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fhall be willing in the day of thy power.' There is need of his fubduing us by Strength of Hand, becaufe by Nature we are utterly averfe from coming away from them, and fubmitting to him: Luke xix. 14. But his citizens hated him, and fent a meffage after him, saying, We will not ⚫ have this man to reign over us.' Prov. viii. ult. All they that hate me, love death.' He fubdues us to himself, by the Sword of his Word in the Hand of his Spirit: Rev. i. 16. 'Out of his mouth went a fharp two-edged fword.' Eph. vi. 17. Take the fword of the Spirit, which is the word ' of God,' &c. The Word fo managed by the Spirit, operates as a Sword, piercing the Soul, and conquering our Obftinacy, and making us willing to yield: Heb. iv. 12. The word of God

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is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged fword, piercing even to the dividing afunder of foul and fpirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a difcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.' Pfal. cx. 3. forecited. He opens the Houfe of our Bondage, and breaks their Yoke from off our Neck, by his Spirit applying to us his Satisfaction: Zech. ix. 11. As for thee alfo, by the blood of thy covenant, I have fent forth thy prifoners out of the pit wherein is no water. The applying of Chrift's Satisfaction to us, hath that Effect, inafmuch as thereby the Law hath full Satisfaction, as to us; and the Law.being fatisfied, the Strength of Sin is broken; the Strength of Sin being broken, the Sting of Death is taken away; the Sting of Death being taken away, the Devil lofeth his Power over us; and his Power over us being loft, the prefent evil World, his Kingdom, lofeth its Power o

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ver us too: 1 Cor. xv. 56. 57. death is fin; and the ftrength of fin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jefus Chrift.' Heb. iì. 14. 15. Forafmuch then as the children are par'takers of flesh and blood, he alfo himself likewife took part of the fame: that through death he might deftroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time fub'ject to bondage.' 2 Cor. iv. 4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, left the light of the glorious gofpel of Chrift, who is the image of God, fhould fhine unto them.' The State, then, that all whom Chrift hath redeemed by Power are in, with refpect to Sin, Death, the Devil, and the World, is, that they are refcued from the Bondage and Dominion of them all: Rom. vi. 14. Sin fhall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.' John v. 24. Verily verily I fay unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that fent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come ' into condemnation; but is paffed from death unto life. Acts xxvi. 18. To turn them from 'the power of Satan unto God.' Gal. i. 4. Jefus 'Chrift gave himfelf for our fins, that he might deliver us from this prefent evil world.' Compared with 1 John v. 19. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wick'ednefs.'

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He fecures us from going back, of our own accord, to their Bondage and Dominion, by ruling us: Micah v. 2. But thou, Bethlehem Ephra

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tah, though thou be little among the thoufands' of Judah, yet out of thee fhall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Ifrael.' verf. 4. And he shall stand and feed in the ftrength of the 'Lord, in the majefty of the name of the Lord his God, and they fhall abide.' He fo rules us, in the Capacity of Head of the Church, Eph. v. 23. Hof. i.ult. Then fhall the children of Judah, and the children of Ifrael be gathered together, and <appoint themselves one head, and they fhall < come up out of the land.' The Church is the Society of us whom he hath called unto himself, out of the World, wherein Sin, Death, and the Devil reign: Acts xv. 14. 'Simeon hath declared < how God at the first did vifit the Gentiles, to 'take out of them a people for his name.' And the Supremacy and Headship over the Church, is competent to no Man nor Angel, but Chrift himfelf alone: Col. i. 18. And he [the Son of God]. is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.' Eph. iv. 5. There is one Lord.' I Cor. viii. 6. To

< us there is but one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom " are all things, and we by him.' He rules us, as he is Head of the Church, both externally and internally. He rules us, as Head of the Church, externally, giving us Laws, and Ordinances, and Officers to fee to our obferving of them. His Laws are the Laws of the Ten Commands: If. Xxxiii. 22. The Lord is our lawgiver,' &c. Compared with Exod. xx. 2. 3.-17. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. &c.'

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His Ordinances are the Ordinances of Worship, and of Difcipline, and Government: 1 Cor. xi. 2. Now I praise you, brethren, that you keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.' verf. 23. I have received of the Lord, that which alfo I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jefus, the fame night in which he was betray'ed, took bread,' &c. Matth. xviii. 17. 18. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I fay unto you, Whatfoever ye fhall bind on earth, fhall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye fhall loose on earth, " fhall be loosed in heaven.” 1 Cor. xii. 28. ' God hath fet in the church, governments,' &c. His Officers are Paftors, Teachers, Ruling Elders, and Deacons Eph. iv. 11. And he gave fome, apoftles and fome, prophets and fome, evangelifts and fome, paftors and teachers.' I Tim. Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.' Chap. iii. 10. Let them ufe the office of a deacon, being found blamelefs.' He rules us, as Head of the Church, internally, by his Spirit within us writing his Laws in our Hearts, and making us obedient: Ezek. xxxvi. 27. ́ And I will put my fpirit within you, and cause you to walk in my ftatutes, and ye fhall keep my judgments, and do them.' Heb. viii,

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For this is the covenant that I will make with the houfe of Ifrael after those days, faith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, ' and write them in their hearts. He carries on his Rule over us, in this Life, graciously reward

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ing our Obedience with his royal Favours, and correcting us for our Sins: Pfal. xix. 11. "keeping of them [the judgments of the Lord] 4 there is great reward.' Rev. iii. 19. As many

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as I love, I rebuke and chaften.' He confummates his Rule over us, in the Life to come, by making us perfectly holy and happy: 2 Tim. iv. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge fhall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his appearing?? He fecures us from being carried back, by the Force of his and our Enemies, to their Bondage and Dominion, again, by defending us, and reftraining them: Pfal. lxxxix. 18. The Lord is our defence: and the holy One of Ifrael is our King & lxxvi. 10. Surely the wrath of man fhall praise thee: the remainder of wrath fhalt thou reftrain.' We need his Defence, because they war against us continually, and we are unable to defend ourselves against them: 1 Pet. v. 8. Be fober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roring lion, walketh about feeking whom he may devour.' 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not 1 that we are fufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves but our fufficiency is of God.' Chrift's Defence against them is extended to the whole Church, and to every particular Believer. He defends the Church against them, fo far that they fhall never prevail fo but there fhall be a Church while the World stands: Matth. xvi. 18. And I fay alfo unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it.' Chap. xxviii. ult. Lo, I am with you

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