III. LECT. king whom they hated and affronted. Some there are, who fend their meffage 'after him in terms of open treason and defiance; while others explain away the sense and authority of his kingdom with fubtilties of logic and a mask of piety. But let them speak or reafon as they please, the proudeft of them all are under the power of Jefus Chrift: those who do not allow of his spiritual authority in his kingdom the church, are ftill within the reach of his juftice. Happiest are they, in whose hearts the kingdom of God is established according to those words which were spoken of it-the kingdom of God is within you; and who can pray daily, as they are commanded, that his kingdom may come; that it may prevail over our affections, and direct all our doings, till at length it shall be manifefted over all, and the king himself fhall appear in his glory. The judgment paffed by the magistrate in this world against crimes is founded on the law of God, and is an administration of his juftice for the time being; an ear neft III. neft of that more equal and perfect admi- LECT. nistration which is to come. Every tribunal before which criminals are fummoned is a prelude to the day of doom, when the judgment fhall fit, and the dead Small and great shall stand before God, and the dead fhall be judged out of those things that are written. This may feem diftant to us now, in our blind way of confidering things; but in the language of the scripture it is otherwife: behold, faith St. James, the judge ftandeth before the door, ready to enter, and to bring every fecret work, and every neglected and perverted caufe, into judgment. Other figures of the scripture are taken from the state in which mankind are engaged under the dangers of war. As men are troubled with violence and treachery from one another; fo is there another warfare more hazardous, to which all Christians are enlisted under the captain of their falvation, against enemies whom no man can fee; active, fubtle, vigilant, malignant spirits; for, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, LECT. blood, but against principalities and powers. As men prepare for an earthly war, fo are we to prepare ourselves that we may stand in the evil day: we are to put on the whole armour of God, as the apoftle hath defcribed it; we are to take the shield of faith, the word of God's word, the helmet of falvation; and to pray that we may be infpired with fortitude, and affifted in the ufe of them. We have treachery as well as force to guard against. There are deceitful lufts which affume the mask of pleafure, while they are warring against the foul, as it were by fap, to undermine and destroy it. No man can use a sword with skill, but he who hath been inftructed in the art of defence, and hath practised it long: fo can no man handle the word of God aright, that fword of the Spirit, but he that has ftudied it diligently. With unfkilful handling by the ignorant, or the ill-difpofed, it may wound ourselves, and our friends, like a fword in the hands of a child or a madman. Amongst Amongst the occupations of men, the LECT. chief is that of husbandry; and, it will afford us much inftruction. As the field is the fubject of man's labour, fo man himfelf is a field under the cultivation of God: ye are God's husbandry, faith the apostle. All the particulars in the course of husbandry are fulfilled in our hearts. For as the ground is broken and cleared, fo is the heart to be prepared by repentance: whence the prophet Hofea thus calls upon the people; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to feek the Lord. In the parable of the fower, the feed is the word of God, quick and powerful with the principles of life; and the different kinds of foil denote the various difpofitions with which men receive the word of God; fome few into an honeft and good heart; many more into hearts open as the common high way to the lufts of the world and the vifits of fatan; and as fuch people understand nothing fpiritual, they immediately lose what they receive. Some, whofe minds are fhallow, cannot retain it, as not having depth enough for the word to be rooted, III. LECT. fo as to withstand trials and temptations, fignified by the fcorching heat of the fun upon a ftoney foil. Some are fo full of care and business, that the word can no more thrive, than feed among thorns and thistles. I would propose this parable of the sower as a fpecimen of the excellence of that figurative mode of inftruction so constantly pursued throughout the fcripture. See how much doctrine, enough to fill a volume, is here comprehended in how few words; in a form ftriking to the imagination, and plain to every capacity! Another fort of husbandry, not so familiar to us in this climate, is the cultivation of the vineyard. In countries nearer to the fun, vines are cultivated in the fields, and employ many hands to plant and dress them, and gather their fruits. In the 5th chapter of Isaiah there is a myftical fong, which confiders the church of Ifrael as the vineyard of God, planted in a fruitful fituation on the holy hill of Si on, |