7i, A DISCOURSE ON THE HOLY SPIRIT, occasionally mentioned: and are not farther to be pur- sued. 5. These spiritual gifts the apostle calls thepowers ofthe world to come, Heb. vi. 4, 5. that is, those effectual pow- erful principles and operations, which peculiarly belong unto thekingdomof Christ and administration ofthe gos- pel, whereby they were to be set up, planted, advan- ced, and propagated in theworld. The Lord Christ came and wrought out the mighty work of our salvation in his own person, and thereon laid the foundation of his church on himself, by the confession of him as the Son ofGod. Concerning himself and hiswork, he preached, and caused to be preached, a doctrine that was opposed by all theworld, because of its truth, mystery, and holi- ness; yet was it the design of God to break through all those oppositions, to cause this doctrine to be received and submitted unto, and Jesus Christ to be believed in, unto the ruin and destruction of the kingdom of Satan in the world. Now, this was a work that could not be wrought without the putting forth and exercise of mighty power, concerning which nothing remains to be in- quired into, but of what sort it ought to be. Now, the conquest that the Lord Christ aimed at was spiritual, over the souls and consciencesof men; the enemies he had to conflict withal were spiritual, even principalities and powers, and spiritual wickednesses in high places; the god of this world, the prince of it, which ruled- in the children of disobedience: the kingdom which he had to erect, was spiritual, and not of this world; all the laws and rules of it, with their administrations and ends, were spiritual and heavenly. The gospel, that was to be propagated, was a doctrine not concerning this world, nor the things of it, nor of any thing natural or political, but as they were merely subordinate unto other ends, but heavenly and mysterious, directing men only in a tendency according unto the mind of God unto the e- ternal enjoyment of him. Hereon it will easily appear what kind of power is necessary unto this work, and for the attaining of those ends. He, that at the speaking of one word could have engaged more than twelve legions ofangels in his work, and untohis assistance, could have easily, by outward force and arms, have subdued the whole world into an external observance of him and his commands, and thereon have ruled men at his pleasure. As this he could have done, and may do when he plea- seth, so ifhe had done it, it had tended nothing unto the ends which he designed. He might indeed have had a glorious empire in the world, comprehensive of all do- minions that ever were or can be on the earth; but yet it would have beenof the same kind and nature with that which Nero had, the greatest monster of villany in na- ture. Neither had it been any great matter for the Son of God to have out -done the Romans or the Turks, or such like conspiracies of wicked oppressors. And all those who yet think meet to use external force over the persons, lives, and bodies of men, in order unto there- ducing of them unto theobedienceof Christ and thegos- pel, do put the greatest dishonourupon him imaginable, and change the whole nature of his design and kingdom. He will neither own nor accept of any subject, but whose obedience is a free act of his own will, and who is so made willing by himself in the dayofhis power. His de- sign, and hisonly design in this world, unto the glory of God, is to erect a kingdom, throne, and rule in thesouls and consciences of men, to have an obedience from them in faith, love, and spiritual delight, proceeding from their own choice, understandings, wills, and affections; an o- bedience thatshould beinternal, spiritual, mystical, hea- venly, with respect solely unto things unseen and eter- nal, wherein himselfand hislaws should be infinitely pre- ferred before all earthly things and considerations. Now, this is a matter that all earthly powers and empires could never desire, design, or put an hand unto, and that which renders the kingdom of Christ as of another nature, so more excellent and better than all earthly kingdoms, as liberty is better than bondage, the mind more excellent than the outward carcass, spiritual and eternal things, than things carnal and temporary, as the wisdom and holiness of God are more excellent than the folly and lusts of men. 6. Seeing therefore this was the design of Christ, this was the nature and work of the gospel which was to be propagated, wherein carnal power and outward force could be of no use, yea, whose exercise was inconsistent with, dishonourable unto, and destructiveof the whole design; and wherein the work to be accomplishedon the minds and souls of men is incomparably greater than the conquering of worlds with force and arms, it is inquired what power the Lord Christ did employ herein, what means and instrumentshe used fisc the accomplishment of h.s design, and the erecting of that kingdom or church state, :which bei. g promised of old, was called the world
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