bottome Every private Christian is upon the same termes in point of stability with Sion it self They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion And they not only collectively taken but likewise distributively When it is said here that God will establish Sion we are to understand it especially of Sion Mystically rather then of Sion Locally Particular Churches may fail but not the Church in General And again general Churches may fail but not particular Christians yea the whole world may fail when yet a Beleever stands impregnable Cadit mundus stat Christianus quia non codit Christus Augustine There is not the poorest Christian that is but he is upon surer termes with God then any one visible Church Gods Covenant is but temporary with a Nation but it is perpetual with a Person as being founded in Christ Himself whom he is rooted into As here in the City such a Company or Corporation may fail when as the particular Members or Brethren of it may subsist and hold up their Heads We see those famous Churches of Asia which are made mention of in the Revelation how they are all now come to nothing And other Churches have no better an hold then they had Quam diu bene se gesserint durante bene placito That so we may not be high-minded but fear Indeed it should be All our Cares and endevours that God would establish not only that but this not only Sion in general but also our Sion in particular not only Christendome but England nor only England but London and we are answerably to demean our selves in order and reference hereunto which may be very much obtained and procured by our behaviour we should every one so deport our selves as that God may delight still to dwell amongst us and not remove the Candlestick from us We which are set watchmen upon the wals we should never hold our peace day nor night And we which make mention of the Lord or are the Lords Remembrancers we should not keep silence till he has establisht and made our Jerusalem even a praise in all the Earth Esai 62.6,7 So much for that And so I have done with this celebration of the Priviledge on Mans part by way of Report in the 5. verse And of Sion it shall be said c. The second is on Gods part by way of Record The Lord shall count c. vers 6. 2. The Divine Celebration This has a double preheminence both of the Person and of the Conveyance First of the person that it is God As for men to take notice of such a businesse there 's it may be no such matter in it They may be carried perhaps by fondnesse and partiality and self-love have some respect to themselves in it Yea but for the honour of the Natives of Sion the Lord Himself shall take an account of them and observe who they are Secondly For the Conveyance That other it is only of Report Of Sion it shall be said that 's but a transient observation Vox audita perit But this here it is by way of Record The Lord when he writes up the people c. Litera scripta manet This is more abiding and permanent And here again two things more First somewhat Implyed And secondly somewhat Exprest That which is implyed is this That God does write up the people That which is exprest is this that when God does write up the people he shall count in this with it That this Man was born there 1. That which is implyed First For the thing implyed it is this That God does write up the people He does conscribere Populos It is a Metaphor taken from the affairs of this present life and the offices of it From a shepherd taking account of his sheep From a Commander numbring of his Souldiers From a Magistrate or Chamberlain of a City registring and inrolling those which are made free of such a City and Corporation Thus does the Lord do in his Church in Ezek. 13.9 we read of Kethab Beth Iisrael The writing of the house of Israel And Exod. 30.12 of Rosh Bene Iisrael The sum of the children of Israel And Numb 11.26 Of Eldad and Medad that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among them that were written In Mal. 3.17 There 's Sepher Zikkaron A Book of Remembrance which was written for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And God hath divers Books of this nature First The book of Election and Predestination which is calld in Scripture language The Book of Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 4.3 whose names are in the Book of Life that is the Heavenly Roul Luk. 10.22 Rejoyce in this because your names are written in Heaven Secondly The Book of Scriptures wherein there are the Records of all the famous and eminent Saints both of the Old and New Testament and in them vertually of all the rest In Scriptura populorum so Hierom renders it In the Scripture of the people and he gives this reason for it ut quae ab omni populo legatur which may be read of all people indifferently The third is The Book of Providence and preservation which Moses understands by Thy Book Exod. 32.32 When as rather then Israel should be utterly destroyed he makes this Petition to God Blot me I pray thee out of thy Book which thou hast written i. e. Not out of the Book of Election as it is commonly and ordinarily taken but out of the Book of Providence According to that also in Esai 4.3 Every one that is written amongst the living in Jerusalem or appointed and designed to life and preservation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take it which way you will There is a Register and record which is made God writes up the people and the foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal THE LORD KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS 2 Tim. 2.19 That 's that which is here imply'd 2. That which is Exprest The second is that which is Exprest And that is this That when God does write up the people He shall count in this with it That this man was born there God takes a special notice of such and such particular persons which were born in such and such places and how they are qualified He does not only Censum agere make a Taxation of the people which I noted before but he does also Censuram agere set his mark of Remembrance upon them and gives his verdict and judgement of them He takes notice not only of persons but of conditions Thus and thus Able Thus and thus Usefull Thus and thus Serviceable And he esteems of his Church so much the better as such as these are Members of it and born in it Vse This is much for the honour and comfort of the servants of God and may serve as an incouragement to us in the service of Him That however men may esteem of us we shall
