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"Work out your own falvation with fear and trembling; for it "is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own “good pleasure," Phil. ii. 12. Remember it is falvation you work for, and that's no trifle. Remember it is your own falvation, and not another's. It is for thy own poor foul that thou art ftriving; and what hast thou more?

Remember, now God offers you his helping hand; now the Spirit waits upon you in the means, but of the continuance thereof, you have no assurance; for it is of his own good pleafure, and not at yours. To your work, fouls, to your work. Ah, ftrive as men that know what an inheritance in heaven is worth.

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And, as for you that have folid evidence that it is yours; O, that with hands and eyes lifted up to heaven, you would adore that free grace, that hath entitled a child of wrath to a heavenly inheritance! Walk as becomes heirs of God, and jointheirs with Chrift. Be often looking heaven-ward when wants pinch here. O look to that fair eftate you have reserved in heaven for you, and fay, I am hastening home; and when I come thither, all my wants shall be supplied. Confider what it coft Chrift to purchase it for thee; and with a deep fenfe of what he hath laid out for thee, let thy soul say,

Bleffed be God for Jefus Christ.

SERMON XVI.

Opens the Kingly Office of Chrift, as executed fpiritu ally upon the Souls of the Redeemed.

2 COR. X. 5. Cafting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing vinto captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift.

W Mediator executes and dischargeth the undertaken defign of our redemption. Had he not, as our prophet, opened the way of life and falvation to the children of men, they could never have known it; and if they had clearly known it, except, as their Prieft, he had offered up himself, to impetrate and obtain redemption for them, they could not have been redeemed virtually by his blood; and if they had been fo redeemed, yet had he not lived in the capacity of a king, to apply this purchase of his

E now come to the Regal office, by which our glorious

blood to them, they could have had no actual perfonal benefit by his death for what he revealed as a Prophet, he purchased as a Priest; and what he fo revealed and purchased as Prophet and Prieft, he applies as a King: firft fubduing the fouls of his elect to his fpiritual government; then ruling them as his fubjects, and ordering all things in the kingdom of Providence for their good. So that Chrift hath a twofold kingdom, the one fpiritual and internal, by which he fubdues and rules the hearts of his people; the other providential and external, whereby he guides, rules, and orders all things in the world, in a bleffed fubordination to their external falvation. I am to speak from this text of his fpiritual and internal kingdom.

Thele words are confidered two ways, either relatively or abfolutely. Confidered relatively, they are a vindication of the apostle from the unjust cenfures of the Corinthians, who, very unworthily, interpreted his gentleness, condefcenfion, and win. ning affability, to be no better than a fawning upon them for felf-ends; and the authority he exercised, no better than pride and imperioufnefs. But hereby he lets them know, that as Chrift needs not, so he never ufed fuch carnal artifices: The weapons of our warfare (faith he) are not carnal, but mighty, through God, &c.

Abfolutely confidered, they hold forth the efficacy of the gof. pel, in the plainnefs and fimplicity of it, for the fubduing of rebellious finners to Chrift: and in them we have these three things to confider.

1. The oppofitions made by finners against the affaults of the gofpel, viz. imaginations, or reasonings, as the word yes, may be fitly rendered. He means the fubtilities, flights, excufes, fubterfuges, and arguings of fleshly-minded men; in which they fortify and entrench themselves against the convictions of the word*: yea, and there are not only fuch carnal reasonings, but many proud, high conceits with which poor creatures fwell, and fcorn to fubmit to the abafing, humble, felf-denying way of the gospel. Thefe are the fortifications erected against Chrift by the carnal mind.

2. We have here the conquest which the gofpel obtains over finners, thus fortified against it it cafts down and overthrows, and takes in thefe ftrong holds. Thus Chrift fpoils Satan of his

* He makes ufe of the word ftrong hold, by an elegant metaphor, to exprefs every thing in which the enemies of the gofpel truft, fortify and exalt themfelves against the truth of the heavenly word; fuch as carnal wifdom, learning, and eloquence. Glaff.

armour in which he trufted, by fhewing the finner that all this can be no defence to his foul against the wrath of God. But that's not all: in the next place,

3. You have here the improvement of the victory. Chrift doth not only lead away thefe enemies fpoiled, but brings them into obedience to himfelf, i. e. makes them, after converfion, fubjects of his own kingdom, obedient, useful, and ferviceable to himself; and fo is more than a conqueror. They do not only lay down their arms, and fight no more against Christ with them; but repair to his camp, and fight for Chrift, with those reasons of theirs that were before employed against him: as it is faid of Jerom, Origen, and Tertullian, that they came into Canaan, laden with Egyptian gold; that is, they came into the church full of excellent learning and abilities, with which they eminently ferved Jefus Christ. +O bleffed victory, where the conquer"or, and conquered, both triumph together!" And thus ene mies and rebels are fubdued, and made subjects of the spiritual kingdom of Chrift. Hence the doctrinal note is,

Do&t. That Jefus Chrift exercises a Kingly power over the fouls of all whom the gospel fubdues to his obedience.

No fooner were the Coloffians delivered out of the power of darkness, but they were immediately translated into the kingdom of Chrift, the dear Son, Col. i. 13.

