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Gentiles) to come in the room of God's ancient nation Ifrael; and they would have the powers of the earth, and kings of the nations, to be fucceffors to the rulers of that kingdom of God, efpecially to the kings that fat on the throne of David. These men are much offended, it should be now faid, that as there was a conftant prefiguration of Christ, as a prophet and priest, in that earthly church, fo it had a conftant prefiguration of his kingdom. Their chief arguments are, figns, the fathers and martyrs, and the authority of the church, or of the clergy; but the ftrength of their caufe lies in deceit and violence and from them, and . those that will be stirred up by them, they that will not be afhamed of the teftimony of our Lord, may expect the treat. ment of which he forewarns his followers, John xvi. 2.

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2. Those that are for natural religion new dressed, and having on the Christian name, but really set up in oppofition to Christianity. These are the wife men, the orators, the "difputers of this world." If any one of them fhall condescend to take any notice of what's here faid, it will be treated by them with fcorn and contempt, and with them it will pafs for nonsense, myfticism, and enthusiasm; and, notwithstanding all their pretences to the generous principles of humanity, and liberty of confcience, fome of them can also per. fecute.

The charge of enthusiasm was fome time brought by the Epifcopal faction against the men of the established church; for when that faction, for the fupport of their caufe, embra ced the English forms, and thofe of the church fpake of the fpirituality of God's worship, and of praying in the fpirit, there was a mighty cry among them against enthusiasm: and for a recompence of this their contempt of the fpirit of Chrift and his gifts, there came a fort of spirit upon fome of that faction, and they became downright enthufiafts, according to the word of our Lord, John v. 43. And it is alfo very remarkable, that the Lord hath, at this day, fo far confounded the language of the builders of natural religion and morality, in opposition to true Christianity, that they cannot understand one another about the very foundation of their building.

For my part, I cannot understand what should be the defign of the prefent cry against enthufiafim, if it be not to make us conclude, that because there are falfe fpirits, therefore there are none true; and fo to fright us out of all spiri tuality, and every thing that's above nature in religion; and this in an age that does not seem to be in an humour for

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any thing like spirituality. But it is furprising to fee the men of the established church, who were fometimes fufferers under the reproach of enthufiafm, beginning to talk in that fame ftyle wherein their party has been reproached. And even the Judaifers will agree now in the accufation of enthusiasm against the truths of Chrift by me confessed, though themselves Thew full as great regard in fome things, to their own experience, and that of their fathers and their prophecies, as they do to the written word of God.

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Yet Chriftians must not reject all fpirits, left they fin against the Spirit of Chrift; and they muft "try the spirits, whether they be of God; because many falfe prophets are gone out into the world." And if, upon trial, they find of the marks of an antichriftian, or falfe fpirit, upon the doctrine that I teach, I am content it be rejected. If I deny, that "Chrift is come in the flesh;" if I fet up any thing that he came in the flesh to destroy; if I feek to destroy any thing that he came in the flesh to establish; and if that wherein I differ from others do not carry in it a confeffion, that he" is come in the flesh :" then let my doctrine be rejected, as coming from a falfe fpirit. If it favour not of that Spirit who "fpeaks not of himself," but glorifies Chrift, taking the things of Chrift, and fhewing them unto his people; and if I confefs not" that Jefus is the Chrift," or "deny the "Father and the Son;" let me pafs for a liar, a deceiver, and an antichrift. If I fpeak of the world, and if the world hear me, let me be rejected, as one of those false prophets that are gone out into the world." If I hear not the word of the apoftles of Chrift, and if I reject or add any thing to their explication of the Old Teftament prophecies, and use a pri vate interpretation of my own, or of any fet of men; if I fpeak not according to the Old Teftament and the New; let it be declared there is no light in my doctrine and if I speak any thing against the merciful fpirit of the gofpel, or the gofpel-commandment of brotherly love, then let it be faid, that my "doctrine is not of God." See 1 John iv. i.- -8. But if it fhall be found otherwife, let them that cry me down, and perfecute me, as a deceiver, and falfe teacher, &c. take care what manner of fpirit they themfelves are of, and how they will answer to the judge that ftands before the door; unto whom I commit my caule.

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The

The

TESTIMONY.

JOHN Xviii. 36. 37.

Jefus anfwered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my fervants fight, that I fhould not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jefus answered, Thou fayeft that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this caufe came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.

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CHAPTER I.

Of the prophecies of Chrift's kingdom.

UR Lord ftands here before the Roman governor, accused of making himself the "king of the Jews," and fo being against Cæfar, Luke xxiii. 1. 2. This accufation is brought against him by men that were offended in him, because he came not to them in a temporal kingdom, against Cæfar, as they themselves defired and expected; fo it came very ill from them and Pilate, who could not but know their expectations of the Meffiah, might well understand, that " for envy they had delivered him," Matth. xxvii. 18.

