erufhing difpenfations to refolve in the advantage of the true interefts of this kingdom, according to his promise, Rom. viii. 28. 10thly, It is a lafting, and an everlasting kingdom; and no wonder, for it is the kingdom of God. The everlasting God is the King of this kingdom, and "his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion that which fhall not be destroyed,' Dan. vii. It is built upon an everlasting foundation, even Chrift the "Rock of ages-a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious corner Stone, a fure foundation;" and if this foundation could be destroyed, what fhould the righteous do? Its charter is an everlasting covenant, Jer. xxxii. 40. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them." It is furrounded with walls that are everlasting, even the perfections of an infinite God which are round about it, as the mountains are about Jerufalem. Thus I have given you fome of the qualities of this Spiritual and invifible kingdom of God that is within the foul of the believer. VI. The fixth thing was to fhew how much the face of affairs is changed to the better by the erection of the kingdom of God in the foul. I have much prevented myself as to this, by what is already faid upon the former head; 1 only add, that, by the erection of this new kingdom, the government is quite altered from what it was before. For, ift, There is a new King upon the throne of the heart Chrift," the King of kings, the Prince of the kings of the earth," rules where Satan had his feat; and O what a happ change is this! the Prince of life to reign in ftead of the god of this world, &c. 2dly, There are new laws introduced into the kingdom; "the law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus," inftead of the law of fin and death. Sin gave laws to the foul, and was wholly under its command, but now the man is under the law to Chrift, 1 Cor. ix. 21. 3dly, New liberty is brought in, inftead of former bondage. The man was under bondage to fin, Satan, the world, i the curfe, death; but now he is made free by the Son, and fo he is free indeed, advanced to the "glorious liberty of the fons of God:" Liberty to ferve the Lord, and to run the way of his commandments, &c. Pfal. cxix. 32. 4thly, There is a new light introduced, instead of former darknefs, therefore faid to be " tranflated from the power of darkness into God's marvellous light;" the Sun of righteouf nefs arifes, and the Lord becomes the man's everlafting light, and his God his glory, If. lx. 19. gthly, The man gets a new fpirit, "Not the fpirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, whereby he knows the things that are freely given him of God; (it is faid of Caleb and Joshua, that they were men of another spirit than the rest of the wicked Ifraelites), " a spirit of wisdom and revelation, a fpirit of grace and fupplication," Zech. xii. 1o. 6thly, The man gets a new will, inftead of the rebellious will and iron finew; he is made willing to fall in with the will of God: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?" Acts ix. 6. 7thly, A new object of trust and confidence is fet up in the foul. Formerly he trufted in an arm of flesh, but now he trufts in the living God; formerly he trusted in lying refuges, but now he trufts only in the foundation God hath laid in Zion, If. xxviii. 16. 8thly, A new hope. Formerly he hoped in a thing of nought, but now with Ifrael, his hope is in the name of the Lord, in a God in Chrift, and he flees for refuge unto the hope fet before him in the gospel, and his hope, like an anchor, "enters into that within the vail, whither the Forerunner is for us entered," Heb. vi. 18. 19. gthly, He gets a new love to the Lord, instead of former enmity against God: So that he can fay in fome measure of fincerity, that he "loves the Lord his God with all his heart,foul, ftrength, and mind :" He himself delights in the Lord, and the "defire of his foul is unto his name, and the remembrance of him," If. xxvi. 8. 10thly, There is juft a new heart given the man when the kingdom of God is fet up. The heart before was a stony rocky heart, that would not yield either to the word or rod of God: But now he has got the heart of flesh, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you." And from hence it is, that the thoughts of the heart take a new turn: The thoughts which wandered after every vanity, do now run after God, after the living God: So that the man can fay in fome measure, "My meditations of him are fweet, and I will be glad in the Lord: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches, my foul fhall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnefs:" Thus you fee there is a wonderful change effected by the erection of this kingdom of God in the foul. VII. The fevent thing in the method was, the Application of the whole. And the firft ufe may be of Information in the particulars following. 1, Hence fee the riches of God's love, and the freedom of his grace in erecting his kingdom in the worst part of the whole creation of God, even in the heart of a finner, which is deceitful above all things and defperately wicked;" the very feat of fin and Satan, pride, enmity, unbelief. O the freedom of his grace!" His ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts." Is this the manner of man? No, it is a way peculiar unto God himself. 2dly, See hence whence it is that believers are fo highly va lued beyond the reft of the world in God's esteem, and why he has fuch a care of them beyond others. He will reprove kings for their fakes: He will give men for them, and people for their life. He adjufts the whole of gofpel ordinances for their edification; gives "apoftles, prophets, evangelifts, paf-1 tors, teachers, for perfecting them;" He calculates and adjufts the whole of his providential adminiftrations for their advantage, Deut. xxxiii. 28. " He rides upon the heaven in their help, and in his excellency on the fky." Why, what is the matter that there is fuch ado about them beyond others? Why? the matter is this, the kingdom of God is within them; and ye know a king levels the whole of his adminiftration for the benefit of his kingdom. 