252 Chrifi the King · · . · Fottrthly, Gathering them and others with them to· gether, into a vi!ible church-.fiate, Gen. xlix. 10. 'Un– to him !hall the gathering of the people be.' Thus i~ 1 't;reCl:ed the vifible church or kingdom of Chri.fi in -the WGrld ; a fociety feparate from the vifible kingdom of the devil, and profdiing faith in, and' obedience to . Chrifi, outwardly bearing his badge, · and the figns of his covenant. Among theri1 is the ordinary ,feat of the adminifiration of the covenant, the ordinary means of falvation, and offers of grace. In their land·, the voice of the turtle is heard, and the fiitging of birds, in the preaching of the glorious gofpel ; while there is a lafling winter over all the world befides ~ ·rhey have the Bible and. Sabbaths, the rninifiry ,of the word, and the holy facraments. Among ,them is to be fimnd the communion of faints,, and a chui·ch~ government, infiituted for controlling the unruly, ft:1ppreffing of fin an~ wickednefs, and encouraging an orderly walk . And they have the privilege of heaven's proteCtion ; infomuch that the church .!hall be defended, and her enemies re.firained and conquer– ed, hy her King, that lhe .lha.ll ' continue ,while the world .fiands, in fpite of all oppofition that hell can make againfl: ·her, Mat. xx:viii. 20. '' Lo; I amwith you always, even unto the end of the world.' · Lajfly, Ruling and go~·erning his 'true and kindly fubjetrs, agreeably unto the covenant., by which his royal prerogative is ibted, and their privileges are fe– cured, Ifa. ix. 6. ' The government fl1all be upon his lhoulder.' Of this his government there are fe· veral aas: the chief of which are thefe following. Firjl, He gives them the laws of! the covenant; not only intimating the fame unto them externally, / by hi's word ; by teaching them internally, by his Spi– rit, writing them 11pon the tables of theirhearts, and leaving an indelible copy of them affixed there, Heb. viii. 10. ' I will put my Jaws into their mind, and write them in their hearts-.' Thefe laws of the eo~ venant
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