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In answer to this charge, our Lord denies not, but confelles himself to be the promised king, and owns his kingdom. Pilate had asked him, verf. 33. "Art thou the king "of the Jews?" He anfwers, "Sayeft thou this thing of "i thyfelf, or did others tell it thee of me?" Pilate being touched with this, as refpecting his method of procedure in judgment, anfwers with a difdain of the Jewish nation, and cafts the blame on the nation, and the chief priests, that had "delivered him to him." Here is an inftance of churchrulers their delivering men to the civil magiftrate to be pu nished. Chrift has forewarned his followers of this treatment; and this has been abundantly practifed upon the faints and martyrs of Jefus by antichrift: but he has never given any encouragement to his churches, or their overseers, to take this course. Pilate inquires again, what he had done? Jesus, in his anfwer, owns his kingdom; "my kingdom," and "my "fervants."

"fervants." From which Pilate infers that question, “Art "thou a king then?" Jefus anfwers, "Thou fayeft that I 66 am a king. To this end was I born, and for this caufe came I into the world," &c.

It would seem, he fhuns to own himself now the king of that nation of the Jews, who were denying him to be their king: neither does he own himself to be such a king as the Jews were looking for, or as Pilate was now inquiring about. But he confeffes that he is that king that was promised to the Jews, fpoken of by their prophets, and that was to come of the Jews, Matth. xxvii. 11. Mark xv. 2. Luke xxiii. 3. Art "thou the king of the Jews? Jefus faid, Thou fayeft."

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SECT I ON I.

Acob, when bleffing Judah, spake thus of him, Gen. xlix. 10. "The fceptre fhall not depart from Judah, nor a "lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and "unto him fhall the gathering of the people be."

This prophecy imports, . That the chief government among the children of Israel, that were to become a great nation, should be in the tribe, of Judah, of which that Shiloh fhould come: "For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and "of him the chief ruler," or prince, 1 Chron. v. 2.

2. That this government fhould have its end and issue in that Shiloh to come; and when this government should be utterly at an end, that Shiloh should then certainly be come.

3. That this Shiloh fhould have a collection of people under him obeying him; and when this should take place, the fceptre would depart from Judah.

Mofes, in bleffing Judah, Deut. xxxiii. 7. referring unto Jacob's prophecy, fays, "Hear the voice of Judah, and bring him (i. e. Shiloh) unto his people."

But the most notable promise of this King, the Messiah, is that made to David, which we have recorded, 2 Sam. vii. 11.-16. "And as fince the time that I commanded "judges to be over my people Ifrael, and have caufed thee to "reft from all thine enemies. Alfo the Lord telleth thee, that " he will make thee an houfe. And when thy days be ful "filled, and thou shalt fleep with thy fathers, I will fet up "thy feed after thee, which fhall proceed out of thy bowels, " and I will establish his kingdom. He fhall build an house "for my name, and I will establish the throne of his king"dom for ever. I will be his father, and he fhall be my

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"fon. If he commit iniquity, I will chaften him with the ❝rod of men, and with the ftripes of the children of men. "But my mercy fhall not depart away from him, as I took "it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine "houfe, and thy kingdom fhall be established for ever." "before thee: thy throne fhall be established for ever." And, I Chron. xvii. 10.—14. And fince the time that I "commanded judges to be over my people Ifrael. Moreover, "I will fubdue all thine enemies. Furthermore, I tell thee, "that the Lord will build thee an house. And it shall come "to pafs, when thy days be expired, that thou must "be with thy fathers, that I will raife up thy feed after "thee, which shall be of thy fons, and I will establish his

kingdom. He shall build me an houfe, and I will establish "his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be "6 my fon, and I will not take my mercy away from him, as "I took it from him that was before thee. But I will fettle "him in mine houfe, and in my kingdom for ever, and his "throne shall be established for evermore."

We may fee in the following verfes how much David was affected with that promife, when he received it. This is the word upon which God caufed him to hope, the covenant that God made with him. This great promife is much infifted on in the Pfalms, where it is feveral times particularly mentioned; as, in Pfal. lxxxix. 19.—36. and Pfal. cxxxii. 11. yea, throughout the Pfalms. And in the prophecies of the prophets that followed after David, this promife is explained upon and unfolded; as for inftance, lf. ix. 6. 7. Jer. xxiii. 5. 6. and xxxiii. from the 15th verfe to the end. We find this promise alfo pointed at by the angel foretelling the birth of Chrift to his mother, Luke i. 31. 32. 33.; and in the fong of Zacharias, Luke i. 69. 70. And that defignation, The Son of David, given to the promised Meffiah by the Jews, and to Jefus by them that believed in him, was taken from this promife. And it is to be noticed, that the great scope and sense of this promife, and the fulfillment of it in Jefus Chrift, is declared in the first gospel-fermon after his afcenfion, Acts ii. 30.-35. "Therefore being a prophet, "and knowing that God had fworn with an oath to him, "that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he "would raise up Chrift, to fit upon his throne," &c.

Now, if we confider that promife made, to David, we will find it was twofold, or had a twofold aspect: first, to David's fucceffors in the throne of that fame kingdom where David

reigned

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