will dare to reply, "Sure a church is no prison: have not I a right to go where I will, so that I neglect not the worship of God?" This unbecoming treatment of a church discovers the greatest ignorance of the principles upon which society is founded.

The end of all society, civil or religious, is that we should be helpful to one another; but if after I am become a member of society, I should consider myself as having a right to break through its fundamental laws with impunity, it would shew that I have neither inclination to, nor knowledge of, its leading design. Such treatment of a church evidently discovers an impious neglect of that solemn engagement we entered into with the church, when at first we commenced its members. Then we covenanted before God and man to give ourselves up to one another in the Lord, to strengthen each other's hands, and to walk together in all the ordinances of the Redeemer, as far as enabled, without blame. I have indeed remarked, that for these twenty years past, in which I have been conversant with Christian people, that I have never heard church authority spoken lightly of, but by those whose consciences laboured under a struggle between guilt and pride: guilt, from a consciousness that their conduct could not bear the strict examination of a gospel church; and pride, which prompted them to seek by every evasive means to conceal their infamy.

But when I speak of church authority, I am by no means to be understood as intending the authority of the minister; who, in my opinion, can do nothing but as he acts by the power of the church, as their delegate; and has no more power in church government, than any other of its members. A ruler and a preacher are two different characters, and a man may have every quality requisite unto the first, and be very inadequate to the last. As to the ministry of the word, no man is to be his dictator; but as a member and ruler, he is entirely the church's servant, under their direction, and to them accountable, as much as the most private of all their members: if the minister himself is accountable to the church, what must be its authority when acting simply by a divine warrant over the rest of its members?

Now, to dismiss this text, permit me to ask you, my dear hearers, with what weight these things lie upon your mind? whether you really see your necessity of living upon the bounty of Jesus for life and salvation? Know this of a truth, that all who are afar from him shall perish, for the words of eternal life and salvation are only in his possession. Needy sinners, do you consider that the man Jesus is our near kinsman, to whom the right of redemption belongs, and who will not fail to take care of you and yours? Put then your cause into his hand, and so shall you prosper; and drink of the well spring of life and consolation. Let all see with what spirit the ordinances are

attended; whether you come to them as those that need assistance, and really seek the blessings of grace; if you do, you will be sure to find, for that is his promise, to which you shall do well to take heed.

DISCOURSE XI.

RUTH iv. 9.

And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's of the hand of Naomi.

HAVING briefly treated of the daughters of Naomi, and consequently their different dispositions and conduct, the retrograde motion of Orpah, and Ruth's firm attachment to her mother-inlaw; having noted her humility, obedience, and industry, in assiduously gleaning throughout the day in the field of Boaz, we shall now treat of her enlargement, and reward in that dignified station to which she was raised, and the renown conferred upon her by the people of Israel, as one of the honoured mothers of the transcendently illustrious Redeemer. This honour, this reward, consisted in her being owned as near of kin to Boaz, and as such united to him in the bonds of marriage, according to the institutions of the Israelitish legislator: concerning which connection some things are to be considered as preliminary before we can come at the union itself; as, on Naomi's part; on the part of Ruth; and on the part of Boaz,

I. On Naomi's part, some things are to be considered as preliminary to the marriage of Boaz and Ruth.

(1.) The good woman's heart was set upon seeking rest; a comfortable and honourable settlement for her daughter Ruth, who had voluntarily become partaker with her in her afflictions; that she might have no reason to say, that the God of Israel was to her as a barren wilderness, after she had forsaken her kindred and native gods for the love she bore to a mother in Israel. Shall 'I not seek rest for thee, my daughter, that it may be well with 'thee.'

How solicitous was the mother church of the Jews for the poor Gentiles then uncalled, Cant. viii. 8, 9. We have a little. sister, and she hath no breasts; what shall we do for our sister in the day she shall be spoken for? If she be a wall, we will

'build upon her palace of silver---if she be a door, we will 'inclose her with boards of cedar.' Prophetic of that purity of doctrine by which the New Testament church is sustained, and that profitable and pleasing code of discipline by which it is go verned and defended: likewise descriptive of the spring from whence we derive these blessings so eminent, and privileges so exalted; as derived from the Jews from whom all salvation flows. Jesus himself, that foundation and corner of the beauteous fabric, was a Jew in lineage, and subject to the Jewish law of circumcision, notwithstanding the law of ordinances was abolished by his mysterious death. The master builders who laid the foundations of this palace of silver; those skilful artists who inclosed the door of the gospel church with boards of cedar, were all of them Jews, members of that mother church, which so early interested herself in behalf of her younger, her minor sister, whom she foresaw, by the spirit of prophecy, would be spoken for in the time appointed.

In one thing indeed, the analogy will not hold it was the decline of life with good Naomi when she thus sought rest for Ruth her daughter: but the Jewish church was in the beauty, glory, and vigour of her youth when she cared for the Gentiles, I am a wall,' saith she, and my breasts like towers.' It was when vision was in its brightest splendour, when the word of God was plentiful and abundant. And such were the tender sentiments of the spiritual among the Jews at that time, however thick and gloomy the cloud of ignorance, error, and ermity be came in after times amongst them.

Naomi's carefulness of ner daughter's welfare, is farther analogous to the tender sentiments and solicitous conduct of a gospel church toward those damsels, those virgin souls, who have forsaken all for the sake of Christ and a good conscience, and who have as yet no visible settlement, no visible inheritance in Israel. Jerusalem is always tender towards her daughters, the spouse is solicitous for the happiness of her companions, and the church in this case will use Naomi's words, and say, 'Shall I not seek rest for thee, my daughter, that it may be well ' with thee?' Shall I not bow my knee to the Father of mercies, and make earnest supplication for thee before our common Goel, our near kinsman ? shall I not point out before thee the footsteps of the ancient flock, that thou mayest apprehend the good, old, and perfect way.

