dwell for ever as David speaks in another case Secondly a thing may be said to be new in respect of reparation God dwels with his people O when God shall new pollish his temple and repaire all the wants of his people may he not then be said to new make his temple yea his presence with them is the glory of them Thirdly Jerusalem may be said to be new comparatively comparing it with old Jerusalem that was defiled this washed that decay'd and withered this fresh and lovely even as Bride Fourthly Jerusalem may be said to be new in respect of the manifestation God gave to John he never saw this new Jerusalem till now old Jerusalem hee had seene againe and againe but this new and lovely City he never saw before and therefore it was new to him for he had never till now the full discovery of it I shall wind up these former lines by a word or two to what I apprehend and have said of this City this holy City new Ierusalem which Iohn saw comming down from God But some may say your lines would have been more advantages to the Saints and Servants of God if they had beene on some practicall point O christian precious Christian let me tell thee nothing in the world doth more divinely fire the spirits of holy Soules then a spirituall discourse of the holy God and the holy City O did the Earthly christian but minde this heavenly Ierusalem how would his low and base affections loosen from the creatures pleasures and profits hear below or did the ignorant christian but know this holy City new Ierasalem how sweetly would this knowledge feed his soule if he did indeed divinely know this Ierusalem his soule would feed on this knowledge yea it would feed his soul as with marrow and fatnesse And if the fainting christian did but minde this holy City and his eternall rest in it how would hee pluck up his spirits this would be like the hony that Ionathan licked on which did so much revive his spirits O the knowledge of this holy City new Ierusalem it would make the blind christian see yea see and say O Ierusalem Ierusalem the holy City the City of the great King who may be compared with thee for the glory of the Lord is in thee the glory of the Lord is on thee thy Sun shall never set thy day shall never end thy sorrows shall be no more thy joy shall be for ever And now come yee lame christian and leap for joy for the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe will be their God and dwell with them and by dwelling with them wipe away all teares from their eyes so as they shall never sorrow more and death shall be no more for the fountaine of life shall live with them nay with them doe I say it shall live in them and they shall live in it and by it and to it for ever and ever wherefore leap and dance O thou lame soul Truly friends I know no portion in Gods Word like this and that which followes which I shall point at by Gods assistance to raise and cheare christians all sorts of christians blind christians deafe and dumb christians O but how do you call christians deaf blind and dumbe how well enough if they doe not heare with joy these things I think they are deafe and if they doe not see with an eye of pleasure with an eye of joy these things are they not blind I am sure they are little better and if they doe not sing for joy are they not dumb O christian I say thou art dumb if thou do not come away and sing O but what shall I sing and how shall I sing O Ierusalem Ierusalem thy warfare is accomplished thy sorrowes are over thy enemies dead thy God and thy Father thy Husband thy Christ is alive and he lives for ever for ever for thee for ever with thee for ever to thee let this be thy Song and the burden of it free grace free grace be sure of that but now not knowing but some uncleane wretch may read these sweet lines who lives loves and wallowes in his sinnes I shall not speake many words but one word I would speak to such a one O poore soule goe and weep weep weep seas if it be possible that thou shouldst be still in thy filth thy blood and thy sinnes O poore and unhappy man as sure as the Lord lives if thou be not washed by Christs blood faith and repentance thou wilt be shut out of this city amongst Dogs Sorserers and Whoremongers and Lyers which thou mayest thinke mee harsh for telling of thee but read I pray and consider Revel 22.15 and there it is written with a Pen of Iron what I say which thou wilt one day finde the truth of it and then what wilt thou then doe but mourne mourne bitterly mourne because thou didst not when time was mourne for thy sinnes but please thy selfe with a bare name of a christian when indeed thou wert in thy heart an enemy to Christ and his people But fiftly It is called new Ierusalem because it so farre transcends old Ierusalem I shall hint something breifly 1. In respect of her Foundation 2 In respect of her Builders 3. Her Materials 4. In respect of her Wals and Gates 5. In respect of her Watchmen 6. Her Glory 7. Her Light 8. Her Safety 9. Her Inhabitants But first For her Foundation which was but a common Foundation but thine O new Ierusalem is a choyce and pretious Foundation Christ in thee is the Fonndation of thee Secondly Old Ierusalems Foundation was a decaying mouldering Foundation but thy Foundation O new Ierusalem is the Foundation indeed the sure Foundation the lasting Foundation yea the outlasting Foundation out lasting time and ages therefore he is called the rock of ages the rock out lasting ages all ages and generations past and to come Thirdly Ierusalems foundation was but a single foundation but thine O new Ierusalem is the foundation of all foundations twelve foundations are laid upon thee on which twelve thousand soules have built yea twelve thousand times twelve thousand which if they had not they had been ruind yea soul and body for ever O yee unbelieving and fearfull Saints did you know your rocke and safety if you did though the winds blow and stormes beat yet you will not feare Fourthly Thy foundation O Ierusalem was but of yesterday and to day it is raised but the ancient of dayes is thy foundation O new Ierusalem so that thy foundation was for time before all time past and is and shal be to all time to come yea and longer too the Angel swore time should be no more God hath sworne by himself that thou shouldst be for ever the foundation of Ierusalem above the mother of us all and what shall I say of it O foundation foundation of Gods own
