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kingdom, fhould enter themselves into it; and by baptifm being made denifons, and folemnly incorporated into that kingdom, live as became fubjects obedient to the laws of it. For if they believed him to be the Meffiah their king, but would not obey his laws, and would not have him to reign over them, they were but the greater rebels; and God would not juftify them for a faith that did but increase their guilt, and oppofe diametrically the kingdom and defign of the Meffiah; " who gave himself for us, that he might "redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar "people, zealous of good works," Titus ii. 14. And therefore St. Paul tells the Galatians, That that which availeth is faith; but "faith working by love." And that "faith" without "works," i. e. the works of fincere obedience to the law and will of Chrift, is not fufficient for our juftification, St. James thews at large, chap. ii.

Neither indeed could it be otherwife; for life, eternal life, being the reward of juftice or righteousness only, appointed by the righte ous God (who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity) to thofe only who had no taint or infection of fin upon them, it is impoffible that he fhould juftify thofe who had no regard to juftice at all, whatever they believed. This would have been to encourage iniquity, contrary to the purity of his nature, and to have condemned that eternal law of right, which is holy, juft, and good: of which no one precept or rule is abrogated or repealed; nor indeed can be, whilst God is an holy, juft, and righteous God, and man a rational creature. The duties of that law arifing from the conftitution of his very nature, are of eternal obligation; nor can it be taken away, or difpenfed with, without changing the nature of things, or overturning the measures of right and wrong, and thereby introducing and authorizing irregularity, confufion, and disorder in the world. Chrift's coming into the world was not for fuch an end as that; but, on the contrary, to reform the corrupt ftate of degenerate man, and out of those who would mend their lives, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, erect a new kingdom.

i

This is the law of that kingdom, as well as of all mankind; and that law by which all men fhall be judged at the laft day. Only those who have believed Jefus to be the Meffiah, and have taken him to be their king, with a fincere endeavour after righteousness, in obeying his law, fhall have their paft fins not imputed to them; and fhall have that faith taken instead of obedience, where frailty and weakness made them tranfgrefs, and fin prevailed after converfion in those who hunger and thirst after righteoufnefs (or perfect obedience), and do not allow themselves in acts of difobedience and rebellion, against the laws of that kingdom they are entered into.

He did not expect, it is true, a perfect obedience, void of all flips and falls; he knew our make, and the weaknefs of our conftitutions too well, and was fent with a fupply for that defect. Befides, perfect obedience was the righteoufnefs of the law of works; and then the reward would be of debt, and not of grace: and to

fuch

fuch there was no need of faith to be imputed to them for righte oufnefs. They ftood upon their own legs, were just already, and needed no allowance to be made them for believing Jefus to be the Meffiah, taking him for their king, and becoming his fubjects. But that Chrift does require obedience, fincere obedience, is evident from the laws he himself delivers (unless he can be fuppofed to give and inculcate laws only to have them difobeyed), and from the fentence he will pafs when he comes to judge.

The faith required was, to believe Jefus to be the Meffiah, the anointed, who had been promised by God to the world. Amongst the Jews (to whom the promises and prophefies of the Meffiah were more immediately delivered) anointing was used to three forts of perfons at their inauguration, whereby they were fet apart to three great offices, viz. of priefts, prophets, and kings. Though thefe three offices be in holy writ attributed to our Saviour, yet I do not remember that he any where affumes to himself the title of a prieft, or mentions any thing relating to his priesthood; nor does he fpeak of his being a prophet but very fparingly, and once or twice, as it were, by the bye: but the gofpel, or the good news of the kingdom of the Meffiah, is what he preaches every where, and makes it his great bufinefs to publifh to the world. This he did, not only as moft agreeable to the expectation of the Jews, who looked for their Meffiah, chiefly as coming in power to be their king and deliverer, but as it best answered the chief end of his coming, which was to be a king, and as fuch to be received by thofe who would be his fubjects in the kingdom which he came to ereft. And though he took not directly on himself the title of king till he was in cuftody, and in the hands of Pilate; yet it is plain "king," and king of Ifrael," were the familiar and received titles of the Meffiah. See John i. 50. Luke xix. 38. compared with Matt. xxi, g. and Mark xi. 9. John xii. 13. Matt. xxi. 5. Luke xxiii. 2. compared with Matt. xxvii. 11. and John xviii. 33-37. Mark xv. 12. compared with Matt. xxvii. 22. Matt. xxvii. 42.

