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Correfpondence therewith, but they, in Obedience to God's Authority, were to make Profeffion of the Truth, and not to forfake the affembling of themselves together for the Service of God. And if the Empe. ror and the Senate thought this might be dangerous to the Empire, they had this to fay for themselves, to fhew that the Liberty they took could be in no fort prejudicial to the Government: That altho' they met in religious Affemblies for the Service of God, and the Profeffion of the Faith, and were in this warranted by a Divine Command, yet God had not invefted the Church with any Temporal Power, nor exempted it from Subjection to Secular Law and Authority. And as this was their Profeffion, fo it might be feen both in the Records of their Religion, and moreover in their PraEtice, fince they meekly fubmitted to all the Rigours and Cruelties that were inflicted upon them, without making Resistance.

These are the Terms upon which the Church was founded, and became a Society, in order to the maintaining and fpreading the Christian Faith in the World.

And now it is to be confidered in what Sense we pray that this Kingdom may come; for it has been come, as I faid before, near Seventeen Centuries; and moreover we have a fure Promise that it fhall never fail, not only in the Old Teftament Prediction, for Instance,

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Inftance, Dan. 2. 44. where it is faid concerning the Kingdom of Christ, That the God of Heaven fhall fet up a Kingdom, which Shall never be destroyed, but stand for ever, but alfo by our Saviour himself in the New Teftament, Upon this Rock will I build my Church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.

Now nevertheless the Kingdom of Christ may yet be faid to be Coming in fome Refpects, and it is our Duty to pray that it may come; that is,

1. With refpect to the Extent of this Kingdom. And,

2. With refpect to the principal End for which it was eftablifhed by our Saviour.

1. With refpect to the Extent thereof. For of this Kingdom of God it was foretold, that it fhould be Univerfal, that the Heathen fhould be given to Chrift for his Inheritance, and the utmoft Parts of the Earth for his Pol feffion. That the Earth fhould be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea. But we know that this Prediction is not yet fulfilled. Nay, altho' the Gospel hath gained Ground in fome Places of the World, it hath loft in others. Still the Kingdoms of the World are not become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Chrift. And therefore when we pray that God's Kingdom may yet come, we pray that the Gofpel may be more and more propagated, till

it fhall have 'fubdued all Nations to the Obedience of the Faith. So that this is in effect to pray for the Converfion of all Jews, Turks, Heathens, and Infidels, that God would fend the Light of his Truth into the dark Corners of the Earth, and open the Eyes of all Men to discern it, that all Mankind may become One Sheepfold, under the great Shepherd of Souls, The Body, whereof Christ is the Head.

2. With refpect to thofe Ends for which this Kingdom is established, we may and ought to pray ftill that it may come. Now the great End of eftablishing the external Kingdom of Chrift upon Earth, is the Renovation of our Natures, and the Subduing of our very Hearts and Souls to the Obedience of God. And this is his internal Kingdom, of which our Lord feemed to fpeak, where he faid, The Kingdom of God is within you, Luke 17. 21. And of which St. Paul fpake, faying, Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God is Righteoufness and Peace, and fox in the Holy Ghost. This is the true Ground of the Difference between the Visible and the Invifible Church. The vifible Church confifts of those who give up their Names to Chrift, and are his Subjects by outward Profeffion, who are in visible Communion with one another, having by Baptifm been admitted to a Participation of all the outward Privileges and Rights of the Christian

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Profeffion, and who continue in the fame Profeffion and Communion, All these make up that One Society or Body, which Chrift will always have upon the Earth, for the maintaining and propagating of his holy Truth. But the invifible Church confifteth of those that have not only given up their Names, but their very Hearts and Souls alfo to Jefus; who have not only gained an outward Relation to him, and are entred into the Number of his Subjects by the Solemnity of Baptifm, but are inwardly conform'd to his Doctrine by the Regeneration of the Spirit, in all Things doing his blessed Will, and bolding the Faith in a pure Confcience.

Now the Reason why Divines have been wont to call these the invifible Church, is not that they are a distinct Communion or Body from the vifible; For they are all Members of the vifible Church, and so vifible themselves; nor that we can never difcern who are fincere and upright Chriftians; for we have very often fuch Appearance of that concerning others, as leaves no room to doubt; but because we cannot certainly fay of all whom we know to be in the Communion of the Church, that These are fincere, and Thofe are not, and the whole Nature of fincere Perfons is invifible to us, and known to God only, But whether this Diftinction be ufeful or not, that which I

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mean by it is a great Truth: That the Defign of our Lord in erecting a vifible Society for the Profeffion of the Christian Faith, and ferving God according to the Ordinan ces of the Gospel, was not fo much to give Men new Names, as new Natures; it was to reclaim them from all Sin and Wickednefs, and to train them up to all Virtue and Godliness of Heart and Life. And therefore his Kingdom is not only adminiftred by outward Government, by which Men are received into the Church, and turn'd out of it, by which the Sacraments are adminiftred, and all Things done which are necessary for the preferving of the outward Society; but moreover he fends his holy Spirit into the Church, concurring by fecret Influences of his Grace with the outward Administrations of his Ordinances, to make them effe&tual for the Reformation of Mens Hearts, and the fubduing every Thought to the Obedience of the Gofpel. And for this End, I fay, did he establish his outward Kingdom, which is the visible Society of the Church, that he might rule in our Hearts. And the internal Kingdom of Christ extends no farther than the truly righteous and fincere Members of his Body. And therefore when we pray that his Kingdom may come, we pray not only that Infidels may be convert ed, but that all that name the Name of Chrift may depart from Iniquity; not only

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