this pardon is it not sweet yes saith the sinner sweeter then the honey or the hony-combe O saith a poore soule I blesse God more for this then if he had made me the greatest prince in the world Fourthly it is called a city for her privilidges no city but hath its charter and privilidges at least some distinct from towns and villages O Ierusalem city of our God thy privilidges excell all the worlds who may be compared to thee for privilidges yea peculiar privilidges which no nation but thee can lay hold on nor people in the world neither all the people in the world are Gods by creation but Ierusalem by purchase all the world he feeds and cloaths O Israel who is a people like unto thee shielded by the great God fed by the Manna and watered by the rocks and sheltred by a cloud by day and a pillar of sire by night God in a way of providence keeps all creatures but man especially but Israel and Jerusalem above all who are his choice pieces of silver yea his treasure and jewels now treasure you know men will keep choicer then that which is but ordinary parents will let farthings and counters lie about for their children to play with but who will leave jewels carelesly here and there in common places no men are wise and will lay up their precious stones in choice cabbenets and so doth God he layes his up in his cabbenet of providence and charges his Angels with these jewels or sons of Sion more precious then jewels or choice silver either and in this particular he is said to keep them as a man keepeth the apple of his eye and is as tender over them as a father so saith David as a father pittieth his children so pittieth the Lord them that fear him O happy and blessed people pittied saved and kept by God I will keep thee every moment yea every moment in the den yea every moment in the furnace and every moment in all houres and seasons night and day death and judgement in times of troubles warres and judgement yea closset them in raines I house them like Noah in the Arke and in famine feed them like Elisha by the raven yea what shall I say I will be a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day yea a sun and shield as David speaks and sure defence too And now who art thou that forgettest the Lord thy maker and fearest the man or the son of man who is as the grasse of the field and shall die But in the fifth and last place the Church is compared to a city because the Spirit is as a river feeding of it O saith David He feeds me in green pastures and leads me by the still waters this he speaks of concerning the Spirit if the foundation be removed what can the righteous do There is a river the streames thereof shall make glad the city of God Psalm 46.4 O this Spirit streaming in and by thee presents Christ over and over to thy soul in all his lovelinesse and this must needs make glad the city a people of God Nothing is the Spirit oftner compared to then the waters when the poor and needy seeks waters I the Lord will heare and open rivers in the tops of the mountains this is a prophesie of the Spirits powring out to poore and thirsty who do apprehend themselves farre from the water of consolation I will powre out my Spirit saith God by the prophet Ioel and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie that is they shall be enabled to open the Scriptures mysteries But now why is it called a holy city The Scripture speaks of a two fold holinesse First a holinesse of things Secondly a holinesse of persons First a holinesse of things in foure or five respects First things are said to be holy by way of dedication or consecration so the bowls of the temple are said to be holy and all the vessels of the temple too Secondly things are said to holy by way of simulation or figure so was the Arke the brasen serpent Aarous rod and the Manna which did figure and similie out Christ Thirdly things may be said to be holy by way of calling so was the Priests office it was a holy calling be holy ye that beare the vessels of the Lord. Fourthly things may be said to be holy by way of rule or precept so the word of God the law of God is holy as Paul saith though I be sinfull yet the law is holy and just and good though I be carnall Fifthly things may be said to be holy by way of comparation so Ierusalem is called the holy city because the holy God was worshipped in it though it were in it selfe a sinfull city But secondly persons may be said to be holy likewise And first by way of creation so the fallen Angels were made holy and Adam too in his first creation God created man upright but he found out many inventions Secondly persons may be said to be holy by way of calling so the Priests Prophets Apostles and Patriarchs O saith Paul the holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holy Ghost in them Thirdly men may be said to be holy by the inherent holinesse of God in them having the holy Spirit of God in them purifying of them and now they may be well said to be holy in these respects first comparing themselves with themselves formerly they walked in darknesse and lived in sin and nature but now in light by the Spirit who tels them they are none of their own but redeemed of Christ to whom they live as Paul saith if I live I live to Christ and if I die I die to Christ O happy change from sin and Satan to God and Christ Secondly men may be said to be holy comparing themselves with others whose lives lies and wallows in all pollution Paul speaks of some who were drunkards covetous filthy unclean sinners and such were some of you but now you are washed and cleansed Lastly and chiefly men may be said to be holy by way of imputation having the holines or righteousnes of God imputed to them he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5.21 And in this sence the whole church of God is holy having the holinesse or righteousnesse of Christ imputed to her and in this sence she is said to be holy even as Christ is holy But thirdly why is this Ierusalem called new Ierusalem for three or four reasons First in respect of creation Secondly in respect of declaration Thirdly in respect of reparation First in respect of creation so you call a thing new that is newly made what is so a building is called new because it is newly set up in this respect Ierusalem is called new Ierusalem because God hath set it up for a building for himselfe or habitation for his owne glory where he will
