admiffion, or to detain and keep within, or to stop the paffage and exclude from a place; neceffarily all or fome of these actions (or fomewhat answerable and like thereto) muft agree to this power, in refpect to that ftate or place which it refers to: it must be therefore a power either admissive into, or retentive within, or exclufive from, or all these together, in refpect to the kingdom of heaven, whereof it is called the Keys; no other reason being conceivable of its obtaining that appellation; and we see, when this metaphor is used in like cases, either all or one of these effects are by way of interpretation expreffed; as when of the holy and true one (that is, of our Saviour) it is said in the Revelation, That he hath the key of David; Rev. iii. 7. it is fubjoined, He openeth, and none fhutteth; he shutteth, and none openeth. And when our Saviour imputes to the lawyers, that they took away the key of knowledge, he explains the meaning of his expreffion by adding, that they Luke xi. 52. would not enter themselves, and those who were entering they hindered: and likewife in St. Matthew, concerning the Scribes and Pharifees; Ye fhut the kingdom of heaven Matt. xxiii. (the fame thing as here) before men; for yourfelves do not enter, nor do you fuffer thofe that are entering. Whence, it seems, may be collected, that this power (this having the keys) is a power of admiffion into, and exclufion from, the place or state which it relates to: which we muft next confider; for fuch muft this power be, as its term or object doth admit or require.

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2. As to the term it relates to, the kingdom of heaven, that, according to the New Testament use, is capable espe→ cially of two acceptions. It first commonly fignifies the ftate or conftitution of religion under the Gospel, in oppofition or contradiftinction to the state of things under the ancient Law. In the time of the Law, God's kingdom was in a manner earthly; the land of Ifrael was his dominion, in Salem was his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Zion; Jerufalem was his royal feat, (the city of the Pf. cxiv. 2. great King,) the temple there his palace; he governed lxxvi. 2. more immediately by oracles from time to time put into the mouth of his priests and prophets, confulting him for

orders and directions; he received more vifible fervices and homages from his subjects; he granted earthly conveniences and privileges for them; he encouraged them to the obedience of his law by promifes of temporal reward; deterred them from difobedience and difloyalty by threatening temporal pains and damages: but under the evangelical difpenfation, as God's kingdom is more capacious and unlimited in extenfion, so he hath affumed no peculiar refidence upon earth, nor is worshipped otherwise than as being in heaven, the natural feat of his fpecial majesty and glory; he rules by a law perpetual and immutable, revealed from thence; the facrifices and adorations he requires are fpiritual and invifible for the most part, and addreffed thither; the privileges appertaining to the fubjects of this kingdom chiefly refer thither; they are allured to obedience by rewards to be conferred there; are withdrawn from difobedience by penalties referring to a future ftate. This ftate therefore of things is called the Hiexquin kingdom of heaven, of God, of Chrift: that which was i, & coming and approaching in the time of our Saviour's humble fojourning upon earth, is now present, he reigning in heaven, into which they are faid to be tranflated; Col. i. 12, to have accefs unto the heavenly Jerufalem; to be made Eph. ii. 19. fellow-citizens and coheirs with the faints in light; to Phil. iii. 20. have their conversation in heaven; to partake a heavenly Heb. iii. i. calling; to be feated together with Chrift in heavenly

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xii. 22.

&c.

places; who with fincere perfuafion of mind embrace the doctrine of Chrift, with firm refolution fubmit to his law, becoming thereby subjects of this heavenly kingdom, undertaking the obligations, and partaking the privileges belonging thereto. This ftate, I fay, or relation, is thus called; or (which comes to the fame thing, and makes no alteration as to the matter in hand) taking the word perfonally, (and concretely as it were,) the fociety of men put into such a state, the body of persons standing so related, (that is, the Church of Christ,) may be called the kingdom of heaven. This acception is fo frequent and obvious, that it is needless to cite inftances, or ftand upon the confirmation thereof: but the phrafe is also fometime taken for the

perfection or utmoft improvement of this ftate; that alv105 Barıλsía, everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour 2 Pet. i. 11, Jefus Chrift, as St. Peter calls it; that ftate of glory and blifs, into which all good Chriftians, who fhall through this temporal life perfift in faithful obedience unto God, shall hereafter be received; that kingdom, into which not Matt. vii. every one who faith, Lord, Lord, (who makes an external 21. profeffion or pretence,) but he that doeth the will of God, who is in heaven, fhall enter. Now whereas these two states (one being a ftate of grace and favour with God A&s xx. 24. here, the other of glory and joy with God hereafter) are in their nature, and according to their prime intention, infeparably coherent, one being fubordinate to the other; that, as a step or degree, a way or tendency to this; this, a completion and confummation of that; that being suppofed as precedent in order to this, this in design confequent upon that; therefore what immediately concerns one, doth by confequence refpect the other: and in our cafe, a power to open or fhut, to admit into or exclude from, the state of grace, may be supposed and said in a manner confequently to be a power of opening and shutting the state of glory hereafter; and reciprocally, both jointly may be well understood in their kind and order. But fince the perfons to whom this power is imparted do exercise it here, (and what thou shalt bind or loofe upon Matt. xvi. earth, faith our Saviour, implying the use of that power which he promised to communicate to St. Peter;) fince the immediate effects thereof are here below, therefore it seems fit that we understand the kingdom of heaven in our cafe more directly and immediately the prefent kingdom of heaven, or state of grace into which Chriftians are here received, (or, if you please, the society itfelf of perfons fo inftated;) though more remotely, and by confequence, it may imply the state of glory hereafter.