Angels clothed with splendor from the God of glory And now what thinkst thou of it sinner if thou shouldst see a lovely Princes arayed and clothed in golden Tissue lac'd and trimm'd with Jewels it were a gallant sight but O alasse ten thousand of these were all but nothing to set off thy glory O arayed Saint by God and Christ in righteousnesse But when shall I have this glory saith the sinner quickly quickly Behold I come quickly Rev. 22.20 and will then give it thee and all that long for my appearance as Paul saith of his Crowne which he tels you is laid up for him and all that loves Christs appearance But thirdly I meane by Christs sweet knocks Christ telling thee of his Fathers counsell and purpose and of thy being wrapt up in this counsell and purpose of God like time between eternities O friend saith Christ my Father loved thee from all eternity and chose thee to him from all eternity a vessell for his own Glory Name and Fame that thou mights shew in ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace Ephes 4.5.6 O this must needs be sweet indeed for Christ to tell thee of a love before time and a love out lasting time yea all time and ages O when a sinner fits poring of this love in respect of person God the lover in respect of time before all worlds then saith he O Lord God what is man that thou art so mindfull of him and what am I but lesse then the least of all thy mercies as Iacob once said which was of old towards me And why me O Lord God a poore gentile sinner a runnagado sinner who had neither house nor home nor grace nor vertue but hell and sinne and cursed nature and yet thou lovest me more then all and chose me out of all my neighbours kindred house and family wherein were many sweet and many courteous many wise and many knowing but none but I chosen the youngest of them all the poorest of them all the sinfullest of them all yet I obtained mercy for his purpose sake O saith the sinner me thinks I even see how God rould me in his thoughts and all the sonnes of men too saying this shall be a vessell and this shall be a vessell and this shall be another but these I will not use throwing millions by which were as like as any if he had pleased to use them to set his mercy off but he refused both mighty ones and many and chose a little remnant of which my soule was one to set his love upon which hath no height nor depth but over-spreadeth all and leaves no roome to think the ground or reasons of it but onely free-grace which makes the soule still wonder and leaves him at a lost why he should be the man to be exalted so above his fellow creatures which are alike unto himselfe but for free graces sake which onely lookt on him and made him what he is which makes him stud and still to say it is God alone doth all according to his purpose But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting thee with himselfe First In respect of his love which thou art by nature more ignorant of then ever Iosephs Brethren were of him who eate and drunke with him but knew him not to be their Brother till teares and bowels said it was he whom they unkindly sold The sinner doth the like full many a time by Christ when he comes to the heart and tels them of his dreames as Ioseph did his Brethren how they must bow to him and eke submit their soules unto his yoaks of love his sweet and just commands which thing they cannot away with but huncht him for his newes by greiving of his Spirit but Christ now makes a famine by wants and straights and knocks and brings them down by need to save their hungry soules which now doe see the need of Christ his love and righteousnesse which he cannot hide from them but by his sweet knocks acquaints them with his love himselfe like Ioseph with his bowels And in respect of his love which was and is beyond all loves Greater love saith Christ to the sinner hath no man then this to lay downe his life for his friend but mine is greater O unkind sinner an enemy to me who loved thee in thy blood and loved thee in thy sinne and hid thee from displeasure which thou once laidst liable too till I in love did free thee but this thou little mindest nor all my loves for many yeares together in hunger cold and wants in life in death still for thy sake And thus Christ acquaints the soule with his love by his sweet knocks and wider opens the sinners bowels then ever Joseph did his Brethren But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting the soule with his lovelinesse as well as of his love which washed us from our sinnes in his blood Revel 1. v. 5. O saith Christ sweetly knocking at the sinners doore in a woing way Sinner sinner behold me behold me my locks are wet with the dew of the night Cant. 5.1 How long shall I knock and stand for pitty let me in I am the rose of Sharon the sweetest of ten thousand