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This kingdom of Chrift, which is our prefent fubject, is the internal spiritual kingdom, which is said to be within the faints, Luke xvii. 20, 21. The kingdom of God is within you.” Chrift fits as an enthroned king in the hearts, confciences, and affections of his willing people, Pfal. cx. 3. And his kingdom confifts in "righteoufnels, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost,' Rom. xiv, 17. and it is properly monarchical, as appears in the margin .

In the prosecution of this point, I will speak doctrinally to these three heads.

Firft, How Chrift obtains the throne in the hearts of men.

to beata victoria, ubi viếti cum victoribus fimul triumphant ! Meyer in loc.

This internal government is monarchical, and it must be fo; for the right of governing mens confciences belongs to none but him, who is both wife and molt powerful; neither hath Christ in this goyernment any vice gerent, to whom his power and authority is com mitted.

Secondly, How he rules in it, and by what acts he exercises his kingly authority.

Thirdly, What are the privileges of those fouls over whom Chrift reigns. And then apply it.

First, We will open the way and manner in which Chrift obtains a throne in the hearts of men, and that is by conqueft §: for tho' the fouls of the elect are his by donation, and right of. redemption; the Father gave them to him, and he died for them; yet Satan hath the first poffeffion: and fo it fares with Christ, as it did with Abraham, to whom God gave the land of Canaan by promife and covenant; but the Canaanites Perizites, and foas of Anak, had the actual poffeffion of it, and Abraham's posterity muft fight for it, and win it by inches, before they enjoy it. The houfe is conveyed to Chrift by him: that built it, but the strong man armed keeps the poffeffion of it, till a ftronger than he comes and ejects him, Luke xi. 20, 21, 22. Christ must fight his way into the foul, though he have a right to enter, as into his dearly purchafed poffeffion. And fo he doth; for when the time of recovering them is come, he fends forth his armies to fubdue them; as it is Pfal. cx.3. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." The

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Hebrew may as fitly be rendered, and fo is by fome, "in the "day of thine armies;" when the Lord Jefus fent forth his armies of prophets, apostles, evangelifts, paftors, teachers, under the conduct of his Spirit, armed with that two-edged fword, the word of God, which is fharp and powerful, Heb. iv. 12. But that's not all he caufes armies of convictions, and fpiritual: troubles, to begirt and straiten them on every fide, fo that they know not what to do. These convictions, like a fhower of arrows, ftrike, point-blank, into their confciences; Acts ii. 37. "When they heard this, they were pricked to the heart, and "faid, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Chrift's arrows are sharp in the hearts of his enemies, whereby the people fall under him, Pfal. xlv. 5, 6. By these convictions he batters down all their loose vain hopes, and levels them with the earth.

§ For unlimited power, even in the way of vicegerency, can be competent to no man: there is also a certain kind of union which excludes all vicegerency; fuch as that of Father and Son, husband and wife for certainly here fubftitution cannot take place. Maccov. loc. Com. p. 641.

+ Dr TT, In die exercitus tui. To wit, When having fent forth thy apoftles and other teachers of the church, thou wilt, by the found of thy gofpel, gather together and conftitute to thyfelf a kingdom. Mollier on this place.

Now all their weak pleas and defences, from the general mercy of God, the example of others, &c, prove but as paperwalls to them. Thefe fhake their hearts, even to the very foundation, and overturn every high thought there, that exalts itself against the Lord. This day, in which Chrift fits down before the foul, and fummons it by fuch meffengers as thefe, is a day of distress within; yea, fuch a day of trouble, that none is like it. But though it be fo, yet Satan hath fo deeply entrenched himself in the mind and will, that the foul yields not at the first fummons, till its provifions within are fpent, and all its towers of pride, and walls of vain confidence, be undermined by the gofpel, and fhaken down about its ears: and then the foul defires a parley with Chrift. O, now it would be glad of terms, any terms, if it may but fave its life: let all go as a prey to the conqueror. Now it fends many fuch meffengers as thefe to Chrift, who is come now to the very gates of the foul; mercy, Lord, mercy; O were I but affured thou wouldeft receive, fpare, and pardon me, I would open to thee the next moment! Thus the foul is "fhut up to the faith of Christ," as it is, Gal. iii. 23., and reduced now to the greatest strait and lofs imaginable; and now the merciful King, whofe only defign is to conquer the hearts, hangs forth the white flag of mercy before the foul, giving it hopes it shall be spared, pitied, and pardoned, though fo long in rebellion against him, if yet it will yield itself to Chrift. Many ftaggerings, hefitations, irrefolutions, doubts, fears, fcruples, half-refolves, reasonings for and against, there are at the counsel-table of man's own heart, at this time. Sometimes there is no hope; Christ will flay me, if I go forth to him, and then it trembles. But then, who ever found him fo that tried him? Other fouls have yielded, and found mercy beyond all their expectations. O, but I have been a desperate enemy against him. Admit it, yet thou haft the word of a King for it ; Let the wicked forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him turn to the Lord, and he "will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abun"dantly pardon him,” Ifa. lv. 7.

But the time of mercy, is past, I have ftood out too long: yet, if it were fo, how is it that Chrift had not made fhort work, and cut me off? fet fire, hell fire to my foul, and withdrawn the fiege? Still he waiteth that he may be gracious, and is exalted that he may have compaffion. A thoufand fuch debates there are, till, at laft, the foul confidering, if it abide in rebellion, it muft needs perish; if it go forth to Chrift, it can but perish VOL. I. E e

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