all together as with mortar, and gradually advancing and growing in grace, and the knowledge of Chrift.See, to this purpofe, Eph. ii. 20. "And are built upon the foundation of the apoftles and prophets, Jefus Chrift himfelf being the chief corner ftone."-And verse 21. In whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord."-And Cl. ii. 7. "As you have therefore received Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and eftablished in the faith, as ye have been taught." See Jude, ver. 20. This progreffive work includes a cleaving more close to the foundation, and living by faith upon Chrift, and fo going from ftrength to ftrength, from faith to faith. It includes a clofer union and a clofer affociation of the members of Chrift, as lively ftones joined together in Christ, and in the truth, all" Holding the head, from which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment miniftered, and knit together, increafeth with the increafe of God," Col. ii. 19.To unite in a way, not holding the head, is to carry on a vain building in the air, feparate from the founda. tion; an imaginary work. 8. The fpiritual builder carries on his work according to the right rule; he has his line and plummet, and as according to the ftri&teft regularity, and by the most exact fquare. What is the rule? Even the word of God, the fcriptures of the Old and New Teflaments, are the only rule; To the law, and to the teltimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them, Ifa. viii. 20.--They have Mofes and the prophets, let them hear them, Luke xvi. 29.--And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, and upon the Ifrael of God," Gal. vi. 16. There are fome builders at this day, who make other things their rule fome make minifters their rule; right or. wrong they will follow them, faying, God forgive our teachers, if they mislead us; we know no better. But, as the holy man Rutherford fays, "If our light (speaking of minifters in his day), if the minifter's light be all "your fcripture, the Lord pity you; I would not give a farthing for your faith; for our light (fays he) fits 66 many many times door neighbour with the fat world; and "the world poifons light."-Some make the Spirit their rule; particularly fuch as fall into the quakerish enthusiastical way. It is a delufive work, wherein the Spirit, who is the ruler, is put in place of the word of God, which is the rule: Hence fome make motions; feelings, impreflions, influences, the rule of judging that the work with them is a right work, and the rule of judging that the witneffing work of the day, among our hands, is a wrong work, which is at beft a fetting the Spirit of God against the word of God. No wonder than a delufive influence may be thus abufed; for men may be under a divine influence, and yet under a delufion, when they make that influence their rule.Job's friends were under a divine influence in what they fpoke; but they made that their rule of judging that Job was an hypocrite, and fo were under a delufion, which God afterwards difcovered.-Some, again, make the word their rule, and a good, fufficient, excellent rule, but not the only rule; thus they fpeak and write, who favour of a deiftical fpirit,, making the light of nature. and reafon a rule, as well as the light of the word.But the true fpiritual builder makes the word his only rule. But I proceed to, II. The fecond thing propofed, viz. To give fume account of the spiritual foldier. It is faid, Every builder bad bis fword girded by his fide: every builder here was a foldier; and to be a foldier, in a fpiritual fenfe, 1. Supposes the perfon has inlifted with the Captain of falvation, Chrift Jefus, and is acquaint with him.-You are not foldiers, nor can you poffibly be reckoned fuch, who have not taken on, or come to Chrift, both as the Mafter-builder, to build with you, and for you, and, as the Lord, mighty in battle, to fight for you. 2. The fpiritual builder is one who is brought to the field of battle, which is juft the field where they build: the place of building is the place of battle. The foldier no fooner begins to build, but he must begin to fight the good fight of faith. 3. The fpiritual builder is one who has put on the whole whole armour of God, fpoken of, Eph. vi. 11,-18.; that is, the various graces of the Spirit, that are fo many weapons of war againft the devil, the world, and the flesh. But, 4. The fpiritual warrior is one who dares not trust to the received grace of God, but to the God of grace: he does not depend upon the armour of God, but upon the God of armour; being ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; ftrong in the grace that is in Christ Jefus. But I fhall fpeak a little of the fpiritual warrior as here reprefented and examplified in the text: where you may obferve, 1. The weapon they are faid to have, namely, the Sword. 