviving the light of the glorious gofpel, and making some "of the kings of the earth," in fome measure," withdraw "their power from the beast:" yet the reformation became national no otherwise than Christianity became fo at firft; that is, by their submitting to an external form of national reformation under the influence of thofe in power. while church-membership goes not upon the footing of the ancient profeffion of faith, hope, and charity, Christianity will not appear in its primitive beauty and glory.

But

There have been attempts, fince the Babylonifh captivity, to revive this, and it has been much opposed: but, as was faid of the second temple, when compared with the first, so it may be faid in this cafe, "Is it not as nothing in your eyes?" Yet we may be encouraged to build by this, "That the "Lord will come to this second building." "Let us," there. fore, "not forfake the affembling of ourselves together, but "exhort one another; and fo much the more, as we see the "day approaching."

So much has been faid of the members of which a church of Jefus Chrift is made up. And by this it is distinguished from all other congregations, even though they fhould be called Chriftian, which do not confift of the disciples of the Lord Jefus. By their being joined together in the confeffion of the catholic faith, love, and hope, which is in him, they are diftinguished from all fectarian focieties. For thus the difciples are builded together in him, "for an habitation of "God, through the Spirit," Eph. ii. 22. "Chrift the cor"ner-ftone, in whom all the building of God," the catholic church, "is fitly framed together," is alfo the foundation and corner in this little building, compared y 21.

So a com

pany

pany of his difciples, joined together in him, as he ftands in the confeffion of their faith, love, and hope, is a church of his. And this church is diftinguished from the church-catholic by the disciples their being joined together thus, for holding conftant communion in the ordinances of worship, call ing on the name of the Lord Jefus, and glorifying the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, "with one mind [μouμadov] in one "mouth," Rom. xv. 5. 6. 7.; and for the constant regular performance of the duties of brotherly love toward one an other, and affembling themselves together from time to time, with one accord, in one place.

I

"a

Such a congregation is a church of Jefus Chrift. And it is "a habitation, a temple of God," Eph. ii. 22.; "dwelling-place and affembly of Mount Zion," If. iv. 5. The church at Corinth is called God's temple, 2 Cor. vi. 16. and 1 Cor. iii. 9. 16. 17. " Ye are God's building. Know "ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of "God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of "God, him fhall God deftroy; for the temple of God is ho"ly, which temple ye are." The Apoftle tells them he laid Chrift for a foundation unto this building of God at Corinth, and calls every one that comes after him to carry on this building, to take heed how he builds up fuch a building that has fuch a foundation. It has been thought, that it is every particular believer that is there called the building or temple of God by himself; but a real believer cannot be destroyed, as they that defiled this temple at Corinth might be destroyed. It has been also thought, that it is of a building of doctrine that the Apoftle is there fpeaking. No doubt, members of churches are framed and built in a church, and built up in it by means of doctrine; but it is of a building of perfons that the Apoftle is fpeaking: "Ye are God's husbandry, ye are "God's building, ye are the temple of God." And, feeing the Apofile, as the mafter-builder of the church at Corinth, laid Chrift for the foundation of it, and all forts of materials, are not fit for a building that has such a precious foundation, he calls all that come after him, "to take heed, not only "that they lay no other foundation for a building there, but "alfo, that they build on this foundation," fuch materials as are fuitable to it. And the reafon he gives for their taking heed to this is, that "every fuch building, every man's work "in it, must be tried with fire." Chrift walks in the midst of the churches," with his feet of fine brafs, as if they burned "in a furnace, and all the churches fhall know that he "fearcheth