APPLICATION.

In order that we may now improve all these particulars to our advantage, we will exhibit this church in its lustre. Let every one "walk about Zion, and go round about her: let him tell the towers thereof; let him mark well her bulwarks, and consider her palaces, that ke may tell it to the generation following," as we are exhorted, Psalm xlviii. 12, 13. "Glorious things are spoken of the city of God," Psalm lxxxvii. 3. The members of the church are "the saints of the Most High, who shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever," Dan. vii. 18. The Head of the church is most precious, view him from his head to his feet, as described with respect to his wonderful excellency by her who knew him best and experimentally, Song v. 10-16. The union and communion of the church with him, and of the members with each other is inconceivable: "They are all one, as the Father in the Son, and the Son in the Father are one: yea, they are one in the Father, and in the Son." See John xvii. 21. 1 John i. 3. The means by which they have become a church are indeed excellent; for they have by them become "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people," 1 Peter ii. 9. And truly the state of the church is unchangeable, she is "like mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever," Psalm cxxv. 1. Who, when he beholds her, must not cry out with Moses, Deut. xxxiii. 29. "Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places."

But what will it avail us, that there is such a glorious church, if we know not where that church is? There are many assemblies, which severally pretend to be the true church, and there is nevertheless but one true church, which God will save. It is therefore necessary, that we inquire which is the true church. The Socinians, as if self-condemned, will not brook this; but the spouse was wiser, when she inquired of her bridegroom concrning the true church, Song i. 7. We must join ourselves to the church, as it was foretold of the Gentiles, that they should do this, Isaiah ii. 2, 3. xi. 10. Zech. viii. 23. Indeed neither grace nor salvation are to be found out of the true church: "For there the Lord commandeth the blessing, even life for evermore," Psalm cxxxiii. 3. "But the rebellious dwell in a dry land," Psalm lxviii. 6.

That we may have a proper knowledge of the true church, God hath proposed a certain mark, or marks in his word, by which we may know her. I will not busy myself with the marks of others, and certainly not with the fifteen or sixteen marks of the Romanists, which are either derived from circumstances, or suit our church, and not the Romish, and those which agree to the Romish are heathen and Antichristian marks. But we will attend to that mark, which the word of God, the only rule of the church, affords us. And this mark is the agreement of the doctrine with the word of God; for "The who is of God heareth the words of God," John viii, 47. “Christ's sheep hear his voice," John x. 26, 27. The church is built on the word of God, Eph. ii. 19, 20. "We must try the spirits thereby, whether they are of God," 1 John iv. 1, 2, 3. "If any man bring not this doctrine with him, we must not receive him into our house," 2 John vrs. 9, 10.

If we now compare the doctrine of our church with the word of God, we will perceive with the utmost evidence, that she agreeth perfectly with the word of God, and that therefore the Reformed * alone are the true church; which appears still more, since we submit our doctrine to the word of God only, and in conformity thereto, humble the sinner to the lowest degree, comfort, sanctify him, and glorify the free grace of God. We knew indeed that all other churches, so called, do also claim this mark, as well as we, but we will find them to be liars; for they do all reproach the word of God, and wrest it, either according to natural reason, as all Pelagians and Semipelagians do, or according to enthusiasm, as the Quakers do, or according to lordship, with the Papists. How then can they boast, that they have the pure doctrine, according to the word of God, and so that they are the true church? yea, they decline this mark, and will either have no marks at all, or others. Therefore it is evident, that the true church is found with us.

But, hearers, it will not suffice either you or me, to know that we are in the true church; for we may notwithstanding be still chaff, and vessels of dishonour. They who believe one holy, catholic, Christian church, say also that they are living members of the church, and will always remain such is this so with you in truth? do ye say, yea? have ye then also true and living evidences? do ye ask,

By the Reformed our author understands here the Protestants, to wit, the Lutherans and Calvinists, as distinguished into several national churches, or ecclesiastical communities, as the church of Holland, of England, of Scot land, of Sweden, Denmark, &c. and also such other denominations as agree with these in fundamentals. See the Author's preface,

what are the marks of a living member? we will exhibit them to you according to the word of God.

1. He who is a living member is such not only outwardly by profession, but also inwardly, being changed and quickened by the Spirit of God, to serve God inwardly, truly and heartily in the Spirit: he is not satisfied with his outward service, unless it be accompanied with a heart that hath been changed, that is alive, warm and active; therefore he attends to the motions of his heart, bemourns his heartlessness, and excites his soul, and cries to the Lord, "Unite my heart to fear thy name," Psalm lxxxvi. 11. "Incline my heart to thy testimonies," Psalm cxix. 36. That this is a true mark appears from Rom. ii. 28, 29. "He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, &c.

2. Such a person is united to the Head, even to Christ, truly, and hath communion with him, hath received him by faith truly, heartily, and in opposition to all besides, and affords him a dwelling in his heart. We see this John i. 12. Eph. iii. 17. See this treated more largely in our discourse on the seventh Lord's day.