What those were to do, who believed him to be the Meffial, and received him for their king, that they might be admitted to be partakers with him of his kingdom in glory, we fhall beft know by the laws he gives them, and requires them to obey; and by the fentence which he himself will give, when, fitting on his throne, they fhall all appear at his tribunal, to receive every one his doon from the mouth of this righteous judge of all men.

What he proposes to his followers to be believed, we have already feen; by examining his, and his apoftles preaching, ftep by step, all through the hiftory of the four evangelifts, and the "Acts of "the apostles." The fame method will beft and plaineft fhew us, whether he required of thofe who believed him to be the Meffiah, any thing befides that faith, and what it was. For he being a king, we fhall fee by his commands what he expects from his fubjects: for if he did not expect obedience to them, his commands would be but meer mockery; and if there were no punishment for the

tranf.

tranfgreffors of them, his laws would not be the laws of a king, that had authority to command, and power to chaftife the difobedient; but empty talk, without force, and without influence.

We shall therefore from his injunctions (if any fuch there be) fee what he has made neceffary to be performed, by all those who fhall be received into eternal life in his kingdom prepared in the heavens. And in this we cannot be deceived. What we have from his own mouth, especially if repeated over and over again, in different places and expreffions, will be paft doubt and controverfy. I fhall pass by all that is faid by St. John Baptift, or any other, before our Saviour's entry upon his miniftry and public promulgation of the laws of his kingdom.

He began his preaching with a command to repent; as St. Matt. tells us, iv. 17. From that time Jefus began to preach; faying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And Luke v. 32. he tells the Scribes and Pharifees, "I come not to call the righteous;" those who were truly fo, needed no help, they had a right to the tree of life," but finners to repentance."

In his fermon, as it is called in the Mount, Luke vi. and Matt. v. &c. He commands they fhould be exemplary in good works. "Let your light fo fhine amongst men, that they may fee your "good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven," Matt. v. 15. And that they might know what he came for, and what he expected of them, he tells them, ver. 17-20. "Think not that I am come to diffolve" or loosen "the law, or the prophets : I am not come to diffolve," or loofen, but to "make it full," or compleat; by giving it you in its true and ftrict fenfe. Here we fee he confirms, and at once reinforces all the moral precepts in the Old Teftament. "For verily I fay to you, Till heaven and earth pass, on jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pafs from the law till all be done. Whofoever therefore fhall break one of these, least commandments, and fhall teach men fo, he fhall be called the leaft" (i. e. as it is interpreted, fhall not be at all)" in the kingdom of heaven." Ver. 21. "" I fay unto you, That except your righteoufnefs," i. e. your performance of the eternal law of right, fhall exceed the righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye fhall in no cafe enter into the kingdom of heaven :" and then he goes on to make good what he faid, ver. 17. viz. "That he was come to compleat the law," viz. by giving its full and clear fenfe, free from the corrupt and loofening gloffes of the Scribes and Pharifces, ver. 22-26. He tells them, That not only murder, but caufeleis anger, and fo much as words of contempt, were forbidden. He commands them to be reconciled and kind towards their adverfaries; and that upon pain of condemnation. In the following part of his fermon, which is to be read Luke vi. and more at large Matt. v, vi, vii. he not only forbids actual uncleannefs, but all irregular defires, upon pain of hell-fire; caufelefs divorces, fwearing in converfation, as well as forfwearing in judgement, revenge, retaliation, oftentation of charity, of devotion, and of fafting, repe

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titions

titions in prayer, covetoufnefs, worldly care, cenforioufnefs: and, on the other fide, commands loving our friends, doing good to thofe that hate us, bleffing thofe that curfe us, praying for thofe that defpightfully ufe us; patience, and meeknefs under injuries; forgive nefs, liberality, compaffion: and clofes all his particular injunctions, with this general golden rule, Matt. vii. 12. "All things what "foever ye would have that men fhould do to you, do ye even fo "to them for this is the law and the prophets." And to fhew how much he is in earneft, and expects obedience to thefe laws; he tells them, Luke vi. 35. That if they obey, "great, fhall, be "their REWARD;" they" fhall be called, The fons of the highest." And to all this, in the conclufion, he adds this folemn fanction?

Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I fay?" It is in vain for you to take me for the Meffiah your king, unless you obey me. Not every one who calls me Lord, Lord, fhall

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De

enter into the kingdom of heaven," or be the fons of God," but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven," To fuch difobedient fubjects, though they have prophefied and done miracles in my name, I fhall fay at the day of judgement, part from me, ye workers of iniquity, I know you not. When Matt. xii. he was told, that his mother and brethren fought to fpeak with him, ver. 49 ¿ "ftretching out his hands to "his difciples, he faid, Behold my mother and my brethren, for "whofoever fhall do the will of my father, who is in heaven, he is "my brother, and fifter, and mother." They could not be chil

I

dren of the adoption, and for heirs with him of eternal life,

who did not do the will of his heavenly father.

Matt. xv. and Mark vii. the Pharifees finding fault, that his difciples eat with unclean hands, he makes this declaration to his apoftles: "Do 'ye "Do ye not perceive, that whatfoever from without on tereth into a man, cannot defile him because it enters not inte his heart, but his belly. That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man for from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefte, falfe witneffes, covetoufnefs, wickedneis, deceit, lafcivioufnefs, an evil eye, blafpheny, pride, foolishness. All thefe ill things come from within, and defile a man.

He commands felf-denial, and the expofing ourselves to fufferingand danger, rather than to deny or difown him; and this upon pain of lofing our fouls, which are of more worth than all the world. This we may read Matt. xvi. 24-27. and the parallel places, Matt. viii. and Luke ix.

The apofiles difputing amongst them who fhould be greatest in the kingdom of the Meffiah, Matt. xviii. 1. he thus determines the controverfy, Mark ix. 35. If any one will be first, let him be laft of all, and fervant of all:" and fetting a child before them, adds, Matt. xviii. 3 Verily I fay unto you, Unless ye turn, vand become as children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of "heaven." Ens duw Co

* Matt.

Matt. xviii. 15. "If thy brother fhall trefpafs against thee, go and "tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he fhall hear "thee, thou haft gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, " then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two "or three witneffes every word may be eftablished. And if he fhall "neglect to hear them, tell it to the church; but if he neglect to "hear the church, let him be unto thee as an Heathen and Publi"can." Ver. 21. "Peter faid, Lord, How often fhall my brother "fin against me, and I forgive him? till feven times? Jefus faid "unto him, I fay not unto thee till feven times, but until feventy "times feven." And then ends the parable of the fervant, who, being himfelf forgiven, was rigorous to his fellow-fervant, with thefe words, ver. 34." And his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to "the tormentors, till he fhould pay all that was due unto him. So likewife fhall my heavenly father do alfo unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trefpaffes."

Luke x. 25. To the lawyer, afking him, "What fhall I do to inherit eternal life? He faid, What is written in the law? how "readeft thou?" He anfwered, "Thou fhalt love the Lord, thy "God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy * ftrength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyfelf." Jefus faid, "This do, and thou fhalt live." And when the lawyer, upon our Saviour's parable of the good Samaritan, was forced to confefs, that he that thewed mercy was his neighbour; Jefus difmiffed him with this charge, ver. 37. "Go, and do thou likewife."

Luke xi. 41. "Give alms of fuch things as ye have: behold, all things are clean unto you."

Luke xii. 15. "Take heed, and beware of covétoufnefs." Ver. 22. "Be not folicitous what ye fhall eat, or what ye fhall drink, nor what ye fhall put on;" be not fearful or apprehenfive of want, för it is your father's pleasure to give you a kingdom. Sell that you have, and give alms: and provide yourselves bags that wax "not old, and treafure in the heavens that faileth not; for where * your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be ** girded, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for the Lord, when he will return. Bleffed are

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thofe fervants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, fhall find "watching. Bleffed is that fervant, whom the Lord having made

ruler of his houfhold, to give them their portion of meat in due " season, the Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing: of a truth "I fay unto you, that he will make him a ruler over all that he hath. But if that fervant fay in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men-fervants, and maidens, and "to eat and drink, and to be drunken; the Lord of that fervant "will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour "when he is not aware, and will cut him in funder, and will ap"point him his portion with unbelievers. And that fervant who "knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did ac

"cording