"whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, "Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's Baptifm." Rom. viii. 15. 16. 17. 23. "For ye "have not received the fpirit of bondage again to fear; but

ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our "fpirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, "then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift: if "fo be that we fuffer with him, that we may be alfo glori "fied together.Ourselves also, which have the first-fruits "of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, "waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our "body." 2 Cor. i. 21. 22. "Now he which stablisheth us "with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who "hath alfo fealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in 66 our hearts." Gal. iii. 13. 14. "Chrift hath redeemed us "from the curfe of the law,-that the bleffing of Abraham "might come on the Gentiles, through Jefus Chrift; that we "might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Gal. iv. 3.-6. Even so, when we were children, we were in bond. age under the elements of the world; but when the fulness "of the time was come, God fent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that we might receive the "adoption of fons. And because ye are fons, God hath "fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Abba, Father." Eph. i. 13. 14. "In whom ye alfo truft"ed, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gofpel of your falvation in whom alfo, after that ye believed, ye were fealed with that holy Spirit of promife, which is the "earneft of our inheritance, until the redemption of the pur"chafed poffeffion, unto the praise of his glory."

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These are fome inftances of the excellent new things of this glorious kingdom; which being duly confidered, with what has been before faid, may fatisfy us, that it was not unworthy of God to speak fo much of it by the prophets, and to reprefent it beforehand in fo many figures. And if neither the present state of this kingdom, nor the glorious perfection and manifestation of it "in the times of restitution "of all things," which are to take place at our Lord's fecond coming, will fatisfy us, as to the accomplishment of the prophecies concerning the glory of this kingdom, I know not what will fatisfy us, if it be not that temporal kingdom, which the Jews have been looking for in their unbelief and hardness of heart, and in their opposition to the kingdom of

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our Lord Jefus; but it ought to be most firmly believed among Chriftians, that they fhall be ashamed of these their expectations. They defpifed the kingdom of God which they had of old; and now, when that is done away, and the kingdom of heaven is come, they affect that old kingdom much, and exceedingly defpife this; and while they are fo affected, it is evident they cannot receive this kingdom of God, which is not of this world. But when the vail which is upon their hearts in the reading of the Old Testament is taken away, they will fee the glory of this kingdom, and its excellency above that which is removed: fo will they forget the earthly things, and feek the things that are above, where Christ fitteth on the right hand of God; and, if they shall rife with Chrift from that death under which they lie, they will be dead to this world, and have their life hid with Christ in God, not to appear, till he appear, and they with him in glory, Col. iii. 1.-4.

And thus far we have been confidering the import of our. Lord's expreffion, "Now is my kingdom not from hence; my kingdom is not of this world." We fhall next fee how he manifefts to Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world.

Of the diftinction betwixt the kingdoms of this world, and the kingdom of Chrift.

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́E have heard how our Lord confessed himself to be the King promised to the Jews, and owned his kingdom before Pilate; and we have also heard his testimony concerning the nature of his kingdom, as not now of this world, and fo quite diftinct from that which his accufers were looking for. By this his teftimony it is evident, that the charge brought against him, of being against Cæfar, by making himself a king, was altogether without foundation. But further, he demonftrates to Pilate, that his kingdom in the world is not a worldly kingdom, and fo does not interfere with Cæfar's kingdom, when he says, "If my kingdom were "of this world, then would my fervants fight, that I should "not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not "from hence."

It was a fact that might be plain to the obfervation of

Pilate

Pilate and the Jews, that he did not allow his fervants to fight to defend him from the Jews.

It is true, he had fignified to his difciples, that they would be in fuch circumftances as wherein they would ftand in extreme need of this fort of defence; and had faid to them, "He that hath no fword, let him fell his garment, and buy "one," Luke xxii. 36. Yet, while they ftood in the greatest need of felling their garments to buy fwords, before the Emperor turned Chriftian, they did not reckon that these words of the Lord were intended to oblige them to take the fword for their defence in their profeffion: For when the difciples answered Chrift, faying, "Here are two fwords," he faid unto them, "It is enough;" furely not for eleven difciples; but it was enough for his purpose, which was to give occafion, first, for the "miracle of healing Malchus's "ear," wherein he gave a notable evidence of his good-will to his enemies, and that he was able to deliver himself, but condefcended to suffer; and a notable pattern to his people, of doing acts of kindness to enemies, and of patience in fuffering; and, fecondly, for the following prohibition of drawing the fword in his quarrel; for, when he healed the ear, he said to his enemies, "Suffer ye thus far," Luke xxii. 51.; and to Peter, Matth. xxvi. 52. "Put up again thy fword into his place; "for all they that take the fword, shall perish with the sword." He speaks there of another fort of defence, more agreeable to the nature of his heavenly kingdom, than the sword of his difciples, which he would have used rather, if it had not been unfuitable to his prefent condition, and against the fulfilment of the fcripture, ✯ 53 54 "Thinkelt thou that I cannot "" now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me

more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall "the fcriptures be fulfilled, that thus it muft be?" There is no need of the sword of the difciples to defend the kingdom of heaven; the armies of angels are more fuitable to this kingdom than armies of fighting men.

