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lief of the truth, are infeparably joined, 2 Theff. ii. 13. A profane believer, or a holy heretic, is a Whenever the Spirit lifts up a ftandard, it is by the hands of the holy people. It is not for his glory, that the profane fhould publish his truth. When devils acknowledged the Godhead of our Saviour, he commanded them to be filent, Mark i.

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Holiness is the glory of God, and therefore when the children fhine in holiness, men feeing their light, glorify their Father who is in heaven, Matth. v. 16. The fons of God fhine as lights in the world, Phil. ii. 15. Holiness is a standard lifted up for God, in the midst of a crooked and perSo an Enoch was honoured to lift it up in his day; a Noah in his; and all the faints in their respective generations. The remnant of the woman's feed keep the commandments of God, while they have the teftimony of Jefus, Rev. xii. 17. Holiness is as remarkable in the world, as the ftandard in the camp; and it cannot but attract the attention of spectators. Hence that queftion, Song vi. 10. Who is he that locketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the fun, and terrible as an army with banners? Holinefs is the readieft way to filence the reproaching enemy, 1 Pet. ii. 15.As the public fins of God's people give occafion to his enemies to blafpheme; fo their fhining holiness muft fhut their mouth, 2 Sam. xii. 14. Holiness is the image of God; and to fee it difplayed as in the unfolding of his banner, muft ftrike his enemies with awe, while, as by a fecret magnetism, it attracts all, whofe hearts his hand has touched. It is a vifible proof of his prefence; and therefore,

no marvel, if many take hold of the skirts of him that is a faint, faying, We will go with you; for we have heard, and now we fee, that God is with Zech. viii. 23. you,

What a glorious display of the standard! when what was engraven on the high prieft's mitre, is legible in the converfation of profeffed Chriftians, HOLINESS TO THE LORD! Exod. xxviii. 36. How is the ftandard lifted up, when men direct all their actions to the glory of God! when to this ocean all the ftreams of life run, as in the ftraighteft course! A time of reformation, is defcribed by the prophet in the following terms. In that day Shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the Lord's houfe Shall be like the bowls before the altar; yea, every pot in Jerufalem and in Judah, shall be holiness unto the Lord of hofts, Zech. xiv. 20, 21.

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The Spirit lifts up a Standard, when he animates Men with ardent Zeal.

THE Spirit of the Lord may be faid to lift up

a ftandard, when he animates men with an ardent zeal to propogate true religion. To be cold in the cause of Chrift is criminal. Every true Christian, in the exercife of grace, would be happy that all men were like themselves, their infirmities excepted, Acts xxvi. 29. Good foldiers of Jefus Chrift difplay his banner, that others may

They

flow unto it, as the waters to their place. cannot look with indifference on a world lying in wickedness. They wish to found an alarm in it's ear, and to lift up the standard of the Lord in it's fight; that, allured with it's beauty, finners may run unto it. The friends of God burn with holy zeal, that enemies may fee their ways, and that the wicked may no more be. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, fays the Pfalmift, because they keep not thy law, Pfal. cxix. 136. Oh, says Jeremiah, that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the flain of the daughter of my people, Jer. ix. 1. The Spirit of God and of glory, which refted on Chrift, rests on Christians too, though in a very inferior measure. And, being animated with the fame Spirit, they are ardently engaged in the fame caufe. The younger brethren follow the footsteps of the elder. He, in the days of his flefh, wept over thoughtless finners, Luke xix. 41. And, like him, the faints drop their tear at fight of what they cannot prevent: They figh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of the land, Ezek. ix. 4. They count it not fufficient that they have their own faces Zion-ward. No: they would have every man to get him forth of the Babel of a natural ftate. They could wifh that Meffiah's feed were as numerous as the fons of Adam; that all who are partakers of flesh and blood, might be partakers of a divine nature, being renewed in the fpirit of their mind.

This their zeal for the propogation of the Redecmer's intereft, exerts itself in a variety of ways,

according to their various fpheres in life. The mafter instructs his fervants, the parents their children, the minifter preaches Chrift, and magiftrates being a terror to evil doers, are a praise, a pattern, and a protection to them who do well. Zion's duft is precious to them all, more fo than the gold of Ophir; and every one has a heart to build. The rich confecrate of their gold to the temple; the poor contribute their mite; and both raise the fhout of prevailing prayer, Thy kingdom come: fo, under the law, the rulers brought onyx ftones, and ftones to be fet, for the ephod, and for the breaft-plate: the women spun goats hair for the covering of the tabernacle; yea, they gave their looking-glaffes to be the brazen laver, Exod. xxxv. 26, 27. and xxxviii. 8. Chriftians, like those of Corinth, 2 Epift. viii. 5. having given themfelves to the Lord, think nothing too dear for him. They love not their lives to the death, Rev. xii. 11. Their time, their talents, their all, they dedicate to his fervice. Having lifted up a standard in his name, they will hold it faft, though to the lofs of life. Hence the Christian banner has often been feen to wave at the perfecutor's stake. The ftandard has stood amidst Pagan and Popish flames. Though ftrong, they were not fwelling words, which dropt from the lips of the evangelic herald, The Holy Ghost witnesseth that bonds and afflictions but none of these things move me; neither ylife dear unto myself, so that I might finish and the ministry which I have fus, to teftify the gofpel of the

me:

23, 24. It is from their

zeal in spreading the favour of the Redeemer's name, that his people are called, His witnesses, Rev. xi. 3. And in that character, they overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their teftimony, chap. xii. 11. Such their holy ardour, that no menaces can reftrain them. They cannot but speak for him who died for them. In one word, For them to live is Christ, Phil. i. 21. that is, to propogate the knowledge of his bleffed name, That men may be bleffed in him, and that all nations may call him blessed, Pfal. lxxii. 17.

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The Spirit lifts up a Standard, when he makes Men abandon Popery, in every point of view.

THE Spirit may be faid to lift up a standard,

when he makes men to relinquish the errors of Popery, abbor it's idolatry, and shake off it's tyrannical yoke. All these are against the church, and therefore the standard of the Spirit is lifted up against them. The Spirit, not the man of Rome, fupplies the want of the Saviour's bodily prefence. He is that other Comforter whom the Father was to fend, that he might abide with the church for ever, John xiv. 16. He is the Lord of the harvest. Compare Matth. ix. 38. with Acts xiii. 2. and xx. 28. Now, the man of Rome, pretending to be Chrift's vicar upon earth, and therefore the rival of the holy Spirit, cannot but be oppofed by him. That church of whom Antichrift is the head, is

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