corners of the Land All that he thinks of or it may be his friends for him is only to get him a Trade to provide him a Master to set him in some way of livelihood against another day Oh but a gracious God has a further design upon him not only to gain his Trade but gain his Soul not only to teach him some Art or Mystery here in the world but to teach him the Trade of Piety the Art of Christianity the Mystery of godlinesse and Religion not only to make him a Man but to make him a Christian of the houshold of God of the company of Angels a fellow Citizen of the Saints an Inhabitant of the new Jerusalem a free Denizen of Heaven it self This Man now he is born here Here he is born Let the place of his first coming into the world be where it will be So that now Beloved upon this reckoning we have a great many more Countreymen then we made account of And likewise again on the other side not so many as we could desire If Birth be to be judged of by Grace and according to the first beginnings of Religion there are many which owe very much to this City the City of London of all other places as wherein they first received such impressions as these upon their hearts And accordingly it becomes them to acknowledge it and to be thankful for it There are many unkinde and unnatural and ungrateful people in the world which in this respect make but ill returnes to those places and persons which have been the means and instruments of doing them this spiritual good Unchurch those Churches wherein they first received heavenly instruction Un-minister those Ministers who first acquainted them with the waies of God Now what an unseemly and unworthy a thing is this How ill becoming of those who have been partakers of so great a benefit and blessing as this indeed is Yea how ill does it agree with that state and condition of Christianity whereunto they pretend Certainly if they have any thing at all in Religion here they had it and if they be new-born at all they were born here Here was the womb that conceived them the paps that suckt them the immortal seed from whence they were born again the spiritual Fathers which begat them in Christ Jesus by the Gospel All which they have it was here that so here they may acknowledge the mercy and return the praise But so much may suffice to have spoken of the first Emphasis in this passage before us as it may be laid upon the particle THERE And so as an advancement of the person taken from the PLACE The Emphasis upon THIS The second is by laying it upon THIS and so it is an advancement of the place taken from the person It is made the Honour and Dignity of Sion that is of the true Church of God To have such and such born in it This and that Man was born in her There are two things signified in this expression as Branches of this Honour The one is the Quality of the persons and the other is the Number of them For the Quality of them This. For the Number of them This and That To have both of these born in Sion Persons of note and eminency And a multitude and plurality of such persons This is a part of that Dignity and Renown which belongs unto it And it is so to Sion in each consideration of it whether we take it Mystically or Locally For the Church in General or for this Church and City in Particular First Take it for Sion Mystically i. e. the Church in General As it is an honour to it to bring forth not to be absolutely barren or destitute of children but to have persons to be born in it so it is first of all an honour to have born in it persons of note such persons as are eminent in the most desirable Qualifications This is one thing which is remarkable about it This man was born in Her there is an Emphasis both in the Pronoun and in the Noun in this and in this Man and that as inlarging the Dignity of it First for the Pronoun This this indefinite Expression is of a different signification sometimes it is used reproachfully and by way of disdain they that abhor the person do commonly abhor the name with it Thus the Jewes when they speak of Christ not name him but in scorn That Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so in the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is He as if he were not worthy to be named Sometimes demonstratively and by way of supposition As the Spouse in the Canticles to the watchmen Saw ye him whom my soul loveth as supposing they must needs know whom she looked for And so Mary to Christ supposing him to be the Gardener Sir if thou hast taken him away hence c. Joh. 20.15 Him as taking it for granted that the person she spake of was understood Sometimes again respectfully and by way of eminency so Cant. 1.2 And so here in the Text. This that is this eminent person And so for the Noun Man The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here used for a man except qualified by some other word as joyned with it signifies a man of worth not a common or ordinary person The Church it brings forth such as these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of Renown famous and eminent men and that in all kinde of perfections whether natural or civil or spiritual men of parts or men of power or men of piety There are those in all these excellencies which have been and still are born in Her 1 This learned Man First Take it either for Natural or Acquired abilities Men of parts and knowledge and wisdome and improved understandings the Church is not without these This Man i. e. This learned Man or this wise Man was born in Sion All are not Idiots which are Christians No but there are some of very rare and admirable accomplishments in all kindes and pieces of learning and secular knowledge which are graciously qualified There 's Paul with his Parchments as well as Peter with his Fishers Net Indeed there are many vain persons who think that wisdome must dye with them and adjudge all to Duncery which make any pretence to Religion As others all to profanenesse which make any profession of Learning think that men cannot be godly and learned or wise both at once but this is a meer Fancy and conceit and mistake of their own These two they are not inconsistent but may very well hit and hold together yea and do though they often misse and do otherwise It is not Not any wise men but not many after the flesh are called 1 Cor. 1.26 There 's the Counsellor and the Orator Esai 3.3 2. This Potent man So also secondly Take it for civil or secular Qualifications Men of Dignity and Power and Estate This Man i.
