DISCOURSE V. 811 tohis holy and spiritual religion, were received by baptism,. and were counted the people of God and his visible church, and they continued in all the visible privileges of church-fellowship in all their extent; and if their profession was sincere, they were en- titled to all the inward privileges of the invisible church, and the spiritual blessings of the gospel. Note, I do not mention any thing here relating to the infants of true believers, because I would not embarrass the present argument with another contro- versy, and because they are, at best, but incomplete members of thechristian church; and, in my opinion also, so far as they are acknowledged to be any way members of the visible christian church, it is upon a supposition of their being, together with their parents, members of the invisible church of God. I pro- ceed therefore in my argument. Every person then, among the Jewish nation, who made a 'visibleand credible profession of christianity with his lips, and in his life, was, in a judgment of charity, to be counted sincere in this profession, and consequently, they were to be esteemed parts of the invisible church of God ; Gal. vi. 16. As many as walk according to this'rule of the gospel, peacebe on Chem, andmercy, and upon all the Israel of God, that is, upon all real saints. These believed in God and his promises, as Abraham did, and theybecome both the spiritual seed of Abraham, by imitating his faith and obedience, and children of God, by faith in Jesus Christ; Gal. iii. 26, 29. and heirs of the heavenly inheritance, according to his promise. These, among the commonmultitudes of the nation of Israel, are his special people Israel, whom God foreknew, and whom he hath not cast away ; Rom. xi. 1, 2. These are the remnant, according to the election of grace, verse 5 These are the election which hart 'obtained faith and salva- tion, when the rest of the Israelites wereblinded, or hardened; Rom. xi. 7. These are the Sons of God, brought into this rela- tion by receiving Jesus Christ his Son, or believing in his name : These are said to be born of God; John i. 12, 13. Being born of water, and of the Spirit, that is, regenerated by his holy Spirit, and washed with water, as the seal of it, they became actual visible members of this gospel-church, or the kingdom ót God : John iii. 5, 6. IX. Those particular persons, among the Jewish nation, that rejected theMessiaih, who was sent to be their prophet, priest and kind', were cut of from all pretences to these spiritual privi- leges, and from all the inward blessings which were signified by their outward and carnal privileges; and they did also cut them- selves oft' from thevisible church, which God was then bringing . into a purer and more spiritual frame, by renouncing the Son of God the Messiah, who was the king of Israel These are be- come the Lo- ruhamah, and Loammi, mentioned in Hosea i. 6, 8. eq2 lÏ
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