This covenant at the foot of Mount Sinai, was renewed by Moses (Exod. xix. 5), where the Lord commandeth Moses to speak to the people in this manner : "If you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar people to me, for all the earth is mine; and ye shall be unto me a sacerdotal kingdom, and an holy nation." For a "peculiar people," the vulgar Latin hath peculium de cunctis populis: the English translation, made in the beginning of the reign of King James, hath a "peculiar treasure unto me above all nations ;" and the Geneva French, "the most precious jewel of all nations." But the truest translation is the first, because it is confirmed by St. Paul himself (Tit. ii. 14), where he saith, alluding to that place, that our blessed Saviour " gave himself for us, that He might purify us to himself a peculiar," that is, an extraordinary, "people" for the word is in the Greek Teplovσtos, which is opposed commonly to the word ériovoios; and as this signifieth ordinary,' "quotidian," or, as in the Lord's Prayer, "of daily use;" so the other signifieth that which is "overplus," and "stored up," and "enjoyed in a special manner;" which the Latins call peculium: and this meaning of the place is confirmed by the reason God rendereth of it, which followeth immediately, in that He addeth, "For all the earth is mine," as if He should say, "All the nations of the world are mine; but it is not so that you are mine, but in a special manner; for they are all mine, by reason of my power; but you shall be mine, by your own consent and covenant; which is an addition to His ordinary title, to all nations.

The same is again confirmed in express words in the same text, "Ye shall be to me a sacerdotal kingdom, and an holy nation." The vulgar Latin hath it, regnum sacerdotale, to which agreeth the translation of that place (1 Pet. ii. 9), Sacerdotium regale, "a regal priesthood; as also the institution itself, by which no man might enter into the sanctum sanctorum, that is to say, no man might inquire God's will immediately of God himself, but only the high priest. The English translation before mentioned, following that of Geneva, has "a kingdom of priests ;" which is either meant of the succession of one high priest after another, or else it accordeth not with St. Peter, nor with the exercise of the high priesthood; for there was never any but the high priest only, that was to inform the people of God's will; nor any convocation of priests ever allowed to enter into the sanctum sanctorum.

Again, the title of a "holy nation" confirms the same; for "holy" signifies that which is God's by special, not by general right. All the earth, as is said in the text, is God's; but all the earth is not called "holy," but that only which is set apart for His especial service, as was the nation of the Jews. It is therefore manifest enough by this one place, that by the kingdom of God," is properly meant a commonwealth, instituted by the consent of those which were to be subject thereto, for their civil government, and the regulating of their behaviour, not only towards God their king, but also towards one another in point of justice, and toward other nations both in peace and war; which properly was a kingdom wherein God was king, and the high priest was to be, after the death of Moses, his sole viceroy or lieutenant.

But there be many other places that clearly prove the same. As first (1 Sam. viii. 7), when the Elders of Israel, grieved with the corruption of the sons of Samuel, demanded a king, Samuel displeased therewith, prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord answering said unto him, "Hearken unto the voice of the people, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." Out of which it is evident that God himself was then their king; and Samuel did not command the people, but only delivered to them that which God from time to time appointed him,

Again (1 Sam. xii. 12), where Samuel saith to the people, "When ye saw that Nahash, king of the children of Ammon, came against you, ye said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us; when the Lord your God was your king.' It is manifest that God was their king, and governed the civil state of their commonwealth.

And after the Israelites had rejected God, the prophets did foretell His, restitution; as (Isaiah xxiv. 23), "Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem;" where He speaketh expressly of his reign in Zion and Jerusalem; that is, on earth. And (Micah iv. 7), "And the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion;" this Mount Zion is in Jerusalem, upon the earth. And (Ezek. xx. 33), "As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you;" and (verse 37), "I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;" that is, I will reign over you, and make you to stand to that covenant which you made with me by Moses, and brake in your rebellion against me in the days of Samuel, and in your election of another king.

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And in the New Testament the angel Gabriel saith of our Saviour (Luke i. 32, 33), "He shall be great, and be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord shall give unto Him the throne of His father David; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." This is also a kingdom upon earth; for the claim whereof, as an enemy to Cæsar, He was put to death; the title of His cross was, 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews;" He was crowned in scorn with a crown of thorns; and for the proclaiming of Him it is said of the disciples (Acts xvii. 7), "That they did all of them contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying there was another king, one Jesus." The kingdom therefore of God is a real, not a metaphorical kingdom; and so taken, not only in the Old Testament but in the New; when we say, 66 For thine is the kingdom, the power, and glory," it is to be understood of God's kingdom, by force of our covenant, not by the right of God's power; for such a kingdom God always hath; so that it were superfluous to say in our prayer, Thy kingdom come," unless it be meant of the restoration of that kingdom of God by Christ, which by revolt of the Israelites had been interrupted in the election of Saul. Nor had it been proper to say, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand;" or to pray, "Thy kingdom come," if it had still continued.

