founded Zion, and the poor of his people fhall truft in it," [or, betake themselves to it,] Ifa. xiv. 32. 2. Becaufe God is the repairer of it: it is he that repairs the wafte places, and the defolations of many generations, Ifa. xli. 4. Aud this is alfo a glorious work; "When the Lord fhall build up Zion, he will appear in his glory," Pfal. cii. 16. It is too glorious for a creature; he that is God as well as man hath the honour of it afcribed to him; "He, even he fhall build the temple of the Lord, and he fhall bear the glory," Zech. vi. 13. He may raise up inftruments, but he himfelf is the principal agent. Saints may weep for Zion, but the Lord muft rebuild and repair it. .. 3. Becaufe God is the dweller therein: he dwells there where he fets up his ordinances, though he confines not himself to places; " In all places where I record my name I will come to thee, and bless thee," Exod. xx. 24. God is known by his ordinances, as we are known by our names; "The Lord hath chofen Zion; he hath defired it for his habitation. This is my reft for ever; here will I dwell, for I have defired it," Pfal. cxxxii. 13, 14. 4. Because God is the governor thereof: He alone gives laws of everlafting confequence, to deftruction or falvation; "There is one Lawgiver who is able to fave and to deftroy, James iv. 12. The Lord is our Lawgiver." Popes and patrons may ufurp a government of the church; but the Lord alone is the God of confcience, and the government is on his fhoulders. QUEST. Who are the Members of this houfe of God. ANSW. The church is either visible or invifible. To the visible church on earth, belong all that have a visible and credible profeffion; and it is meet for us to judge that they are faints, as the apoftle fpeaks to the Philippians, chap. i. 7. But we may be deceived; we know not the heart: therefore it concerns every profeffor to examine himself.-The invifible church is known to God only; Nevertheless, the foundation of God ftandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knows them that are his," 2 Tim. ii. 19. Well, but how fhall I know myself to be one of them? Why, it follows, "Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift, depart from iniquity." Το To be of the houfhold of God, is not to be a member of the Prefbyterial government, nor a communicating member of fuch a congregation; but to be a member of Chrift. QUEST. What fort of a house is the church unto God? ANSW. As it is, 1. His dwelling-houfe; of which already: fo, 2. It is his pleasure-houfe; for, "The Lord taketh pleasure in his people." O wonderful! 3. It is his treasure-houfe; for, "The Lord's portion is his people, and Jacob the lot of his inheritance:" tho' he cannot be enriched therewith, yet he reckons them his riches, his jewels, which he will make up at the last day, 4. The church alfo is his magazine-house; built for an armoury, whereon hang a thoufand bucklers, all fhields of mighty men. God's church is his caftle; and, "Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks." Again, 5. It is his veffel-house, wherein all the veffels of mercy are hung; and Chrift is the nail faftened in a fure place, on which they hang, Ifa. xxii. 23, 24. Weak and ftrong are there. 6. It is alfo his banquetting houfe, Song ii. 4. where he and they feed together; he feeds among the lilies, till the day break and he fups with them, and they with him, Rev. iii. 20. II. The next thing propofed, was, To hint at the nature of that holinefs that is peculiar to the house of God. Holiness in the ordinary fenfe wherein it is attributed to the church and children of God, may be viewed, . 1. In its definition. And, I think, it may be thus defined, A full renovation of our natures, into the image of God, thro' Jesus Christ, by the holy Spirit.' It is called a new birth, a new creation, a new creature: "If any man be in Chrift Jefus, he is a new creature, 2 Cor. v. 21. We are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works." It is the image of God, who is holinefs itself. It is a grace; yea, the conjunction and conftellation of all the graces. It is a duty, and the fum and fubftance of all duty. 2. We may view it in its fpring; it is neither natural nor 1 nor acquired. It is not to be taken up by the ftrength of reafon, nor the power of free-will, nor by the force of conviction and refolution from within or without : nay, "He that hath wrought us to the felf-fame thing is God." It is not to be ascribed to the virtue of ordinances, nor the worth of inftruments, but to the powerful efficiency of the holy Spirit of God; the fanctifying Spirit. Art, nature, education, can do nothing here; it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God, I Cor. vi. 11. 