Secondly, This kingdom of darkness is the state which is opposite to Christ's kingdom as mediator. The devils are said to be ' rulers of the darkness of this world,' Eph. vi. 12; and their power is called the power of darkness, as opposite to the kingdom of Christ, ' Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,' Col. i. 13. The gospel king- dom is a kingdom of light, life, and love, where we have the clearest knowledge of God that begets life in us, and love to God and his people. Now opposite to light is ignorance and error ; opposite to life is a religion that consists of shows and dead ceremonies ; and opposite to love is uncharitableness, malice, hatred, especial Ij' of the power of godliness. Now, where these eminently prevail, there is an opposite
22 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. LXIV.
kingdom set up against the kingdom of Christ, and this is done by two sorts of i^eople — (1.) By all those tliat contimie in the old apostasy and defection of mankind from God ; as all men in their natural state, and eminently by the gentiles and idolatrous heathen world, who live in ignorance of the true God, and are dead in trespasses and sins, and where envy, pride, malice, and ambition reign, instead of the spirit of goodness and love which the gospel would produce. Now these men oppose the light that shines to them : John iii. 19, ' This is the con- demnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil' (2.) It may be and is done by a second falling away from Christ, which is foretold : 2 Thes. ii. 3, ' That day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition ; ' that is, the day of judgment will not come till there be a falling away first. Now this falhng off from Christ's kingdom is there where, in opposition to light, error is taught and ignorance is counted the mother of devotion, and people are restrained from the means of knowledge, as if the height of christian faith and obedience did consist in believing what men would impose upon them by their bare authority. And where, instead of life, men place their whole religion in some superficial rites and cere- monies, and some trifling acts of seeming devotion and exterior morti- fication ; this is a kingdom opposite to that lively religion which Christ hath established. And instead of love to God and souls, all things are sacrificed to men's private ambition ; and conscience is forced by the highest penalties and persecutions to submit to the corruptions of the christian faith and worship. And wherever this prevails, there is a manifest perversion of the interest of Christ's kingdom. Now this is the Jericho, the block in the way of God's people in their passage to the heavenly rest. Now both these apostasies, the general apostasy from God, and the special apostasy from Chiist, are defended by the authority and power of the world, and upheld by the interests of several nations which own and practise these things ; and God's people, in opposing them, are put to great difiiculties. Therefore we are told that God's witnesses are slain in the city : ' And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified,' Rev. xi. 8 ; that is, the city which answers to Sodom for inipurity, to Egy[)t for idolatry, and to Jerusalem for persecution of the saints ; for that is the city wherein our Lord was crucified ; he would not say Zion, because that is the name of the church. And till the wall of the city fall down (as it is prophesied there the tenth part of the wall shall fiill down), there is an impediment and block in the way of Christianity.
Thirdly, To demolish this corrupt estate we are all to be active in our several places; for we are employed as soldiers under the captain of our salvation. Our great business in the world is to promote the kingdom of light, life, and love ; to be sure we enter into it ourselves, and to bring as many as we can along with us. (1.) That we enter into it ourselves, for much of the kingdom of God is within us : Luke xvii. 21, 'For behold the kingdom of God is within you.' And we must all become light in the Lord : Eph. v. 8, ' Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.' And we that were dead
VeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 23
in trespasses and sins must be quickened in Christ: Eph. ii. 1, 'You hath he qnickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.' And then the love of God must bear rule in our hearts, and fill us with all meek- ness, purity, charity, goodness, holiness, and heavenly-mindedness ; we must see we be not of the opposite party of Christ. Now Christ hath much to do with every individual person before he can settle his king- dom in their hearts. There is a mighty combat between Christ and Satan for the rescue of every sinner that is recovered to God. The strong man seeks to keep his castle till a stronger than he comes to dispossess him : Luke xi. 21, ' When the strong man armed keeps the house, his goods are in peace.' Satan is the strong man armed, and the heart of every unconverted sinner is his garrison, which he keeps shut up against Christ by prejudices, carnal interests, worldly inclina- tions, and sensual allurements ; and this strong man must be cast out, and his fort stormed and demolished, before a sinner can be gained, and brought to change masters, and leave his obstinate impenitency. Christ draws one way, the sinner another ; for many times we seem ready to repent, but then we are drawn off again, loath to quit our carnal pleasures and company, and we would sit down and be quiet in our sins, but Christ will not let us alone, till at last we leave the fort to him. (2.) When Christ's government is set up in the heart, where Satan reigned before, then we must most earnestly seek to promote his interest in the world, and that others be fellows with us in the same grace. Naturally ' all seek their own things, and not the things of Jesus Christ,' Phil. ii. 21, But when we are the Lord's, and really made partakers of his grace, every one in his [ilace must be a priest to God, we must blow the trumpet ; by our desires, prayers, endeavours, and holy example, we must seek to promote Christ's kingdom, and draw others into the divine life. For this is one great effect of the love of God planted in our hearts, to convert others when we are con- verted ourselves : Luke xxii. 32, ' When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.' We are to invite them to have communion with us, as we have with the Father and the Sou : 1 John i. 3, ' That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you,, that ye also may have fel- lowship with us ; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.' Grace is and will be diffusive of itself ; as fire turns all near it into fire, so every one in his capacity will endeavour to bring home others to God.