After this discharge of the fword, we have no command. ment to Chrift's disciples to take the sword to fight for his kingdom, nor any encouragement to expect his concurrence, or look for fuccefs in that way; but rather the contrary. For as he fays to Peter, "All that take the fword, fhall perish by "the fword;" fo this is upon the matter repeated, Rev. xiii. 10. "He that leadeth into captivity, fhall go into captivity; "he that killeth with the fword, must be killed with the fword. "Here is the patience and the faith of the faints." Where,

it seems, the good fight of faith and patience is opposed to the fight which is by the fword. This threatening, with re fpect to the difciples and faints of Jefus their taking the fword, for the defence of his kingdom, has been verified in many instances. We need not go farther than this fame land. The difciples of Chrift here took the fword, and openly profeffed it was for the defence of Chrift's kingdom; but they went into captivity, and were killed, firft by the fword of Montrofe, (whereby the land alfo fuffered for the perjury immediately going before), next by the fword of Cromwell, and then by the fword of Charles II. and the Bishops; neither was it by their own sword that they were at length delivered. The Lord owned as many of his truths and ways as they contended for, and them in adhering to them unto death; but not their mistakes, nor their way of fighting with the sword. The earth bath helped the woman in many inftances against Antichrift since the reformation, fwallowing up the flood of perfecution, caft out of the mouth of the dragon; but the earth and the woman are two very distinct things.

However, it was a plain fact, that our Lord did not allow his fervants to fight to defend him from the Jews; and hereby he manifefts, "that his kingdom is not of this world.” To this purpose he gives an account of a kingdom of this world, and defcribes it by that without which it cannot be; and that is felf-defence by worldly power.

As the kingdoms of the world took their firft rife from the neceffity of affociations for this defence, fo it is impoffible, in the nature of the thing, that they can be, or stand with. out it. Though a kingdom might be fuppofed without breaking in upon other kingdoms, yet no kingdom can be without power to defend itself from outward attacks by the fword, and from evils arising within itself: so that our Lord's account of a kingdom of this world is moft juft, as it is alfo the fittest that could be for his prefent purpose.

And here he establishes the natural principle of self-defence in the kingdoms of this world. His fubjects on this earth are members of those focieties that have power to defend themfelves by the fword, and he has allowed them to do their duty in their stations and callings in them, and his grace will make them more faithful and confcientious in the duties of their stations and callings in thofe kingdoms.

As violence offered to the consciences of men is one of the greatest injuries, fo, in all affociations for defence by the fword, this ought to be attended to, and all men have a

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right of defence in the kingdoms of this world from violenceoffered to their confciences in matters of religion. This right is by no means refused to thofe kingdoms by the Lord Christ. Antichrift is the great invader of the liberty of mankind in this matter. He is furnished with worldly power, and he uses it unto this purpose. Where he prevails, tyranny, as in other refpects, fo especially in this, hath taken place, and men are inflaved this way; but, in Proteftant kingdoms and commonwealths, there is some more freedom, and the subjects of Chrift enjoy that liberty in common with others in those kingdoms where this natural right of mankind is in any measure defended. Thus far has the earth helped the woman: and this is properly the Protestant caufe, fo far as the fword and the power of the kingdoms of this world is concerned in it. And upon this ground ftands the revolution fully warranted, as it concerns religion.

And this is the common caufe of mankind, according to the first rise, and reason of the kingdoms of this world.

Now, from the account our Lord gives of a worldly kingdom, he demonstrates that his kingdom is not of this world, and therefore does not interfere with Cæfar's; for fince he did not allow his fervants to fight for his defence, and so had fet afide that without which no kingdom of this world can be, it is evident his kingdom cannot be of this world. And he plainly intimates, that his kingdom is of fuch a nature, that it does not admit of that kind of defence: "My fervants "would fight, that I fhould not be delivered to the Jews: "but now is my kingdom not from hence."

Some think this is to be confined to his prefent circum; stances, when he was only laying the foundation of his kingdom, in his fufferings; and that because he came into the world to fuffer for his people, who could not be redeemed without his fufferings; and to fulfil the prophecies concerning his fufferings, it behoved him to fuffer. But they reckon the cafe is not fo now with his fubjects, fince his kingdom is fet up in the world. They may now affociate themselves to defend his truths and inftitutions, and to defend one another in their profeffion of them, by all the power of this world that they have or can attain unto. And fo fhould I think if it were not for the following reafons.

1. Our Lord does not here give his prefent circumstances as the reason of his not allowing his fervants to fight for defending him, but the nature of his kingdom; or, if he draws an inference from this matter of fact, to fhew. the nature of