be deftroyed; and who knoweth, whether thou art come to the kingdom for fuch a time as this?" Efther iv. 14. 2dly, Is the church the city of God? Then hence

fee,

1. That God hath the abfolute ordering and difpofal of all the concerns of this city. He is the Head and Governor of it himself, it being his own property. It is the height of arrogance for any mortal, to take upon them to be fupreme head of it. He needs no colleague for the vaftnefs of his dominions, no regent in his minority, nor viceroy in his abfence.

+

5. Is the church the city of God? Then we may infer the perpetuity thereof. If it be the city of God, it fhall never be totally ruined. The greatest cities have been brought to ruin and defolation; Jam feges ubi Troja fuit. But this is firmly established, that the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it: "God is in the midit of her, fhe fhall not be moved."

6. If it be the city of God, then we fee what fhould be the temper of all the citizens; furely we ought to imitate him whofe city it is, to be holy as he is holy. We fhould feek to be like the Governor of the city; "Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

3dly, Hath the city of God, the church of God fweet grounds of encouragement amidst all the confufions in the world? Then hence we may infer,

1. That it is not the ruin of the church to undergo external confufion and affliction. When human fences are gone, we are not to let our confidence and hope for the church hath no dependence on the creature. There is ftill ground of encouragement in God, on whom it depends. It falls out that the ftate of the invifible church is beft, when the ftate of the vifible church is worít. Lacedæmon was always a gainer by its wars. It is faid of the tribe of Levi, that they got no inheritance with their brethren; for the Lord was their inheritance. Really it was no lofs to them; for, if they had another inheritance, perhaps they would have had no fhare in God.

2. Hence fee, what is the duty of the people of God, under the confufions and commotions of our day. Be not difcouraged; "Ye are come to mount Zion, to the city of the living God:" and, There is a river, the ftreams whereof do make glad the city of God. O what encouragement and comfort have fome martyts had, in embracing the very flames! Vincentius fpoke in thefe terms. "Rage,

•་

fays he, and do the worst that the fpirit of malignity can fet thee on work to do; thou fhalt fee God's Spirit firengthen the tormented, more than the devil

can do the tormentor." I remember another joyful martyr had thefe triumphant dying words, "It is but • a fmall matter, fays he, to die once for Chrift; but, F 2

t

"if it might poffibly be, I could wish to die a thousand "deaths for him." O what gladnefs and triumph hath filled the hearts of the people of God, not only in the profpect of danger, but in the profpect of death! And all the matter is, There is a river that makes glad the city of God.

3. If there be a river that makes glad the city of God, then let the citizens be afraid of doing that which may divert the ftreams of this river from their fouls. Beware of fin, which may provoke God to turn away, and alter the channel of the ftreams; and then you fhall have forrow instead of gladness. Do not tempt him to withdraw the fenfe of his favour.

The fecond ufe of the doctrine may be for examinatiIf you be a true citizen, you will not only have the burgefs-ticket, baptifm, (many are like honorary bur geffes, that get a burgefs-ticket, and perhaps never see the city again, nor are concerned about the welfare thereof;) but try what you know,

on.

1. Of the avenue of the city, the avenue that leads to it; I mean, conviction and humiliation, John xvi. 8. The Spirit convinces, partly by opening the law, both in its fpirituality, as reaching the heart, Mat. v. 28.; and in its feverity, as pronouncing a curfe againft fin, Gal. iii. 10.; partly by opening our fin, as a tranfgreffion of the law, and an expofing to the curfe and wrath threatened. -The Spirit humbles as a Spirit of bondage, which imports partly an apprehenfion of our prefent evil, finful condition, as a bafe condition, a depraved, enflaved, dangerous, weary condition; and partly an expectation of future evil. The man is troubled for what he hath done against God, and for what God may juftly do a gainst him.

