SER MON XXIII.

The Kingdom of God without Obfer

vation.

LUKE, 17. xx, xxi.

And when he was demanded of the Pharifees, When the kingdom of God fhould come; he anfwered them and faid, The kingdom of God cometh not with obfervation: Neither fhall they fay, Lo here; or, lo there; for behold, the kingdom of God is with

in you.

IN what refpects the kingdom of God, or the gospel difpenfation, comes without obfervation, we have fhewn in a preceding difcourfe. We will now attend to the reflections and inftructions which our fubject offers to us.

1. If the kingdom of God is now among us, we are all, without exception, bound to acknowledge it, and submit to it.

As Jefus declared himself to be the Meffiah, who, according to the prophecies of fcripture, was to come into the world, the Pharifees demanded

of him, when his kingdom was to begin. He anfwered them, that it was begun already. He was now working miracles to prove his heavenly miffion. He was now preaching the way of falvation for finners. He was now proclaiming peace to them, and ftating the terms of their acceptance. The kingdom of Meffiah, foretold by the prophets, was now among them. It only remained for them to bow down in humble submiffion to its laws, and fecure the happiness which it promifed.

Wherever God fends his gofpel, there he erects his kingdom, and calls men to become the fubjects of it. And it is at their peril, if they reject it. When Jefus came, preaching the gofpel of the kingdom of God, he faid to the people-The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye, and believe the gospel.

We are not to fuppofe, that it is at our option, whether we will enter into this kingdom, or not. We are indifpenfably bound to receive it. Among the various forms of human government, we may choose the one which pleafes us beft. A people may adopt that conftitution, in which they can agree and unite. If particular members of a community disapprove the conftitution, which is chofen and ratified, they have a natural right to repair to fome other society, whose government fuits them better. But the kingdom of God is not to be viewed in this light. It is not a mere form, which men may take, or let alone at pleasure, and

which derives its authority merely from human confent. It is a kingdom of righteousness; and its authority is abfolute and univerfal.

God is the fupreme Lord of all worlds. He has a fovereign right to our obedience. His wif dom has framed the order, his will has established the authority, and his goodness has made to us the discovery of his kingdom; and it is a kingdom which cannot be moved. Our rejection of it must be accompanied with the higheft guilt, and our difobedience will be followed with the moft amazing punishment.

Some feem to imagine, that if they profess themfelves the subjects of this kingdom, they come under higher and ftricter obligations than others; and that there are then duties incumbent on them, in which before they had no concern. Under this delufive imagination, many, it is probable, decline to make any profeffion at all, that they may feel themselves more at liberty to walk ac、` cording to the course of the world.

But the truth is, the kingdom of God is come › nigh to us; it is among us; and we are all bound to profefs obedience, and yield it too. We have no more right to reject God's kingdom, when it is offered, than we have to withhold obedience when we have promifed it. A profeffion is not the affumption of arbitrary obligations, but an acknowledgment of real ones. A profeffion of obedience is required; and he who refufes it, is guilty of the fame contempt of divine authority,

as

as he who refuses obedience after he has profeffed it.

But

The gospel dispensation is fometimes called a covenant. Now, because the validity of covenants between man and man, depends on mutual confent and agreement, we are apt infenfibly to fall into this conception of the divine covenant. we fhould remember, that God is a sovereign; that we ftand not on the ground of equality with him, as we do with men; that his wifdom is perfect, and his authority fupreme; and his covenant he commands us. Wherever he reveals and proposes it, the obligations of it take place. Whether we consent or not, ftill we come within its authority. Though our confent is necessary to our enjoying the faving benefits of it, yet it is not neceffary to our coming under its commanding power.

Whatever excuses may be made for the heathens, who have never known the gospel, these excuses cannot be admitted in our cafe, because God has placed us in a very different condition from theirs; and we cannot put ourselves in their condition, if we would.

The wickedness of thofe who profess the gofpel, is indeed highly aggravated. But the aggravation arises from the enjoyment, rather than from the profeffion of the gofpel. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and they have loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. Their guilt is aggravated, not in comparison with the guilt of those who enjoy the gof

pel,

pel, and yet refuse to profefs it; but rather in comparison with the guilt of those, who have never known the gospel, nor had an opportunity to profess it.

Our Saviour, alluding to the state of the Jewish nation, who received their kings by an appointment from Rome, illuftrates the kingdom of God, or the gospel difpenfation, by a parable of a certain nobleman, who went into a far country, to receive to himself a kingdom, and to return. This nobleman, at his departure, committed to his fervants the care of his money, with a direction to occupy it for him, until he came back. These fervants had profeffed a regard for his perfon, and an attachment to his intereft, and with them he trufts his riches. But there were fome of his citizens who hated him, and sent a message after him, saying-We will not have this man to reign over us. When he returned, having received the kingdom, he firft called his fervants to a reckoning, among whom was found one who had neglected to improve his Lord's money. This negligent fervant fell under his fevere displeasure. He said to them who stood by, Take from him the pound-for from him who hath not, or improveth not what is committed to him-fhall be taken away even that which he hath. But, ¿ What became of thofe, who would not that he should reign over them?-¿ Were they excufed? or, ¿Was their punishment alleviated, because they had never profeffed themfelves his fervants? No:

نے

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