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heretical in her doctrine, idolatrous in her worship, and tyrannical in her government, as we have already feen. Against all and each of thefe therefore does the Spirit of the Lord lift up a standard. It is happily observed by one, That the Spirit of Chrift, who from the head pervades and animates all the myftical body, ufeth to come under a 'threefold denomination, from the triple effect which he produceth in us: The Spirit of truth, John xiv. 17. and of wisdom, Eph. i. 17.; who illuminates our minds in the knowledge of the truth: The Spirit of holiness, Pfal. li. 11.; who fanctifies the heart, and perfuades to the practice of what is good: and the Spirit of liberty and adoption, 2 Cor. iii. 17.; who delivers men fron the bondage of fin and Satan, and exalts them 'to the royal dignity of the fons of God *.'

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The fame author judicioufly teaches, That 'there are three leading principles of true church'communion, upon which the church is founded, and by which it is preferved, doctrine, worship, ' and government. The first inftructs faith, by propofing the things to be believed: the fecond 'teaches morals, by demanding the things which ought to be done: and the third preferves good order, in being exercised concerning the lawful 'administration of both 7.'

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The Holy Ghost, considered as the Spirit of truth, lifts up a standard against Popish error: as the Spirit of holiness, he lifts up a fandard against idolatrous

*Turret, De Neceff. Seceffione, Difput. V. fe&. I. Turret, ubi fupra, Difput. 1. fect. 12,

worship; and as the Spirit of liberty, he displays a banner against Antichriftian tyranny. On these three did our reformers found their feceffion from the church of Rome. In her they had neither truth of doctrine, purity of worship, nor liberty to emit a faithful teftimony; and therefore they separated from her, in obedience to the voice from heaven, Rev. xviii. 4. Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Filled with holy indignation at her abominations, they left Babylon with a teftimony in their mouth.

Our worthy reformers pointed the fword of the Spirit, directly againft her damnable herefies, her vile idolatry, and her crimfon-coloured cruelty. Nay, in the year 1581, they entered into a National COVENANT, never more to subject themfelves to her Antichriftian yoke. With the fame folemnity they lifted up a ftandard against the Popifh enemy, in the year 1638. And in the year 1643, the Solemn League and Covenant was taken and subscribed, by all ranks of people in Scotland and England; wherein, with their hands lifted up to the most High God, they sware, that they would endeavour the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, Prophaneness, and whatsoever is found to be contrary to found doctrine and the power of godlinefs.

And as they, fo the Proteftant princes and people in Germany, entered into a folemn confederacy, anno 1536, commonly called the Smalcaldic League, wherein they bound themselves, their heirs and fucceffors, to ftand by and mutually

aid one another, in the defence of the true religion *.

The Republic and the church of Geneva, entered into a folemn covenant, anno 1537 f The reformed churches of France trode much in the fame path: For, in a national fynod held in the city of Alez, anno 1620, the deputies from the feveral churches, both minifters and elders, entered into a public oath, fwearing and protesting, that they would continue infeparably united in the confeffion of faith, owned and profeffed by the reformed churches of that kingdom. We fwear, faid they, · as well in our own names, as in the names of the 'churches and provinces which have commiffionated us to be their deputies unto this affembly, ' that we will live and die in this confeffion ‡.'

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Burnet's hift. of the Reformation, Vol. III. Coll. Records, No. 43. + Mifcel. Sacr. Hoornbeckii, Lib. I. p. 646.

Quick's Synodicon, Vol. II. p. 4.-This collector of the acts and decifions of the national fynods of France, tells us exprefly, by whom this oath was fworn and subscribed, from the famous Peter de Moulin, moderator of faid fynod, down to John de Chalas, general deputy of the reformed churches of France. In this celebrated fynod fat the renowned Benedictus Turrettin, paftor and profeffor of divinity in the church of Geneva; and Father of the famous Francifcus Turrettin, who accurate and orthodox, learned and laborious works will perpetuate his memory till the end of time. Quick's fynod. Vol. II. p. 3, 40. Oratio Inft. Theol. Francif. Tur. a Bened. Pict. p. 5. The collector of these monuments gives us alfo the form of the oath taken in that national fynod of Alez, and which was adminiftred to all the members of provincial fynods. In it every one fware and protefted, to perfevere in the profeffion. of the doctrines taught and decided by the fynod of Dort, as perfectly agreeing to the word of God. I declare alfo, faid

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What a ftandard was lifted up in these inftances against the enemy coming in like a flood-In the hands of these Reformers, the Spirit of the Lord lifted up a ftandard to the nations. As was observed above, they did not only Speak the language of Canaan, but they SWARE to the Lord of hofts: and thus in them that prophecy, Ifa. xix. 18. was partly accomplished. The meaning of which, according to the venerable Vitringa, is, That not only fhall the Egyptians regard and worship the God of Ifrael, as the governor of mankind, and the avenger of perjury; but also that, by a folemn oath, they shall bind themselves to obedience, venera❝tion, and all religious worship.-A folemn oath, fays he, is an act of religion, which explains the inward fenfe of our mind concerning the object of religion. But here there is a greater emphafis of phrafe, because the word yaw, to fwear, is conftructed with the prefix, not with, and ' it denotes, that religious act of a man, wherein,

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every member, and proteft, that I reject and condemn the doctrine of the Arminians, because it is—a mask and vizard, N. B. for POPERY to creep in among us. Such was the

zeal of this fynod to preferve the purity of doctrine, that they enacted, that their canon receiving and approving the articles of the national council held at Dort, fhould be approved, fworn, and fubfcribed by the paftors and elders of the churches, and by the doctors and profeffors of the univerfities. And if any one of these perfons rejected either in whole, or in part, the doctrine contained in, and decided by the canons of faid conncil, or refused to take the oath of confent and approbation, this affembly decreed, that le fhould not be admitted into any office or employment either in Churches or Univerfities. Ibid. P. 38, 39.

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' by a folemn oath, he binds himself in covenant

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to God, to believe and obey him; in which manner our prophet ufeth the phrafe, chap. xlv. 23. in that faying of the Lord,, To me every knee Shall bow; you, every tongue shall fwear. -The fenfe therefore is, The Egyptians fhall be 'brought into the covenant of God, and fhall bind ' themselves to all the worship of God, having a'bandoned idolatry and fuperstition *.

The five cities in the land of Egypt, fpeaking the language of Canaan, may, in fome respect, be applied to our Reformers, who left the great city fpiritually called Sodom and Egypt, Rev. xii. 8. Of thefe cities it is faid, They fhall fwear to the Lord. And, as the above-mentioned author obferves, it is more to fwear to the Lord, than to fwear by him. -It fignifies our binding ourselves by the moft folemn engagements, to be for him, and not for another.

SEC T. VII.

The Spirit lifts up a Standard, when he intimidates, and puts the Enemy to flight.

T

HE Spirit of the Lord may be faid to lift up

a ftandard when he intimidates and overcomes the enemy. A banner difplayed is a fign of victory: fo, when a city is taken, the flag is hung out in token of triumph. To this purpose is that of the prophet, Jer. 1. 2.-Set up a standard, publish and conceal not: fay, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, * Vitringa in loc.

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