and the like), or by his being intrufted with fuperior abilities to ferve his fellow Chriftians, than fome other Chriftians may be called to, or be entrufted with; I fay, tho' this may enable one Chriftian to be more useful and ferviceable to his fellow Chriftians than other Chriftians are capable of being; yet this does not give thofe who are called to any office in a Chriftian fociety, or who are intrufted with fuperior abilities to ferve it, any power, authority, jurifdiction, or pre-eminence, over their fellow Chriftians; but on the contrary they ftand to them in these circumstances only as brethren in Chrift Jefus; that is, they are upon a foot of perfect equality in thefe refpects. And therefore though Chrift and his revelation may be truly faid to be fubfervient to the prefent happiness of mankind; yet it is not by his invefting any Chriftian, nor any fet, or order, or body of men among Chriftians, with a right of dominion over the perfons or properties of their brethren out of which their prefent intereft might arife (he not having made any fuch inveftiture); but it is by his engaging his difciples and followers to be wife and good men, upon which their own prefent happiness, and their beneficialnefs to fociety does apparently depend,

This, I fay, is the ftate of Chrift's Church and people at prefent, even before his fecond coming. Ile ftands to his people in the relation of a Governour, as he has reprefented to them, and preffed their obedience to that rule of action which they ought in reafon to govern their behaviour by; and as he will call them to an account for their actions, and will reward or punish them in another world, according to their behaviour here;

and

and they become his people by their chufing to be governed by thofe laws. So that Chrift's kingdom, at prefent, does not confift in the exercife of any temporal power or jurifdiction over the perfons and properties of his people; but it is a dominion over the confciences of men, founded only on argument and perfuafion; mens confciences are firft brought into fubjection to Chrift, by argument and perfwafion, and then their perfons and properties, their affections and actions are, not forced, but voluntarily fubjected to him, as being directed and governed by his laws, and thereby are engaged in bis fervice, and this is ftrictly and properly Chriftian obedience. The Jews and Romans thought by Chrift's taking to himself the title of King that he affumed fuch temporal power and jurifdiction over the perfons and properties of men, as the princes and potentates of the earth exercifed over their fubjects, and in this view of the cafe they confidered him as an enemy to Cefar: but he affured them that, at prefent, this was not the cafe, and that fuch his temporal kingdom was not of this age; for if it were then would his fervants have fought for him, that he might not have been delivered to the Jews. What fort of power Chrift will affume at his fecond coming, when that kingdom fhall come which he hath taught his people to pray for; when he thall take to himself his great power and reign; when the kingdoms of the world fhall become the kingdoms of God, and of his Chrift, is befide the purpose of my prefent enquiry. What I obferve is that as Chrift, as yet, has not affumed nor exercifed fuch a temporal dominion over his people, but only a dominion over their confciences, refultC 2

ing

ing from, and founded only on argument and per fwafion: o neither bas he communicated any fuch temporal power or dominion to others; and confe quently not any Chriftian, nor any fet, of order, or body of men among Chriftians, confidered as Christians, and by virtue of their being fuch, have any rights of dominion over the perfonshor properties of their brethren.flow

ti lupo SE C T. IL new muit mad:

A

S the great end and the profeffed defign of Chriff's appearing in the world, and of his delivering a divine revelation to it, was to fave mens fouls (as I have before fhewn): fo furely this is an end most excellent and valuable in itself, and moft worthy of him who undertook the profecution of it. Happiness is the proper object, of defire to every intelligent dependent being, and mifery is the proper object of their averfion and hunning; and therefore every fuch being is naturally led to chufe and purfue the one, and avoid the other, though thro' their folly they often difappoint themselves. So that whoever contributes to the introduction, prefervation, or increafe of happiness; or to the prevention, lef fening, or removal of mifery; fuch an one is a benefactor to the intelligent world. And as happinefs or mifery may be more or less general, intenfe, or durable: fo the benefaction in contribu ting to the introduction, prefervation, or increase of the one, or to the prevention, leffening, or removal of the other, is greater or less in propor

tion. 5And when all these circumstances take place in the fame cafe in a very high, or in the bigbeft degree; this prodigiously magnifies that benefaction. And this is plainly the cafe with refpect to our Lord Jefus Chrift in his underta king for mankind, in which he propofes, and endeavours not only to introduce and procure the greatest and the most durable happiness, and to prevent the feverest and most lafting mifery; but alfo to answer thefe gracious purpofes to a whole race of moral agents, or at least to as many of them whofe unhappy circumstances require it; confequently he is under God the greatest benefactor to our fpecies, provided the means made ufe of by him are fuitable and proper to obtain tho

ends.

This leads me to inquire bow, or in what way; our Lord Jefus Chrift propofes to fave mens fouls; that is, what method he hath taken to pre pare men for, and to infure to them the favour of God, and their happiness in another world; and to prevent them from bringing great and lafting mifery upon themfelves. And if we exa mine the hiftory of his life and ministry, from which alone we can obtain fatisfaction in the prefent cafe, we shall find that he applies himself to men as free beings, who have the direction of their own actions, and as fuch he lays before them and recommends to their moft ferious confiderati on certain doctrinal propofitions founded upon the fappofition of a Deity; which because of their great importance to mankind, and their being little attended to, are called the good news, or the gospel. And as thefe propofitions were in a particular and Special manner recommended by

very

Chrift to publick confideration, and as he was particularly and specially appointed to perform that work, they are therefore called the gofpel of Jefus Chrift. And thefe propofitions were recommended with this view that a ferious and well-grounded perfwafion of those important truths might be fuch a fpring and principle of action in men, as might reform their vices and. rightly direct and govern their minds and lives; and thereby render them worthy of, prepare them for, and infure to them the favour of God and their happiness in another world; and prevent them from falling into great and lafting mifery, which otherwife they were in great danger of bringing upon themfelves. And a well-grounded perfwation of thofe truths thus becoming a principle of action in men (as aforefaid) is called believing the gofpel; and believing in Jefus Chrift; and whoever thus believes, it is declared, that he fhall be faved.

The important truths which Chrift has thus recommended to publick confideration, may be fummed up in the following particulars. First, he requires and recommends the conforming our minds and lives to that eternal and unalterable rule of action, which is founded in the reafon of things, (which rule is fummarily contained in the written word of God,) and this he lays down, as the only ground of divine acceptance, and as that which will entitle men to the favour of God, and the happiness of another world and confequently this will prevent them from being greatly and laftingly miferable. Secondly, if men have lived in a violation of this righteous law, by which they have rendred themfelves