the Lilly of the vallies the fairest of ten thousand How canst thou chose but love me sinner Behold me behold me with the Crowne that my Father crowned me Proverbs And now for my own sake sinner with my crowne and glory let me in I am the fairest I am the sweetest that ever will come woing to thee how canst thou thus deny me O thou hard hearted sinner that ever I met with to stand me out so long who am the rose the lilly and starre of heaven too which twinkles day and night and darkens Sun and Moone which cannot come neere unto me I am so farre excelling for beauty light and luster and yet still undervalued by thee O proud and scorning sinner But yet behold me once againe and if thou canst deny me I will never try thee more nor shall my spirits strive with thee when as it is in vain and thus Christ acquaints the sinner of his lovelines by his sweet knocks But thirdly Christ acquaintes the sinner with his union O saith Christ I am Adam too yea flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone thy brother sister husband friend and father Matth. 12.48 49. Wilt thou deny all these relations and fall below nature then farewell sinner but I am still the same and cannot yet deny my self in no respect to thee O strange unkind and forgetfull sinner of me thy husband head and vine in whom thou livest as in thy root when once thou knowest these sweet relations which are more strong then death and sweeter too then sugred wines the honey or the honey-comb yea and the rose of Sharon the sweetest in the world But what my union is for sweetnesse it is for time and length and this I
their rule and speakest them fair thou pleasest them well to smooth them thus up by laughing and saying and doing as they I say thus far happily the world may not slight thee but esteeme thee though Christ be grieved by thee but still I say so farre as you make Christ your rule his word your law his work your pleasure and service your delight not at all caring who be pleased or displeased so Christ be honoured and obeyed this I say will make the world hate you and so it did Christ Well the world slights thee and shufes thee so far as they see Christ appearing in thee doe not thou be troubled Christ will one day take thee and embrace thee as a man doth his lover O thou shalt sit and sup with Christ Rev. 3.20 thou shalt sit at his table and stand by his side yea cut on his trencher and feed on his dainties which is the feast of fat things God speaks of in Esaiah Behold I will make in this mount a feast of fat things of marrow and of wines well refined Isa 25. v. 6. O this mount is Christ and the feast Gods discovery to a Saint in Christ this feast is sweet yea sweeter then honey or the honey-combe though it comes far short of that which God shall make for the Lamb and the Lambs wife Rev. 19.9 Which is called the Lambs supper of which it is said blessed are all they that are called to it yea blessed indeed that ever they were borne to come to this Supper O this God and Christ familiar presence with you will be a feast and supper to you here is Christ the tree of life and God the river of life eat and drink abundantly yea I mean now O precious christian by beleeving what is a comming O I would a poore Saint should feast his soul with expectation of what Christ hath promised and will then make good in that day when they shall sit in his throne and feed at his table and drink of his wine at this feast of Gods own making for his sons and daughters now married to Christ and brought to his presence to live in his sight and feast at his table It is said when the King sits at his table his Spiknard sends forth a fragrant smell as in Solomons songs This is spoken of Christ sitting in a Saints heart O but what a smell shall there be then when a Saint shall sit as I may so say in God and Christs heart at supper in their loves by feeding on divine delights O friends this is the sweet Manna that Christ promised to feed his Saints with Rev. 2.17 Christ tels his disciples he will drink no more of the fruit of the vine till he drink it new in his fathers kingdome with them the Vine was a tipe of Christs blood and Christs blood a type of Christs love and Christs love a merit and manifestation of the Fathers love when ye come to sit down in the glory of God and Christ full cups of this shall go round from Saint to Saint Fourthly this sitting down in Christs kingdom or throne and Gods glory it denotes familiarity we usually bid friends sit down to enterchange discourse with them O friends in that day God will tell thee over and over againe his transactions in respect of decree and purpose O when God shall tel thee how he rould thee in his thoughts and carried thee in his purpose and had thee in his eye intending thee for glory it is sweet to think how Gods delight was with the sons of men before the foundation of the world as himself speaketh Pro. 8. and then in that day shall Christ tell thee over his travels troubles and pains too for thee his Spouse It is said in a fablish story that Dido the queen wept when Aeneas prince of Troy cold her of his ten yeares wars I will not say thou shalt weep when thy deare Saviour shall tell thee these true things but I dare say thy soule shall even melt as it were to think what paines and labour what care and cost what griefe and sorrow thy soule did cost thy dear Saviour besides the slights and scornes and jeares which the vilest of men did cast upon him which he contentedly did beare for thee from day to day his whole life long And then at last still for thy sake his back his belly his hands his feet his head