25 2. A. SAJni or ., BrNit ~, Pare If.' ·. when the prayers of the wick!dare abhorreJof the Lord; his people fer'lle himacceptably £n revermce llndgodly fear, Heb. 12. 2.8. He .:tnfwereth their prayers, and often fpeaketh peace unto rhem ~1nd Ggnitieth his accepta.nce of them. If they could bring him~ . houfe full of Gold and Sth·er, they would not be fo welcome to him as they are in briEging him their hettrts,their humblulhearts, thtir brok§n, tender, melted he~rt.r, that btirn in Love to him, and fl.:1me up towards him in defires azud in holy praife. [To thu man ')1Ji// 1/oo/z, faith the Lord, even to him th.u ·u peer and of(!, e-ontrit~· fftirit, and tremblethat my Word] !fa. 66. 2,TI1is is the Honour-· a-ble entertainment of the Saints. .7 . And they are m~mbe.rs of the moil: Honourable· Society in d1e world. The Church ts the Kingdom of }efmChrift, Luf<! · 1.33• Col. I. I3. TheKingdomef God,Luk..,e17.2I. & 18.17. The Kingdom of Hea'l1m, M14t. 3. 2. & I 3. 3 r, 33, 44. ft is the· School of Chrift, or his Vniver.fit}; in which Believers are his. Scbollars, learnirl~ m know him , and ferve him, and praife him for ever·, and ~ra~. ·d up for everlafl:ing life; ·'A as I 1. 26 .. Luk..i 6 • I 3. M.'lt. j. I, .z, &·c. It isthe famil] or hrJHjhr;ld of God, Ephr 2. 19. I Tim-3. I). Heb.10.21. I Pet.4.17. Ttisrhe.fp.,uf~. yea the Body of Chrij}, Eph. ·'j· 25. So /Gvedby him, that hegave· himfelf for it, becoming the price of our Redemprion, and thought not his life too dear aRanfom,nor his blood too prccieus w deanfe and fave us, Eph. 5. 25, z6. ·Tit. 2. 14. The Church; which everygodly man ico a livingmember of, is a Society chofen out of the world, to be nearefl: unwGod, and deardl to him, a3 ,the beloved of his foul; ro receive the choicefl: of his mercies; . and be adorned with the rigbteoufnefs of Cbrifl::, and to be em– ployed in his fpecial fervice, I Pet. 2. 4, 5, 9· (ohn I 5. I 9· E ph·. 1: 4· P/alm I 32. I 3: &-13 5. 4· Eph. 5. 1. The Lord that Re· dremed tbtm is their King and He~~td, anddwelltth in the midft vf them,. and p;,;tfk§th among them, as the people of his fpefial pre· fence and delight, Pfalm 2. 6; & 89. 1'8;· & I49· 2. & 46. 5· Jja. I 2. 6. 'fer. 14. 9· Zeph-3. 5, I 5, 17. Rev. I. q. & 2. r. Pj"P~ lm 95. z. The Church is aHeavenly Society, though the mi– Ltam part yet live on earth: For the God of Heaven is the So– veraign and the Farh~r of it : The glorified R.edcemer i~ thei.r Head : The· spirit of Cbrifi doth guide and annnate them : Hts l aws revealed and confirmed from Heaven , dire a and govern them : .Heaven is-t h~ir end; and heayeoJy _ttr~ _their difpowrions, _: employ~
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