SER. CIX. 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 yourfelves with the laws of the city; I mean, the icriptures of truth; "He hath given his ftatutes to Jacob, and his tellimonies 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 shall 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 gofpel.

(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 everlasting covenant never to be forgotten:" fwear in the name of the Lord, fwear by the help of his grace, and fwear in the ftrength 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

under

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 uttermot 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 these 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 citizens by your holy walk.

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

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

4. See that ye love the corporation, and be ready to put forth yourself for the good of the city: "Pray for the peace of Jerufalem; they fhall profper that love her."

5. See that ye be fubject to the government of the city, the ftatutes of the church, fo far, and no further than they are agreeable to, and fet down in the fcriptures of truth; "Follow peace with all men, and holinefs, without which no man fhall fee the Lord:" peace, grounded upon truth and holiness, is the chief ftatute of the city: Buy the truth at any rate, and fell it not, even for peace itfelf.

6. See that ye be diligent in following the trade and calling of this city. Activity in our fpiritual trade will

witnefs, that you are true citizens of this city; and it is the daily trade thereof to be waiting at the door of the city, waiting at Wifdom's door-pofts, and coming boldly to the throne of grace, and living by faith on the Son of God. Think much of this, that ye are free men in the city, and reckon much upon the privileges that you enjoy, particularly that God fhould write upon you the name of the city of your God, which is the new Jerufalem, which cometh down out of heaven from your God, and write upon you his new name, Rev. iii. 12. Likewife

reckon yourfelves dead indeed unto fin, and reckon yourfelves righteous in Chrift. It is true humility, not only to acknowledge your natural mifery and finfulness, but alfo to acknowledge your fpiritual privileges and mercies that you enjoy in Christ. Again,

7. Are you citizens? Then make daily ufe of the river that makes glad the city of God. Be glad and rejoice in the Lord, whatever fad cafe or circumftance you are in. "O! fay you, is there any ground of

joy and gladnefs for me, when I find myself scorched "with the wrath of God, ready to burn me up?" Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find that the ftreams thereof have a cooling and quenching virtue. We joy in God through Jefus Chrift, by whom we have received the atonement, and are faved from wrath through him." O! is there any ground of gladnefs when I "find nothing but pollution and filthinefs taking place "in me?" Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find it hath a cleanfing virtue, to take away all pollution; "The blood of Christ cleanseth from all fin. I will fprinkle clean water upon you, and ye fhall be clean; from all your filthinefs, and from all your idols will Icleanfe you.' "O! is there any ground of gladnefs, when I am all "wounds and bruifes, all over-run with difeafes and "maladies?" Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find the streams thereof have a healing virtue. Here are the healing waters of the fanctuary; I am the Lord that bealeth thee." O! is there any ground of joy and gladuefs, when I find myfelf dead in fin, having a "dead heart, a dead frame, nothing but the image of "death about me?" Yea, let faith run to the river,

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and you will find the ftreams thereof have a quickening virtue; Ezek. xlvii. 9. " Every thing fhall live whither the river cometh: it is the water of life; he that believeth in me, tho' he were dead, yet fhall he live."-"O! "what ground of gladnefs, when my heart is fo hard "and ftupid like a rock, harder than an adamant ?* Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find the water hath a foftening virtue; "God can, out of stones, raise up children to Abraham," and take away the heart of ftone, melt the adamant." O! what ground of glad. "nefs, when I find no fruit, nothing but the curfe of "barrennefs upon me?" Why, let faith run to the river; the ftreams are of a fructifying virtue, and you fhall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth her fruit in its feafon." O! is there any ground "of joy when I find my strength gone, and that I have no power for any duty? I am not able to move, nor to "look up." Yea, let faith run to the river; you will find the ftreams thereof have a ftrengthening virtue: you fhall be ftrengthened by the Spirit in the inner man, and when you are weak, you fhall then be ftrong; Pf. lxxxiv.5,6. "Bleffed is the man whofe ftrength is in thee; while the rain filleth the pools, they go from ftrength to ftrength, till they appear before the Lord in Zion."" O! is "there any ground of joy or gladnefs for me, when I "find I cannot receive any confolation, when I am juft in "the pit of trouble, and in the depth of defpondency?" Yea, let faith run to the river, and you will find the ftreams thereof have a refreshing virtue, a reftoring vir tue to restore your foul. The ftreams are of a gladden-. ing quality: whatever be the ground of fadnefs, here is everlasting ground of gladness: There is a river, the Streams whereof do make glad the city of God.

3dly, I would drop a few words to all in general. Let me exhort you to come and drink at the ftreams of this river, running in the channel of the covenant of promife. Here is a ftream of grace for every one of you; a fiream of quickening grace, for the dead finner; pardoning grace, for the guilty finner; purifying grace, for the filthy; healing grace, for the difeafed; and drawing grace, for the backward. As rivers ly open to all paffengers,

fengers, fo this river lies open to all poor finners. It is not a fountain fealed, but the fountain opened that we proclaim among you; "Whofoever will, let him come." As all may drink at a river, and drink their fill, and it never be miffed, fo it is here; come with your empty veffels, ye that have nothing, no wit, no grace, no ftrength, no righteoufnefs, Chrift hath enough for himfelf, and enough for you; "Let him that is athirft come:-Ho, every one that thirfteth;" that is, every one that needs a drink; ho, every one that is ignorant, you need a drink of teaching and enlightening grace; Christ is a Prophet to give that to you: ho, every one that is guilty, you need a drink of pardoning grace, and Chrift is a Prieft to give that to you: ho, every one that is under the power and dominion of fin and Satan, Chrift is a King to give liberating grace to

you.

It is the first invitation to come to Jefus that you have got by our hand, and in all probability it will be the laft; and it may be now or never: fhall this offer then be flighted? Say not you will not be welcome; O! try it: yea, he will be glad of you, and rejice in you, whatever you have hitherto been and what is Chrift faying? O come without delay: come to me, whatever you have been: you that have been a drunkard, you that have been a fwearer, you that have been a whoremonger or adulterer, you that have been a Sabbath-breaker, you that have been an incarnate devil, here is a Saviour come to fave you from your fins, an incarnate God come to fave incarnate devils. O! here is a mystery of love, that he is content to take a finner at the close of his days, and even when he hath been giving the flower of his time to his idols, and the ftrength of his heart unto vanity. O! the myllery of the love of Chrift, that he is content to take you at the laft, and at the worst; to take you when your idols havé forsaken you, and when you can do no better. O! come to the river; "Whofoever will, let him come.." Why come you here, if you come not to Chrift? May I fay, "What came ye out to the wilderness to fee, or to hear?" Many have come to fatisfy their curiofity, to fee and hear

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