the dark places of the earth, full of the habitations of horrid cruelty. Now, this revelation hangs upon the nail fastened in a fure place; for Chrift is the Alpha, and Chrift is the Omega of the whole fcriptures. He is the glorious Author of it: "The only begotten Son, who is in the bofom of the Father, he hath revealed him," John i. 18. It is only the Lion of the tribe of Judah that opens the book, and looses the feven feals thereof. He is the fubject matter of the fcriptures, for "to him bear all the prophets and apoftles witnefs;" they are just the record of God concerning Chrift; hence Chrift declares, John v. 39. "Thefe are they which teftify of me.” He is the end of the fcriptures; they are pointed to him, as the needle in the compafs points to the pole ftar; the very defign and end of the Bible is, what the ftar in the heavens was to the wife men of the east, to fhew them where Jesus the King of the Jews is to be found, John xx. ult. "Thefe things are written, that ye might believe that Jefus is the Chrift the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name."

3. A faithful miniftry is the glory of a church; for where these are wanting, the house of God is turned into a den of thieves, and grievous wolves, that plunder the house instead of preferving or defending it. Faithful minifters are the watchmen, that give warning when the houfe is in danger by invading enemies; they are the ftewards that difpenfe the bread of life unto the children of the family: they are the lights of the house, which are not to be under a buihel, but upon the candlesticks, that they may fcatter the light through the house, for the benefit of the whole : hence they are called the glory of Chrift; much more are they the glory of the church. Now this glory hangs on the nail fastened in a fure place, for it is he that gives the church pastors according to his heart, to feed his people with found wifdom, Jer. iii. 15. and Eph. iv. 11.-13. When he afcended up on high, he gave fome, apostles, prophets, evangelifts, paftors, and teachers, for the edifying of the body." They have their commission from him; for "no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." They have their furniture for work and warfare from him, and he fends none a warefare upon their own charges; it is he that puts the treafure in earthen veffels. They have their fuccefs from him; he makes them able as well as fuccefsful minifters of the New Testament; he teaches them to be fishers of men; and Paul himself may plant, and Appollos water, but he gives the increafe. He it is who creates the fruit of the lips, and gives the tongue of the learned.

4. The ordinances of the gofpel, difpenfed in purity by faithful minifters of Chrift, are the glory of a church. Thefe are "the gates of Zion, which God loves more than all the dwellings of Jacob;" thefe are God's tabernacles, which David knew to be fo amiable, that he envied the fparrows and fwallows that had accefs there, while he was excluded from attending them, Pfal. lxxxiv. 3. and xxvii. 4. It is in the ordinan ces of the gospel that the faints enjoy fellowship with God, and receive communications of his grace; hence compared to pools that afford water to the weary traveller, and wells out of which they draw water with joy, and breafts at which the babes of grace are fuckled. Well, all the ordinances of the gofpel hang upon the great Manager, fuch as word and facrament, prayer and praife. The preaching of the word is of his appointment, Mark xvi. 15. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature." Our authority to baptize is from him, Matth. xxviii. at the clofe, "Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft." The facrament of the Lord's fupper carries evidently his ftamp, " What I have received of the Lord, that do I deliver unto you," 1 Cor. xi. 23. &c. And as they are of his inftitution, fo it is he, by his own prefence, and the influence of his Spirit in them, and with them, who gives them their fuccefs and fweetness. Through him it is that these ivory palaces fmell of myrrh, aloes, and caffia, whereby he and his people are made glad. He fills the pools with water, by causing the rain to come down, even the former and latter rain of his quickening and comforting influen ces; and without him these ordinances are but as dry breafts, and mifcarrying wombs.

5. The judicatories of a church, higher and lower, conftitute in his name, and moulded according to his appointment, for the government and for the exercife of the keys of difcipline; thefe I fay, are the glory of a church, for thefe are "the thrones of judgement, the thrones of the houfe of David." When thefe courts, conftitute in the name of the King of Zion, proceed in their management with an eye to the honour of Zion's King, and according to that complete system of laws that he has given in his word, then it is that a church "looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the fun, and terrible as an army with banners," unto all ignorant, erroneous, or fcandalous perfons; and her very enemies are obliged to fay of her, as Balaam faid of Ifrael, "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob!" &c. Now, all this glory hangs upon the nail fastened in a fure place, for he alone is King in Zion, the government is upon his fhoulders. He it is that gives the

keys

keys of the kingdom of heaven unto his office-bearers, and promifes that "what they bind on earth, fhall be bound in heaven; and what they loofe on earth, fhall be loofed in heaven;" and where they affemble in courts for difcipline, he "will be in the midst of them."

6. The covenants of a church are her glory; God's covenant of grace and promife, and their covenants of duty and gratitude. Rom. ix. 4. it is faid of the Old Teftament church

To them belonged the adoption, the glory, and the covenants." God's covenant of grace and promife is the glory of a church. It was the mifery of the poor Gentiles under the Old Teftament, before the coming of Chrift, that they were "frangers to the covenants of promife." This is the church's charter for all her immunities and privileges, vifible or invisible, for the life that now is, and that which is to come and it is "an everlafting covenant, well ordered in all things and fure:" and him that takes hold of this covenant, even him will God bring to his holy mountain, and make joyful in his houfe of prayer, If. lvi. Now, this covenant hangs upon Chrift, the nail fastened in a fure place; for God has "given him for a covenant unto the people;" it was made with him as a second Adam, and with his feed in him; he has fulfilled the condition of it, by the holiness of his nature, the obedience of his life, and the fatisfaction made by his death; his fulfilling the commands and demands of the broken covenant of works, is the very condition of the cove nant of grace, and by virtue of his doing fo the cry comes out, 1. lv. 1. "Ho, every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters; he that hath no money, let him him come; come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price." The covenant, and all the blessings and promifes of it, hang upon this bielled nail; they are all in him, and "in him yea

and amen."