his side his heart his heart blood too and all for thee that thou mightest know how much he loved thee O friends I am perswaded that Christ will in that day tell you over and over such true stories that it shall even melt you hearts and soules to thinke how much he loved you how deare he bought you but then Christ shall ask his Saints what they suffered for him to which they will answer O sweet Jesus why dost thou ask us this question seeing thou knowest all our sufferings were but fleabites to thine thine O deare Saviour the most we suffered was but jears and scorns and such slight things nay my children ye were whipp'd and stripp'd and killed too for mee my sake O Christ doe not speake of that were it to do again ten thousand lives should not be deare for thee thy sake O dearest Christ to whom our soules are so engaged O Christ we now Wish we had done when time was and sufferd ten thousand times more then we did O Christ it even now grieves us to think we never did nor suffered any thing for thy sake to any purpose O Christ that we had now an opportunity to show our love as once we had for squibs and scorns for stripes and prisons we would not stand nor yet our lives nay souls and all to honour thee O sweet O dear O precious Christ and then Christ being taken as it were with these expressions of his Spouse shall stroke her saying O my love my dove my dear thou sufferedst enough to testifie thy love to me But now my love my dove the winter is over all stormes past singing rejoycing is now at hand come along come along my love from Lebon come let us to my fathers wine-seller who shall then say bring them in and set them down in my throne and glory they are my sons and daughters Friends what a privilidge will this be to sit by God and Christ in glory like children round about a fathers table Mary once sate at Christs feet pondering Christs sayings and it was a great privilidge for a sinner to sit so neer a Saviour but thy privilidge is farre greater who shalt sit by God and this Saviour who is far ascended above all principalities and power and is set down in glory on the right hand of God as the Apostle speaks This is a greater privilidge then Marys bearing Christ barely considered the disciples had a great priviledge to wait on Christ a greater to sup and dine with Christ but what are all to the sitting
it is stronger then all sinne death men or devils and as long as strong it was from eternitie to eternitie from eternitie intentionally to all eternitie reallie but it is more sweet saith the Spirit then strong or long O the sweetnesse of all unions is but glimpse of this union What is the Father to the Son the husband to the wife but a shadow of Christ to the Soul yea all relations with all the sweetnesse of them and all the sweetnesse in them is but as a drop to this ocean of sweetnesse Christs union with the Saints Fourthly the usefullnesse of Christ to the Soul without me saith Christ ye can do nothing to his Disciples Christ is all in the Soul and all to the Soul A Christian can neither do nor suffer any thing but by Christ by him he can want and abound ye doe all things as Paul speaks through Christ that strengthens him Any work is hard for a Christian in his own strength a difficult work is nothing when the strength of Christ comes in O in his strength will a little David grapple with Goliah and foil him too But as he is strength to the Saints so is he all indeed to them yea all they stand in need of him to be he is a righteousnesse to cover them and an interceder to the Father for them yea what shal I say more he is an everliving faithful high Priest yea our King and Captain our ark where we may safely ride when a world lies round destroyed O Christ O Christ what shall I say of thee our ark our pillar our cloude by day our pillar by night our rock and shadow in a weary land our life our all in all and at all times Fiftly it showes us our advantage by Christ we are justified by his blood wee are sanctified by his spirit and saved by his merit O the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin which the blood of buls and goats could never doe as the Apostle speakes Does Satan lay sin to your charge tell him thou art justified by Christ doth he lay great sins to thee tell him Christ justifieth from all sins of all kinds great and small yea tell him thou art no sinner at all neither doth the father look upon thee as one in his Sons righteousnesse Truely when a poor soule is carried by his power thus to argue with Satan we winde him as a man doth a childe but else he binds and locks us up in bondage fears and darknesse that our very soules are restlesse day and night being filled with doubts and his accusements he is therefore called the accuser of the brethren he accuseth God to man and man to God envying both Sixtly our glory with Christ And first the certainty of it Secondly the greatnesse O saith the Spirit thy glory is sure it s laid and kept too for thy comming but as it is sure and safe laid up by Christ so it is full and large and therefore called by Paul a weight of glory Here we many times admire the light painted shadowes of glory and forget the true substance God hath laid up for us in his Son and heavens Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither ever entred into the heart of man to conceive saith Paul what God hath laid up for us Eye hath not seen sure the eye hath seen Solomons glory yea all the gloryes of this world too O saith Paul that is nothing these things are nothing but painted shadowes and butterflies after which the fooles of this world runs like little