ground and cause of the former benefit and of all other that follow For the better understanding whereof we must know that there is a double trope in the words First the gates of Sion part of the building of the city upon mount Sion are put for the whole city as it was a type of Gods Church in Christ who as Mediatour here began the setled building and government of it as Psal 2.6 compared with Luke 1.32.33 Secondly Jacob is here put for his posterity the whole twelve tribes who inhabited all the land of Canaan as if he would have said The Lord indeed bears a good affection to the whole land of Canaan where his people dwell as Deut. 11.12 A land which the Lord thy God careth for the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies upon it but above all the places thereof he bears a good affection towards Mount Sion whereon his holy city is built which is the type and beginning of his true Church in Christ visibly represented in a setled choyce place In the words thus conceived note this point The observation that God loves his Church above all other states and conditions of men in the world whatsoever Mal. 1.1 2,3 The word of the Lord to Israel that is the posterity of Jacob the Church in those dayes I have loved you saith the Lord and that more then others for was not Esau Jacobs brother saith the Lord yet I loved Jacob and I hated Esau which in the most mild and favourable interpretation taking hatred for lesse love as Gen. 29.30,31 proveth the point in hand that God loves his Church above all other states and conditions of men in the world John 13.1 Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end Eph. 5.25 Husbands love your wives even as Christ loved his Church Christ Jesus in love to his Church makes himselfe a pattern to husbands to love their wives Now we know every husband should love his owne wife more then any other woman in the world and therefore wee need not to doubt but Christ doth so to his Church The greatnesse of Gods love to his Church seene in three things This will yet more plainely appeare by these three things First Gods delivery vouchsafed to his Church from evils Secondly his advancement of her to speciall estate of happinesse Thirdly the means of both which is Jesus Christ given unto her 1. In delivering her from evils For the first the greatnesse of Gods love in his delivery of his Church will plainly appear by that which is said thereof both in generall and in particular In generall Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Psal 34.19 He visiteth and redeemeth his people and delivereth them out of the hands of all their enemies Luke 1.68.74 In particular Gods Church in her self is liable to temporall evils in this world and to evils eternall in the world to come for they were by nature the children of wrath even as others Ephes 2.3 Now from eternall evils God gives to his Church absolute and perfect deliverance There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 On them the second death hath no power Rev. 20.6 But it is not so with others that be on t of the Church to them it will be said Depart from me ye curâ—â—d into everlasting fire Mat. 25.41 And for deliverance from temporall evils in this world whether corporall or spirituall Gods Church hath a great prerogative above others though not in absolute freedome from them for we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdome of God Acts 14.22 and the Church of God is greatly afflicted when all the earth sitteth still and is at rest Zech. 1.11 12. Yet in her sufferings the Church of God hath a great measure of deliverance which the world doth ever want namely from the curse of God which ever accompanieth temporall evils upon the men of the world as Zech. 5.3 For Christ hath redeemed his Church from the curse of the law Gal. 3.13 and. the evils that lye upon them are corrections for sinne When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 or trials of grace as Jam. 1 2,3 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations Knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience 1 Pet. 1.6 7. wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heavinesse through manifold temptations that the triall of your faith being much more precious then of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ Job 2.3 The Lord said to Satan hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill and still he holdeth fast his integritie although thou movest me against him to destroy him without cause For the second 2. In advancing her to a speciall state of happinesse in this world Gods advancement of his Church to a speciall estate of happinesse is two fold partly in this world and principally in the world to come In this world sometime with outward peace and plenty to the admiration of the world as in the dayes of Solomon 1 Kings 10.21 c. And though many times the Church of God hath a small portion in temporall blessings for their felicitie is not in this life if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 yet hath she alwaies in Christ Jesus true right unto all temporall blessings for Christ is Lord of all Mat. 28.18 and in him all things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come 1 Cor. 3.21 22. She hath also a sanctified use of what she enjoyes and sweet content therein whether her portion be small or great I have learned in what ever state I am therewith to be content I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need Phil. 4.11 12. living under that speciall providence whereby she is preserved night and day Isaiah 27.3 But in spirituall blessings is her speciall advancement above the world Blessed with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ Eph. 1.3 Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 As in effectuall calling to the state of grace wherein they have spirituall society with God in Christ Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may
