be reckoned and esteemed of by Him which is more then if all the world besides had us in estimation The Lord He viewes and looks ever the whole City takes notice of every Company Congregation Family Person in it and he pleases Himself in the thoughts of them as they are any thing more serviceable to Him There 's such an one mourning and weeping in secret for the publick abominations I le set my mark upon him There 's such an one active and zealous for the truth and the cause of Religion I le set my seal upon him There 's such an one full of bounty and liberality to my poor Saints I know where to finde out him as I have occasion to make use of him Look as some Prince or Magistrate that has occasion for the supplies of money he knowes all the rich Men in the City and for a shift can single them out one by one there lives such an one worth so many thousands and there lives another worth as many and so of the rest Even so it is with God here as concerning his people He does mark them and set them out to himself and makes account of them and reckons of his Church as so much the richer and better for them A double Adjunct And he does it with a double adjunct or concomitancy which is here considerable in it first of Expectation from them And secondly of Resolution for them Of Expectation from them This man was born there therefore I look for so much service and duty at his hands Of Resolution for them This man was born there therefore accordingly Ile be the more tender and regardful of him 1. Expectation First of Expectation from them The better any are or may be the more does God look for from them according to their Abilities and according to their opportunities And so here That man which was born in Sion he has had more Grace bestowed upon him whereby he might be inabled to Good and he has had more Mercy shewn unto him from whence he might be incouraged to Good and therefore is so much the greater good expected to be done by him 2. Resolution Secondly There 's here also considerable in this Account betwixt God and his people His Resolution for them and that singular Affection which he seems to bear unto them The Lord shall count when he writes up the people that this man was born there Selah Therefore I must make another reckoning of him then of some ordinary person There are distinguishing Mercies and Priviledges which God reserves for his children and servants which every one is not partaker of and that upon this account even because they are his children as in Mal. 3.17 There was this followed upon the Book of Remembrance And they shall be Mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that Day when I shall make up my Jewels Mine not only as to interest as having relation to me but mine also as to successe and as receiving protection from me as it followes afterwards in the vers And I will spare them as a man spaneth his own son that serveth him God counts Himself in a manner concern'd to do somewhat more for his people then for the ordinary rank and rout of the world for those which are born in Sion at least in the Mystical acception which are regenerate and born again above those which are born in any other place besides And accordingly may those which are so expect it from him He does not altogether neglect them for he writes up the people He does not forget them for when he writes up the rest of the people he takes notice of them more especially nor he does not suffer others to forget them neither but does register them and put them upon record to all Generations and as he establishes Sion it self so establishes likewise the memorial of all such as are born in it The Lord will count when he writes up the people That this Man was born there That 's the second Branch of this second General to wit the Celebration of the priviledge on Gods part by way of Record and so I have done with the whole Text it self The Application of the Text to the occasion BUt yet I have not done with You which are my proper Hearers this Day I have a word or two farther to you and so I have done To you which were born within the limits of this honourable City The blessed Apostle St. Paul wisht himself sometime to be Anathema Rom 9.3 i. e. Accurst or separate from Christ for his Countreymen whom he cals his Brethren and kinsmen according to the Flesh Indeed that was a very high strain of affection and such as it is more then every one is able to reach so perhaps more then every one is bound to perform I will not therefore presume to promise so much for my self But this I will be bold to say in his words in another place in the following chapt Brethren it is my hearts desire and prayer to God Rom. 10.1 for LONDON that they might be saved and I should count it a great favour from God to me if I might let fall any thing at this time tending and conducing thereunto I must confess I may seem to be under a common disadvantage in this regard as our blessed Saviour was before me who complains He could do no great good amongst his own people He came to his own and his own received him not Joh. 1.11 and so laies down a General observation to this purpose That a Prophet is not without honour saving in his own Countrey and in his Fathers House Mat. 13.57,58 It is the great unhappinesse oftentimes of us which are Ministers to have least acceptance there where we have most cause to expect it and to have greatest discouragement there where we have least cause to receive it But you have taken this off from me at this present time as I may say by the contrary extreme in your call and invitation to this work especially having so much better choice as you elsewhere had amongst so many of my Reverend Brethren But then hereby as you have put me in hope of doing some good amongst you so you have likewise ingaged your selves to attend to what is spoken by me I shall reduce it to two Heads even the two parts of the Text viz. The Priviledge and Celebration of it First As to the Priviledge that ye be carefull to look to this and to see that you are interested in it that is born in Sion according to the sense now explain'd Not only Professors and Protestants at large but regenerate and true Beleevers who have the seed of God remaining in you and are made partakers of his sanctifying Spirit 1. Real Christians This is one thing and the first which we here in this City have cause to be admonisht of To be sure that we be reall Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
