380 DISCOURSE ON THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH. This is that "one spiritual house," reared "upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord," 1 Pet. ii. 5; Eph. ii. 20. This is that "one family of God," of which Christ is the oixoSsa- çrórnç, whence good Christians are oixsror ovaMatt. x. 25; Heb. iii. 6; 1 Tim. iii. 15. This is that one city or corporation, endued with an ample charter and noble privileges, in regard to which St Paul says we are cu ro- x7rar r&V áyíav (fellow-citizens of the saints), and that our aoxírsvpcc (our civil state and capacity) " is in heaven," or that we are citizens thereof.Heb. xii. 22; Rev. iii. 12, xxi. 2, 10; Eph. ii. 19; Phil. iii. 20. [This is] that one "holy nation and peculiar people" (the spiritual Israel), subject to the same government and law (that which is called the "kingdom of heaven"), enjoying the same franchises and privi- leges, following the same customs and fashions, using the same con- versation and language, whereof Jesus Christ is the Lord and King. 1 Pet. ii. 9; Ezek. xxxvii. 22. This is the "one flock, under one Shepherd," John x. 16; Ezek. xxxvii. 24, xxxiv. 23. This is the society of those for whom Christ prayed that they might "be all one," John xvii. 20, 21. It is true, that divers of these characters are expressed to relate to the church after Christ ; but they may be allowed to extend to all the faithful servants of God before, who in effect were Christians, being saved upon the same account, and therefore belonged to the same body.' To this church in a more special and eminent manner all those titles, and particularly that of unity, are ascribed; but the same also, in some order and measure, belong and are attributed to the univer- sal church sojourning upon earth. For, because thisvisible church infolds the other, as one mass con- tains the good ore and base alloy,' as one floor the corn and the chaff, as one field the wheat and the tares, as one net the choice fish and the refuse, as one fold the sheep and the goats, Matt. iii. 12, xiii. 38, 47, xxv. 32, as one tree the living and the dry branches, John xv. 2;because this society is designed to be in appearance what the other is in reality, thesame with the other;because, there- 1 Ex quo vocantur sancti, est ecclesia in terra.Aug. in Pa. cxxviii. "Since men are called saints, there is a church upon earth." Sancti ante legem, sancti sub lege, sancti sub gratia, omnes hi perficientes corpus Domini in membris aunt ecclesiss con- stitute.Greg. Nag. Ep. xxiv. "Saints before the law, saints under the law, saints under the gospel, all these make up the body of Christ, and are reckonedamong the members of the church." 2 "One great househath vessels of honour and dishonour." -2 Tim. ii. 20 ; Rom. ix. 21.
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