his Church See Psal 46.5 6 7. God is in the midst of her i. e. his Church she shall not bee moved God shall help her and that right early The heathen raged the kingdomes were moved he uttered his voyce the earth melted The Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge Psal 48.3 8 12 13 14. God is known in her palaces for a refuge As wee have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of hosts in the City of our God God will establish it for ever Walk about Sion and go round about her tell the towres thereof For this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death See Isa 33.20 21 22. Look upon Sion the City of our solemnities thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streames For the Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us Isa 37.35 I will defend this City to save it for mine own sake and for my servant Davids sake that is for my promise sake to David in Christ as Psal 132.11 13 14 17. The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David he will not turn from it of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne c. There will I make the horn of David to bud Now David he continued a true member of Gods house being carefull to keep in covenant with God as he both professed in word and testified by godly behaviour upon which he grounds his assurance of Gods especiall protection His profession of being in covenant see Psal 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant Psal 23.1.4 The Lord is my shepheard I shall not want Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evill His godly behaviour whereon hee grounds his assurance of Gods speciall protection is threefold First he puts his trust and hope in God as Psal 21.7 For the King trusteth in the Lord and thorow the mercy of the most high he shall not be moved Psal 11.1 In thee O Lord put I my trust how say ye to my soul flye as a Bird to your mountain Psal 16.1 Preserve me O God for in thee do I put my trust Psal 86.2 O thou my God save thy servant that trusteth in thee Secondly he testified his trust in God by prayer Psal 7.1 O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me Psal 116.3 4. The sorrows of death compassed me and the paines of hell gat hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow Then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul Thirdly he made conscience of a godly and upright life and thereon grounds his assurance of speciall protection Psal 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself the Lord will hear when I call upon him Psal 18.17 20. He delivered me from my strong enemy The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse c Vers 21 22 23. For I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God For all his judgements were before me and I did not put away his statutes from me I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity c. Psal 41.2 Thou upholdest me in mine integrity and settest me before thy face for ever This serves for instruction and for admonition and for comfort The use for instruction For instruction see here with David the true and right way of safery in time of trouble Get to dwell in Gods house and then Gods speciall providence shall be over us as the former testimonies do plentifully testifie But here a doubt a riseth where we shall finde this house and how to get a place therein Where to finde Gods house and how to get a place therein Answ In the dayes of grace and times of the new Testament the Tabernacle of God is with men and he dwels with them they are his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Rev. 21.3 But is this common to all as they are men or is there some speciall work of God required in them and among them that be his house Answ John 6.44 No man can come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him that is give him grace so to do from above Vers 65. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 Those that believe on his name are born not of bloud nor of the wil of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of God John 1.13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 But what hath man then to do sith our conversion and regeneration is Gods work Answ It is indeed Gods work yet in the use of outward meanes which he gives to reasonable creatures that therein they may wait for and receive Gods work of grace in an holy calling which both amongst Jewes and Gentiles doth distinguish the elect from the reprobate as Acts 2.39 Now this calling is in the Gospel preached sanctified by prayer 2. Thes 13.14 and therein are men made Gods house Heb. 3.6 1 Pet. 2.5 1 Cor. 3.16 But may every man in the use of the Gospel preached attain to this calling Answ For ought that either Minister or people do know to the contrary every one may be called that lives under the Gospel the fault is their own if they be not as Christ saith Light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill 1 John 3.19 For men undoubtedly do first rebell against the word and refuse Gods mercy offered in the meanes of grace before that God with-draw his grace or take away from them the use of the means In regard whereof Christ complains of the Jews that when he would have gathered them they would not Matth. 23.37 For though the best employment and improvement of nature be insufficient to get the true habit of grace without the work of the spirit as Rom. 9.16 yet sure it is men are first wanting to themselves in the use of means before the blessing of the spirit be denied unto them Their own hearts can tell them they have failed in turning from sinne as Prov. 1.23 in hungring after grace Isaiah 44.3 and in doing the good they know Acts 5.32 The Use for admonition For admonition as we desire safety and shelter in time of trouble so we must with David strive and endeavour after a sure place in
