Design of-Foundation of.

82. Duration of Christ's kingdom.

Ps. 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

89:20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: 21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. 23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. 24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. 27 Also I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. 37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.

Dan. 7:14 His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed.

Lk. 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

CHURCH.

83. Design of the church of God.

Mat. 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick: and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

1 Tim. 3: 15 The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

84. Foundation of the church.

Mat. 16: 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 18 Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

An Object of Love.

21:42 Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. [Ps. 118:22. Is. 28: 16.]

1 Cor. 3:9 Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Ep. 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together, for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 1 Pet. 2:7 The stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.

85. The church an object of love and of prayer.

Ps. 51:18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt-offering and whole burnt-offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

87:2 The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. 7 As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.

1226 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. 7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. 8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. 9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

137:5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

Song 7:10 I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. Is. 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have

Safe.

graven nee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Is. 62:61 have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence. 7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Ep. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 29 No man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.

1 Jn. 3: 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Rev. 1:5 Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. [See 491.]

86. The church safe.

Ps. 46: 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were inoved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

125:1 They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. 2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

Pr. 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Its Head-Apostolic Authority.

Is. 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior: 1 gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4 Since thou was precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 5 Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west: 6 I will say to the north, Give up: and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; 7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

54:14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

87. Christ the head of the church.

Mat. 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

Ep. 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

88. What authority did the apostles receive?

Mat. 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.

18:18 Verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.

Its Officers-Its Elders-An early Convention.

Jn. 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Ac. 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

1 Cor. 3: 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

89. What officers were appointed in the primitive churches? Ac. 15:23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles, and elders, and brethren, send greeting unto the orethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia.

Ph. 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.

90. Had any apostolical churches a plurality of elders?

Ac. 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord.

20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

Tit. 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.

Jam. 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church.

91. An early ecclesiastical convention.

Ac. 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judea, taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 4 And when they were