the Schehinah. And when he is now no more fo in this world, but in heaven, his perfonal prefence there, in the human nature, makes that the fanctuary, and we have access into the holiest of all through the vail of his flesh.

The glory of God fhines unto the church in Jefus Christ, the image of the invifible God. The gofpel, with its ordinances, manifeft the glory of God unto believers, in the face or person of Jefus Chrift, who is in heaven, at the Father's right hand, beyond the reach of all the world's obfervation, and is feen only by the faith of his people there, John xiv. 19. The first thing that a convinced felf-condemned finner (for none other come to God by him) has to do with, in drawing near to God, is the flesh of Jefus Chrift, his human nature, that fuffered, which is now in heaven : "I beheld, and "lo, in the midst of the throne ftood a Lamb, as it had "been flain." We consider him, in the worship of God, as the flain Lamb, now alive in heaven and herein we difcern the infinite worth of his glorious divine perfon; and so we afcribe worthiness to him in our worship. In feeing him thus, the glory of all the divine attributes opens itself to us in him, the brightness of the Father's glory; and in seeing him we fee the Father, having liberty to come to him as a father. And in the flain Lamb we have all the fulness of the Holy Ghost dwelling, to be communicated with us, by whose influence alfo we thus enter into the holieft, through the vail of Chrift's flesh. Thus we find the one Godhead in three glorious perfons, in this our entrance into the holiest through the vail of his flesh. Thus we have the object of worship in this heavenly kingdom. "This is the true God, "and eternal life. Let us keep ourfelves from idols." Here it is that God dwells with men, in the heavenly house not made with hands and fo far as men have accefs here, so far they are near unto God in his ordinances.

:

The throne of grace, the mercy-feat pointed out to us in the gospel, is now no where but there, where Jefus, the true propitiation, is. There only is the church's high priest miniftering, and there only is the true fanctuary, the true place of worship, Heb. iv. 14. 15. 16. and viii. 1.-5.

There is now no more any place on earth, where the whole church affembles for worship; but they all affemble in the heavenly Jerufalem, where Jefus is, the antitype of that on earth, to which the church of Ifrael affembled, and toward which they worshipped from all corners of the land. Here they on earth have their converfation, Phil. iii. 20. and unto

that

Chap. II. that place the tribes of God go up now worshipping God, all ferving in the newness of the Spirit: and there are no worshippers here but fpiritual worshippers. Thus there is an end put to all controverfies about earthly holy places, and temples of God made with hands, John iv. 2c. 21.

2. The feat of the kingdom, and of the church's power and governinent, is now only in heaven, where the Son of David is fet on his throne, at the Father's right hand. It is no more on this earth, nor any spot of it, as of old. For this kingdom is fpiritual and heavenly, and fo cannot have an earthly feat. It puts forth its power upon the fouls of men, and influences the inward man, the spirit of our minds. Therefore fays our Lord, Luke xvii. 21.— 66 They shall not "fay, Lo here, or, lo there."

Men of all nations and places of the earth do, at one time or another, belong unto this kingdom; and it is but fome of the people, a few, a little flock, in comparison, in any nation of this world, that have been, or are the fubjects of this kingdom. So it hath not its feat in any nation of this world, nor in them all together.

The fubjects of this kingdom that live on earth, are all "ftrangers and fojourners" in it, having "here no conti"nuing city. And if in this life they had hope only, they "were of all men the most miferable." For the feat of the kingdom to which they belong is not here, but in heaven, where the throne of the kingdom is, and their King fits ru ling on his throne. The thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David, were set in Jerufalem that was on earth, and there was the feat of that kingdom; but the throne of this kingdom is above, in the heavenly Jerufalem.

There is the bulk and greatest number of the fubjects, living at reft with their King. Few, in comparifon, are on this earth, at any time; and these have their houses, their manfions, there, being here only as in a tabernacle or tent, upon a journey, or in a warfare, 2 Cor. v. from the beginning, John xiv. 2. 3. and there they have their nativity, "Jerufa. "lem which is above is the mother of them all." They have their citizenship there, Phil. iii. 20. and their names are inrolled there as citizens of that city, even while they are fojourning on this earth. Their whole ftrength and furniture) for their warfare on earth is there, and from thence, Eph. vi.

10. 12.

And all the acts of government upon the fubjects of Chrift in his gospel churches on earth, have their whole authority

and

and force only from thence, and there they are all ratified and confirmed, or they are null and void, Matth. xviii. 18. "Whatsoever ye fhall bind on earth, shall be bound in hea ven and whatsoever ye fhall loose on earth, shall be loo. "fed in heaven." Thus the difcipline of the visible churches of Chrift, which is of his inftitution, is heavenly.

