4. Are you acquainted with the temple of the city? "I faw no temple there, but the Lord God almighty, and the Lamb are in the midft of it." What acquaintance have you with the temple? and with looking again and again to his holy temple in all your ftraits?" They looked to him, and were enlightened, and their faces. were not afhamed."—Are you acquaint with the trade of the city; trading with heaven, living upon Chrift, and his fulness? Do you endeavour to fupport the walls of the city, the doctrine, worship, difcipline, and government of God's houfe? Are you feeking the good of the city and citizens?" If I forget thee, O Jerufalem, let my right hand forget her cunning."

5. If you be a true citizen, then you will have fomewhat of the difpofition of, and conformity to the heavenly Jerufalem; for, "Ye are come to mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general affembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven," Heb. xii. 22. The church militant and triumphant are but one houfe; the one the lower, the other the upper. room.-In that city there is perfect vifion; they fee him as he is. Now, what begun conformity have you to that? What views have you got of Chrift?-In that city there is full fruition. Now, what conformity have you to that? What fellowship with the Father and Son?-In that city there is perfect likeness to Chrift. What have you of this? Beholding his glory, are you changed? What holinefs have you? or what lamentation over your unholinefs, and longings after it!-In that city there is perfect joy. What have you of the beginnings hereof, by your fharing of the river that makes glad the city of God? What drops of divine joy ftrengthen you at times? Though frequently you have forrow, yet Chrift fays, "I will fee you again, and your hearts fhall rejoice." Do you find his vifiting you again and again, giving fome joy? I fpeak not of the measure, but of the reality of the thing.

than other coin, yet, if it bear the image of Gæfar, it fhould pafs. If we fee the image of Chrift, we fhould love it, though there be fome fmall differences. Some have a greater, and fome a lefs degree. "By this we know that we are paffed from death to life, because we love the brethren."

7. If you be among the inhabitants of the city of God, then you are diftinguifhed, from the rest of the world in your garb, your language, your zeal.—You are distinguished in your garb; you are, in fome refpects, all glorious within, cloathed with the imputed and implanted righteousness of Chrift.-You will be dif tinguished in your language; you will love to fpeak of Zion's King, and the privileges of the city; and have forgotten the language of Afhdod: the curfed fwearer, and the perfon that loves not to fpeak, or hear concerning the city of God, he does not look like an inhabitant of it. You will be diftinguifhed alfo as to your zeal, if you be a citizen; the concerns of the city will ly near your heart and the zeal you have thereto, will even be like to eat you up.

The laft ufe we fhall make of the doctrine fhall be for exhortation and this fhall be tendered to three forts of perfons. 1. To thefe that are not citizens of this city of God. 2. To these that are citizens. And, 3. To all in general.

Ift, To thefe that are not citizens of this city of God. It will not make you a citizen that you dwell in the city, profefs to be a citizen, or be taken for a citizen. O tudy to be citizens of this city of God! And to enforce this exhortation, confider,

1. The great confufions and commotions that are in our day: The earth is like to be removed, and the mountains caft into the midft of the fea; the waters are roaring, and the mountains fhaking: the heathen raging, and the people imagining a vain thing: there are many fecret and open plots against the Lord and his Anointed.

2. Confider that, notwithstanding of all the confufions and diforders in the world, there is appearance f greater, if the Lord do not prevent, because of our

fruitleffness under the gofpel: dreadful fecurity, and many other tokens of the Lord's anger, portending great con fufion; and what will you do, if you have not interest in this city, where alone there is fafety and peace?

3. Confider the mifery of thefe who are without the city: the fuburbs is a dangerous poft in time of war for they are lure to be confumed, either by the citizens or enemies. Though you be befide the ark in a profeffion of religion, yet you may perish as certainly as thefe that are an hundred 'miles from it. And if And if you fhall NOT escape who neglect this great falvation, by refufing to go into the city, what will become of these who pull down the walls of this city, as many are doing at this day? “God will render vengeance to his

enemies."

4. Confider the happinefs of thefe that are true citizens of this city: they are freed from fin, freed from Satan, freed from the law, freed from death, freed from hell, freed from trouble, or bleffed with rest in the midft of it; for, in the greatest commotions in the world, there is a river, the streams whereof do make glad the city of God.

Now, if you afk, What you fhall do to be citizens? We anfwer, That there are none born free of this city. All thefe that are born under the external privileges of it, have not a right to the special privileges that belong. to the citizens thereof: but if you would become citi

zens,

(1.) You must be born again; it is not your natural generation, but spiritual regeneration that will make you free in this city; "Of Zion it fhall be faid, This man and that man was born in her."

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now: "Depart from the tents of wicked men: Come out from among them, my people, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord.”

(3.) Study to get your burgefs ticket fecured; "Give all diligence to make your calling and election fure:" and if you have this in your hand, you may go thro' the wilderness with gladness, whatever difficulties may be in the way, faying, with Habakkuk, "Altho' the fig tree fhall not bloffom, neither fhall fruit be in the vine;-yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation."

(4.) Acquaint yourselves with the laws of the city; I mean, the icriptures of truth; "He hath given his ftatutes to Jacob, and his teflimonies to Ifrael:" therefore, "Search the fcriptures; for in them ye think ye have everlaiting life, and thefe are they which teftify of me."

(5.) You must accept of the grant of freedom and liberty that Chrift offers to you; he offers to make you all free men in this city; and, "If the Son make you free, you fhall be free indeed." Accept of the Lord Jefus Christ, and all his fulness, freely; fay, Even fo, I take him as he is offered in the gospel.

(6.) You must take the oath of the city. Here is an oath, Sirs, that you may freely take. Some infnaring oaths in our day are unfuitable to, and inconfiftent with the corporation of this holy city: but I can freely offer and tender you the oath of this city of God; enter into a covenant with him under the influences of grace, " An evérlafting covenant never to be forgotten:" fwear in the name of the Lord, fwear by the help of his grace, and fwear in the flrength of Jehovah, that you will be for him, and not for another: take an oath of abjuration against all your enemies, fin, Satan, and the world, that pretend a right to the throne of your heart: take an oath of allegiance to the Son of God, to give him the kingdom, and yield him the obedience. His right to the crown is unquestionable.

The main exhortation and advice I offer to you is, to come to the King of the city, the mighty King, take on with him; Look to him as able to fave to the uttermoft, whatever powerful objections ly in the way. Are you

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under the power of death? Behold, he is the refurre&tion and the life; the God that quickens the dead, and calls things that are not, as tho' they were.-Are you under the power of darknefs? Behold, he is the light of the world; and enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world. Are you under the power of unbelief? Look to him as the Author of Faith. He is able to fave to the uttermott all that come to God by him, as the way and as the Leader.-Are you under the power of heart-hardnefs? Yet, O Sirs, defpair not; help is nigh at hand: he can, of these ftones, raife up children to Abraham. Put work in his hand, that hath faid, "I will take away the heart of ftone."-Whatever is the plague, here is the cure. O ftout-hearted Atheift! this mighty grace

can conquer you..

2dly, We next tender our exhortation to thefe who are citizens and my advice to you is,

1. That you wear the livery of this city, and that is holinefs. Let it appear to the world, that ye are citi zens by your holy walk.

2. See that ye speak of the language of the city, not the language of Afhdod; let your converfation difcover your being citizens of Zion.

3. See that ye bear burdens in the city. Be content to bear the common burden, the cross of Chrift; If any man will be my difciple, let him deny himself, and take up his crofs and follow me." Endeavour to bear down errors and herefies by your prayers and endeavours.