comming down as a Bride and now what shall I say of this Jerusalem comming down in her bravery First she is richly cloathed for it is in the righteousnesse of God which is sometimes called a decking or trimming with ear-rings or jewels Isaac trimmed Rebecka so and how lovely was she then in his eyes surely very lovely O when Christ shall look on his Rebecka trimmed with his righteousnesse as with ear-rings and jewels how lovely will she then be will he not then say Thou art all faire my love thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes as Solomons songs 4.9 Yea she will ravish as I may so say the very heart of God to behold her in his Sons righteousnesse or bravery in the day of her espousals to him when she is thus cloathed as a Bride for Christ the King of kings O now who can behold any deformity in her she is invisibly cloathed and covered with his righteousnes from head to foot as I may so say FINIS Revel chap. 3.20 Behold I standat the doore and knocke and if any man hear my voyce c. I Shall very briefly hint at these words without any preface at all Behold that is a word seriously to consider 2. The Person I what I is it I the Lord of life light and glory 3. His Posture Behold I stand I the King of Kings and Lord of Lords O high and low great and humble Christ 4. the Place Where is that At the doore Behold I stand at the doore 5. Behold I stand at the doore not gazing up and down but I stand knocking for this end to see if any man will heare and open and then I will come in and sup with him or refresh him with my presence But first Behold this is a word never used in Scripture but upon some very serious great and weighty matter this word Behold in Scripture is like a fiery Beakon on a mighty Hill which is to give warning to all Inhabitants round about or like the silver Trumpet in the Law which was blowne to call the People of God together to the worship and service of God or like a Larum in the night to the Souldier which cries arme arme arme all or like an Ensigne or Banner which being displaid gathers all to heare and see For these reasons the Spirit useth it in Scripture Bhold a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and his name shall be called Jesus Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world John 1.29 Behold I come quickly Revel 3. And so in the last of the Revelations to which the Spouse saith Amen come Lord Jesus come quickly Secondly Take notice of his patience Behold I stand I the Lord of life and glory I the Saviour of the world I the Sonne of God the Lambe of God that was dead but am alive and live for evermore I that have this title on my thigh the King of Kings and Lord of Lords with the keyes of death hell in my hand binding loosing and remitting whom I please Thirdly His Posture he stands he sits not Behold I stand and knocke What is that wait for admittance which doth denote his humility and patience O humble Christ Lord of life light and glory King of Nations Saints and Angels how dost thou abase thy selfe to wait the sinners leisure If a great man should wait at a beggers doore how would men wonder Loe Christ waits at thy doore O beggerlesse sinner here is humility indeed Christ the King of Kings who hath ten thousand times ten thousand Angels at his heels waits at thy doore O gentle sinner did you ever see a Prince with his Nobles waiting at a beggers doore no I dare say no but heare is Christ the Prince of Princes waiting at the sinners doore whilst Angels and arch-Angels waits for a beck with all readinesse to doe his will and this they count their heaven too Princes uses to send their pardons to malefactors but Christ brings them and waits the sinners leisure too Christ seeing thou hast abased thy selfe God shall highly exalt thee above all the Princes of the Earth and Angels too in Heaven for to which of them hath he said Sit thee on my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footstoole O all must submit to Christ and therefore it is said At his name shall every kneee bow both in heaven earth and under the earth that is to say Angels men and Devils must submit or be disposed by his appointment to light life and glory or wrath hell or darknesse even which he please but it denotes his patience too as well as humility if men be not ready to receive courtesie we usally withhold them But Christ waits with patience the sinners leisure who is ever busie when Christ comes to him in his house or calling the pleasures profits of the world buying selling eating drinking marrying like the old world who could not all heare Noahs preaching no more then they at Christs knocks O Christ Why shouldest thou wait seeing the sinner is so carelesse to neglect his own welfare Because I am God and not man and my patience must be like my selfe farre above yours as the Heavens are above the earth so is my patience above all Men and Angels and if it were not so I should have no admittance no where for I come to no sinners doore but they make me stand and wait sometimes they doe not know me and sometimes they will not know me and seldome it is too they minde me unlesse it be in some great trouble sicknesse death or danger and then they cry help help with their bitter teares helpe O Christ helpe which many times I doe and after comes and sees them Doctor like when they are well and free but then they think I am paid by their old prayers and so will scarse admit me or desire me to sit down my company now is burthensome though once they thought it otherwise in their distresse and misery But O Christ thou art the desire of all Nations who would not desire and minde thee for thou givest Jewels Crownes and Kingdomes yea Life Light and Pardons to all that do admit thee but even the sinner mindes not nor knowes not thy gifts nor the richnesse of it or at least way see no want of pardon light or knowledge no if he did he would not stay so long waiting at his doore how long O Christ ten yeares at some and twenty yeares at others yea forty yeares have I waited till I was greived with them and swore they should never enter in unto my rest Well sinner happy is it Christ hath so much patience to waight thy leasure do not abuse this patience lest he leave thee and forsake thee and swear against thee by damning of thee for neglecting and abusing his goodnesse many poor souls are in hell now for this very sinne neglecting Christs patience standing at their hearts knocking for admittance