children and for the eare too what hath that heard surely of all that hath been true and as much more too by reports of fained gods and glories in the Poets lying stories but were all these things true yet God hath laid up more glorie for the poorest Saints that walks in rags then all that they have wrought thou heard or thought no thou canst not think saith Paul nor no man living what God hath laid up for them that fear him Surely men might fancie more then hath been seen or heard Well saith Paul fancy all that this world hath seen or heard yea fancie another world too with as many joyes and pleasures of this world as griefs and sorrows yet all short and nothing O Christian little doest thou think and lesse the world what God hath laid up in store for thee and all his servants Fifthly a river is advantagious and usefull so is the Spirit it helps our infirmities wee know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit helpeth us with groanes which cannot be uttered O the Spirits groanings in us are powerfull prayers before God for us the promises are made to the Spirit praying in us and indeed those requests we are denyed of God are not from the Spirit but from flesh and blood and therefore it is that they are lost for the most part but the Spirit who knowes the minde of God never drawes forth a Christian to aske any thing but what is according to the minde of God and this he cannot but grant But thou complainest thou art an ignorant soule true the naturall man knows nothing but the spirituall new man in the naturall man knows all things yea the deep things of God as the Apostle speaks a naturall man is said to be a dead man every where in Scripture and the dead saith Solomon knowes nothing hee knowes not he lyes in the grave of sinne and corruption mouldering as it were into dust call him to come forth from wormes and putrifaction yet he stirres not at all even so the naturall man tell him his condition he believes it not call him to come forth of the grave of nature sinne and death he stirres not nor indeed cannot he is bound up so by the power of the Devil sinne and darknesse Sixthly a river runnes silently and makes little or no noise at all have you never found the Spirit running in a Sermon at a praier in a conference but especially in a meditation with little noise it sweetly turning thy very blood in thy veins making thy heart as it were to wamble I know you have many times Truly when this river runnes trickling up and down the Soul making little noise in the Soul yea dipping and diving of her in Divine delights which many talking Christians are ignorant of Seventhly a river is deep so is the Spirit in its discoveries He discovers the deep things of God and Christ and the Gospel which others cannot reach nor fathom by wit nor Learning no it is out of their element I have heard as wise able men at least so counted and are so sure in civill things in lattine Law or Fathers speaking of this river and the nature of it but as much out of the way as any blind man ever was without his guide The maskd man turns and winds but still beside the way the Sinner does the like following carnall reason to find out Christ and
for relations sake O friends there is such a neere relation between Christ and a Christian he is the head and you the members he is the Bridegroome and you the Bride he is the vine and you the branches Christ cannot but bid you wellcome nor the father neither for you are all his children how wellcome is a friend a childe a husband after seven yeares voyage when returned what love what embraces doth then passe between them powring heart into heart as it were How sweetly did Josephs and his brethrens bowels yerne one towards another O friends Christ will one day embrace you in his armes with his rowling bowels like a husband his beloved wife after seven yeares absence and you him with teares and kisses of joy and love How glad was Dide queene of Carthage when she had Aeneas prince of Troy to look on and embrace Well friends time will come when thou shalt have thy Christ to embrace and look on who hath endured more broiles ten thousand times then all Aeneas feigned ones Here Christ to look on is admirable and lovely too in broiles O saith the Spouse Who is this that coms from Bozrah with his garments dipped in blood Isaiah 63.1.2 travelling in the greatnes of his strength Christ the prince and Captain of our salvation comes from the fields of slaughter like some noble champion and hath his bloody armes which doth declare him conquerour so Christ here travels from Bozra a field of slaughter this I take to be the crosse of Christ on which he might be well said and did conquer all the Churches enemies yea naild them to the crosse as Paul speaketh by triumphing over them openly upon the crosse Well in this field Christ slayes the law sinne and death making this saying good O death I will be thy death 1 Cor. 15.55 And now comes in warlick vestures which are dipped in this blood declaring him to be the mighty conquerour Well the Spouse sits and sees him at her window comming from the field which is the Spirit in the soule through which she lookes upon these mighty champions Christ Sinne Death and Devils Well Christ foyls and spoyles all by trampling on all which being done he leaves them dead and comes away to refresh himselfe in glory the Spouse spies him in the way and cries out who is this not that shee did not know Christ well enough but she is taken with Christ in the beholding of Christ thus bravely wins the field which Christ never quited til all foild spoild the day his own Well Is