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There be so many other places that confirm this interpretation, that it were a wonder there is no greater notice taken of it, but that it gives too much light to Christian kings to see their right of ecclesiastical government. This they have observed, that instead of a "sacerdotal kingdom," translate, a kingdom of priests;" for they may as well translate a "royal priesthood," as it is in St. Peter, into a priesthood of kings." And whereas, for a "peculiar people," they put a "precious jewel," or "treasure,” a man might as well call the special regiment, or company of a general, the general's precious jewel, or his treasure.

In short, the kingdom of God is a civil kingdom; which consisted, first, in the obligation of the people of Israel to those laws, which M oses should bring unto them from Mount Sinai; and which afterwards the high priest for the time being, should deliver to them from before the cherubims in the sanctum sanctorum; and which kingdom having been cast off in the election of Saul, the prophets foretold, should be restored by Christ; and the restoration whereof we daily pray for, when we say in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy kingdom come;" and the right whereof we acknowledge, when we add, "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and glory, for ever and ever,

Amen ; and the proclaiming whereof, was the preaching of the apostles ; and to which men are prepared, by the teachers of the Gospel; to embrace which Gospel, that is to say, to promise obedience to God's government, is to be in the "kingdom of graee,' because God hath gratis given to such the power to be the subjects, that is children, of God hereafter, when Christ shall come in majesty to judge the world, and actually to govern His own people, which is called "the kingdom of glory." If the kingdom of God, called also the kingdom of heaven, from the gloriousness and admirable height of that throne, were not a kingdom which God by His lieutenants, or vicars, who deliver His commandments to the people, did exercise on earth; there would not have been so much contention and war about who it is by whom God speaketh to us; neither would many priests have troubled themselves with spiritual jurisdiction, nor any king have denied it them.

Out of this literal interpretation of the "kingdom of God," ariseth also the true interpretation of the word "holy." For it is a word, which in God's kingdom answereth to that, which men in their kingdoms use to call "public," or the "king's."

The king of any country is the “ public " person, or representative of all his own subjects. And God the king of Israel was the " Holy One" of Israel. The nation which is subject to one earthly sovereign, is the nation of that sovereign, that is, of the public person. So the Jews, who were God's nation, were called (Exod. xix. 6) "a holy nation." For by "holy," is always understood either God himself, or that which is God's in propriety; as by public is always meant, either the person of the commonwealth itself, or something that is so the commonwealth's, as no private person can claim any propriety therein.

Therefore the Sabbath, God's day, is a "holy day;" the temple, God's house, "a holy house;" sacrifices, tithes, and offerings, God's tribute, "holy duties;" priests, prophets, and anointed kings, under Christ, God's ministers, "holy men;" the celestial ministering spirits, God's messengers, "holy angels ;" and the like: and wheresoever the word "holy" is taken properly, there is still something signified of propriety, gotten by consent. In saying, "Hallowed be thy name," we do but pray to God for grace to keep the first commandment, of "having no other gods but Him." Mankind is God's nation in propriety : but the Jews only were a “ holy nation." Why, but because they became His propriety by covenant?

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And the word "profane" is usually taken in the Scripture for the same with "common ;" and consequently their contraries, “holy" and "proper,' in the kingdom of God, must be the same also. But figuratively, those men also are called "holy," that led such godly lives, as if they had forsaken all wordly designs, and wholly devoted and given themselves to God. In the proper sense, that which is made "holy" by God's appropriating or separating it to His own use, is said to be “sanctified " by God, as the seventh day in the fourth commandment; and as the elect in the New Testament were said to be "sanctified" when they were endued with the spirit of godliness. And that which is made "holy" by the dedication of men, and given to God, so as to be used only in His public service, is called also "sacred," and said to be consecrated, as temples, and other houses of public prayer, and their utensils, priests, and ministers, victims, offerings, and the external matter of sacraments.

Of holiness" there be degrees: for of those things that are set apart for the service of God, there may be some set apart again for a nearer and more especial service. The whole nation of the Israelites were a people holy to God; yet the tribe of Levi was amongst the Israelites a holy tribe; and amongst the Levites, the priests were yet more holy; and amongst the

priests, the high priest was the most holy. So the land of Judaea was the Holy Land; but the holy city wherein God was to be worshipped, was more holy; and again the Temple more holy than the city, and the -sanctum sanctorum more holy than the rest of the Temple.

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A "sacrament," is a separation of some visible thing from common use; and a consecration of it to God's service, for a sign either of our admission into the kingdom of God, to be of the number of His peculiar people, or for a commemoration of the same. In the Old Testament, the sign of admission was circumcision;" in the New Testament, "baptism." The commemoration of it in the Old Testament was the "eating," at a certain time which was anniversary of the "Paschal Lamb;" by which they were put in mind of the night wherein they were delivered out of their bondage in Egypt; and in the New Testament, the celebrating of the "Lord's Supper; by which we are put in mind of our deliverance from the bondage of sin, by our blessed Saviour's death upon the cross.