the children but to make the fathers sinne more odious doth then bring upon the children the fruit of their own originall corruption which is death determined upon all flesh as appears Gen. 2.17 compared with Rom. 5.12 As a creditor that hath both the father and the sonne debtors unto him may upon the fathers provocation lay the forfeiture upon both being both in his danger Vse 2 Secondly here is speciall encouragement to the children of wicked parents to become godly and faithfull in their places In some sense they are the sonnes of strangers for the wicked are estranged from the womb Psal 58.3 yet if they have their fathers sinnes and become faithfull to the Lord here is comfort for them in the honour of Korah's posterity See Isai 56.3 6 7. Let not the son of the stranger that joyneth himself to the Lord say the Lord hath utterly separated me from his people For the sonnes of the stranger that joyned themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the name of the Lord to be his servants c. Even them will bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyfull in my house of prayer c. For them that honour me I will honour saith the Lord 1 Sam. 2.30 Thus much for the Title the Psalme it selfe followeth Verse 1. His foundation is in the holy Mountaines The meaning of the words THat is God founded his holy City and Sanctuary among the holy Mountains of Judea even on Mount Moriah 2 Chron. 3.1 and Mount Sion Psal 48.2 For the relative here used hath the Lord named in the next verse for his antecedent to which it is most fitly and properly referred according to our translation wherewith among variety of references by interpreters I rest best satisfied In the words so understood two things are contained First the author and founder of the Church shadowed out by the holy City and Sanctuary at Jerusalem Secondly the seat thereof For the first The true Church 1. Observation typified by the holy City and Temple at Jerusalem is a spirituall building of Gods own founding and making Here it is called his foundation And in regard of him founding it it is called his Tabernacle Rev. 21.3 and the holy City coming down from heaven Rev. 21.2 Jerusalem from above Gal. 4.26 This is that City in the glory of it which the Patriarchs sought whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.10 This is most plain if wee consider 1. the foundation Christ Iesus For other foundation can no man lay saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 3.11 and God himself saith he layeth this Isaiah 28.16 Thus saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation 2. The upper building Christians 1. Pet. 2.4.5 To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious ye also as living stones are built up a spirit all house 2. The builders both efficient and instrumentall God and his Ministers 1 Cor. 3.9 For we are labourers together with God ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building The reason is The Reason the praise of the glory of his grace among his elect and chosen people For here God sets his name Deutr. 14.24 and will be glorified in his people Isaiah 49.3 This serves for instruction concerning the stability of the Church The use for instruction not only in the whole as Gods building against which the gates of hell shall not be able to prevaile Mat. 16.18 but in every true member of it as Gods workmanship in Christ Iesus Ephes 2.10 For it is God that establisheth us in Christ 2 Cor. 1.21 Christ as a shepheard will not loose one sheep My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them eternally life and they shall never perish Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Iohn 10.27 28. while I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest mee I have kept and none of them is lost but the soune of perdition Iohn 17.12 He being their head and they being his members 1. Cor. 12.27 will he suffer them to be pulled away Nay he is the saviour of his body Ephes 5.23 The first use for admonition It serves for admonition likewise First for Ministers in regard of their doctrine whereby they are workers together with God 1 Cor. 3.9 compared with 2 Cor. 6.1 They must not be ignorant nor negligent but wise and faithfull in this great work of spirituall building The foundation being laid which is Iesus Christ they must take heed what they build thereupon for every mans work shall bee made manifest the day shall declare it of what sort it is 1 Cor. 3.10 c. The second use for admonition Secondly for Gods people every one must suffer himselfe to be wrought upon in the ministry of the word to be hewen and squared and fitted to lye upon Christ which we then are when we be brought to leave sinne by true repentance to live in Christ by true faith and to walk in new obedience in the course of our lives thereby testifying the truth of our faith and repentance Therefore with St. Paul Heb. 13.22 I beseech you brethren suffer the word of exhortation The second thing to be here observed is the seat of Gods building where he layes the foundation of his holy City and Temple namely in the holy mountains which may be understood generally of the land of Canaan which was a mountainous country Deut. 11.11 Gods inheritance chosen for his own people Psal 97.1 compared with Psal 47.4 called his holy border Psal 78.54 that land which he bordered out for his people Numb 34.3 c. Or more particularly of the Mountains Sion and Moriah whereon God by his speciall providence caused Jerusalem his holy City and the Temple his holy Sanctuary to be seated and built And these mountains are called holy not for any holinesse or sanctity inherent in the soyle or ground but first from Gods presence who chose chiefe hills for his seat to dwell in as Psal 68.16 Psal 74.2 Psal 132.13 Is 8.18 and Zechar. 8.3 Thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth and the Mountain of the Lord of hosts The holy Mountain Secondly from that holy use and employment whereto he put these mountains for hereon was built the holy City Dan. 9.16 and the holy Sanctuary or Temple 2 Chron. 3.1 Psalme 78.68 69. Mark then God builds Jerusalem the holy city and the Temple his holy sanctuary on the holy mountains Sion 2. Observation and Moriah the places before quoted shew it plainly with Psal 122.1 c. The reason hereof is two-fold First Reason 1. to let his people know that their God with whom they enter
