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church; and therefore fhall not partake of the faving privileges thereof.

7. A city is a place of relt, and commodious to live in; and thus it is oppofed to a wilderness, Pfalm cvii. 4. They wandered in a wilderness, in a folitary way; they found no city to dwell in :" even fo, this city of God is the only place where folid reft is to be found. Thefe that are without the city, without the church, they are in a wildernefs, in a folitary way: there is no reft nor folid peace to any but thefe who are made denizons of the city of God.

8. A city is a place of privileges, a privileged place: fo the privileges even of the vifible church are many and great, much more the invifible.

(1.) There are privileges of the church visible; they have the fountain opened to them for fin and uncleanness, Zech. xiii. 1. Grace proclaimed to them, which Turks and Pagans have not; "Ho, every one that thirfteth, come to the waters; he that hath no money, let him come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price."-They have a right and title to God's covenant, by virtue of a general adoption, fo as they may plead the fame, and lay hold on eternal life, as given to them in the gofpel, Rom. ix. 4.—1 John v. 11.-They have this right to God's covenant fealed, ratified, and confirmed in baptifm; therein God gives them the fure mercies of David, Acts xiii. 34. "The promise is to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even to as many as the Lord our God fhall call," A&s ii. 39. To whom the covenant belongs, and the promife; to them belongs the feal of the covenant of promife.-Hence alfo the door of accefs to God, through Chrift, is open to them, and they may come with freedom and boldnefs for mercy and grace to help in time of need, Heb. iv. 16.-Again, they have, by virtue of their general adoption, an intereft in many fatherly acts of pity towards them, as children of the family, tho' in an outward fenfe, fuch as inftruction, correction, and reproof. God inftructs them by his word, corrects them by his rod, reproves them by his fervants for their fecurity, carnality, formality, unbelief, and whatever other faults. God deals not fo kindly with the reft.-Again,

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when they go to the right or left hand, they hear a voice behind them faying, "This is the way, walk ye in it:" they have the way of life and falvation pointed out to them.—In a word, they have minifters, word, facraments, ordinances; many privileges that others want. They have officers in this fociety; and, as all cities have a right to chufe their officers and magiflrates; fo, furely, the city of God hath a right to chufe its own officers and minifters: If they be robbed of this, they are spoiled of their freedom, as burgeffes in the city of God.

(2.) The church invifible hath many great privileges that belong to all the citizens of the city of God, and that none have a right unto, till they become fellowcitizens with the faints, and of the houfhold of God.Many fpiritual privileges they have, fuch as these ; peace with the King, pardon and reconciliation in the blood of Chrift; the Prince of peace is the Lord of the city: they are all like their King that dwells in the midft of the city, changed into the fame image. They are all kings, " Kings and priefts unto their God," Rev. i. 7. "The Lamb is the light of the place, and they are light in the Lord." It refembles the city of the new Jerufalem, no temple there but Chrift, no light there but Chrift; "The Lord fhall be thy everlafting light, and thy God thy glory."-They have peace of confcience, fanctification, eternal life. They have accefs to the King's table; yea, they have the ear of their Prince without a tedious attendance at court, as it is in this world; in Chrift we have boldness and accefs, with confidence, by the faith of him.—In a word, they have the privileges of an undoubted title to the city of the New Jerufalem above. Every true citizen here hath letters of conduct from his prince, and death and hell cannot ftop the way; they have their King's pafs, and therefore fhall go forward: they are bleffed with all fpiritual bleflings in Chrift, Eph. i. 3.

9. A city is a place of pomp and fplendour, efpecially a metropolis, or capital city: there is a king, the court, the throne fo in the church, here is the King of kings, his dwelling-place: here is the court, all believers that attend upon him: here is the throne of grace; and they that

See this matter fet in a clear light, Vol. V. p. 298. 351.418,419.

that dwell in this city, have continual occafion of feeing the King in his beauty.

10. A city is a place of pleasure and beauty, beyond all villages and country-cottages; fee what is faid of this city, the church of God, Pfal. xlviii. 2. “Beautiful for fituation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion." Here alfo are to be heard the fongs of Zion; the joyful found, through the filver trumpet of the gofpel.

2dly, Why is the church called the city of God? I answer,

1. It may be called the city of God, because he dwells in it; God is in the midft of her, fays the verfe following my text. The place where a man or woman dwells, is called their city; fo the town of Bethany is called, "The city, or town of Mary and Martha :" fo this is the city of God, because he hath fixed his refidence there; "The Lord hath chofen Zion: this is my reft, here will I flay:" it is here the King of glory keeps his court; it is the city of the great King, Pfalm xlviii. 2.