3. Such a person agrees also with the true members of the church; he knows, he loves them, and is familiar with them, and regards their profit and disprofit as his own, because he sees the life, the love and image of God in them: and the more these things shine forth in them, the more he loves them; yea, even when they oppose and smite him: "Let the righteous smite me," said that living member of the church, Psalm cxli. 5, "it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities." As he also exhibits this as a mark of a citizen of Zion, when he saith, Psalm xv. 4. "In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord."

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See now whether ye are living members. Alas! how many "have the name that they live, while they are dead," as many in the church of Sardis were, Rev. iii. 1. For,

1. Many are misshapen members, who are monsters in the church, and deform her exceedingly: is it not thus with you, who are ignorant, irreligious,violators of God's name and day-revengeful, lewd, unjust, gluttons, drunkards, vain, worldly and earthly minded. The Lord may indeed complain now, as he did formerly, Jer. v. 26, "Among my people are found wicked men."

2. How many hurtful members are there in this body of the

church! Alas, that they were cut off! no profit accrues from them to the church, but only disprofit: certainly ye are hurtful to the brethren, who hanker so after new and unheard of things, which are contrary to the word of God, and utter those things: ye also who oppose the communion of saints, and strict and precise godk ness, who betray the church and her privileges to unfit persons and who abandon and trample upon them. He who hath eyes may see that now also truth fateth" with many, aud that he who de parteth from ev.I maketh himself a prey," Isaiah lix. 15.

3. There are some, who only seem to be living members. They are devout, and have some knowledge of the mysteries of God, they are outwardly moral, yea, they associate with the godly; but their heart within is dead and rotten, and in secret they are as vile as the vilest, as the Saviour describes the Pharisees, saying also of them, that they "cannot escape the damnation of hell," Matt. xxiii. 25, 27, 33. It is true, they conduct so that they escape censure; but are not ye they who will not be detected? Ye hate them who detect you when ye can only find an opportunity, and will not expose yourselves too much, ye will reproach them, and will strive to render them universally odious. Conceal yourselves as much and as long as ye please, God will one day hereafter detect you, as he discovered Judas.

4. Others are rotten members, who have fallen from the truth, and godliness which they once professed. How zealous were some for the truth and godliness! they could relish these things, they associated with the strictest of the pious, who were pleased with them, and loved them; but as soon as the novelty was over, they abandoned all, and fell away; if they do not join themselves to some apostate church, they abandon themselves to the world, which, like Demas, they begin to love again, 2 Tim. iv. 10. See these also detected, 2 Peter ii. 20-22. Ye who are thus, may be acknowledged members, but ye are not such in reality, any more than those who "said they were Jews, but were found liars," Rev. iii. 9. Flatter your selves as much as ye please, ye have nevertheless "no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem," Neh. iii. 20. Ye shall neither in this life, nor after this life "stand in the congregation of the righteous," Psalm i. 5.

Doth this render you concerned,'and do ye desire to become living members of the church, and to know how ye may become such ? Behold, this is the way:

1. Endeavour to become assured that our church is the true church, according to the word of God, that it may be your steadfast

persuasion, that with us alone the salvation of the sinner is proposed. Let it not suffice you, that your parents have told you this, and that ye were educated to it; but endeavour to obtain a proof of it your ownselves from the word of God; and do therefore like "the noble Bereans, who received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so," Acts xvii. 11.

2. Separate yourselves from your former companions, as far as they have tended to mislead you, or may yet do it: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty," 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18.

3. Join yourselves to the saints, who are upon the earth. in order to seek their portion, and to be directed and conducted by them to the privileges of the church, as it was foretold, that "ten men out of all the languages of the nations should take hold, should even take hold of the skirt of him who was a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you," Zech. viii. 23.

4. Remain not by any means estranged from the Head of the church, but endeavour to be united to him, to receive him, and to join yourselves unto him; for "the Lord will give unto the strangers who join themselves unto him, within his house, and within his walls, a name better than that of sons and of daughters," &c. Isaiah Ivi. 3-7.

5. But ye, who are true and living members of the church of God, maintain diligently the communion of the saints: it is certainly your privilege, and the glory of the church; therefore endeavour to converse familiarly with the Head of the church, and like "Enoch, to walk with God," Gen. v. 22, 24. "Your life must be hidden with Christ in God." Coll. iii. 3, nevertheless in aiming at this, do not wholly separate yourselves from the saints, to which we easily decline, that we may converse and be satisfied in our solitary life with the Lord alone. No, the Lord hath called you for your happiness to his church, and to the communion of saints: the first Christians continued in the doctrine of the apostles, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers," Acts ii. 42. But we must carefully beware that our conversation with the saints do not degenerate into a mere civil intercourse; we must converse one way with men as citizens, and another way, as saints, whose citizenship is in heaven; but avoid particularly strife and imperiousness, let others see in you that ye are of one heart, lowly, "likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.