2. Their readinefs to make ufe of it, while building; Every builder had his fword girded by bis fide, and fo builded. ift, The weapon mentioned is the fword; and the fword of the fpiritual warrior is no other, than that you read of, Eph. vi. 17. "The fword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." I think it is remarkable, it is not the Spirit himself that is the fword, but his word is the fword. As the word is the only rule for building, fo the fame word is the only rule for fighting. As the Spirit is the ruler, not the rule; fo the Spirit is the fighter, not the weapon. We are to try the fpirits by the word, not the word by the Spirit and his motions or influences: thefe are various and changeable, enduring but a little while; but, "The word of the Lord endureth for ever." Indeed, the Spirit makes the word plain and powerful, and then the word makes the Spirit and his work plain and evident to be his. True and falfe fpirits are to be tried by the word: this is the fword that the Captain himfelf girds withal; "Gird thy fword upon thy thigh, O moft Mighty, with thy glory and thy majefty," Pfalm xlv. 3.: and thus girded, he goes forth conquering and to conquer. This alfo is the fword wherewith his foldiers are girded. The word may be compared to a fword, on many accounts. The fword is a fharp weapon; fo is the word compared to a fharp two-edged fword, Heb. iv. 12. “The word of God is quick and powerful, fharper than any two : two-edged fword, piercing, even to the dividing afunder of foul and fpirit, and of the joints and marrow."— A fword is both a defenfive and offenfive weapon; fo is the word for defending against Satan's affaults, and making the enemy fly; with this Chrift defeats the devil, faying, It is written.-A fword is a bright, glittering weapon the word, of God is like a clear glancing fword; it is, "A light thining in a dark place, until the day dawn," 2 Pet. i. 15.-A fword must be good and proven metal: fo, "The word of the Lord is a tried word, Pfalm xviii. 30.-The words of the Lord are pure words; as filver tried in a furnace of earth, purified feven times," Pfalm xii. 6.-A fword must be drawn out of the fcabbard ere it do execution, and pointed towards the enemy, to push at him: fo the word must be opened by the Spirit, otherwife it is a fealed book, a fword not drawn.-The fword of the Spirit must be drawn by the Spirit, and applied; then will his arrows be fharp in the hearts of the King's enemies, whereby the people fall under him, Pfalm xlv. 5.-In a word, a fword must be managed by a fit hand; and the hand must have ftrength to play and pufh with the fword: even f the word, in the hand of faith, must be managed by the strength of Jehovah, by the power of the Spirit, otherwile our Leviathan lufts will laugh at the fhaking of our fpear; we must be kept by the power of God, through faith, unto falvation. But as the word is fitly comparable to a fword, fo it is called the word of the Spirit fitly; for, 1. It is the Spirit that made the fword; the word is indited by him; for, "Holy men of God fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2. It is the Spirit that burnishes and brightens the fword, making it clear, to be a light to our feet, and a lamp to our paths. 3. It is the Spirit that points the fword, and makes the word fharper than a two-edged fword. 4. It is the Spirit that draws the fword, and that wields and manages it whenever it does any execution, and makes it powerful; "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, faith the Lord." 5. It is the Spirit that puts the fword, the word into our mouths and hearts; Prov. i. 22, 23. "How long, ye fimple ones, VOL. VIII. + E will will ye love fimplicity, and fcorners delight in their fcorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof, behoid, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.Ifa. lix. 21. My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, fhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy feed, nor out of the mouth of thy feed's feed, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever." 6. It is the Spirit that makes the fword of the word to be fpirit and life; John vi. 63. "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I fpeak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” It is the Spirit that turns grace in the word to grace in the heart, by making the spirit and life; for, "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life," 2 Cor. vi. 3.-Here then is the fword of the Spirit, the weapon of the fpiritual builder. But now, 2dly, Here is their readinefs to make ufe of it while building; Every man bad bis fword girded by bis fide, and fo builded: where four things may be obferved. 1. Every worker here is a warrior; every builder had a fword, none are exempted from the war, that were engaged in the work of building; fo in the spiritual warfare, every one that puts his hand to the building, muft put his hand to the fword, and refolve to fight upon the wall that he builds, to fight the good fight of faith. 2. Obferve, that every builder had his fword, his own fword; even fo in the fpiritual warfare, every true builder has his fword, making the fword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, his own fword. They take to them this armour of God, as David faid, Pfalm cxix. 3. "Thy teftimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever." They take the word that Chrift gives them, John xvii. 14. "I have given them thy word." Here we may fay, the fpiritual mafon's word is the fword; "The fword of the Spirit, which is the word of God :” and every builder that intends to have the pillars of the temple he builds upon, to be called JACHIN and Boaz, Stability and Strength, he has the word of promise, that he ufes as his own: "Remember, Lord, the word on which thou haft caufed me to hope." Hence, 3. Every |