and perverseness of spirit; when we make straight paths for our feet to walk in, and do opomode, go evenly according to the truth of the gospel. " r 3. Integrity and completeness: when all the parts and members of the new man are formed in us, and we do partake of the fulness of Christ', grace for grace; as the child of his parent, member for member. The Lord in the law would not accept of a maimed offering. (Levit. xxii. 21, 22) And when we offer up ourselves a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God", we must be sanctified throughout, and our whole spirit, soul, and body, must be preserved blameless. For wherever Christ is formed, though it be but in measure as to the degrees of grace, yet that measure must be the measure of every part ; so that there is at once both μέτρον and πλήρωμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, as the apostle speaks; a measure in regard of the imperfection of every grace, and yet a fulness in regard of the perfection of every part or member of the new man. 4. Symmetry, and an exact proportion of parts, and equal temperament of humours one with another; which in regard of spiritual beauty is called by the apostle axpíßeia, an exactness of obedience; when there is such a due temper of piety to God, sobriety to ourselves, and righteousness to others, that none of these do obstruct the other, but that there is an equal respect to all God's commandments a; and such a supply and accurate distribution of vital influence unto every member of the new man, that no part doth either swell or wither; that zeal is not blind, nor knowledge unfruitful, nor faith without love, nor the duties of one table without those of another; but that we grow up unto Christ in all things, and have an effectual working in the measure of every part. 5. Growth and progress in these proportions: for while we are in this world, we are still in our minority, and therefore must still be contending towards perfection. To be a man in years, and a child in stature, is an unbeautiful thing. Christ hath no dwarfs in his body. Though one man attain greater degrees of perfection than another, yet all are in a growing condition; the life of Christ in us being a life that abounds, and his grace, like the waters of the sanctuary, rising up higher and higher. Lastly, Indeficiency, wherein spiritual beauty surpasseth all other. For bodily favour is deceitful, and beauty vain *; it runneth all at last into wrinkles and deformity: but as Christ himself never saw corruption, no more doth the beauty that he brings to the soul with him. They who are planted in the Lord's house, do flourish in his courts, and are fat and fruitful in their old age. As we may truly say of sin in a wicked man, concupiscentia non senescit,' though nature wax old and infirm, yet lust doth not; so we may say of grace in a good man, 'caritas non senescit; it is not 'apta nata' of itself to decay, but proceeds from strength to strength. The ends of the ordinances do likewise further evidence this beauty of theirs unto us; for they are by Christ intended for such purposes as these: To quicken us, and to fashion him in us. By nature we are dead in trespasses and sins", and death ever induceth deformity; but by the holy Spirit of Christ, working in and by his ordinances, we are restored unto his life and likeness; and conformed unto the image of him, who is altogether lovely. * 2. To cleanse and purify us from all defilements: for the fear of the Lord is clean', and his commandment pure, both in itself, and in its operations. His precious promises by our faith in them", and by our hope and expectation of them, do cleanse us from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and cause us to purify ourselves even as he is pure, that we may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness P, that our offerings may be pleasant unto him. 3. To heal us of all our spiritual distempers, whereby the beauty of the soul is dimmed or impaired. As many of Christ's miracles were showed in making the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, and in curing all manner of sick ness and disease; so the spiritual virtue of his holy ordinances is seen in spiritual operations consonant unto those. In which respect he is called a physician',' to bind up the broken-hearted, and to heal the stroke of the wound of his people; he is the tree of life,' whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. 4. To comfort us, to wipe away all tears from our eyes, all sorrow from our hearts, and thereby to make our faces shine. For as Moses, by extraordinary converse with God on the mount, had a lustre on his face; so in some proportion, all communion with him doth, by the spiritual comfort, bring a beauty upon holy men ", filling them with the peace of God, which passeth understanding, and with joy unspeakable and glorious. 