mortality. For thus the apoftle reafons; "We preach to you, "how that the promise which was made to our fathers, God hath "fulfilled the fame unto us, in that he hath raised up Jefus again; CC as it is alfo written in the fecond Pfalm, Thou art my fon, this "day have I begotten thee."

This may ferve a little to explain the "immortality" of the fons of God, who are in this, like their father, made after his "image" and likeness. But that our Saviour was fo, he himself farther declares, John x. 18. where, fpeaking of his life, he fays, "No one "taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power

to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again." Which he could not have had if he had been a mortal man, the fon of a man, of the feed of Adam; or elfe had by any tranfgreffion forfeited his life for "the wages of fin is death." And he that hath incurred death for his own tranfgreffion, cannot lay down his life for another, as our Saviour profefles he did. For he was the just one, Acts vii. 57. and xii. 14. "who knew no fin." 2 Cor. v. 21. "who did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth." And thus, "As by man came death, fo by man came the refurrection of "the dead. For as in Adam all die, fo in Christ shall all be "made alive."

For this laying down his life for others, our Saviour tells us, John x. 17. "Therefore does my father love me, because I lay "down my life, that I might take it again." And this his obedience and fuffering was rewarded with a kingdom, which he tells us, Luke xxii." His father had appointed unto him;" and which, it is evident out of the epiftle to the Hebrews, chap. xii. 2. he had a regard to in his fufferings: "who for the joy that was set before "him, endured the crofs, defpifing the fhame, and is fet down at "the right hand of the throne of God." Which kingdom given him upon this account of his obedience, fuffering, and death, he himself takes notice of in thefe words, John xvii. 1--4. "Jefus "lift up his eyes to heaven, and faid, Father, the hour is come, "glorify thy fon, that thy fon alfo may glorify thee. As thou haft "given him power over all flefh, that he should give eternal life. "to as many as thou haft given him. And this is life eternal, "that they may know thee the only true God, and Jefus the Mef"fiah, whom thou haft fent. I have glorified thee on earth: I "have finished the work which thou gaveft me to do." And St, Paul, in his epiftle to the Philippians, chap. ii. 8-11. "He hum❝bled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of "the crofs. Wherefore God alfo hath highly exalted him, and

given him a name that is above every name: that at the name "of Jefus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things "in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue "fhould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord."

Thus God, we fee, defigned his fon Chrift Jefus a kingdom, an everlasting kingdom in heaven. But "though as in Adam all die, "fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive;" and all men shall return to

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life again at the laft day; yet all men having finned, and thereby "come fhort of the glory of God," as St. Faul aflures us, Rom. iii. 23. (i. e. not attaining to the heavenly kingdom of the Meffiah, which is often called the glory of God; as may be feen, Rom. v. 2. and xv. 7. and ii. Matt. xvi. 27. Mark viii. 38. For no one who is unrighteous, i. e. comes fhort of perfect righteoufnefs, fhall be admitted into the eternal life of that kingdom; as is declared, 1 Cor. vi. 9. "The unrighteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of "God"). And death, the wages of fin, being the portion of all those who had tranfgreffed the righteous law of God, the fon of God would in vain have come into the world, to lay the foundations of a kingdom, and gather together a felect people out of the world, if (they being found guilty at their appearance before the judgement-feat of the righteous judge of all men at the last day) inftead of entrance into eternal life in the kingdom he had prepared for them, they should receive death, the juft reward of fin, which every one of them was guilty of. This fecond death would have left him no fubjects; and instead of those ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, there would not have been one left him to fing praises unto his name, faying, "Bleffing, and "honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that fitteth on the "throne, and unto the lamb for ever and ever." God, therefore, out of his mercy to mankind, and for the erecting of the kingdom of his fon, and furnishing it with fubjects out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, propofed to the children of men, that as many of them as would believe Jefus his fon (whom he fent into the world) to be the Meffiah, the promifed deliverer, and would receive him for their king and ruler, fhould have all their paft fins, difobedience, and rebellion forgiven them; and if for the future they lived in a fincere obedience to his law, to the utmost of their power, the fins of human frailty for the time to come, as well as all those of their past lives, fhould, for his fon's fake, because they gave themselves up to him to be his fubjects, be forgiven them and fo their faith, which made them be baptized into his name (i. e, enrol themselves in the kingdom of Jefus the Meffiah, and profefs themselves his fubjects, and confequently live by the laws of his kingdom), fhould be accounted to them for righteoufnefs; i. e. fhould fupply the defects of a scanty obedience in the fight of God; who, counting this faith to them for righteousness, or complete obedience, did thus juftify, or make them juft, and thereby capable of eternal life.

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Now, that this is the faith for which God of his free grace juftifies finful man (for " it is God alone that juftifieth," Rom. viii, 33. Rom. iii, 26.), we have already fhewed, by obferving through all the hiftory of our Saviour and the apoftles, recorded in the evangelifts, and in the Acts, what he and his apoftles preached and propofed to be believed. We fhall fhew now, that, befides believing him to be the Meffiah their king, it was farther required, that those who would have the privilege, advantage, and deliverance of his kingdom,

kingdom, fhould enter themfelves 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 justify them for a faith that did but increase their guilt, and oppofe diametrically the kingdom 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 fhews at large, chap. ii.

Neither indeed could it be otherwife; for life, eternal life, being the reward of justice or righteoufnefs only, appointed by the righteous God (who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity) to those only who had no taint or infection of fin upon them, it is impoffible that he fhould juftify thofe who had no regard to justice 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, whilft 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 measure of right and wrong, and thereby introducing and authorifing irregularity, confufion, and diforder 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 thofe who would mend their lives, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, erect a new kingdom.

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 inftead 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 themfelves 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 weakness 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 righteouinefs. They stood 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 himfeif delivers (uniefs 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 promifed by God to the world. Amongit the Jews (to whom the promises and prophecies of the Meffiah were more immediately delivered) anointing was ufed to three fo:ts 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 aflumes 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 gospel, 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 beft anfwered the chief end of his coming, which was to be a king, and as fuch to be received by those who would be his fubjects in the kingdom which he came to erect. And though he took not directly on himfelf 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. 9. 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 Meffiah, and received him for their king, that they might be admitted to be partakers with him of his kingdom in glory, we fhall best know by the laws he gives them, and requires them to obey; and by the fentence which he himfelf will give, when, fitting on his throne, they fhall all appear at his tribunal, to receive every one his doom from the mouth of this righteous judge of all men.

What he propofes 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 apoftles:" The fame method will beft and plaineft fhew us, whether he required of thofe who believed him to be the Mefliah, 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

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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 thofe 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 controversy. I fhall pafs 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;" thofe 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 loofen "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 pafs, one jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pafs from the law till all "be done. Whofoever therefore fhall break one of thefe 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 righteoufnels of the Scribes and Pharifees, (c ye shall 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 Pharifees, ver. 22-26. He tells them, That not only murder, but caufelefs 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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