on the Lord'r Prayer. Secondly, Befides th.is, God bath a peculiar Kingdom; and that is his J!ingdoni of Grace wbicb though tt be not fo large and ex£enfive as the former, yet 1t ts far more excell~nt, and the Royalty of it is God's fiogular Delight. Now this Kingdom of Grace is his Churoh, and may be confidered Two Ways. ,Pirfl, In its Growth and Progrefs. . Secondly1 In ils PcrfeEh_on _and Confummat~o.n. · . . . . In the former RefpeE\ tt IS the Church Mt!ttant here upon Earth, and 111 the !at. ter it is the Church Triumphant in Heaven, for both make up bur one Kingdom un' der divers Refpetls. . . Firjl, Let us a little confider God's Kingdom here upon Eartll, or the Church Mili· rant, and that is Twofold, Vifible and Invifible. . . . The Vi(iblc Krngdont of God upon Earth are a Company of People openly profef- !ing the Fundamentals of Religion, and thofe Truths nece!fary to Salvation whicn God bath made known unto the World, and joining together in the External Corn· munion of Ordinances. The Invi(ible Kingdom are a Company of true Believers, wno have Internal and lnvifible Communion with God by his Spirit and their Fairh. The Vifibie Church is Qfa much larger Extent than the Invijible, for it comprehends Hypocrites and For· mali!ls, and all tbofe who have given up their Names to Chrifl, and li!led tbemfelves under his Banner, and make an outward Profeffion of the Trmh, although by their Lives and PraElices they conttadiEl and deny what they own and profefs wirb their Lips : Thefe belong to the Kingdom ofGod's Grace, as to the External Difpenfarioa and Regiment of it, ~ufe they profefs Obedience to his L~ws, and live under the Means of Grace, by which many of them through the efficacious Concurrence of the Spirit ofGod . are rranOared into the Invifible Kingdom of his Dear Son. Now this Vifible Fiingdom of God upon Earth is but an imperfeEl State and Con· dition ; for though all that are Members of it are feleEled and takeri out ofthe World, yet there is a great deal of Mixture and Drofs, and many Things that do offend. For, . Firjl, There is in it a Mixture of Wicked I'erfons with thofe that are really Holy. Many are of this Kingdom only, becaufe their Confciences ate convinced of the Truth of the Chriftion Religion, although their Lives are not fubjeEl to the Power of it; and thefe are taken out of the :World 'only as they are brought into the Pale of the Chutcb, and profefs the Name of Chri!l and his Religion, as diftina from all other. Rdigionr in the Wotld. And therefore we find the Church, or the Kingdom of Heaven, in Scriptur~ frequently compared to a Net caft into the Sea, gathering eve· ry kind of Fi/h , both good and bad; Matth. 13. 47· Both Sons are embraced in rhe Bofom of this Net, and no perfea Separation can be made wail i~ be drawn to Shore ar the Day of Judgment; and then the Good will be gathered into Velfels, and the Bad caft away, as it is there expreffed. Again, it is compared o a Floor, wheroin is both Cbqffand Wheat, Luke 3· '7· and rhefe will be mix'd together until the lalt diiCriminating Day, and then· foal! the Wheat be gathered into the Garner, tJnd the Chaffburnt ~tp witb unquenebable Fire. Again, it is compared to a Field wherein ttiere grows Tares as well as Corn, Matt!J. 13. 24. which muft grow toge~ ther until the H(1rvejl, and then lhall the Tares be bound in Bundles to be burnt; and the profitable Grain be gathered into the Barn. This bath ftill been; and will be, the mix"d Condition of God's Church on Earth, wherein, through Hypocrifie and grofs Diflimulatioo, many that are Enemies to the CrofS of Chrift will yet go under that Cognizance.· and keep up a Form of Godlinefs, tho" they deny and hate the Power of it. Srcondly, Thero is even in the Invifible Church here on Earth a great Mixture.too • thofe who have a Real and Vitai ·Union to Chri!l, and mainr:i!n a Spiritual Corn~ munion with him, yet even they have a fad Mixture of Evil with all their Good:~ of Sin with all their Grace and Holinefs, fo that the Church is llill imperfea not on· ly from a Mixture of Petfons, but f10m a Mixture in Perfons: As we kno,; but in part, iO we love bnt in part; we fear, we obey, God but in part. And with our Pro· ieffion ofFaith we had need alfo to prefer that Humble Petition, Mark 9· 24. Lord, I Belicv<, help thou my Unbtlief Secondly, The Kingdom of God may be confidered in its PerfeElion and Confurrt· mation, and iO it is Triumphant in Heaven. And this confi(b of fuch Glorious Angelr as never Fell, aQd offuch Glorifod Saints who an: raifed ftom their Fall, · anrl.
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