5. To fit and prepare us for the Lord himself to delight in, that his image in us may attract the eye and heart, the love and delight of the Lord of glory, unto us. The Lord hath set apart the man that is godly, for himself; hath chosen Israel for his peculiar treasure; hath formed them for himself, to show forth his praise; and purified them unto himself for a peculiar people. And because the church is, in this special manner, God's own, therefore he will, in special manner, put his comeliness upon her, and will beautify the place of his sanctuary. As he is called the glory of his people Israel, so he hath honoured his people Israel with this high dignity, to be called his glory. f b d Lastly, The manner of Christ's governing his church by his ordinances, is full of beauty and sweetness; with a still voice; with the cords of a man, and with the bands of love. He gathereth the lambs in his arm, and carrieth them in his bosomi; as one whom his mother comforteth, so doth he comfort them. He doth not break the bruised reed', nor quench the smoking flax. He deals with persuasions. and entreaties, by his ambassadors, beseeching us to be reconciled unto God." He leads his flock by still waters", k r Matth. ix. 12. 1sai. xxx. 26. lxi. 1. xxxiv. 29, 30. * Can. iv. 9. u Eccl. viii. 1. y Psalm iv. 3. b Tit. ii. 14. e Luke ii. 32. xi. 4. f Isai. xlvi. 13. xliii. 21. Matth. xii. 20. • Rev. xxii. 2. c Ezek. xvi. 8, 14. i Isai. xl. 11. xlvi. 3. 2 E n Psalm xxiii. 2. and into green pastures, through ways of pleasantness, and paths of peace. He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. P In the midst of wrath he remembereth mercy; when he causeth grief, he showeth compassion; and when he speaks against Ephraim, he earnestly remembereth him still. He hath set up a sweet order in his church both in doctrine and policy, managing both with meekness and gentleness; preaching peace ; proclaiming liberty"; erecting over his people a banner of love: and though he hath an iron rod for his enemies'; yet he holdeth forth a golden sceptre to his people, ruling in their hearts by a spirit of adoption, and by a law of love. Thus he feedeth his church by his staff called Beauty.' Great therefore is the indignity which they offer unto Christ, who despise the sweetness of this his government, the waters of Siloah which go softly; refusing to submit to his easy yoke; being offended at the severity and sanctity of his doctrine; saying in their hearts like those in the gospel, (Luke xix. 14) "We will not have this man to rule over us:" disdainfully undervaluing that great salvation, which he, by his precious blood, purchased for them, and by the word of his grace doth continually tender unto them. Spretæ injuria formæ' is no small dishonour done to him, who is the Lord of Glory. Great the thankfulness we owe unto him for the fruit of this his beautiful and amiable government; that we, who were enemies unto him by wicked works, and were well 'pleased with that our misery, should, by the power of his Spirit, be translated from the tyranny of Satan into the kingdom of grace, and be made a willing people, beautified with his salvation. Great the value we ought to set upon the ordinances of the gospel, the staff of Beauty's by which he governeth his flock; the ornaments and bracelets ", the chain and jewels, which he sendeth unto his spouse to adorn her withal. No man cometh unto Christ, till he seeth beauty in him: and vain men, who love their lusts better than their life, are naturally prejudiced against his holy ways. He is to the disobedient a stone of stumbling, a rock of offence *, a sign to be spoken against. Now by the light and majesty of the ordinances this prejudice is removed; and we all, “with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." m Great the duty which we owe to the gospel, to bear witness unto the beauty thereof by our holy conversation; to think on those things" which are venerable, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report, which adorn and become the gospel P, and are worthy of that high calling wherewith we are called ";-to remember that we are vessels of honour', to be purged and sanctified, that we may be meet for our masters' use; that we are temples of the Holy Ghost, separated unto his special service and presence; and if any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroy;-that we are a redeemed and peculiar people, whom Christ hath purified unto himself"; that, without holiness *, our prayers and sacrifices are but an abomination: for as without holiness no man can see God", so without holiness no man can serve him. "What hath my beloved to do in my house," saith the Lord, "seeing she hath wrought lewdness?" The Lord will be sanctified in all, that draw nigh unto him. We should, therefore, all in our several places, especially those unto whom the pastoral dignity and trust doth appertain, use our utmost care to preserve the church of God amongst us, in that honour and beauty which belongs thereunto ;-not corrupting the doctrine thereof, or obtruding any mere problematical, much less false and unsound, positions of our own, upon the faith of our hearers; not corrupting the worship thereof, either with superstition or irreverence; not suffering either the mere form of godliness to swallow up the power, or the pretence of power to shut out the form; but |