is known in her palaces for a refuge Yea there was the glory of Sion that God was known in her And so Jerusalem he expresses this of it as the great ornament to it That thither the tribes went up the tribes of the Lord to the testimony of Israel And that the house of the Lord was in it Psal 122.4 c. And that which was the glory of Sion the same is the glory of London without this London were no more then Ligorne or Constantinople or any other City besides in the whole world This is that which puts an honor upon it the dispensations and means of grace which are vouchsafed unto it and which accordingly they have the benefit and advantage of which are brought forth and brought up in it 3. By all together This it is not only matter of dignity and to be looked upon by us so but likewise as all other mercies and priviledges besides are it is matter of duty too and obliges us to answerable behaviours Beloved We are accountable to God for our births and the places of our breeding and bringing up in which it hath been There are some which have been born not only in Sion at large in regard of the common opportunities but also in Sion more particularly in regard of the speciall advantages which they have been partakers of Not only born in a City of Religion but moreover in religious families of godly and religious Parents which have been godlily and religiously educated and nurtured in the fear of the Lord. There are many which have lived under faithful Ministers and faithful Masters and Governors c. Now what an ingagement does from hence lie upon them to be that which they should be How much better should they be then other men Oh it 's a fearfull thing to sin against good education and the instillation of gracious principles God will one day call to reckoning for it The Lord will count when he writes up the people That this man was born there He was born in such a Nation in such a Countrey in such a City in such a Family c. God observes and takes notice of it and how far he is the betber for it or how far he is not That which is in it self a mercy in the misimprovement of it is a judgement and we had better been absolutely without it if we be not the better for it That so we may not glory in these priviledges meerly for themselves but rather take care how we manage them and make use of them And so much of Sion in the first notion as taken locally and to be born in it i. e. born in the visible Church 2. Mystical The second is as taken Mystically To be born in Sion i. e. To be regenerate and born again to be a member of the Church which is invisible This is a great priviledge indeed and the highest of all All are not Israel which are of Israel Nor all born in Sion according to the Spirit which are born in it according to the flesh But yet this spiritual birth is that which is principally to be regarded and to be looked after above any besides In Rom. 2.28,29 He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart whose praise is not of men but of God To be born indeed is to be new-born That is the main birth of all And they are to purpose born there which are born thus S. Paul salutes Andronicus and Junia especially upon this account as in Christ before him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16.7 He is born first who is first born anew and he is the ancientest Man that 's the ancientest Christian My little children of whom I travel in birth again till Christ be form'd in you sayes the Apostle Paul to the Galatians in Gal. 4.19 What ever birth comes short of this it is in a sort but monstrous and imperfect though it be otherwise adorned with never so many accomplishments and qualifications besides Our Natural condition For this purpose it is very pertinent to consider what we are in our natural condition we are all by Nature the children of wrath as the Apostle expresses it Ephes 2.3 Our Birth and our Nativity of the land of Canaan our Father an Amorite our Mother an Hittite Ezek. 16.3 We were shapen in iniquity and in sin did our Mothers conceive us in Psal 51.5 Every imagination or frame of our Hearts and the thoughts of them were only evill continually Now certainly there must be some change therefore wrought if ever we be that which we should be Our birth nativity of Canaan it will not serve the turn No But we must be born in Sion And this is that which we have now before us as commended unto us this spiritual and supernatural Birth That we be Regenerated and new principled Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdome of God Joh. 3.3 Born again that is as the word properly signifies born from above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He must fetch his Birth and pedegree from thence or else he is but in a poor condition There is no man is born to Heaven except he be born from it and has principles answerable to it In 1 Pet. 1.3 Who hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that is by such a spirituall power which is conformable to this Resurrection and is the fountain of Regeneration in us A word of Examination Therefore we should especially look to this to finde it in our selves That we are in this sense born in Sion And that Jerusalem which is above and is free be the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 That our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Citizenship be in Heaven Phil. 3.20 without which all civil Priviledges or natural will be of little worth to us This is that which we are called to in the Gospel and the ministery of it it is ordained for such an End as this and this especially Thus the Apostle to the believing Hebrewes Heb. 12.22 Ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem Come How so as by the Gospel ye have been called and as by Faith you have been received into the Communion of the Christian Church which was figured by Jerusalem and by Mount Sion That 's the coming there meant And we never come to purpose till we come thus till not only we partake of the Gospel as communicated to our outward Ears but as digested and wrought into our Hearts This is true Religion indeed and this is to be truly Religious to be thus affected in our selves Religion is not a thing taken up as some custome and fashion or the like No but it is somewhat imbred in us It is incorporated and
