oly temple of God,
lively stones, built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, and the
Lord's sealed ones. Now such honorable titles belong not unto mere
formal professors, but only unto the real members of Christ: not unto
those that have a name only; but to such as are so indeed and in truth.

III. A third reason is taken from the ends of God in instituting and
appointing churches. They are said to be built by the Spirit for God,
i.e. for God to dwell and walk in them, to repose himself in them, as in
his holy garden, house, and temple. They are designed for promoting his
glory in the world, to distinguish his people from others; that they
should be to the praise of his glorious grace, and be the living
witnesses to his name, truths, and ways; that they should be the
habitations of beauty and glory, of fame and renown in the world, and be
the light thereof; and that with one heart and mouth they should glorify
God. Believers are united into a church capacity for their spiritual
profit and advantage, that God may there give them his love, and
communicate his grace, truths, and counsels to them, as to his avowed
household and family Christ walks there, and God the Father dwells
there, and the Holy Spirit speaks to them in a special and frequent
manner to distribute liberally of their love and fulness. They are
formed and set up by Jesus Christ to be the only seats and subjects of
his laws, ordinances, power, and authority, that they might receive,
obey, and observe his laws, declare before the world their owning of him
for their Lord, by their open and public profession of, and subjection
unto him, as such; and that, by their regular and distinct following of
him in their united church state, they might manifest to all men, that
they are his subjects and disciples, that they have chosen him for their
Lord and King, and his law for the rule of their faith and obedience;
that they are not their own, but his; and that they have reposed
themselves in him, as their happiness and eternal blessedness; that they
are called out of the world and set apart by his grace for himself, to
live unto him; and that they have taken upon themselves his holy yoke,
and the observation of all his laws. God has united believers into
churches, that by his Spirit and ministers he may feed and nourish them
there as his flock, water them as his garden, support them as his house,
and order and govern them as his family and household.

IV. The Ch