Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

3c6 The Duties ofSdintst .Stale IIL
to depend on the (lock for all, and to derive all its fap
from thence. Depend . n him for life, light, ftrength,
and all (jiivitua! benelitp, Gal ii. 20 I ive i yet net l
biit Ur Ji iveth in me. And the life which l now live
m the fjejh, / live by the Jath of the Son oj Gol. For
tins cauf , in the myllical union, ftrength is united to
weaknef?, life to death, and heaven to earth j that I
v. eaknefs, death and earth, may mount up on borrowed j
wings. Depend on him for temporal benefits alfo, I
Mat vi. 2. Give us this dayy 01,r tlai'y b> ead If we ]
have fruited him with our eternal concerns, let us be !
afhamed to diftiuft him in the matter of our provifion j
in the world. ■
Lajlly, Be of a meek difpofition, and an uniting !
temper with the fellow-members of Chr'tVs body, as
being united to the meek Jefus, the blelTed centre of
union. '1 here is a prophecy to this purpofe, concern¬
ing the kingdom of Chrift, I fa ii 6 'The vjof Jhall I
d'uelJ with the hi mb ; and the leopard /hall he down with
the kid. It is an ailufion to the beads in Noah’s ark.
1 he beads of prey, that were wont to kill and devour
others, when once they came into the ark, lay down
in peace with them : the lamb was in no hazard by
the wolf there; ncr the kid by the leopard. I here
was a beautiful accomplishment of it in the primitive
church, Acls iv 32. And the multitude of them that
beheved, were of one heart, and of one fold And this
prevails in all members of Chrid, according to the: |
meafurc of the grace of God in them. 'Man is born |
naked; he comes naked into this world, as if God.l
defigned him for the picture of peace : an 1 furely when. |
lie is born again, he comes not into the new world of:
grace, with claws to tear, a fword to wound, and ii
fire in Ids hand, to burn pp his fellow-members ini
Chrid, becaufe they cannot fee with his 'light. Oh n I
it is fad to fee Ohrid’s lilies as thorns in one another’s::
fides : Ohrid’s lambs devouring one another like lions;
and God’s diamonds cutting one another: yet it mud:
be remembered, that fin is no proper cement for the
pjembers of Chrid, tho’ Herod and Pontius Pilate may