168 Of the Kingdom of God. S r a M. privileges, and placing their religion and their VI. hope in them, abandon themfelves to im- moral and wicked practices, which mutt end in their ruin. The truth of this doc- trine is not only evident from many exprefs declarations of fcripture, but it will appear to every man's reafon that it cannot be other - wife, if we carefully attend to our moft obvious notions of the Deity and of natural religion ; but this we fhall be better con- vinced of when we have confidered, 2dly, In what the apoftie faith the king- dom of God doth confift, namely, righteouf nefs, and peace, andjoy in the Holy Ghofl. By righteoufnefs here is meant univerfal Jincere religion and virtue. Sometimes, indeed, in the fcriptures the word is ufed in a more reftrain- ed fenfe for that which is ftriEtly called juftice, as diftinguifhed from godlinefs and fobriety; but here, as in many other texts, it fignifieth the entire and univerfal rectitude of our affec- tions and works. There are certain invariable meafures of right and wrong fixed in the na- ture of things, made manifeft to us by the voice of our confciences, written in our hearts, and very plainly declared in the word of God. To thefe we ought to conformour difpofitions and our practice, and it is the main defign of the gofpel that we fhould. For, the grao
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=