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The sacraments of "admission," are but once to be used, because there needs but one admission;" but because we have need of being often put in mind of our deliverance, and of our allegiance, the sacraments of " commemoration" have need to be reiterated. And these are the principal sacraments, and as it were the solemn oaths we make of our allegiance. There be also other consecrations, that may be called sacraments, as the word implieth only consecration to God's service; but as it implies an oath, or promise of allegiance to God, there were no other in the Old Testament, but "circumcision," and the "passover;" nor are there any other in the New Testament, but "baptism " and the "Lord's Supper.'

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Of the Word of God, and of Prophets.

WHEN there is mention of the "word of God," or of "man," it doth not signify a part of speech, such as grammarians call a noun or a verb, or any simple voice, without a contexture with other words to make it significative; but a perfect speech or discourse, whereby the speaker "affirmeth,' "denieth," "commandeth," "promiseth," "threateneth,' "6 wisheth," or interrogateth.' In which sense it is not vocabulum, that signifies a "word; but sermo (in Greek Móyos), that is, some "speech," course," or "saying."

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Again, if we say the "word of God," or of "man," it may be understood sometines of the speaker; as the words that God hath spoken, or that a man hath spoken; in which sense, when we say the Gospel of St. Matthew, we uuderstand St. Matthew to be, the writer of it, and sometimes of the subject; in which sense when we read in the Bible," the words of the days of the kings of Israel, or Judah," it is meant that the acts that were done in those days were the subject of those words; and in the Greek which, in the Scripture, retaineth many Hebraisms, by the word of God is oftentimes meant, not that which is spoken by God, but concerning God, and His government; that is to say, the doctrine of religion: insomuch as it is all one, to say Xoyos coû, and theologia; which is, that doctrine which we usually call "divinity, as is manifest by the places following (Acts xiii. 46), "Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we

turn to the Gentiles." That which is here called the word of God, was the doctrine of Christian religion; as it appears evidently by that which goes before. And (Acts v. 20) where it is said to the apostles by an angel, "Go stand and speak in the Temple, all the words of this life;" by the words of this life, is meant the doctrine of the Gospel; as is evident by what they did in the Temple, and is expressed in the last verse of the same chapter, "Daily in the Temple, and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Christ Jesus;" in which place it is manifest that Jesus Christ was the subject of this "word of life;" or, which is all one, the subject of the "words of this life eternal," that our Saviour offered them. So (Ácts xv. 7) the word of God is called "the word of the Gospel," because it containeth the doctrine of the kingdom of Christ; and the same word (Rom. x. 8, 9) is called "the word of faith; " that is, as is there expressed, the doctrine of Christ come, and raised from the dead, Also (Matt. xiii. 19), "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom," that is, the doctrine of the kingdom taught by Christ. Again, the same word is said (Acts xii. 24) "to grow and to be multiplied;" which is to understand of the evangelical doctrine is easy, but of the voice or speech of God, hard and strange. In the same sense (1 Tim. iv. 1) the "doctrine of devils" signifieth not the words of any devil, but the doctrine of heathen men concerning demons," and those phantasms which they worshipped as gods.

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Considering these two significations of the "word of God," as it is taken in Scripture, it is manifest in this latter sense, where it is taken for the doctrine of Christian religion, that the whole Scripture is the word of God: but in the former sense, not so. For example, though these words, "I am the Lord thy God," &c., to the end of the Ten Commandments, were spoken by God to Moses; yet the preface, "God spake these words and said," is to be understood for the words of him that wrote the holy history. The "word of God," as it is taken for that which He hath spoken, is understood sometimes "properly," sometimes metaphorically.' "Properly," as the words He hath spoken to His prophets: "metaphorically," for His wisdom, power, and eternal decree, in making the world; in which sense, those fiats, "Let there be light," "Let there be a firmament," "Let us make man," &c. (Gen. i.), are the word of God. And in the same sense it is said (John i. 3), "All things were made by it, and without it was nothing made that was made: (Heb. i. 3), "He upholdeth all things by the word of His power; "that is, by the power of His word; that is, by His power: and (Heb. xi. 3), "The worlds were framed by the word of God ;" and many other places to the same sense as also amongst the Latins, the name of "fate," which signi fieth properly "the word spoken," is taken in the same sense.

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Secondly, for the effect of His word; that is to say, for the thing itself, which by His word is affirmed, commanded, threatened, or promised; as (Psalm cv. 19) where Joseph is said to have been kept in prison "till his word was come;" that is, till that was come to pass which he had foretold to Pharaoh's butler (Gen. xl. 13) concerning his being restored to his office for there, "by his word was come," is meant, the thing itself was come to pass. So also (1 Kings xviii. 36) Elijah saith to God, I have done all these thy words," instead of, "I have done all these things at thy word," or commandment; and (Jer. xvii. 15), "Where is the word of the Lord" is put for "Where is the evil he threatened." And (Ezek. xii. 28), "There shall none of my words be prolonged any more:" by "words" are understood those "things" which God promised to His people. And in the New Testament (Matt. xxii. 35), "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away;" that is, there is nothing that I have promised or foretold that shall not come to pass. And in this sense it is