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Christian church, as in his houfe, or temple; but he has alfo conferred on Christians the honours of kings, as he has redeemed us from the fervitude of fin, made us lords of ourfelves, and raised us above others, to fit on thrones, and to judge, and reign over them. And he has made us priests too, as we are peculiarly confecrated to God, and obliged to attend upon him, from time to time continually, in the folemn offices of religion, which he has appointed. [48] 1 Pet. ii. 5, "Ye alfo as lively ftones are built up a spiritual houfe, an holy priesthood." Ver. 9, "But ye [Gentile Chriftians] are a chofen generation, a royal [or kingy priesthood." Rev. i. 5, 6, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priefs unto God and his Father," &c. v. 10, "And haft made us unto our God, kings and priests: and we fhall reign on the earth." iii. 21, "To him. that overcometh will I grant to fit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am fet down with my Father in his throne." ii. 26, 27, "And he that overcometh and keeps my words unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: (and he shall rule them with a rod of iron) even as I received of my Father." 2 Tim. ii. 12, fuffer with him we fhall also reign with him." I Cor. vi. 2, 3, not know that the faints fhall judge the world? Know ye not fhall judge angels?"

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131. XVIII. Thus the whole body of the Chriftian church is feparated unto God from the reft of the world. And, whereas before the Gentile believers were afar off, lying out of the commonwealth of Ifrael; now they are nigh, as they are joined to God in covenant, have free accefs to him in the ordinances of worship, and, in virtue of his promife, a particular title to his regards and blefling. 2 Cor. vi. 17, fore come out from among them, and be feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you." Eph. ii. 13, "But now in Chrift Jefus ye, who fometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Chrift." [49, 50]

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132. XIX. And, as God, in all these respects, has diftinguished the Christian church, and fequeftred them unto himfelf, they are ftiled his peculiar people. Tit. ii. 14, "Who gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." i Pet. ii. 9, "But ye are a chofen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people," &c. [51]

133. XX. As Chriftians are a body of men particularly related to God, inftructed by him in the rules of wifdom, devoted to his fervice, and employed in his true worship, they are called his church or congregation. [52] Acts xx. 28, "Feed the church of God." 1 Cor. X. 32, "Giving none offence to the church of God." XV. 9. Gal. i. 13, and elfewhere. Eph. i. 22, "Head over all things to the church: fo frequently."And particular focieties are churches. Rom. xvi. 16, "The churches of Chrift falute you." And fo in feveral other places.

134. XXI. For the fame reafon, they are confidered as God's pof feflion, or heritage. 1 Pet. v. 3, "Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being enfamples to the flock." [53] (*)

CHAP.

(*) The reader cannot well avoid obferving, that the words and phrates,

CHA P. VII.

Reflections upon the foregoing Honours, Privileges and Relations of Chris

ROM all this it appears,

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tians.

135. (1.) That the believing Gentiles are taken into that king dom and covenant, in which the Jews once ftood, and out of which they were caft for their unbelief, and rejection of the Son of God; [91, 79] and that we Chriftians ought to have the fame general ideas of our prefent religious state, membership, privileges, honours and relations to God, as the Jews had, while they were in poffeffion of the kingdom. Only in fome things the kingdom of God, under the gofpel difpenfation, differs much from the kingdom of God, under the Mofaical. As 1. In that it is now fo conftituted, that it admits, and is adapted to, men of all nations upon the earth, who believe in Chrift. 2. That the law, as a ministration of condemnation, which was an appendage to the Jewish difpenfation, is removed and annulled under the gofpel. 3. And fo is the polity, or civil ftate of the Jews, which was interwoven with their religion, but had no connection with the Chriftian religion. 4. The ceremonial part of the Jewish conftitution is likewife abolished: for we are taught the spirit and duties of religion, not by figures and symbols, as facrifices, offerings, washings, &c. but by exprefs and clear precepts. 5. The kingdom of God is now put under the special government of the Son of God, who is the head and king of the church, to whom we owe faith and allegiance.