though all in vain but as these men have lived without him all their lives so must they die without him too for I believe he will scarce own thē now who never regarded him before but yet as I said at first so I doe conclude there is comfort yea abundant deale of comfort belongs to thy soule or any soule in thy condition and for this read Isaiah 41.17 When the poore and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them and I will open Rivers in the tops of Hils and Fountaines in the midst of the Valleys and in her Wildernesse make pools of water her waste places Springs of water Marke this sweet and full promise when the poore and needy seeke water and there is none their tongues cleaveth for thirst Friend this Promise is to thee as sure as the Lord lives and such as thee for marke when the poore and needy seek water art not thou poor yes it was thy very objection against thy selfe O saidst thou I am a poore soule and doe not know when I dranke of the water of life and so forth Well thy very complaint doth argue thee a needy soule yea thou seest the need of Christ yea absolute need of Christ for thou seest thy soule undone without him and this need of Christ makes thee so complaine after Christ Well Is it not so yes truly my soule stands in need of Christ and is a thirst as David speaketh Yea it panteth for Christ like the Heart after the water Brooks in a barren wildernesse so panteth my soule after him whom my soule thirsteth for Truly friend you must learne to beleeve that that shall be which seemes most unlikely to be so did Abraham he beleeved in hope against hope and obtained the promise O poore complaining sinner beleeve this promise of God to thy soul so much against hope and reason I say beleeve God will not onely give thee the water thou desirest of him but will open rivers of water in the tops of the Hils and Fountains in the valleys Well friend you see here is Gods Promise to open up to a soul a river of water in Christ who is the hill of our salvation therefore saith David I will looke to the hils from whence commeth my salvation or I will open rivers in the tops of the hils that is I think poore soules that are as far from any springs of consolation as tops of hils are from springs of water but I will open fountains in low grounds or spirits in humble soules that is the vallies here meant O friend beleeve thou this that the Lord will open fountaines of living water by making peace or joy or comfort flow like living fountaines in thy soule I say beleeve this Promise which shall be fulfilled in its season and then shalt thou sing and say Sing yee waste places of the earth for the Lord hath comforted his people by making her wildernesse become a Pool and her wast land springs of waters But why is the Spirit compared to a river I Iohn saw a pure river of water Why is it for these and such like reasons I think First reason is a river is strong and powerfull no stopping a river but it will overflow yee know if yee stop a river it will do so so are the workings of Gods Spirit in his people see in Daniel in whom they would have stopped the Spirit of prayer by the ungodly decree of the King but see how Daniels spirit rises like a River and now he will call upon his God with more boldnesse then before Many would have in our dayes dammed up this river by a Form of prayer but O these men are drownd these foolish men are carried clean away like dry leaves by a mighty Land-flood and what the Spirit is in prayer the same it is in preaching to a strong river see in Peter who was forbid by the Scribes and Pharisees to preach Christ but saith he I cannot but must speak the things of Christ Many have in our dayes paid dear for their boldnesse this way Secondly how powerfull is this river in its conviction when it runs in a way of discovering Sin and wrath who can stand before it truly none it bears down young and old strong and stout yea oakes and ceders as well as strawes Doth this spirit like a flood beare away when it runs in a way of conviction See in the Gaoler who I am perswaded was a stubborn crabbed knave see how he abuseth the poore Disciples over-night even fleaed the skin off their backs well the same night the flood breaks in upon his Spirit and he cryes out what shall I do to be saved to the Disciples Poore souls they tell this fellow notwithstanding their usage how he may escape drowning by wrath and sinne and so Paul was overturned by this river and carried back to Damascus like a dead drownd man yea so suddenly did this river break in upon his spirit that he was turned by it like a straw in a whirlwind Thirdly a river is powerfull in its progress a river is of that nature that it beats down all dammes ye can throw up or else overflow as I said before c. So did the Apostles bear down al opposition from threats and scorns scoffes whips stones and the like Fourthly a river is pleasant and delightful ye chuse a river side to walk by whose streames with silence sweetly glides trinkling along and makes the walk delightfull so is the Spirit in its discoveries especially in such as these First the love of Christ which is seen passing by this river or rather looking in this river where you see his love like a circle and your Souls in the midst where is no way in nor out I say by the Spirit ye shall see such a love a love from eternity to eternity thy Soul looking both wayes like Janus two faces especially forward But as his love so his lovelinesse the spirit streaming in the soul presents Christ over and over to the Soul Christ rides in this river as in a barge of State whose various streams sweetly rowes him up and down The spirits of his Saints like a Princes in her barge of pleasure O how lovely is Christ in the Soul when in his glory discovered to the Soul by the Spirit then is he indeed the fairest of ten thousand the chiefest of ten thousand the sweetest of ten thousand yea altogether lovely Thirdly it shows you your union to which you may see walking by this river yea all your relations to Christ and his to you he the vine you the branches he the head you the members he the husband you the spouse I say this union you may see by the Spirit the strength length glory and sweetnesse of it O saith the Spirit thy union is strong O Christian nothing can dissolve or untie it men cannot Devils cannot sinne cannot nay death it self cannot