the Soule now so taken with the gallentry of Christ that she cryes out for joy and wonder O then how wilt thou be taken when thou shalt see this Christ againe which heare is promised yea stroak the face of this Champion Christ the Prince of our salvation how will she be taken with him then saying O my deare Christ it was my enemies thou ingaged in Bozra and if thou hadst not conquered my soule and thousands more had been undone for ever but seeing thou didst win the day we will name and stile thee most high and excellent and mighty Conquerour King of Saints Prince and Captaine of our salvation which thou for ever shalt be called by Saints and Angels men and Devils poore drooping sinner what dost thou think of this day and this Christ who is thy Champion thy Captaine and Salvation I say what dost thou thinke O malencholy Christian of this day when thou shalt see the face of this Prince and Saviour wilt thou not make one to sing his prayses to sing his victories over sinne death hell men and devils which Angels now are doing and so shalt thou and this shall be thy reward too a full reward indeed for all thou ever didst or suffredst In the mean time bear up bear up thy head O drooping Christian Christ hath conquered sinne death men and devils and yet it may be thou fearest all O foolish sinner weake in faith men are bound sinne and satan wounded yea death and sinne slaine too and all by Christ in Bozra what meanst thou to be troubled O but Sir Sir me thinks I see sinne alive and Satan loose yea both in me I will not deny but thou mayst think so but all is not true that men doe thinke but grant both these be in thee yet if sinne be wounded and Satan bound one cannot long live nor the other doe much mischeife if sinne be wounded it is to the heart be sure of that And when Christ was wounded there by sinne he straight died well I am sure Christ hath wounded sinne there too and it cannot live long O Sir Sir it is livelier then ever it struggles more then ever O friend that is to me as cleare as the day that sinne is just a dying every thing in nature will doe the like what dost thou see dying willing but a Saint and he I must confesse on this consideration that he shall live with God and Christ and behold the face of God and Christ as in the first words I say on this consideration happily he may with a great deale of willingnesse die But who besides the Saint will will man or beast or fish or foule or any other creature No no the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast beats it selfe and yels though bound and musled man mournes and cries alas alas why must I die and leave my hopes my wife my childe my lands and livings nay friends and all fetch the Doctor quickly fetch the Doctor save me if it be possible I faine would live a little longer and thus he mournes to think on death and when it comes and drawes neere to him then he growns and gasps and grinnes and stares still striving with it while breath doth last Well friend the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast yels man mournes and cries alas what shall sinne doe nothing it were contrary unto nature if it should die without its throwes in thy soule But stay you said Satan was bound I I did so and so he is in two respects Christ hath bound him up from hurting thee Christ hath bound him up from forcing thee First From hurting thee you know if the most notorious theeving rogue in the world lyes bound in a lone womans house hand and foot there was no ground nor cause of feare he is bound hand and foot what can he now doe but curse and swear well she being a weak woman is troubled and frighted notwithstanding but when her husband comes home her feares ceaseth and are gone Well friends know this Christ hath bound Satan for a thousand yeares yea for ever from mischeiving his Saints and Servants and if he be in thee he is bound O no me thinks he is loose he doth so tempt me and accuse me I doe not know what to doe it may be so he doth tempt and accuse thee I did not say Christ had bound Satans tongue no
and Hebr. 9. And for the golden pot of Manna it was a clear type of Christ who is the true Manna and the bread that came downe from heaven to give life to the world as himselfe speaketh John 6. I am the bread of life saith Christ to the Jewes And for Aarons Rod that lay in this Arke of Shittim wood its blosomes did signifie the sweetnesse of the Gospel and the Glory of Christ and the fruitfulnesse of his Members who bud and blosome continually by his renewing grace Fourthly To this City the Tribes and all the People of God resorted at set times to worship and all the world to trade and trafique it had twelve Gates which were not to be shut day nor night which John alludes to in the 12. verse of this chapter Glorious things are spoken of this City on the wals of this City saith God have I set watchmen which shall never keep silence till Jerusalem be made the praise of the whole earth this is the city which David saith If I forget thee then let my right hand for get its cunning which was his musicall skill by which he charmed the Devill in Saul many a time And this was that city too which melted the heart of Christ to think of its ruine saying O Jerusalem Jerusalem with rouling bowels â—ights and teares O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things that make for thy peace which now are hid from thine eyes For this Cities sake saith Isaiah will I not hold my tongue till Sion and Jerusalem be made the glory and praise of the whole Earth I shall speake no more of old Jerusalem the Type but of this new Jerusalem which is the