3. We may view it in the fubject of it, and that is the believer in Chrift, his whole man; "The God of peace fanctify you wholly; foul, body, and fpirit," 1 Thef. v. 2. If ye ask, Where is the feat of holiness, in the head, or the heart, or the confcience; in the inward or outward man? We reply, The feat of holiness is not in any one of them, but in all of them: it is a leaven that leavens the whole lump. The holy man hath a fanctified enlightened understanding, to difcern fpiritual things, which before he understood not; a fanctified will, inclining to fpiritual things, which before he hated; a fanctified memory, to mind heavenly things, which before was only earthly; a fanctified conscience, awakened to check for fin, and excite to duty; a fanctified lip, to speak of God, and to speak to him, and for him; a fanctified life, to glorify God. : 4. We may view it in the parts of it, which are two; a ceafing to do evil, and a learning to do good. The former is the privative, and the latter the pofitive part of it. There is the privative part of holinefs, which is called mortification; that is, a heart purged from the love of every fin, and a life purged from the practice of every fin fin is left in the heart, but is not loved nor liked; nay, it is hated and difliked: it may remain, but it cannot reign where holinefs is.-There is the pofitive part of holinefs, which is called vivification, or a living unto God, by a life of dependance on him, and a life of obedience to him. The man not only ceafes to do evil, but he learns to do well. It is, in fhort, a walking with God, a walking in Christ, and a walking in the Spirit. After this hint of the nature of holiness, I proceed, III. To the Third thing, which was, To fhew that this is the law of the houfe; and why it is here ingeminate and doubled, with a Behold, this is the law of the boufe. For clearing this head, you would confider three things: 1. What law it is that is called the law of the house. 2. How holiness is the law of the house. 3. The reafon why this is redoubled. Ift, What law it is that is called the law of the boufe. For the clearing of this, ye would confider three laws that the house of God hath always had fome concern in. 1. There is a law from which the houfe is delivered; that is, the law of works, or the covenant of works: this is the law they are delivered from; "Ye are not under the law, but under grace," Rom. vi. 14. They are not under it, to be either juftified or condemned; they are neither under the command of it, to be juftified by their obedience; nor under the threatening of it, to be condemned for their difobedience. Their title to eternal life ftands upon Christ's doing and obedience; therefore they have nothing to do with the Do and Live of that covenant: their fecurity from eternal death, ftands upon Chrift's dying and fuffering; therefore they have nothing to do with the penalty of that covenant, "If thou doeft not, thou fhalt die." Chrift has delivered them from the curfe of this law, being made a curfe for them. The law of works required holinefs, indeed, in perfection; but in fuch a form, and under fuch a penalty, that, if there were no other law but this, we finners and breakers of the law, would be irrecoverably loft. By this law, holiness is loft, because the law is violated; and therefore, by the deeds thereof, no flesh can be justified in God's fight: for finners to be juftified by works, or by the law, is a contradiction; the law can never juftify a breaker of it, unlefs he hath a perfect righteoufnefs from another quarter and fource than himfelf: Therefore, 2. As there is a law from which the house is deliver ed, ed, viz. the law of works; fo there is a law by which the house is recovered and relieved, namely, the law of faith, or the covenant of grace. Of both thefe laws, which are clearly diftinguifhed by the apoftle, you read, Rom. iii. 27. "Where is boafting then? it is excluded; By what law? of works? nay, but by the law of faith." This law of faith is nothing elfe but the covenant of grace and the doctrine of the gospel. In a word, it is the promife, Gal. iii. 21. And it is called a law, both in oppofition to the covenant of works, to fhow that believers are not under the law of works, but the law of grace; and alfo to fhew, that the free promifes of the gofpel are a law that God makes to himfelf in the behalf of finners, or an act of the parliament of heaven. Acts of grace paft there require no condition on the finner's part, but only of the Surety, whofe blood and righteousness is the condition of all the promises of God; which, therefore, are faid to be Yea and Amen in Christ, to the glory of God. And it is called a law of faith, because the gospel, properly, is not a law to be obeyed; but a law to be believed. It is not a law of commands, to be fulfilled by us; but a law of promifes, to be fulfilled upon us, in a way of free grace: and therefore, here nothing is to be wrought or expected by works, but all things to be expected by grace, or believed upon the faithfulness of a promifing God; "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousnefs," Rom. iv. 5.-This law of faith is fo much the law of God's houfe, that this is the very law that erects the house it ftands upon the law of faith; I mean, upon the free promife of God, which is the object and ground of faith.-All the privileges and immunities of the house are owing to the law of faith.-By the law of faith, or gospel-promife, finners are warranted to come into the most holy place, and fo they come to be made the most holy people. In this law, holiness is promised; by it, holiness is wrought. In this law of faith, faith itfelf is promised, or grace and strength to believe; "Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power," Pfalm "When I am lifted up, I will draw all men after me," John xii. 32. This abfolute promife is indefinitely cx. 3. - |