2. The power and policy of hell will be always engaged in opposition unto the relation of the church unto this foundation, or the building of it on this rock.

3. The church that is built on this rock shall never be disjoined from it, or prevailed against by the opposition of the gates of hell.

The two former of these I shall speak briefly unto, my principal design being a demonstration of a truth that ariseth from the consideration of them all.

The foundation of the church is twofold. (1.) Real. (2.) Doctrinal. And in both ways Christ alone is the foundation. The real foundation of the church he is, by virtue of the mystical union of it unto him, with all the benefits whereof from thence, and thereby it is made partaker. For thence alone. hath it spiritual life, grace, mercy, perfection and glory, Eph. iv. 15, 16. Col. ii. 19. And he is the doctrinal foundation of it, in that the faith or doctrine concerning him and his officers, is that divine truth which in a peculiar manner animates, and constitutes the church of the New Testament, Eph. ii. 19-22. Without the faith and confession hereof, no one person belongs unto that church. I know not what is now believed, but I judge it will not yet be denied that the external formal cause of the church of the New Testament, is the confession of the faith concerning the person, offices, and grace of Christ, with what is of us required thereon. In what sense we assert these things will be afterwards fully cleared.

That the Lord Christ is thus the foundation of the church, is testified unto, Isa. xxviii. 16. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tricd stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste.' It is among the bold inroads that in this late age have been made on the vitals of religion, that some, in compliance with the Jews, have attempted the application of this promise unto Hezekiah. The violence they have offered herein to the mind of the Holy Ghost might be evidenced from every word of the context. But the interpretation and application of the last word of this promise by the Apostles, leaves no pretence unto this insinuation. He that believeth on him, shall

not be ashamed or confounded,' Rom. ix. 33. x. 11. 1 Pet. ii. 6. that is, he shall be eternally saved; which it is the highest blasphemy to apply unto any other but Jesus Christ alone. He, therefore, is alone that foundation which God hath laid in and of the church. See Psal. cxviii. 22. Mat. xxi. 42. Mark. xii. 10. Luke xx. 17. Acts iv. 11. 1 Pet. ii. 4. Eph. ii. 20-22. Zach. iii. 9. But this fundamental truth of Christ being the only foundation of the church is so expressly determined by the Apostle Paul, as not to need any farther confirmation, 1 Cor. iii. 11. For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Chirst.'

CHAP. II.

OPPOSITION MADE UNTO THE CHURCH AS BUILT ON THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

THERE are in the words of our Saviour unto Peter concerning the foundation of the church, a promise of its preservation, and a prediction of the opposition that should be made thereunto. And accordingly all things are come to pass, and carrying on towards a complete accomplishment. For (that we may begin with the opposition foretold) the power and policy of hell ever were, and ever will be engaged in opposition unto the church built on this foundation; that is, the faith of it concerning his person, office, and grace, whereby it is built on him. This as to what is past concerneth the matter of fact; wherefore, therefore, I must give a brief account, and then we shall examine what evidences we have of the same endeavour at pre

sent.

The gates of hell, as all agree, are the power and policy of it; or the actings of Satan both as a lion, and as a serpent, by rage and by subtilty. But where in these things he acts not visibly in his own person, but by his agents, he hath always had two sorts of them employed in his service. By the one he executes

his rage, and by the other his craft: he animates the one as a lion, and the other as a serpent: in the one he acts as the dragon, in the other, as the 'beast that had two horns like the lamb, but spake like the dragon.' The first is the unbelieving world, the other apostates, and seducers of all sorts. Wherefore his work in this kind is of a double nature; the one an effect of his power and rage, acted by the world in persecution, the other of his policy and craft, acted by heretics in seduction. In both he designs to separate the church from its foundation.