Church and People of God But why is the Church of God called by the name of a City For three or four reasons which I will breifly hint at 1. It is compared to a city for numeration and the variety of this numeration 2. The Church of God is called a city for her visibility for she is not like a candle under a bushell but like a beakon on a hill 3. The Church of God may be called a city for her treasure and riches 4. It may be called a city for her peculiar priviledges which the Church of God hath from all the world like a city from your country townes and villages 5. In respect of her rivers your cities are fed and refreshed by some great river There is a river that the streames thereof shall refresh the City of God Psal 46. vers 5. And first Whereas it is compared to a city it denotes the Church of God are a great and numberlesse people as you cannot number the Inhabitants of a city no more nor lesse indeed can yee number the Church of God O saith God to Abraham In blessing I will blesse thee and multiply thee as the Starres in Heaven or the sands on the Sea shore so that if thou canst number them then shall thy seed be numbered Many shall come saith Christ from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham I sack and Jacob in the Kingdome of God Here is the variety of the Church some comming in from the East and some from the West which is the most remote place that can be and implies them to bee the greatest sinners for Idolatry and Heathenisme yet saith Christ many of these shall come from both places which denotes variety O the long wayes out wayes by wayes and many wayes that Christ brings sinners to this City or Fould which Christ speakes of to the Jewes saying I have other Sheep which I must bring into my Fould when they shall he are my voyce or whistle by my Spirit in their souls and so there shall be one sheep and one fould Christ commands and commissionates his disciples to go and preach the Gospell to every nation tongue and people and therefore saith Paul Iew and Gentile bond or free Scithian or Barbarian Christ is all and in all he hath all in his fould and so he is all to them And as he hath great number of these varieties so his church may well be called a numberlesse people and therefore saith Iohn I saw with the Lamb standing an hundred forty and four thousand besides a great number which no tongue could tell Well let us who were remote sinners not onely in respect of nature and gentilisme but in respect of parentage and families brought into the church of Christ one from popery and popish ignorance another from a cursed drunken and hellish family where God it may be never shined into one soul before he did into thine which mercy cals for as much thankfulnesse at your hands as ever Noahs Abrahams Lots Daniels O for God to appear to Abraham and enter into a covenant of life and peace and to single out Noah from the whole world and lead out Lot yea catch and carry out the lingering man to a Zoar and leave the rest for fire and brimstone did argue abundantly free grace Well friend doe not thou neglect to blesse God whilst thou hast any beeing for doing the like to thy soul by chusing and pulling thee out of sinne nature death and hell O saith Paul I have obtained mercy Secondly she may be compared to a city because of her visibility she is not like a candle under a bushel but as a fire a beacon on a hill your cities are spacious to the eye and so is the Church and shall be more and more for Christ now by his providence seemes to say arise and shine and shake thy self from the dust O captive daughter of Sion shew thy self and let the nations know thy strength power glory and greatnesse that they may be in love with thee and come in fall down and bow their neckes to thy sweet yoaks of obedience to Christ Thirdly the church of God is compared to a city for her treasure you know all the treasures of God are laid up in Christ as a store house to this city and every citizen hath as I may so say is the key of this storehouse by which he goeth and fetcheth out what treasure he will I mean the Spirit by which they may fetch out pardon peace righteousnesse yea any thing they need but still by the Spirit which is the key of David that shuts and no man opens that opens and no man shuts this Spirit saith Christ to his disciples shall take of mine and shew it unto you as Iohn 10. And this he doth to the whole church of God and truely you that know the Spirit knows he brings rich and costly things to your souls many times sometime pardon for sinne and them freely too which could not be bought out by tears and sorrows before he comes O saith the Spirit I have brought thee that for which thou weepest and mournest namely a pardon sealed in Christs blood and a crowne to purchast by Christs merits O sinner what thinkest thou of