(2.) She revealed unto Ruth the nearness of relation subsisting between herself and Boaz. Little did Ruth know, when the good man treated her with so much unexpected kindness, that he was her near kinsman, and that she had a legal claim of marriage upon so honourable and excellent a man. How distant from her mind, on receiving the parched corn at his hand, the thought of the nearest alliance which possibly can take place,

commencing between her venerable host, and a poor, helpless, desolate Moabitish damsel, and less still, if possible, that a race of kings should spring from this alliance; and least of all, that from her womb should proceed the great Messiah, the Saviour of the world. But Naomi tells her, the man is near of kin to 'us,' and no doubt had instructed her in the Mosaic law, in reference to the obligation upon the near kinsman to raise up seed to the deceased, prior to her approaching unto Boaz in the threshing floor.

The gospel church, in virtue of the ministry of the word in her assemblies, reveals to seeking souls---to strangers come to glean in their Redeemer's field, his affinity by blood to the children of men, especially those who are divorced from a legal hope. Mahlon's widow may always assure herself that Boaz is her near kinsman: the sinner who is dead to the law, who can no longer hope to live upon his own well doing, may assure himself also that Jesus is his Goel, his friend and brother, born on purpose for the adversity of the soul.

But O! little does the poor, trembling, self-condemned and hopeless sinner know, that he has a personal claim upon Jesus as the near kinsman of the perishing. That a guilty convict may warrantably plead consanguinity with the Holy One of Israel; that a dying thief may solicit a seat in the Redeemer's throne: even when informed doctrinally of this affinity, how difficult is it to give credit to a truth so mysterious, and yet so indispensably necessary! how strongly unbelief will remonstrate against an appropriation of this blessed truth none can say, besides the man who has endured the personal conflict. But unbelief is the offspring and the parent of error, and publishes nothing but the counsel of the enemy: such is every thing that tends to discourage the helpless and needy from trusting in the Redeemer's perfect and finished salvation. If any sinner ever had room to question the efficacy of the grace of Jesus, surely the thief on the cross was the man: yet he questioned it not, but preferred his petition to the dying Jesus, Lord, remember 'me when thou comest into thy kingdom.' Jesus remembered him whilst yet on the cross, and that same day introduced him to the assemblies of paradise, as a trophy of his victory and conquest upon earth.

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(3.) Naomi directs her daughter to seek out his retreat, and to come privately to his feet, (ver. 4) make confession of the identity of her person, prefer her supplication to him, and even to put him in mind of his duty to her as the near kinsman, under whose shadow she was come to trust. Such instructions are likewise exhibited by the church to her followers and attached friends, as yet unprovided for with comfort in Israel. Seek him in private when no eye but that of Heaven is upon thee, come secretly to his feet, and lay thy helpless, desolate state open

before his seat of mercy: freely confess the baseness of thine original; he will not despise thee on account of the hole of the pit from whence thou wast digged. Acknowledge thy former marriage to the legal covenant, but be sure to inform him of the death of thy hope and comfort in thy first husband. Tell him that Mahlon is dead, and that thou art seeking an inheritance in Israel: tell him plainly thou art Ruth, the Moabitess; that thou hast left thy kindred and thy country gods; that thou hast no pleasure in those things of which thou art now ashamed: that if he should reject thee, thou shalt be miserable in both worlds; that thou hast now no possession in the land of Moab, and must be destitute for ever if thou findest not favour in Israel.

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Make supplication to him: say to him, I pray thee spread 'thy skirt over me,' for I am naked and exposed to the inclemency of the weather. See that wretched infant, Ezek. xvi. how helpless, how hopeless its state! But he passeth by, not with the unconcern of the priest, or of the Levite, but with bowels of compassion, like the good Samaritan: his eye is fixed on its wretchedness; they sparkle with love, and drop with sympathy: he stands fixed, and can proceed no farther: his holy hand stretches forth the crimsoned mantle, and covers all its pollutions. This is Jesus thy friend; Jesus thy dear Redeemer, thine adorable kinsman: let thy prayer be preferred to him, he will not forsake the poor and needy plead thy relation to him, for he is the seed of the woman, and the son of man: tell him that thou art bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. Art not thou he who was born of a daughter of Adam? who lived and died in the room of such sinners as me? who, with thy dying breath, didst pray for thy murderers, and for me amongst the rest of the bloody train?---Have mercy upon my apparent nakedness, and spread forth thy robe of righteousness over me--regard my pollutions with a pitying eye, and wash me in thy cleansing fountain---suffer a poor, helpless, desolate sinner to be beholden to thy beneficence for life, pardon and salvation. Such words are doctrinally put into the mouths of young converts by the church, careful for their present and eternal welfare.

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(4.) Naomi encourages Ruth patiently to wait the issue of the enterprise, assuring her, that it would finally prove to her advantage, chap. iii. 18. Sit still, my daughter, until thou 'knowest how the matter will fall: for the man will not rest until he have finished the thing this day.' Probably Ruth might be restless and uneasy about the event; might even deem it scarcely possible that it should terminate so happily as her mother-in-law had encouraged her to hope. But Naomi, better acquainted with the laws of Israel, and with the integrity, rec titude, and benevolence of her kinsman, assures both herself and daughter, that he would take care to act the part of a kins