e. This honourable Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eminent in Countenance as he is called Esai 3.2 He is likewise born in Sion The mighty Man and the Man of War The Syriack Interpreter was so far sensible of this as that he expresses it in the very Text therefore in stead of saying This man was born there he saies A Potent man was born there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he has establisht it whereby as I conceive he takes in the word Highest which followes afterwards in the verse and refers it here to this place and so the Scripture sets it in other places besides Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship c. Esai 49.7 And again The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifis Psal 72.10 And again the Chaldee Paraphrast in the Text This King was born there understanding thereby Solomon as most conceive and apprehend it Indeed these great and potent men have not the greatest name for Religion for the most part Not many mighty not many noble are called But yet some there are and through Gods goodnesse instances of it such as these born in Sion Men of power and place and authority and nobility and the like This man was born there 3. This Godly man Thirdly Take it for spirituals and for these accomplishments especially This Man i. e. This godly Man this is that which is most proper and essential to Sion and to the being born in it yea it is that which makes Sion it self in the sense we now take it It is the highest perfection of it and the greatest commendation to it of any thing else This is the great honour of the Church that it formes men to such qualities and dispositions as those are which no other place does besides It is not all the Schools of the Philosophers The Stoa or Academy or Lycaeum though they also have their use and seasonable improvement which are able to send forth such a man as Sion does so qual fied and adorned and beautified especially in his inward parts As for other places and such as those which I now mentioned they may perhaps now and then reach to some other principles and those likewise very glorious in the eyes of the world morality and civility and ingenuity and smoothnesse of behaviour The School of Nature and common reason may sometimes come up to these and that in a very great measure yea but now go a little higher to brokenednesse of heart to self-denial to love of enemies to closing with Christ the frame and spirit of the Gospel this is to be found no where but only in Sion And here it is THIS MAN was born THERE This in the Amplification Now this will further take an advancement and amplification of it not only by considering this man what he is now but what he was once which is also intimated in the Text Behold Philistia and Tyre and Ethiopia This man was born there Here 's the excellency of the Ordinances and that Power and Energie which is stirring in the Church of Christ that it is able to work such a miraculous alteration as this to bring men from darknesse to light from Satan to God from a state of sin and corruption and unregeneracy to a state of Grace and Holinesse and Regeneration yea from the lowest degree of the one to the highest degree of the other That Philistia should turn into Palestina Tyre into Jerusalem Ethiopia into Judaea here 's the wonder of all The reconciling of these two opposite termes thus both together That Princes should come out of Egypt and that Ethiopia should stretch out her hands to God as it is Psal 68.31 That the Blackmore should change his skin and that the Leopard should change his spots And that this Ethiopian should become this Christian that he which was born there should be born here There are some which have understood this place here in the Text concerning the Ethiopian Eunuch mentioned in the 8. of the Acts and whom I mentioned in the beginning of the Sermon as if this passage here before us were spoken Prophetically of him But I conceive that to be a little too narrow an Interpretation and a little too much forced I rather take it more general and at large as relating to all kinde of sinners whosoever they be yea the worst that are as reduced by the power of the Gospel and the mediation of the Ordinances of the Church as sometimes through the goodnesse of God it happens to be And that 's the first thing here considerable in the children of Sion to wit the quality of the persons exprest in this man 2. The Dignity of number The second is the Number or plurality This and that man c. And there are three things again here For this man only to be born there there had been no great matter in that one Swallow does not make a Summer and there is not the plainest or meanest place that is but may chance to have one eminent man to be born in it In this First Variety Secondly Indifferency And thirdly Succession 1. Variety This and that man i. e. That man with this 2. Indifferency This and that man i. e. That man as well as this 3. Succession This and that man i. e. That man after this the one following and succeeding to the other 1. Variety First Variety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man and a man i. e. many men Repetition it does denote multitude in the ordinary signification of it And so here The Church is a fruitful Mother and has the honour of many eminent children to be born of her Many in the Multitude of persons both men and women and many in the multitude of Nations both Jewes and Gentiles There 's a Plurality and a Variety of both And so the Scripture declares unto us at large in sundry places of it in Act. 2.41 we finde how at one Sermon of Peters there were three thousand which were born at once and Act 5.14 After that Peter and the rest had been restrain'd it is said That Beleevers were the more added to the Lord even multitudes both of Men and Women This for the Multitude of the persons And so for the multitude of the Nations Sion Mystical is inlarged beyond Sion Local And it is not only a multitude of Jewes but also of Gentiles which is here intended as also elsewhere exprest in Esai 2.2 The Mountain of the Lords House shall be established c. And all Nations shall flow unto it yea and these too in great multitudes as we may see further in Esai 60.4,5,6,7 Lift up thine eyes round about and see All they gather themselves together c. And then thou shalt see and flow together and thine heart shall fear and be inlarged because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee and the forces or riches of the