3dly, See hence the error of thefe who prefer the world's great ones to Chrift's little ones, in the administration of the affairs of his vifible kingdom upon earth. Why, it must be a dangerous error to fet afide these, and denude them of the privileges of the kingdom, who have the kingdom of God within them; and prefer thefe, who perhaps have the devil, and the world, and fin reigning in their hearts, because providence has given them fomething of the pelf of this world beyond their neighbours: Who fo fit to choose officers in the kingdom of Chrift, as they that have the kingdom of God within? I fear there will be a fad reckoning ere all be done, for the injuries that are done to these whom "God has chofen, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom," however poor they be in this world. Perhaps fome may be thinking there is no need of such discourse now, after what has been done of late; but, Sirs, I own, I am of another mind, and will be fo, through grace, till I fee the foxes taken that have fpoiled, and ftill are fpoiling, the vines, Cant. ii. 15. 4thly, See hence the difference between Chrift's kingdom and the kingdoms of this world: Why, other kings rule over the bodies and states of men; but Chrift's kingdom relates to the fpirit and confcience; and they that impofe any thing on the fubjects of Chrift, that is inconfiftent with his laws and liberties, they invade the prerogative of Chrift, they impose upon upon his kingdom, and they that do fo will pay for it: "It were better for them that a milftone were hanged about their neck, and they caft into the midst of the fea," than to offend thefe that have the kingdom of God within them. He will refent it, Luke xvii. 2. 5thly, See hence that heart religion is a thing that God principally regards, Pfal. li. 6. " Thou defireft truth in the inward parts." Sirs, all our flourish of a profeflion, our reading, hearing, communicating, is but the offering of fwine's blood on God's altar, without this, fee If. i. 11-14. Pfal. Ixxviii. 35-37 6thly, See hence a good reafon why the faints of God should walk circumfpectly, and "be holy in all manner of converfation." Why, they fhould watch and pray, and stand upon their guard against all fin in heart and life, and avoid all appearance of evil. Why, the kingdom of God is within them; and have they not good reason to watch and be upon their guard against every thing that may disturb or difquiet the peace of the kingdom. The peace of a kingdom is a moft valuable bleffing. O Sirs, be upon your guard against all fin, in whatever fhape it may appear and prefent itself, for it will break the peace of the kingdom of God, and if any parley be entertained with thefe enemies, he will make all the kingdom tremble with his frowns. 7thly, See why faithful minifters do travel in birth for the conversion of finners. Why, they are concerned to have the kingdom of Satan overturned, and the kingdom of God reared up in the fouls of their hearers. 8thly, See hence whence it is that the faints and faithful minifters of Chrift will stand up for the prerogatives of Christ, and the privileges of his fubjects, upon their utmost peril. Why, the kingdom of God is within them, and therefore they cannot but be zealous for their King, and his prerogatives. Some folk now-a-days are come that length, as to think and fay, that thefe worthies who fuffered in the late times of perfecution, died as a company of fools, when they would not redeem their lives, by faying, God fave the king.' Would you know what was the matter with them? Why, by acts of parliament, the prerogative of Zion's King was taken, and fet upon the head of King Charles and King James, and they declared, In all caufes, not only civil, but ecclefiaftical, head.' And they could not find freedom in their confciences, to pray that God might fave a man in his ufurpations upon the prerogatives of Christ the King of Zion, whofe kingdom they had within them, efpecially when they knew the enemy would interpret their praying in thefe terms, a praying for their prof perity and fuccefs in fuch a wicked way. Sirs, they who now. a-days talk at that rate, know little of true tenderness of confcience, or of true zeal for the glory of Chrift, as the alone Head and King of his church. 9thly, See hence the true fpring of reformation in a church or land, and the true fpring alfo of defection and backfliding. Why, when the Spirit of the Lord erects the kingdom of God within, efpecially in the hearts of magiftrates or ministers, men of power and influence; then reformation work goes on apace, men then put to their hands heartily to the building up of Zion; every one then is ready to lend a lift to help up with the Head-stone of the corner: But when the kingdom of God is not within, men lofe heart and hand to the work of the Lord, and fall a work to daub with carnal wifdom and policy, which quite fpoils and mars the building, inftead of furthering it. What was it that made parliaments, and affemblies, and people of all ranks go fo clean to work about the year 1638, and the year that followed it, to advance a work of reformation, and to engage themselves by folemn covenant to maintain it? And what makes the work go on fo flowly now? Why, if folk, efpecially men of influence and power, had the kingdom of God within them, which, alas! is much wanting now-a-days, otherwife there would not be fo much daubing with untempered mortar as there is). O Sirs, if ever ye would fee the Lord's work thrive again in the land, pray that the fame Spirit may be poured out from on high, that he may lay the foundation of the work by fetting up his kingdom in the heart of kings, nobles, gentry, minifters, elders, and all ranks of people in the land; and then the hearts of the children will be turned to their fathers, and we may expect to see the church of Christ in this land, "looking forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the fun, and terrible as an army with banners," Cant. vi. 10. 10thly, See hence a good reafon why honeft people who have a real principle of grace, cannot fubmit unto the miniftry of intruders, who enter the house of God fome other way than by the door of a lawful call and ordination; and why they fcruple to join with thefe that take fuch men by the hand, or help them and encourage them in their intrufions. Why, folk that have the kingdom of God within them, they cannot think of committing the cuftody of the kingdom of God, and the concerns thereof, unto men who want the King's call and commiffion; and they can never think that they who thrust themfelves into the prieft's office for a peace of bread, will be much concerned to build up and advance either Chrift's invifible kingdom within, or his vifible kingdom. I fear there are too many foul fingers about |