and appurtenances belonging unto it of a most glorious commemoration with clapping of Hands with sounding of Trumpets with ringing of Bels with feastings and sending portions to one another and gifts to the poor as it was sometimes amongst the Jewes Esth 9.22 They shall joy before thee according to the joy in harvest and as men rejoyce when they divide the spoyle That this man was born there it is spoken of Christ Esai 9.3 And it 's applyable likewise to his Members when any are by the goodnesse of God born thus they have as great cause of exulting and rejoycing as any men else in all the world It is the joy of the Angels which they celebrate and therefore which the parties themselves are more especially interested in In the Civil Sense But that 's not all in the spiritual sense of it it may be carried also to the civil Of those which were born in Sion considered as the City of David and as determined to this particular place and this particular Countrey so there 's matter of â—…on in it also And so it comes home more particularly to the occasion of our present meeting at this present time we see here a warrant for the practise of this daies solemnity in the commemoration of those which have been born amongst us here in this City Indeed these observations of Births have sometimes been called in question whether lawful in regard of the Time and it holds proportionably of the place Some of the Ancients were very much against it as Origen and Jerom c. but their grounds are very weak and superstitious It seems they were born too soon to understand the Truth of this point For we which are born after them must take leave to be of another opinion and to dissent from them in it If there be any comfort in being in life in preservation whether of parent or children certainly Birth is to be acknowledged and to be remembred as a very great Blessing and that not for time only but place It is that which we do this day and may do with these due cautions and limitations which are considerable in it The manner of celebration 1. With Modesty First with Modesty and Schriety That we make it not a piece of Pageantry an occasion of shewing our selves to the world a numbring of the people an affectation only of conformity to other Countreys as who we think would not be inferior to them but with all meeknesse and humility and self-denial It is made as a great disparagement to the observation of Birth-daies That there were none in all the Scripture that kept them but only Pharaoh and Herod two wicked ungodly men Et celebrabant convivium quia ignorabant mysterium And they observed the solemnity because they understood not the mystery to wit of original sin This is that which we for our particulars are not to be ignorant of nor yet forgetful but to understand our selves in this particular 2. Thankfulnesse Secondly with thankfulnesse and due acknowledgement for Gods goodnesse to us in our Births with all the circumstances of them not only that we are born there but born thus with other priviledges attending hereupon Not only born in the City but preserved in it and so prevented from those sad calamities which many others have fallen into before our eyes in these late heavy troubles and distractions which have been upon the Land not driven from our houses not disturb'd in our imployments not separated from our nearest friends and greatest comforts others like so many exiles banisht from their particular Countreys we have all this while been even at home without any disturbance or interruption Oh blessed be God who hath shewn us such marvellous kindnesse in a strong City Psal 31.21 3. Improvement Thirdly With improvement and to edification That must be the main businesse of our coming together at this time that we may come together for the better and not for the worse for the mutual increase of love and the seeking occasions and opportunities for the doing of good That we which are Born in Sion may promote the welfare of Sion and that in either Accept on both in the civil sense and in the spiritual In the Civil the welfare of the City and in the spiritual the welfare of the Church and in each have a respect to those which are born in either The Scripture points out both as the proper regulations of Charity Both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those which are godly and good Christians and so of the Houshold of Faith And those which are Natives and and Born Citizens and so of your Houshold that ye may shew piety or kindnesse at home 1. Tim. 5.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus to celebrate such memorials as these is very noble and honourable and thus it may be done by us This report concerning Sion it shall be first made by the children of Sion It shall be said by them themselves 2. By others Secondly it shall be said also by others and those which are strangers to it It shall be said likewise by them so the Ethiopick Translation carries it in the very Text it self and reads the words thus Forrainers have said this of thee This and that man was c. In Esai 61.9 the place before cited Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their off-spring amongst the people all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are people whom the Lord hath blest They shall point at them as it were with their fingers as they go along the streets and that not in a way of scorn and reproach but in a way of honour and high respect Loe This and that man c. The meaning of it is this That it shall be no shame to be of such a Relation or such an Extraction There are some kinde of Countreys in the world which those that are the Natives of them are sometimes ashamed to own them in regard of some infamous mark or character which lies upon them But Sion is none of these There is so much true Dignity and Renown which belongs to this as that every one shall be ready to speak for it and every one shall be ready to own it c. That 's the first Branch considerable of us in this Popular Celebration The Report It shall be said 2. The Successe The second Branch is the Successe or glorious effect and The Highest himself shall establish it Here 's a gracious and comfortable intimation concerning the Church It may be taken either as a prayer or as a promise as a Prayer Let the Highest c. Or as a Promise The Highest shall or will it is a very good sense either of them But I rather incline to the latter as it is here rendred in our own Translation Where again two things more First The Blessing signified and that is the stability of Sion Secondly