2. It is called the city of God, because he founded it, and built it. This is the anfwer that is given to the meffengers of the nations, The Lord bath founded Zion, Ifa. xiv. 32. He hath founded it in his eternal decree, laid the foundation of it in the covenant of redemption or grace, and he hath built it on the foundation of prophets. and apoftles, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief cornerftone; and fo it may be called the city of God.

3. It may be called the city of God, because it derives all privileges and immunities from him. This city hath its magnalia, or great things, from him: all that it does enjoy was purchafed by the blood of Chrift, and came to the church by promife through him, in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen. Grace here, and glory hereafter, all are derived from God, as the fruits and effects of his free grace: therefore it may well be called the city of God.

4. It may be called his city, becaufe he is the chief Ruler and Governor in the city. He is the fupreme Sovereign, that hath the chief command of it. He is the Legiflator here. Here he publishes his commands and. royal orders; and he will call all the citizens to an account

of their obedience, for he will judge every man according to his works.

5. It is his city; because it is his property. He not only poffeffes it, founded it, privileges it, and governs it, but it is his own property; it belongs to him, and none other he hath a manifold claim to it. He gave a being to all citizens of the city; "He made them, and not they themfelves:" he made them as men, and he made them as believers: he redeemed them by his blood. And,

6. He draws the rent of it. There is a revenue of praife that he doth draw from them, more than all the reft of the world; "This people have I formed for myself, and they fhall fhew forth all my praife."--Upon all these accounts the church may well be called the city of God.

II. The next General Head propofed was, To fhew what are thefe fad times that put the city of God into confufion. There are fad times with reference to the church in general, and with reference to the people of God in particular.

1ft, There are fome fad times with reference to the church in general, As,

1. It is a fad time when God's difpenfations twards his church and people feem to contradict his promife, to contradict their prayers, and to contradict their hope and expectation; to contradict their defires and wrestlings: when the knife of providence is, as it were, at the throat of Ifaac, at the throat of the promise and hope of his people.

2. It is a fad time when the church is oppreffed by the wicked, perfecuted for the fake of truth, and when the bufh is burning, and all in a flame; when he fhews his people hard things, and makes them drink the wine of aftonishment, Pfalm Ix. 3. When the enemy breaks in pieces his people, and afflicts his heritage, Pfalm xciv, 3. And when thefe afflictions are continued, and enemies make long their furrows, while, like plowers, they plow upon their back, Pfalm cxxix. 3.

3. It is a fad time when the Lord feems to difregard the prayer and cry of his people, and rather to be angry

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at them; Pfal. lxxx. 4. "O Lord of hofts, how long wilt thou be angry at the prayer of thy people! Lam. iii. 8. When I cry and fhout, he fhutteth out my prayer."Sometimes he feems inexorable, and will not grant the fuit of his fpecial favourites, when interceding in behalf of the church, even the fuit of a Noah, Daniel, and Job, the fuit of a Mofes and Samuel, &c.

4. It is a fad time in the city, when the Lord fuffers enemies within or without doors, to over-run all his own work, to pluck up the vine which his own right-hand hath planted, Pfalm 1xxx. 8,-16. To caft fire into the fanctuary, to pull down his carved work, as with axes and hammers, Pfalm lxxxiv. 4, 5, 6, 7. He that runs may read, that this is the fad cafe of the church in our day.

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5. It is a fad time, when fin and error overflow all their banks, and run in upon the city, and when Satan's feat is in the midst of the city; Rev. ii. 13. "I know thee where thou dwelleft, even where Satan's feat is; and thou haft them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." When in the church of Chrift there are that hold the doctrine of Arians, Atheifts, Deifts; the doctrine of Arminians, Socinians, Pelagians, and the like. Oh! but a finning time, wherein profanity abounds, and a time of error in doctrine is a fad time.

6. It is a fad time when faithful citizens and officers are removed, and few or none left to fill their room; when woful apoftafy takes place; when the courts of the city are corrupted; when feminaries of learning are defiled; and pulpits, and Sabbaths profaned; when Reformation is hated, inftead of being revived; and when the Spirit is reftrained, and nothing but barrennefs of the churches appear; few or no real converts to be feen. When there is both a fcarcity of faithful paftors, and paucity of found profeffors: when minifters are tinctured with loofe principles, and ftudy flourishing harangues, inftead of powerful, evangelical, applicatory preaching: when faints are become rare, Pfalm xii, 1. Ifa. lvii. 1. Jer. v. 1. Micah vii. 2.

2dly, There are fad times with reference to the people of God in particular.

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