Again, our covenants for duty, obedience, and gratitude, they hang upon this blefied nail. Thefe are the glory of a church and land, as they were unto the church of lfrael. God avouched them to be his peculiar people, and they avouched him, by folemn covenant, to be their God; on which ac count they are called Hephzibah, and Beulah; a people married to the Lord. This was the glory of this land, and of the three nations, though perfidiously broken, burnt, and buried. Bleffed be God there is fome fmall degree of a refurrection of thef. folemn covenants, by what has been lately tranfaced in this place.

But now, I fay, the glory of all our covenants, and engagements unto perfonal or public reformation and obedience,

muft

muft needs hang upon this nail faftened in a fure place. When
men engage to duty in a legal way, in the ftrength of their
own covenants, vows, promifes, and refolutions, without faft-
ening faith's gripes upon the nail in a fure place, for righte-
oufnefs and ftrength, they do only make to themselves ropes
of fand, that will fall afunder as fast as they can make them.
Christ only is "the ftrength of Ifrael;" all our funds of grace
lie in him," in whom it has pleafed the Father that all ful-
nefs fhould dwell." And whatever duty we engage to should
be in the strength of promised grace for affiftance, and in the
faith of his righteoufnefs and interceflion for acceptance: If.
xlv. 24. "Surely, fhall one fay, In the Lord have I righteouf-
nefs and strength. I will go (fays David) in the strength of the
Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteoufnefs, even of
thine only." And it is in this way that his commandments
are not grievous, his yoke easy, and his burden light.

7. The multitude of real converts is the glory of a church;
for they are called "a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of our God." It is spoken of
as the glory of Zion, that "this man and that man was born
there," for then "the Higheft himself doth establish her ;" and
it is prophefied and foretold of the New Teftament church,
that "more fhould be the children of the defolate, than of the
married woman; that a willing people fhall be made in the
day of his power;" and that thefe fhould be "like the drops
of dew from the womb of the morning; that the city fhall
flourish like the grafs" for multitude of converts. Well, this
glory of the church hangs upon Chrift; for it is by the rod of
his power that this is effected and brought about; of his own
will he begets us by the word of grace. And when he
makes us fishers of men, and directs us when and where to
let down the net, a multitude of fishes are inclofed; a feed is
begot to ferve him, which thall be counted to him for a gene-
ration, who fhall declare his righteoufnefs to a people who are
not yet born.

8. The purity, holinefs, and faithfulness of church members is the glory of a church, when that motto is written upon the converfation, walk, and talk of profellors, "Holiness to the Lord." Well, this glory of the church hangs upon this bleffed nail; for it is by virtue of their union with him, the living root and head of influences, that they derive fanctifying influence from him; for except we abide in him, and he in us, we cannot bring forth much fruit; yea, without him we can do nothing. "I am (fays the Lord) like a green fir tree, from me is thy fruit found." Let men talk of their moral virtues as they have a mind, they will make never a faint, or a

holy

holy perfon, until he be lopt off from the first Adam, and his covenant of works, and be planted in Chrift by regenerating grace: for "can a man gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thifiles?" The tree must be made good, otherwise no good fruit can be expected. It is only they that are planted in the houfe of the Lord, by regenerating grace, that shall flourish in the courts of our God, and be called the trees of righteoufnefs, the planting of the Lord, in whom he will be glorified.

Thus you fee that the whole glory of the house of God hangs upon the nail faftened in a fure place.

I thought to have proceeded to inquire who are the offspring and iffue of the house of God; and how they, and all that concerns them, do hang upon the nail faftened in a fure place. But this I must refer to another occafion.

Allow me only to deduce an inference or two from what has been faid.

1. See hence that the church of Chrift is the most dignified and honourable fociety in the world, that has fo much of the divine glory in her. "Glorious things are fpoken of thee, O city of God!" She has a glorious King in the midst of her, even" the holy One of Ifrael, the King of glory, the Lord of glory, the Prince of the kings of the earth." She has glorious walls: "Salvation is appointed for walls and bulwarks," If. xxvi. 1. Pfal. xlviii. A glorious river to defend and refresh her: If. xxxiii 21. "The glorious Lord fhall be unto her a place of broad rivers and streams," &c. A glorious trade and traffic Phil. iii. 20. "Our converfation is in heaven," or, our traffic is with the land afar off. Glorious riches and treasures are in this house, even "the unfearchable riches of Chrift;" glorious immunities and privileges, freedom from fin, the law, Satan, the world, death, and hell; and all the true inhabitants have an intereft in the city's stock, free accefs to the King's throne, and to all the bleffings of the co

venant.

2. See whence it is that God exercises fuch a care about his church, that he rides in the heavens for her help, and turns about the whole wheels of providence for her benefit. Why, his glory is there: If. xlvi. ult. "I have placed falvation in Zion for Ifrael my glory."

3. See hence how much it is our concern to contend for the houfe of our God, against all thofe that would fpoil her. Why, God's glory, and our glory, is in the houfe. And therefore let us plead with God, that glory may ftill dwell in our land, and that he may create upon our Zion, and her affemblies, a cloud by day, and the thining of a flaming fire by