"

3. The inheritance of the New-Teftament church is also in heaven. Whatever it be that was prefigured by Canaan, the land of promise, with the privileges and bleffings thereof, that is certainly the inheritance of the New-Testament church; and where that inheritance is, to which Old-Testament faints looked through that vail, there is now the inheritance of the church. Now, that is heaven, Heb. xi. 9. 10. 13.-16. The privileges and promised bleffings of this church are with Chrift in the heavenly places; and his fub. jects on earth enjoy what they have of them here in their converfation there by faith, seeking the things that are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God; for they are dead to this earth, and their life is hid with Chrift in God, Eph. i. 3. Col. iii. 1.—4. The inheritance of the faints, to which they are begotten, and which they are called to hope for, is declared to be in heaven, 1 Pet. i. 4. While on this earth, they are exercised with many temptations and afflictions to wean them from this world, to prepare them for that, and make them earnestly defirous of it. And the joy and pleasure proper to them in this world, is that which they have in the hopes and foretastes of that inheritance.

Our Lord calls his disciples, "not to lay up for themselves "treasures on earth, but in heaven." See his exhortation, Matth. vi. 19. 20. 21. And the Apostle tells the Hebrews, "That after they were enlightened, they took joyfully the "fpoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves, that they "had in heaven a better and more enduring fubftance," Heb. X. 34. How wonderfully did the gospel of the kingdom, upon the first down-pouring of the spirit, draw the hearts of the Jewish converts off from their inheritances in that land, which was before the land of promise, unto this better and more enduring inheritance, typified by that which is done a way?

The Apostle complains of the Judaizing teachers, who were for an earthly ftate of the church, "that they minded "earthly things;" and, in oppofition to them, he says, "Our converfation is in heaven." They are rare, but happy, whatever their condition be in this world, that can now join

VOL. I.

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him

him heartily in that faying of his. But then they had a clearer view of the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, and were more powerfully influenced by what they knew of it, than we. And I doubt not but to the lofs of that is much owing our darkness of mind, and carnality in the worship of God, our conformity to a prefent world, our want of the primitive mortification, holinefs and heavenlinefs, and rejoi cing in hope of the glory of God, fo much complained of; but in vain, while the caufes of the things complained of are neglected.

From what has been already said, we may have fome view of the difference betwixt the Old Teftament and the New, and betwixt the church of the Old Teftament and the NewTeftament church, and how far the New excells the Old. The Jews thought, that the declaration of this in the preaching of the gofpel by the apoftles, was a very great reflection upon the Old Teftament, and tended to weaken its authority; yea, and to make it void. But the Apofile declares, that he who hath fhaken both the earth and heaven, is the same whofe voice then fhook the earth; and that this new shaking is the accomplishment of his promife in the Old Testament. Chriftians will own, that the writers of the New Testament were infpired, for explaining and declaring the fulfilment and great intent of the Old-Teftament prophecies, by the fame fpirit that indited them: for no prophecy of the Old Teftament is of any private interpretation, "feeing the pro

phecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God fpake as they were moved by the Holy "Ghoft," 2 Pet. i. 20. 21. And the gospel-declaration of the lufferings of Chrift, and the glory that follows, makes that manifest which the prophets were "fearching into, to "find what or what manner of time the spirit of Chrift, "which was in them, did fignify, when it teftified of it be. "forehand," Pet. i. 10. 11. 12. And, by this means, we have the word of prophecy more confirmed unto us, 2 Pet. i. 19. Now, the Apostle here explains that prophecy of Haggai, chap. ii. 5. 6. 7. "The word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, and my fpirit remaining among you: fear ye not. For thus faith the Lord of "hofs, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the "heavens, and the earth, and the fea, and the dry land; " and I will shake all nations, and the defire of all nations "fhall come."

What the Apostle infinuates, of the voice at Sinai its be

ing the voice of the Son or Word of God, feems to be ta ken from this prophecy. And, in that promife of another fhaking, there appears a reference unto the fhaking of the earth in the making of that covenant of which the Prophet fpake immediately before; and the Apoftle plainly fays, "that this fhaking of the earth and heaven," fpoken of in that promife, had been when he wrote; "but now," fays he," he hath promised, faying, Yet once more, I shake not "the earth only, but alfo heaven. Wherefore we recei ❝ving a kingdom,"

But he takes fpecial notice of that word in the prophecy, "Yet once more," and infifts upon the import of it; which is, the changing and removing the things eftablifhed by that first covenant, and the establishing of a new ftate of things, which cannot be again fhaken, and therefore must remain, "And this word, Yet once more, fignifies the removing of those things that are fhaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken, may re"main." And here is matter for some more observations.

27.

Obf. 6. "BY this last shaking of the heavens and the earth, "the things which were established by the sha

" king

of the earth are removed."

The moveable things, as all the temporal and earthly things of that first covenant were, are set aside.

The worldly fanctuary, with the ordinances of divine fervice belonging to it, ftands no more, Heb. ix.

The worldly kingdom established by that firft covenant is also removed, with all things belonging to it. "The fceptre "is" now "departed from Judah, and the Lawgiver from "between his feet; for Shiloh" is "come." "God" has "o. "verturned, overturned, overturned" that worldly kingdom, which was his church, "till he came whose right is" to rule the kingdom of God; and God's kingdom, which is not "now" of this world, is given to him.

And to this we may add the removal of the worldly inheritance: "Here we have no continuing city, but we feek " one to come," Heb. xiii. 14.

The temple, with what belonged to it, and the kingdom, efpecially in the houfe of David, were as the fun and moon in the Old-Teftament church: for that kingdom was called a light before God in Jerufalem, "the city which he had cho

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