The Author of this Blessing and that 's the Lord Himself 1 The Churches stability First The Blessing it self promised And that is the stability of Sion Sion shall be establisht This is a point which the Scripture is very full and pregnant in as none more Esai 33.20 Look upon Sion c. A Tabernacle that shall not be taken down nor one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed So Psal 125.2 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever Mat. 16.16 It is said That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church And Heb. 12.28 It is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Kingdome that cannot be shaken The Ground of it The Ground of it is the strong Foundation whereupon it is built Her foundation is in the holy Mountains vers 1. of this Psalm according to some Translations of it And Esai 14.32 The Lord hath founded Sion and the poor of his people shall trust in it or betake themselves to it What is it founded upon Upon the Attributes of God upon the Word of God upon the Son of God It is founded upon a Rock On this Rock will I build my Church in the place before alledged 2. The Author This brings in the second with it and that is the Author or Bestower of this Blessing They do well being joyned together and indeed they cannot well be sever'd This is here exprest in the Text to be the HIGHEST HIMSELF 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is He that establishes Sion and every member of it He that establishes us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God And so S. Peter 1 Pet. 5.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The God of all Grace who hath call'd us c. make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you see there are four words at once for the expression of this unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Set you in joynt consolidate corroborate give you a good foundation And all from God himself who gives the Grace at first He that cals must also keep He that begins must perfect He that is the author of converting Grace must be the giver also of establishing we stand not by our own Habituals but by his Auxiliaries and Assistances c. And so here the most High There are inferiour Highnesses even below here in the world which the Preacher tels us of Eccles 5.8 Subordinate establishers of Sion All men are not of the same stature or size nor is it fitting they should be There are some Higher then others by the Head and Shoulders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the establishment of Sion does in a great measure depend upon them it is their work to do it it is their duty to do it it is their glory to do it not only to pull down Babylon but to establish Sion To establish it in the Graces of it and to establish it in the Doctrines of it and to establish it in the Ordinances of it They cannot better establish themselves then by establishing that It is the Highest Honour which God puts upon them when he does not only give them abilities and opportunities for it but likewise withall hearts and affections to it But yet the strength of the work it lies not so much in them as in Him That He which is higher then the highest regards it as there be higher then They. The Coherence Therefore it is worth our observation how these words are here brought in in the Text namely in a way of prolepsis and anticipation He had said in the words before That this and that man that is as I have already explained it this variety of eminent persons was born in Sion now from hence some might be ready to conclude that then certainly it should be sure to stand if it hath such excellent Supporters as those famous Men which were born in it then there 's no fear that it should ever decay They 'l take care to keep it up themselves Oh but saies the Spirit of God That 's not that which Sion must trust to It is an advantage indeed to Her to have such persons of note and quality to be born in Her yea but that 's not the Basis whereupon she must rest her self No no but the Goodnesse and Power and Providence of an Almighty God God will not trust his Church with the Best man alive No He will establish it Himself He will establish it Himself as a work peculiar to Him Where men shall neglect to do it there He will do it Himself by supplying their defects that He may not be beholding to them Where men shall undertake to do it there He will do it Himself by strengthening their undertakings that so they may be beholding to Him So it is still Himself which does it and upon the point Himself alone There 's none which have Bowels for it like Him there 's none which have Power for it like Him And therefore it must needs be He and so it is I the LORD do keep it Esai 27.3 And here The Highest Himself shall establish it A word of comfor◠This is a Point of admirable Comfort and consolation in both the Branches of it whether we consider the work it self Sions establishment or whether we we consider the Author of this work the Lord Himself yea in both taken together it is very sweet and satisfactory Every one naturally desires the establishment of their own party and the establishment of their own Countrey that that may be sure to stand what ever becomes of any thing else This is the priviledge and advantage now of Sion i. e. the Church of God The Lord Himself has undertaken to establish it And that for ever as the Arabick Interpreter reads it in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath founded it for ever Because He ever lives that establishes it therefore it shall for ever be establisht As for Men they are mortal and their establishing is no longer then for their lives although they may lay a ground and foundation of establishment for future Ages But now the Highest Himself is for ever The ETERNAL God is thy Refuge and underneath are the everlasting Armes Deut. 33.27 Therefore thou shalt be an eternal excellency and a Joy of many generations Esai 60.15 Vse Where then are those that are ill-willers to Sion and that think to pull down that 1 Confusion to Sions Adversaries How do they befool themselves and labour in vain which All the Powers in Earth or Hell are never able to prevail against This Altissimus He is out of their reach and besides can over-reach them This City which is built upon a rock it will out-stand all flouds whatsoever 2. Comfort to particular Christians This is comfortable not only in the behalf of the whole Church but also of every particular person and member of it which stands upon the same