2. What do you know of the gate or door of the city; I mean, converfion? Here the Spirit opens the door, partly by opening the gofpel, and the ftrong grounds of faith and hope in gofpel-offers, anfwering doubts and fears from former iniquity, or present unworthiness and unfitnefs; these the Spirit inwardly anfwers, partly by opening the heart and overcoming it, and drawing it out towards

towards Chrift, fo as it is united to him by faith, love, defire, delight. Thus the dead foul is raifed to life, and now the man is converted,

(1.) From his own righteoufnefs to reliance upon the Lord our righteoufnefs. Men naturally depend upon a righteoufnels of their own; fomething wrought by them, or in them, is the ground of their hope and confidence. Some trut to this, that they are good Chriftians; fome to this, that they are good Proteftants; fome that they have a good honcit mind and meaning; fome that they do this and the other good duty; fome that they are good neighbours, and wrong no-body; fome that they are zealous for a good caufe, and are always on the best fide; fome that they have good affections and enlargements at times; they get a tear fhed in hearing, and joy in hearing, &c. Every one lays ftrefs upon one thing or another. But evangelical converfion brings a man off from thefe bottoms, and from all confidence in the flesh.

(2.) This converfion frees men from all their fins and idols, reckoning all nothing to the pearl of great price. The man not only confeffes fin, but forfakes it; not only forfakes it, but is grieved for it; not only grieves for it, but hates it; not only hates it, but purfues it to death, and feeks the utter ruin of it, faying, O to have fin crucified! O to be avenged on these Philiftines! not only for my two eyes that they have put out, not only for the hurt they have done to me, but for the dishonour and indignities they do unto God.

3. Have you any acquaintance with the streets of the city? particularly these two great ftreets wherein the citizens walk, viz. obedience to the commanding will of God, and fubmiffion to his difpofing will.

(1.) A man, by obedience to the commanding will of God, difputes not any of his commands, but approves of his whole will; difapproves of himself for want of conformity to him. He is difpleased with himfelf, faying, "Oh! wretched man that I am!" He hath a fecret approbation and fatisfaction with himfelf, when he finds conformity thereunto wrought, he is pleafed with this, as evidential of his intereft in Chrift's righteousness. F 3 When

When he finds himself brought under the power of holinefs, and delivered from the power of fin, then he is best pleased with himself, who is walking along the fireet of obedience to the commanding will of God.

(2.) The other street of the city is fubmiffion to God's difpofing will and they that know what it is to walk along this, are brought to a fubmiffion to the providence of God. The man that cannot walk here, he is dif pleafed with every providence, faying, "Why doth God fuffer thefe confufions in the world? Why doth "he fuffer fin to be in me, and in the world? Why "doth not a holy God take courfe with his enemies on a fudden? Why am not I redreffed inftantly of "my grievances? Why are not my prayers inftantly

("

heard?" The man cannot wait God's leifure, nor God's time, but limits the holy One of Ifrael, and repines at every difpenfation: but now, when he is brought to be a true citizen, and acquaint with the ftreets of the city, he is ready to fay, Alas! I am afhamed of myself, and my unbelief, and my hellifh pride, and all my heart-rifings against the divine will. Now he defires to fay, " Lord, what wilt thou have me "to do? What wilt thou have me to fuffer? Let me

((

do what thou pleafeft, provided thou helpest me; let me fuffer what thou pleafeft, provided thou upholdeft "me; I will put a blank in the Lord's hand. Let me "be reproached, if he see that good for me; let me be poor, let me be trampled under foot: yea, if he fee it "meet fometimes to hide his face, to keep me empty, and deny me these sweet influences that I would gladly have at all times; if it be for his glory and my good, "that these be denied, let him even take the govern"ment, and rule the reins as he pleafeth; let me not

affect the dominion: let him take his own way of dieting me, and keeping me from hand to mouth. "I know he will not farve me, but defigns my good

in all things; "He is a God of judgment, and bleffed are all they that wait for him." How unpleasant "were his providences of this fort once a day to me! But now he hath brought me to know the ftreets of "the city."