136. (2.) From the above-recited particulars it appears; That the Chriftian church is happy, and highly honoured with privileges of the

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by which our Chriftian privileges are exprest in the New Teftament, are the very fame with the words and phrafes by which the privileges of the Jewish church are exprest in the Old Testament. Which makes good what St. Paul faith concerning the language in which the apostles declared "the things that are freely given to us of God;" 1 Cor. ii. 12, 13. "We," Apostles, "have received, not the fpirit of the world, but the fpirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God;" namely, the fore recited privileges and bleflings. "Which things we speak, not in the words which man's wifdom teacheth," not in philofophic terms of human invention, "but which the holy fpirit teacheth" in the writings of the Old Testament, the only fcrip. tures from which they took their ideas and arguments, comparing fpiritual things" under that difpenfation" with fpiritual things" under the gospel. Whence we may conclude, 1. That the holy Scriptures are admirably calculated to be understood in those things, which we are most of all concerned to understand. Seeing the fame language runs through the whole, and is fet in fuch a variety of lights, that one part is well adapted to illuftrate another. An advantage I reckon peculiar to the facred writings 2. It follows, That to understand the fenfe of the Spirit in the New, it is effentially neceffary that we understand it's fenfe in the Old

above all others.

Teftament.

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most excellent nature. Which the apoftles, who well understood this new conftitution, were deeply fenfible of. [54] Rom. i. 16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Chrift: for it is the power of God unto falvation to every one that believes." v. 1, 2, 3, &c. "Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift. By whom also we have access, by faith, into his grace wherein we stand, and rejoice [glory] in the hope and glory of God. And not only fo, but we glory in tribulation alfo," &c. Ver. 11, "And not only fo, but we alfo joy [glory] in God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift," &c. Chap. viii. 31, &c. "What fhall we then fay to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how fhall he not with him alfo free', give us all things? Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?-Who is he that condemns?-Who fhall feparate us from the love of Christ?" Chap. ix. 23, 24, He has "made known the riches of his glory on the veflels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, even on us whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." 2 Cor. iii. 18," But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image from glory to glory, as by the fpirit of the Lord." Eph. i. 3, 4, &c." Blefied be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who has blefied us with all spiritual bleffings in heavenly places in Chrift. According as he has chofen us in him," &c. &c.

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137. And it is the duty of the whole body of Chriftians to rejoice in the goodness of God, to thank and praife him for all the benefits conferred upon them in the gofpel." [55] Rom. xv. 10, joice, ye Gentiles, with his people." Phil. iii. 1, "My brethren, rejoice in the Lord." iv. 4, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: again I fay, rejoice." 1. Thef. v. 16, "Rejoice evermore." Jam. i. 9. 1 Pet. i. 6, 8. Col. i. 12, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light." ii. 7, "Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith,-abounding therein with thanksgiving." Thef. v. 18. Heb. xiii. 15, By him therefore let us offer the facrifice of praife to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name." Eph. i. 6, "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved." Ver. 12, 14.

138. (3.), Further, it is to be obferved; that all the foregoing privileges, benefits, relations, and honours belong to all profefled Chriftians without exception. [56] God is the God, King, Saviour, Father, Hufband, Shepherd, &c. to them all. He, created, faved, bought, redeemed, he begot, he made, he planted, &c. them all. And they are all, as created, redeemed, and begotten by him, his people, nation, heritage; his children, fpoufe, flock, vineyard, &c. We are all enriched with the bleflings of the gofpel, Rom. xi. 12, 13, 14; all reconciled to God, Ver. 15; all "the feed of Abraham, and heirs according to the promife," Gal. iii. 29; all partake of the "root and fatnefs of the good olive," the Jewish church; all the brethren of Chrift, and members of his body; all are under grace; all have a right to the ordinances of worship; all are golden candlesticks in the temple of God, Rev. i. 12, 13, 20;

even those who by reafon of their mifimprovement of their privileges are threatened with having the candlestick removed out of its place, ii. 5. Either every profeffed Chriftian is not in the church, or all the forementioned privileges belong to every profeffed Chriftian. Which will appear more evidently if we confider,

139. That all the fore-mentioned privileges, honours and advantages are the effect of God's free grace, without regard to any prior righteousness, which deserved or procured the donation of them. [57] It was not for any goodness or worthinefs, which God found in the heathen world, when the gofpel was first preached to them; not for any works of obedience, or righteoufnefs, which we in our Gentile ftate had performed, whereby we had rendered ourselves deferving of the bleflings of the gofpel; namely, to be taken into the family, kingdom, or church of Gol: By no means. It was not thus

