or greater, of the catholic church of Chrift, through the world, which have "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." But I do not stand further upon this. So much fhall ferve for giving you a general view of the church, or kingdom of Christ in the world.

The fecond thing is, to fhew why the church is called the holy bill of Zion. For clearing of this, you would know, that mount Zion, literally, was a hill fituated in the best part of the world, viz. Canaan, and in the best part of Canaan, which was the tribe of Judah, and in the best part of that tribe, namely, in the city of Jerufalem. This hill had two heads, or tops, the one of which was called Moriah, upon which the temple was built, whereby it became the feat of all the folemn worfhip under the old economy; the other top was called the city of David, because David's palace was there, the royal refidence of the kings of Judah and Ifrael. The church of Chrift is frequently, both in the fcriptures of the Old and New Testament, fpoken of under the notion of this hill of Zion, particularly, Pfal. cxxxii. 13. "The Lord hath chofen Zion: he hath de

fired it for his habitation," &c. And Heb. xii. 22. “ Ye are come unto Mount Zion," fays the apoftle, fpeaking of the New Teftament church. Now, Mount Zion typified the gofpel church upon thefe or the like accounts.

1. Mount Zion and Jerufalem was the habitation of Jebufites, a company of curfed and idolatrous Canaanites. So is the church, by nature, enemies to God, "aliens to the commonwealth of Ifrael," &c.

2. Mount Zion was taken by David out of the hands of the Jebusites. So Chrift, our bleffed David, he made a conqueft of his church: he not only buys her with his blood from the hand of juftice, but by the dint of the fword, girded on his thigh, he takes her by main force out of the hand of Satan; the weapons he makes ufe of for this end not being "carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of ftrong-holds," &c.

3. David fortified Zion for his own ufe, and the fole place of his refidence. So Chrift he fixes his fpiritual refidence in Zion: "In Salem is his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Zion." And his prefence in her makes her impregnable, "The Lord is in the midst of her, she fhall not be moved :" hence is that fong, If. xxvi. 1. "In that day fhall this fong be fung in the land of Judah, We have a ftrong city, falvation hath God appointed unto her for walls and for bulwarks."

4. Mount Zion and Jerufalem was renowned above all ci ties in the known world. So the church of Chrift is the most renowned fociety upon earth, renowned for her dignity, her trade,

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trade, her immunities, her prefent privileges, and future Ipects.

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5. Zion was the place of public worship, the ark was there, and all the folemn worship of Ifrael was there. So in the New Teftament church are the ordinances for worship, word, prayer, praife, facraments, and the like; thefe galleries of the King of Zion, where he holds fellow fhip with his fubjects, and allows them accefs unto his prefence, and communion with him.

6. All the facred things of God were kept in Zion; there was the law, the oracles of God, the Shechinah, the pot of manna, the mercy feat, the tabernacle. So the church of, Chrift is the repofitory of all the facred things of heaven; to her belongs the adoption, the promifes, the covenant; the ordinances, the doctrine, the worthip, the difcipline, the government, and truths of Chrift are committed to her cuftody. Ohow zeal ous fhould the New Teftament church, and every minifter and member thereof, be for the prefervation of these in their purity, and power?

7. We find an oppofition ftated in fcripture between mount Zion and mount Sinai, Gal. iv. God came down for a season on Sinai, but he comes to dwell on mount Zion, &c. ; he appeared in terror on Sinai; but Zion, or Jerufalem, is a vifion of peace: he forfook Sinai, and left it in bondage; but Zion is free for ever: he gave the law on mount Sinai; but the gospel ON mount Zion, &c.

The third thing is, to give you fome of the properties or qualities of Chrift's kingdom.

1. then, It is a spiritual kingdom. It is not of this world, as the Jews imagined, and as others imagine, who would fafhion and mould it according to the kingdom of this world The laws, the ordinances, the difcipline, and whole of this kingdom is fpiritual, and has a relation principally to the fouls of men and women, and an eternal ftate to come. And feeing it is fo, what a ftrange notion of the kingdom of Chrift muft men and judicatories among us have, who diftinguith men in the affairs of Chrift's kingdom by the gold ring, gay clothing, and worldly heritages. Alas! true notions of the kingdom of Chrift are generally loft among us in this genera tion. Some have no other notion of the church of Chrift, than a fociety of men meeting together, under the name of judicatories, under the protection of civil authority, whether they be acting according to the laws of Chrift, or against them, for the intereft of the body of Chrift, or to its hurt and prejudice; whether they be holding Christ as a head, or practically renouncing his headship, however they profefs the contrary. I VOL. II.

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make no difficulty to affirm, that a church not holding the head, Chrift, in all his offices, is but an idol of man's making; and zeal for fuch a church is but like the zeal of these who cried, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are thefe," and yet were real enemies to the God of the temple; or like Ephraim, concerning whom it is faid, "Ephraim hath forfaken the Lord, and buildeth temples." I fay then, that the kingdom of Christ is of a fpiritual nature, and it relates principally to the foul, or the inner man hence Chrift declares concerning his difciples and followers," The kingdom of God is within you;" and without this, it is little matter what church or communion folk be of.

2. Chrift's catholic kingdom is of a large extent. It is true, under the Old Teftament difpenfation, the kingdom of Chrift was pent up within the confines of the land of Judea,

To them belonged the adoption, the covenants, the law, and the promifes," while the generality of the Gentile nations were held as dogs, aliens to Ifrael's commonwealth, &c. But bleffed be God, now the waters of the fanctuary have run down to the valley of Shittim, and the gofpel is "preached unto all nations, for the obedience of faith." Pfal. ii. 8. "I will give him the Heathen for his inheritance," &c. Pfal, Ixxii. 8. “His dominion fhall reach from fea to fea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth."

