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the body.

II.

What can be more exprefs LECT. than the doctrine of our Saviour himself upon this fubject? My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed-He that eateth me, even he shall live by me; that is, fhall live with a new and divine life, as really as his body lives and is nourished by his daily bread. Unless these words do fignify, that a real principle of life and strength is derived to us from the body of Christ, whereof we partake, there can be no certainty in language, and every doctrine of the scripture may be thrown into doubt and obscurity. Without faith, as it hath already been argued in the proper place, the language of the fcripture never was nor ever will be admitted in its true fenfe; but with it, it is clear enough to very reader.

This first head of my fubject is fo copious, that I must conclude here, and defer what remains to the next Lecture.

LECT.

LECTURE III.

ON THE FIGURES OF THE SCRIPTURE WHICH

ARE TAKEN FROM NATURE.

(A CONTINUATION OF THE FORMER.)

LECT.
III.

ΤΗ

HE former Lecture would not allow me room to explain the figures which the fcripture hath borrowed from the natural world and the objects of common life; though I determined to felect fuch of them only as might be thought most important and instructive: and even now, the subject is fo copious, that I must leave many which I should be glad

to treat of.

From the confideration of the heavens, the elements and the seasons, we defcended to man, whose bodily life is a pattern and fhadow

On the Figurative Language, &c.

III.

59

fhadow of his spiritual life, and is applied LECT. to illuftrate it in many inftances.

From his natural, we must now go forward to his focial, civil, or political life, as a citizen, subject, and member of fociety; together with his worldly condition, relations, offices, and occupations.

The fpiritual ftate, or kingdom of heaven, is reprefented to us under the em.. blem of an earthly kingdom, in which God is the fupreme governor and judge, ruling all his creatures with infinite power, and according to the laws of justice, goodnefs, and mercy.

The church is a fpiritual kingdom under Chrift its head; and its minifters are ambaffadors, commiffioned to treat with the world, and propofe terms of reconciliation from God, with whom they are by nature at enmity. St. Paul, having occasion to speak of his commission under Jefus Chrift, faith, for whom I am an ambassador in bonds. This was a strange

cafe ;

LECT. cafe; and he mentions it as fuch; be

III.

cause the persons of ambaffadors were accounted facred, and it was against the law of nations to do any violence to them: but the world, while it keeps good faith with itself, keeps none with God. Our bleffed Saviour, as Pilate truly entitled him upon the Cross, was the King of the Jews, though not after the form and authority of worldly kingdoms; and as fuch had a claim to the allegiance of his fubjects. Their rebellious treatment of him and his ambassadors is represented in the parable of the marriage of the king's fon*; whose invitation they rejected, and abused his fervants. In confequence of this his armies were sent out, to do execution upon them as murtherers, and burn up their city: all of which was fulfilled upon the apoftate Jews, and their city Jerufalem : and having rejected him, they are to this day without a king, without laws, without a country.

There is another parable of the same

* Matth. xxii.

III.

kind, which admits of a more general ap- LECT plication, and comes home to ourselves. Chrift afcending into heaven, there to receive all power, and return invested with it to the general judgment, is fignified under the person of a nobleman who went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom and to return-But his citizens bated him, and sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this man to reign over us*. Thus infolently and ungratefully doth a wicked world treat the authority of Chrift in his abfence: but he fhall return; and then the authority they will not admit for their good, will be turned to their destruction-Thofe mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and flay them before me. Not all the powers upon earth can hinder the execution of this command-bring them hitherwherever these offenders shall then be, they will all be found; even the grave fhall not hide them, the dust shall not cover them; but the minifters of vengeance will drag them forth, and present them before that

* Luke xix. 12..

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