The opposition of the first sort he began against the person of Christ immediately in his human nature. Fraud he first once attempted in his temptation, Mat. iv. but quickly found that that way he could make no approach unto him. The prince of this world came, but had nothing in him.' Wherefore he betook himself unto open force, and by all means possible sought his destruction; so also the more at any time, the church is by faith and watchfulness secured against seduction, the more doth he rage against it in open persecution. And for the example and comfort of the church, in its conformity unto him, no means were left unattempted that might instigate and prepare the world for its ruin. Reproaches, contempt, scorn, false and lying accusations by his suggestions, were heaped on him on every hand. Hereby, in the whole course of his ministry, he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself,' Heb. xii. 3. And there is herein blessed provision made of inestimable consolation, for all those who are 'predestinated to be conformed unto his image,' when God shall help them by faith to make use of his example. He calls them to take up his cross and follow him; and he hath shewed them what is in it by his own bearing of it. Contempt, reproach, despiteful usage, calumnies, false accusations, wrestlings of his words, blaspheming of his doctrine, reviling of his person, all that he said and did as to his principles about human government, and moral conversation, encompassed him all his days. And he hath assured his followers, that such and no other, at least for the most part, shall be their lot in this world. And some in all ages have an experience of it in an eminent manuer. But have they any reason to complain? why should the servant look for bet

ter measure than the Master met withal? To be like unto him in the worst of evils, for his sake, is the best and most honourable condition in this world. God help some to believe it Hereby was way made for his death. But in the whole it was manifested how infinitely, in all his subtilty and malice, Satan falls short of the contrivances of divine wisdom and power. For all that he attained by effecting his death, in the hour of darkness, was but the breaking of his own head, the destruction of his works, with the ruin of his kingdom; and what yet remains to consummate his eternal misery, he shall himself work out in his opposition unto the church. His restless malice and darkness will not suffer him to give over the pursuit of his rage, until nothing remains to give him a full entrance into endless torments which he hasteneth every day. For when he shall have filled up the measure of his sins, and of the sins of the world, in being instrumental unto his rage, eternal judgment shall put all things unto their issue. Through that, shall he, with the world, enter into everlasting flames, and the whole church built on the rock into rest and glory.

No sooner did the church of the New Testament begin to arise on this foundation, but the whole world of Jews and Gentiles set themselves with open force to destroy it. And all that they contended with the church about, was their faith, and confession of it, that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.' This foundation they would cast it from, or exterminate it out of the earth. What were the endeavours of the gates of hell in this kind, with what height of rage, with what bloody and inhuman cruelties they were exercised and executed, we have some obscure remembrance in the stories that remain from the martyrdom of Stephen unto the days of Constantine. But, although there be enough remaining on record, to give us a view of the unsatiable malice of the old murderer, and an astonishing representation of human nature degenerating into his image in the perpetration of all horrid inhuman cruelties, yet is it all as nothing in comparison of that prospect which the last day will give of them, when the earth shall disclose all the blood that it hath received, and the righteous Judge shall lay open all the contrivances for its effusion, with the rage and

malice wherewith they were attended. The same rage continueth yet unallayed in its principles. And although God in many places restrain and shut it up in his providence, by the circumstances of human affairs, yet, as it hath the least advantage, as it finds any door open unto it, it endeavours to act itself in lesser or higher degrees. But whatever dismal appearance of things there may be in the world, we need not fear the ruin of the church by the most bloody oppositions. Former experiences will give security against future events. It is built on a rock, and those gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The second way whereby Satan attempted the same end, and yet continued so to do, was by pernicious errors and heresies. For all the heresies wherewith the church was assaulted and pestered for some centuries of years, were oppositions unto their faith in the person of Christ. I shall briefly reflect on the heads of this supposition, because they are now, after a revolution of so many ages, lifting up themselves again, though under new vizards and pretences. And they were of three sorts.

1. That which introduced other doctrines and notions of divine things, absolutely exclusive of the person and mediation of Christ. Such was that of the Gnostics, begun, as it is supposed, by Simon the magician. A sort of people they were with whom the first churches, after the decease of the Apostles, were exceedingly pestered, and the faith of many was overthrown. For instead of Christ, and God in him reconciling the world unto himself, and the obedience of faith thereon according unto the gospel, they introduced endless fables, genealogies, and conjugations of deities, or divine powers, which practically issued in this, that Christ was such an emanation of light and knowledge in them, as made them perfect; that is, it took away all differences of good and evil, and gave them liberty to do what they pleased without sense of sin or danger of punishment. This was the first way that Satan attempted the faith of the church; namely, by substituting a perfecting light and knowledge in the room of the person of Christ; and, for aught I know, it may be one of the last ways whereby he will endeavour the accomplishment of the same design. Nor had I made mention of these pernicious imaginations, which have lain rotting