3. Although the kingdom of Chrift, I mean his true church, be of a large extent, yet it is but a little kingdom, I mean, it is not populous, when compared with the kingdom of the god of this world. Chrift's flock is but a little flock, comparatively confidered, Luke xii. 32. &c. They are but little in refpect of their numbers. Indeed abftractiy confidered, at the end of the day, they will make an innumerable company, which no man can number;" but, viewed in comparison of the wicked, they are but few: "ftrait is the gate, and narrow the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it;" like the gleanings after the vintage, "I will take them one of a city, and 'two of a family, and bring them unto Zion." They are but little in refpect of quality. Chrift's fubjects are generally among the poorer fort of people: "God hath chofen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom." f Cor. i. 26. Not many wife men after the flesh," &c They are little in regard of efteem; the world make but little account of them; they are generally reckoned the drofs and offscourings of the earth, 1 Cor. iv. 11-13.: but however little account the world may make of them, yet when Chrift, at he end of the day, prefents them unto his Father, they will

Thine like the ftars, yea, like the fun in the kingdom of their Father.

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4. The kingdom of Chrift in this world is a kingdom of light. The church is called the "valley of vifion," becaufe of the light of the revelation that fhines in it. Wherever Chrift fets up his kingdom in a land, though it "fat in darknefs," the people of it are made to "fee great light." Light arifes to them that "fat in the regions of the fhadow of death." And all that are the true fubjects of Chrift's Kingdom, they are tranflated out of darkness into his marvellous light," the light of the glory of God, in the face of Chrift, fhines into their hearts.

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5. It is a heavenly kingdom. Matth. iii. 2. fays John Baptilt, when Chrift was come to fet up his ftandard, and fway his fceptre among the Jews, " Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And Heb. xii. 22. “ Yé até come unto mount Zion, unto the heavenly Jerufalem." All the loyal fubjects of the kingdom are heaven-born, &c.; they are all pointing toward heaven in their way, and walk, and traffic, their converfation is in heaven," and they are looking for "a better country, that is, an heavenly," Heb. i. 16.

6. It is a regular and well governed kingdom: " Jerufalem is a city compactly built together. We have a defcription of the regularity and good order of the kingdom of Chrift, under the notion of a city built four-fquare, Rev. xxi. See to this purpofe, Eph. iv. 16. There are many irregularities and diforders in the church of Chrift, as he is managed by the hands of men, as fad experience teftifies among us at this day; but as the is under the administration of the great King that God has fet in the midst of her, there is nothing but beauty and order. If the church of Chrift were, even his vifible militant church, governed exactly according to Zion's laws by her pretended officers, there would be nothing but order and beauty in the whole kingdom; but when men go about to make other laws than the laws of Christ, and to make their will the ftandard of government, rather than the will of the great King, this cafts all into confufion, and yet even thefe confufions are managed by the King for the advantage of his true kingdom and subjects, and in due time he will bring light out of darknefs, and order out of confufion.

7. The true kingdom of Chrift is a kingdom that is much hated by the devil and the world. She is just the eye-fore of hell, and all its confederates; hence we are told in the beginning of this pfalm, that when Chrift comes to fet up his kingdom, The Heathen rage, the people imagine mifchief, the kings of the earth, and princes thereof, take counfel" how

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to fupprefs this kingdom of Christ. The gates of hell wage war against the kingdom of Chrift. The world loves its own, who are under the government of the "god of this world," and who "walk according to the course of this world;" but they hate the laws, the ordinances, the difcipline, and fubjects of Chrift's kingdom; they are intolerable unto them, and therefore they are always trying to make themfelves rid of them: hence are all the reproaches, afflictions, perfecutions, and maf facres of the followers of Chrift, that we read of both in facred and profane hiftory.

8. Notwithstanding of this, the kingdom of Chrift, is a stable, firm, and everlasting kingdom; it is like the "little ftone cut out of the mountain," that dafhes all the kingdoms. of the earth in pieces, and yet itself is not dafhed or broken. As the King of Zion is himself " the everlasting God," fo his kingdom is "an everlafting kingdom, and of his dominion there fhall be no end.". He fhall "rule over the houfe of Jacob for ever and ever."

9. The kingdom which Chrift governs is a holy kingdom. The church of Christ, even his vifible church, is a fanctified fociety, federally holy; you fee in the text it is called the holy hill of Zion. All the members of the visible church are dedicate to God in baptifm, in which ordinance we renounce all filthinefs both of the flesh and fpirit, and are folemnly engaged to wage war against fin, and to "refift it even unto blood." The defign of all church difcipline, and of all ordinances, minifters, officers, and judicatories, is to preferve the church, or kingdom of Chrift, from corruption, either in principle or practice, that he may be a holy lump unto him. Whenever any fcandal breaks out in a church, it is to be purged out by the difcipline of Chrift's appointment, left that leaven leaven the whole lump, and provoke the Lord, the holy One of Ifrael, to depart from her, 1 Cor. iii. 17. the church is called the temple of God: "The temple of God is holy; and if any man defile the temple of God, him will God deftroy." If this word of God be true, as I am fure it is, they ftand but a forry chance at this day, who are defiling the church of Chrift, by complicated and multiplied fcandals, of which I have taken notice in the preceding part of this difcourfe.

The fourth thing here was, to difcourfe a little concerning the actual execution and administration of the kingdom of Chrift, as Mediator. Now, this falls under a twofold confideration. 1. We may confider it as having a refpect unto his general mediatory kingdom, over all things for his church. Or, 2. With refpect unto his fpecial mediatory kingdom, or adminiftration in and over his church.