of ourselves that we are faved, juftified, &c. So far from that, that the gofpel, when firft preached to us Gentiles, found us finners, dead in trefpaffes and fins, enemies through wicked works, difobedient. Therefore, I fay, all the fore-mentioned privileges, bleflings, honours, &c. are the effects of God's free grace, or favour, without regard to any prior works, or righteousness, in the Gentile world, which procured the donation of them. Accordingly, they are always in fcripture affigned to the love, grace and mercy of God, as the fole fpring from whence they flow. John iii. 16, "For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth on him fhould not perish, but have everlasting life." Rom. v. 8, “But God commendeth his love to us, in that while we were finners Chrift died for us." Eph. ii. 49, 10, " But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he has loved us, even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Chrift (by grace ye are faved) and hath raifed us up together, and made us fit together in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus. That in ages to come he might fhew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Jefus Chrift. For by grace are ye faved, through faith, and that [falvation is] not of yourfelves, it is the the gift of God; not of works; fo that (*) no man [nor Gentile, nor Jew] can boaft. For we [Chriftians converted from Heathenifm] are his workmanfhip, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should

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(*) Iva un тis xavxnonlui, left any man should boaft. So we render it; as if the Gofpel Salvation were appointed to be not of works, to prevent our boafting; which fuppofes, we might have boafted, had not God taken this method to preclude it. Whereas, in truth, we had nothing, to boast of. Neither Jew nor Gentile could pretend to any prior righteoufnefs, which might make them worthy to be taken into the house and kingdom of God under his Son. Therefore, the Apoftle's meaning is, "We are not faved "from Heathenifm, and tranflated into the church and kingdom of Christ, "for any prior goodness, obedience, or righteoufnefs we had performed. For "which reafon, no man can boast, as if he had merited the bleffing," &c. This is the Apostle's fenfe; and the place should have been tranflated, so that no man can boaft: for wa fignifies, fo that. See Rom. iii. 19. 1 Cor. vii. 29、 2 Cor. i. 17. vii. 9. Gal. v. 17. Heb. ii. 17. vi. 18. Mark iv. 12.

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walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time paffed Gentiles," &c. 2 Thef. ii. 16. 1 John iii. 1, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath beftowed upon us, that we fhould be called the fons of God." iv. 9, "In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, because that God fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." Ver. 10, "Herein is love; not that we loved God, but he Loved us, [Ver. 19, He first loved us,] and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins." Ver. 11, "Beloved, if God fo loved us, we ought alfo to love one another." Ver. 16. Tit. iii. 3-7, "For we ourselves were fometimes foolish, difobedient,-but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared; not by works of righte ousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us,that being juftified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

140. It is on account of this general love that Christians are honoured with the title of beloved. [59] Rom. i. 7, "To all that are in Rome beloved of God, called Saints." ix. 25, "I will call her [the Gentile church] beloved, which was not beloved." Col. iii. 12, "Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies," &c.

141. Rom.iii. 23, 24, "For all have finned, and come fhort of the glory of God; being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Chrift Jefus." v. 2. 1 Cor. i. 4, "I thank my God-for the grace of God which is given you by Jefus Christ." Eph. i. 6, 7, "To the praife of the glory of his grace, whereby he has made us accepted in the beloved: in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of fins, according to the riches of his grace." Col. i. 6. 2 Thef. i. 12. 2 Tim. i.9, "Who has faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Jesus Christ before the world began." Tit. ii. 11. Heb. xii. 15. [Hence grace, and the grace of God, is fometimes put for the whole Gofpel, and all its bleffings; as Acts xiii. 43, “Paul and Barnabas― perfuaded them to continue in the grace of God." 2 Cor. vi. 1. 1 Pet. v. 12, "Teftifying that this is the true grace of God in which we ftand." I Cor. i. 4. Rom. v. 2. 2 Cor. vi. 1. Tit. ii. 11. Jude 4.] Rom. xii. I, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye prefent your bodies," &c. xv. 9, "And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. I Pet. i. 3, Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope."

142. In these texts, and others of the fame kind, it is evident the love, grace, and mercy of God hath refpect, not to particular perfons in the Chriftian Church, but to the whole body, or whole focieties; and therefore, are to be understood of that general love, grace and mercy, whereby the whole body of Chriftians is feparated unto God, to be his peculiar people, favoured with extraordinary blessings. [61]

143. And it is with regard to this fentiment, and mode of fpeech, that the Gentiles, who before lay out of the church, and had not obtained mercy, are faid, now to have obtained mercy. [62] Rom. xi. 30, "For as ye in times paft," that is, in your heathen

ftate,

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