We should therefore confider how thefe ftates (especially that of grace here more immediately refpected) may be opened or fhut; how one man may be enabled or empowered to permit entrance, or debar others from it: and this we may conceive effectible either by yielding fome

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Acts xiv.

27.

real furtherance on one fide, or fome effectual hindrance on the other, in refpect of getting into or abiding in this ftate; or else by fome formal act of judgment and authority, by virtue of which some are admitted to partake the rights and privileges of this ftate, or fome excluded and rendered incapable thereof. I fay, firft, by real furtherance or hindrance; as on the one fide, they who instruct or fhew the way, who perfuade, who encourage men to enter, who afford any means or opportunities, may be faid to open this state; (as in like manner it is faid that God did open to the Gentiles a door of faith; and St. Paul faith, 1 Cor.xvi.9. a great and effectual door was opened to him at Ephefus, 2 Cor. ii. 12. and another at Troas; and he exhorts the Coloffians to Col. iv. 3. pray that God would open to him Súpav Toũ Xóyou, a door of preaching the mystery of Chrifi; where opening a door denotes ministering opportunities and advantages of performing the things fpecified.) And on the other fide, they who keep from knowing the way which leads thither, who diffuade or discourage from entering, who subtract the means or prevent opportunities of doing it, who interpose obstacles or obstructions of difficulty, danger, or damage, may be faid to fhut, or exclude; (thus are the Scribes Matt. xxiii. faid to shut the kingdom of heaven ;) that is, to hinder men from embracing the doctrine, or submitting to the rule of Chrift, by discouraging them from giving attention and credence to what he taught, (which is otherwhere called Luke xi. 52. taking away the key of knowledge;) as alfo by terrifying them from acknowledgment of the truth they faw and liked, by reproaches, perfecutions, and punishments laid on them who did it. Thus may this ftate be opened and fhut. As also it may fo by judicial and authoritative acts; by way of consent and approbation declared, of decifion and sentence pronounced; in fuch manner as we duly fee men admitted into, and debarred from, the ftate of citizens and freemen, (from enjoying in esteem and effect the capacities and immunities belonging to the members of fuch or fuch focieties and corporations,) by the confent or diffent, approbation or refusal, decree or fentence, formally fignified, of perfons empowered to thofe purposes. Now

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regarding the nature of that state whereof we are speaking, as to real fartherance, fince refpect to God's glory and man's falvation obliges all men to endeavour that men be brought into this ftate, the fame being in a special manner incumbent upon the governors and pastors of the Church; therefore this may be conceived one way of opening, or one part of this power; although to shut by way of real hindrance, in the manner described, cannot properly belong to any, duty and charity forbidding really and finally to obftruct entrance into the ftate of grace; the Scribes and Lawyers being blamed for not fuffering men (otherwise willing and difpofed) to enter into the kingdom of heaven. As to the other kind of opening and fhutting, by legal proceeding; as all perfons, according to charitable estimation, worthy and well qualified, aught to be admitted thereinto; fo neither, according to the reafon of the thing itself, nor in regard to the public benefit, nor respecting the good of the perfons pretending thereto, fhould fome be permitted to enjoy the communion thereof; therefore to diftinguish and separate fuch perfons, the appointment and use of fuch a power is requifite. This will appear more plainly when we come to confider the neceffity and utility of this power. Farther,

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3dly. For the phrases equivalent, by which in places of the Gospel moft parallel this power is expreffed and explained, they are especially those of binding and loofing, of retaining and remitting fins. As for binding and loofing; when our Saviour had promised to bestow upon St. Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, he fignifies. what effect the ufe of them fhould produce, by adding conjunctively, And whatever thou shalt bind on earth' fhall Matt. xvi. be bound in heaven; and what thou shalt loose upon earth' Shall he loofed in heaven.

Now binding may fignify any kind of determination, of restraint, of detention upon perfons or things; and loofing, that which is oppofite thereto, the leaving indifferent, laying open, fetting free of any perfon or thing respectively. He that (having good authority to do fo) enjoins or probibits any thing, doth bind that thing, (determining its

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