of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away And they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Sion of the holy on of Israel Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went thorow thee I will make thee an eternall excellency a joy of many generations The Lord shall be thine everlasting Light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Is 60.14 15 20. For your shame ye shall have double and for confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion therefore in their land they shall possesse the double ever lasting joy shall be unto them Is 61.7 See it assured by Christ himself John 16. 20 22. Ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall be turned into joy your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man â—â—keth from you And verified in Christians Acts 2.40.47 They continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart praising God and having favour with all the people Acts 5.41 They departed from the presence of the Councell rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name As 1 Pet. 1.8 Believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Thess 5.16 Rejoyce evermore And rejoyce in the Lord alwayes again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The true ground hereof is from the incomparable blessings of the covenant vouchsafed to the true members of his Church The first reason For first in Christ Jesus God himself doth betroath them unto him yea marry them and become their most dear and loving husband as Hos 2.19 20. Is 54.5 Now times of espousall are times of rejoycing Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come Rev. 19.7 With gladnesse and rejoycing shall they be brought they shall enter into the Kings Pallace Psal 45.15 We will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine saith the Church to Christ Cant. 1.4 Secondly he doth fit them for his neer spirituall society by giving his own son The second Reason to be their Saviour and Redeemer washing away their sins in his blood 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Ephes 5.25.26 Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and make it to himself a glorious Church c. Now the remembrance hereof is matter of exceeding great joy Luke 2.10 Therefore the blessed Virgin Mary saith My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my saviour Luke 1.46 47. The third Reason Thirdly he bestoweth on them is holy spirit John 14.16 17. for whosoever hath not the spirit of God is none of his Rom. 3.9 Now this spirit is the fountain of joy and thereupon is called the Comforter the graces whereof he doth plentifully bestow upon them and therein gives them cause of everlasting joy The fourth Reason Fourthly God sendeth and continueth unto them his blessed word the gospell of peace and the word of their reconciliation with God and of salvation to their soules whereof the Psalmist saith Blessed are the people that know the joyfull sound Psalm 89.15 and the Apostle Paul out of the Prophet Isaiah How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the gospell of peace and bring glad tydings of good things Rom. 10.15 Solomon saith light is a pleasant thing Eccles 11.7 Now the gospell preached is a spirituall light that shineth unto those that sit in darknesse and in the shaddow of death even to guide their feet in the way of peace then which nothing can be more pleasant and joyfull see Mat. 4.16 Luke 1.77 79. The fifth Reason Fiftly Gods speciall providence is over his Church not only to preserve them from evill both corporall and spirituall which their enemies would bring upon them but also to enrich them with all needfull comforts and blessings both temporall and spirituall In that day sing ye unto her a vineyard of red wine I the Lord do keep it I water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Is 27.2,3 This is that keeper of Israel who doth neither slumber nor sleep who keepeth his Church from all evill The Sun shall not smite her by day nor the Moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evill he shall preserve thy soule The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth even for evermore Psal 121.3 c. This serves for instruction and for admonition The use for instruction For instruction it sheweth plainly that naturall men are fearfully blinded by the God of this world for they live in the Church among the godly yet they do not conceive of nor discern their happy estate as St. John saith the world knoweth us not 1 John3 1 They think the state of a Christian to be very forlorn and miserable void of all content and comfort therefore do they debase them in their esteem accounting them the filth of the world and the onscouring of all things 1 Cor. 4.13 They reproach and revile them with most base and odious termes as 2 Kings 9.11 What did this mad fellow with thee Acts 24.5 Wee have found this man a pestilent fellow And Festus saâ—th Paul thou art beside thy self much learning doth make thee mad Acts 26.24 Yea Christs own friends judged so of him Mark 3.21 and the Jewes said he hath a devill and is mad why hear ye him John 10.20 Now if they do this to the green tree what will they do to the dry Luke 23.31 But wisdome is justified of her children Mat. 11.19 As the things that are magnified in the world are abomination with God Luke 16.15 see it in the lukewarmnesse of the Laodiceans Rev. 3.16 17 19 So the things that are magnified with the Lord are abominable to the world as to live godly making conscience of all sin and of every good duty and being zealous of Gods glory Whereby we may see that the vaile of ignorance hangs over their eyes They can no better discern the happy state of the godly then a blind man can judge of colours The Use for admonition For admonition this serves notably to move every one to be as carefull to become a true member of the Church as he is desirous of true and lasting joy The way is hewed 1 Pet. 2.4 6. in so yeelding to Gods means of an holy calling that we forsake our sinfull waies as Is 55.7 do come to Christ by faith and as living stones be builded on him the tryed corner stone to become a spirituall house Which estate we must testifie by the properties of the godly who be true Citizens of Sion set down particularly Psal