this pardon is it not sweet yes saith the sinner sweeter then the honey or the hony-combe O saith a poore soule I blesse God more for this then if he had made me the greatest prince in the world Fourthly it is called a city for her privilidges no city but hath its charter and privilidges at least some distinct from towns and villages O Ierusalem city of our God thy privilidges excell all the worlds who may be compared to thee for privilidges yea peculiar privilidges which no nation but thee can lay hold on nor people in the world neither all the people in the world are Gods by creation but Ierusalem by purchase all the world he feeds and cloaths O Israel who is a people like unto thee shielded by the great God fed by the Manna and watered by the rocks and sheltred by a cloud by day and a pillar of sire by night God in a way of providence keeps all creatures but man especially but Israel and Jerusalem above all who are his choice pieces of silver yea his treasure and jewels now treasure you know men will keep choicer then that which is but ordinary parents will let farthings and counters lie about for their children to play with but who will leave jewels carelesly here and there in common places no men are wise and will lay up their precious stones in choice cabbenets and so doth God he layes his up in his cabbenet of providence and charges his Angels with these jewels or sons of Sion more precious then jewels or choice silver either and in this particular he is said to keep them as a man keepeth the apple of his eye and is as tender over them as a father so saith David as a father pittieth his children so pittieth the Lord them that fear him O happy and blessed people pittied saved and kept by God I will keep thee every moment yea every moment in the den yea every moment in the furnace and every moment in all houres and seasons night and day death and judgement in times of troubles warres and judgement yea closset them in raines I house them like Noah in the Arke and in famine feed them like Elisha by the raven yea what shall I say I will be a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day yea a sun and shield as David speaks and sure defence too And now who art thou that forgettest the Lord thy maker and fearest the man or the son of man who is as the grasse of the field and shall die But in the fifth and last place the Church is compared to a city because the Spirit is as a river feeding of it O saith David He feeds me in green pastures and leads me by the still waters this he speaks of concerning the Spirit if the foundation be removed what can the righteous do There is a river the streames thereof shall make glad the city of God Psalm 46.4 O this Spirit streaming in and by thee presents Christ over and over to thy soul in all his lovelinesse and this must needs make glad the city a people of God Nothing is the Spirit oftner compared to then the waters when the poor and needy seeks waters I the Lord will heare and open rivers in the tops of the mountains this is a prophesie of the Spirits powring out to poore and thirsty who do apprehend themselves farre from the water of consolation I will powre out my Spirit saith God by the prophet Ioel and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie that is they shall be enabled to open the Scriptures mysteries But now why is it called a holy city The Scripture speaks of a two fold holinesse First a holinesse of things Secondly a holinesse of persons First a holinesse of things in foure or five respects First things are said to be holy by way of dedication or consecration so the bowls of the temple are said to be holy and all the vessels of the temple too Secondly things are said to holy by way of simulation or figure so was the Arke the brasen serpent Aarous rod and the Manna which did figure and similie out Christ Thirdly things may be said to be holy by way of calling so was the Priests office it was a holy calling be holy ye that beare the vessels of the Lord. Fourthly things may be said to be holy by way of rule or precept so the word of God the law of God is holy as Paul saith though I be sinfull yet the law is holy and just and good though I be carnall Fifthly things may be said to be holy by way of comparation so Ierusalem is called the holy city because the holy God was worshipped in it though it were in it selfe a sinfull city But secondly persons may be said to be holy likewise And first by way of creation so the fallen Angels were made holy and Adam too in his first creation God created man upright but he found out many inventions Secondly persons may be said to be holy by way of calling so the Priests Prophets Apostles and Patriarchs O saith Paul the holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holy Ghost in them Thirdly men may be said to be holy by the inherent holinesse of God in them having the holy Spirit of God in them purifying of them and now they may be well said to be holy in these respects first comparing themselves with themselves formerly they walked in darknesse and lived in sin and nature but now in light by the Spirit who tels them they are none of their own but redeemed of Christ to whom they live as Paul saith if I live I live to Christ and if I die I die to Christ O happy change from sin and Satan to God and Christ Secondly men may be said to be holy comparing themselves with others whose lives lies and wallows in all pollution Paul speaks of some who were drunkards covetous filthy unclean sinners and such were some of you but now you are washed and cleansed Lastly and chiefly men may be said to be holy by way of imputation having the holines or righteousnes of God imputed to them he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5.21 And in this sence the whole church of God is holy having the holinesse or righteousnesse of Christ imputed to her and in this sence she is said to be holy even as Christ is holy But thirdly why is this Ierusalem called new Ierusalem for three or four reasons First in respect of creation Secondly in respect of declaration Thirdly in respect of reparation First in respect of creation so you call a thing new that is newly made what is so a building is called new because it is newly set up in this respect Ierusalem is called new Ierusalem because God hath set it up for a building for himselfe or habitation for his owne glory where he will