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lead into too wide a field. It is our happiness, and to that part of the fubject our prefent attention is confined, that we live in that stage of the church, which may be confidered as the completion of every former difpenfation. JESUS CHRIST, the head of the church, by purging it from the corruptions which it had contracted, and reftoring its worship to that spiritual standard in which its perfection confifts; has, as it were, put his finishing hand to the establishment of it, upon the plan best calculated to fecure the purpose he had in view.

چہ

It is a matter therefore of importance, that we fhould be particular in our obfervations upon this point; because a deviation from CHRIST's plan, by an attempt to alter the conftiution of his church, may make it a very different thing from what it was defigned to be; and though, in this cafe, a man may fatisfy himself, by calling the creature of his own imagination the church of CHRIST, it certainly does not follow that it really is fuch; and it may be the most dangerous piece of felf-impofition thus to confider it.

To understand the nature and design of the Christian church, we must confider the world at large as lying in wickednefs; and confequently in a ftate of condemnation before Gon. Out of this wicked

fociety, of which all are by nature born members, GOD has been pleased to call men into another fociety, very different from it; the object of which is to minister to their falvation, by fo purifying them from the corruptions of a fallen world, that they may not be condemned with it. This fociety, fometimes called the Church of Chrift, because CHRIST purchased it with his blood; fometimes his kingdom, because he is the king and governor of it; was set up in oppofition to that kingdom of this world, which has Satan for its prince. Into this fociety, or kingdom, perfons are admitted by baptifm; which is the feal conveying to them an affurance of their future inheritance: by the regular application of which, they are fanctified or fet apart from the reft of the world, as the peculiar property of the Holy Spirit. Having then, in confequence of their being born anew of the Holy Spirit in baptifm, profeffedly withdrawn themfelves from the service of the prince of this world, and entered into that of the living GOD; they become entitled to thofe privileges, which the King, into whose service they are entered, has purchased for his subjects.

Whilst therefore thofe who, in their natural condition," are strangers from the covenant of promife; living without hope and without GOD in the world;"

thofe who have been tranflated from the world into the church, may thereby be confidered as delivered from the powers of darkness, and become heirs with CHRIST of an eternal kingdom.

The privileges to which the members of the church are entitled, namely, pardon of fin, and eternal life, having been purchafed by JESUS CHRIST; the church must of neceffity be a fociety of his forming. For no man can take upon himself to form a church; in other words, to call men out of the world, and by incorporating them into a certain fociety, thereby to invest them with Gofpel privileges; for this plain reafon, because no man can enfure to the members of a fociety of his own framing those privileges which he has it not in his power to confer. Every thing, therefore, in this matter, must be done in the name, and by commiffion from CHRIST; because CHRIST is the fulfiller of that divine engagement, by which alone man is delivered from condemnation with the world, and placed in a ftate of acceptance with GOD.

Now nothing can be more obvious to common sense, than that no man can engage for what he is not in a condition to perform, unless particular circumftances authorise him fo to do. On the other hand, an engagement entered into on the behalf of

another can be binding only upon the party, by virtue of a commiffion received for that purpose. The application of these two self-evident pofitions fufficiently point out the difference between thofe who have received a commiffion from the Head of the church, to administer the affairs of his fpiritual kingdom, and those who have not.

If it be admitted, then, that the church is a fociety; as fuch, it must be poffeffed of power neceffary to its own preservation. It muft have its rules and orders; and confequently its governors, to carry thofe rules and orders into effect. Without fuch a provifion for order and government, no fociety can fubfist.

That fuch a power was left with the church by its Divine Founder, is to be proved from the commiffion, by which the governors of it received authority to admit members into the church, and to exclude them from it, according to the qualification or difqualification of the refpective parties. And that this power comprehended under it every exertion of authority neceffary to the regulation of the fociety committed to their management, we conclude (to avoid multiplying proof upon a fubject that speaks for itself) from St. PAUL'S charge to his difciples, that they fhould" obey them that had the rule over them, and

fubmit themselves;" from the confideration, that

their spiritual governors "watched for their fouls."

Heb. xiii. 17.

Moreover, as there are differences of adminiftrations, and diverfities of operations to be performed in the church, there must be perfons regularly appointed to the discharge of the feveral offices, neceffary to the well-being of the fociety to which they belong.. But a regular appointment of offices pre-fuppofes a power lodged fome where, to determine upon the qualification of the undertaking parties; for if individuals are left to fettle this matter for themselves, the fociety will not only be worse ferved for the time being; (the most self-sufficient men being, generally fpeaking, the leaft qualified to discharge the office they undertake;) but what is a ftill further confideration, the diforder confequent upon an indifcriminate exercise of public functions, muft ultimately terminate in the diffolution of that fociety, where fuch confufion prevails.

But the church being a fociety, of which CHRIST is the head, from whom alone all the benefits belonging to it are derived; the appointment of the governors, together with the rules and orders by which this fociety is to be managed and directed, muft ori

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