the foundation of these evils for affliction followes sinners as Jer. 9.12 c. Who is the wise man that may understand this and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken that he may declare it for what the land perisheth and is burnt up like a wildernesse that none passeth through And the Lord said Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them and have not obeyed my voyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peccatum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 danum neither walked therein c. Sinne brings in death it selfe and all evils that forerunne or accompany the same By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Yet Gods dear and fatherly love to his Church comes in as a moving cause of the Churches afflictions that thereby he may bring them to repentance and to escape condemnation see Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chaster whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth Heb. 12.16 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that wee should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.30,32 Herein it is with our heavenly Father as Solomon saith of earthly parents Prov. 13.24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Hence David pronounceth them blessed whom the Lord correcteth Psal 94.12 and acknowledgeth it was good for him and that God did it of very faithfulnesse Psal 119.67.71 75. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word c. This we are to note to prevent rash judgement against our selves and others under the crosse whereto how apt we are against our selves see Is 49.14 Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten mee against others If. 53.3.12 He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and wee esteemed him not Hee was numbred with the transgressours The first use for admonition For admonition two wayes First to give all diligence to become true members of the Church that so wee may have part in Gods speciall love wherein stands true happinesse And hereto two things are required first that we know the true Church and secondly that we be not only in it but of it For the first where the true Church of God is what people professing religion be Gods true Church is a great question of large extent and much disputed between Protestants and Papists For our direction and resolution briefly let us learn this That the true Church is Christs mysticall body Eph. 1.22 23. Gave him that is Christ to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body That spirituall building which consist of spirituall living stones built upon the foundation Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 6 7. Mat. 16.18 1 Cor. 3.9 That is such professours of the the faith of the Gospell as by the work of the spirit are indued with true faith and adorn their profession with new obedience Now then those that professe Religion and have communion and fellowship with Christ through the work of the spirit in grace undoubtedly are true members of Christs Church But those that be evidenced to want fellowship with Christ through faith are no Church of God nor true members thereof Now they of the Church of Rome are cut off from this fellowship by their ido atry Col. 2.18 19. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind and not holding the head c. By their opinion of justification by works Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace Gal. 5.4 By making the Pope the head of the Church for he is Antichrist and those that so hold are Antichristian the true Church hath not two heads The way to become true members of Christs Church for sure title to Gods speciall love is humbly and reverently to receive the word of the covenant and conscionably to yeeld obedience thereunto as Deut. 33.3 Mark 16.26 The right receiving is by faith 1 Pet. 2.7 And the truth thereof must be testified by obedience For true faith worketh by love Gal. 5 6. And this is the love of God that wet keep his Commandements 1 Iohn 5.3 The second use for admonition Secondly the wicked of the world must hereby be admonished to beware of wronging Gods children for God that loves them above others will require and requite it Psal 10.14 as Psalm 105.14 15. He suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harme He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zech. 2.8 Therefore it will be good to regard and follow the counsell of Gamaliel Acts 5.38 Refrain from these men and let them alone lest we be found fighters against God and it be said to us as it was unto Paul Acts 9.4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me c. For consolation it makes greatly to every true member of Gods Church in any distresse for certainly they have a speciall part and portion in Gods love from which no afflictions can separate them see Rom. 8.35,37,38,39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loved us c. Having loved his owne which were in the world hee loved them unto the end John 13.1 Therefore even in affliction they may say Rejoyce not against me O mine enemie when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me Micah 7.8 Verse3 Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God The meaning of the words A Third thing setting out the happinesse of the Church that though her present outward state be not alwayes comfortable and glorious yet even then her future hopes upon divine prophecies and promises are great and excellent In the words note two things First the description of the place Secondly the declaration of her happinesse in the ground of her hopes For the first the place here spoken of is Jerusalem thus described thou City of God so called because of Gods sanctuary here seated on Mount Sion which place God chose and desired for his habitation saying This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Psal 132.13 14. Whereupon in the new Testament it is called the City of the great King Mat. 5.35 Now the earthly Jerusalem