CHA P. III... Of the Liberty of the City of God. THE HE next Reason why the Kingdom of God is call'd a City may be, Because a Kingdom has the Form of a Monarchy, which feems to be a Reftraint upon Liberty: And yet all the Citizens of Heaven are Free; as is that Jerufalem above, the mother of us all. Gal. 4:26. So faid that bleffed Apostle, who was a very Experienced perfon; caught up into Paradife, To fee the Manner and Ufage of the Place. How well does that Kingdom deferve the name of a City, where they that ferve the King are perfect Freemen ? And all the Inhabitants of Heaven do enjoy not a Single, but manifold Freedom. For I. Those Citizens above are Free from the Servitude of Sin; Not only fo, as 'twas in the first Paradife; To have a Power, not to Sin, if they please ; But not to have fo much as any Power or Will, any more to Sin at all for ever. II. They II.. They have a Freedom from the Bon dage of Death. Not only, as at first, a Poffibility of not Dying; But an Impoffibility ever to Dye. Nor think it ftrange, that here I place Liberty in a feeming Impoffibility; fo as not to be able to Sin or Dye; which, indeed, do speak the very Perfection of Liberty; To be so above the Power of Guilt and Mortality. For he that cannot Sin, is not only now Free from it; But alfo fecure, that. he shall never fall into it. And he that cannot Dye, is not only Now free from Death; but alfo, certain that it fhall never come nigh him. Which, indeed, is the Liberty of God himself; Who, by his bleffed Nature, only has. Immortality. 1 Tim. 6. 19. But Angels and all Rational Souls, they have no principle of Corruption in their Nature; Yet he that Made 'em can Cafheer 'em. But the Bleffed are fure that he Will not. And fo they participate in the Dignity even of the Divine Liberty. tho III. They have the Liberty from Necef fity; and that in many Refpects. For now we Mortals are under a Neceffity to Eat and Drink, and Drefs, and Sleep, and Labour; and one while to Stand, another while to Walk, another to Sit, or Lye Lye down. But the Saints in Heaven are under none of this Neceffity; being got into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God. Rom. 8. 21. And how great is this Liberty, not only Poor men, but Pious men, yea, and alfo Rich men can teftify by Experience. For how do Poor men Labour and fcramble hard to provide Meat and Drink, and Cloaths, with other Neceffaries, for Them and Theirs? And how Thankful would they be to any one, that would but Free 'em from the Slavery of fuch Neceffity? Nor do fome here forbear to help themfelves, by Robbing of others: like the Unjuft Steward, That could Bot Dig, and yet afham'd to Beg, Luk. 16. 3. was for Cheating his Lord, and by fuch Thievery; to ferve his Neceffity. And for Pious men, that give their Minds. to Heavenly things, They reckon it an uneafy Slavery to wait (as they are fain to do) upon the Body; which wants fo many things, and fteals away fo much of their Time, from better matters: O how often do they With themselves out of fuch a ruinous Tabernacle; that they might be otherwife Taken up, than in fuch kind of Drudgery? Yea, even Rich men, who are Citizens of this World, and not much Difpleas'd with the Servitude of fuch Neceffity, which the others do bewail; If they were wifer, they would Judge better. Tho' the delici ous Fare of their Tables, and the foft Repofe of their Couches, and many other fine Preparations, Eafes, and Advantages, tempt 'em to bag themselves in their Happinefs; yet when they run into Exceffes, and fo fill their Bodies with Maladies; they are glad to take bitter Potions, and fubmit to the sharp Difcipline of many painful Remedies. Yea, let 'em Like or Dislike it, They muft either run into Enmity with God, and abide his heavy Wrath; Or else Engage in Hoftilities with their own dear, Flesh. And if they fhrink from this as Harsh and Grievous; I am fure they'll find the other moft Dreadful and Intolerable. From what an irksome Neceffity then, are both Rich and Poor, Good and Bad fet Free, when they come to feel the happy Discharge from all fuch Yokes? Yet further, IV. There's a Liberty from the Law; that Juft, but Hard Mafter; which is not for the Righteous above, who do not need the Letter of the Law; where they fee all in its bleffed Maker, and are fo confirm'd in Love, that they cannot Deviate in the leaft from his holy Will. The Juft, in this Life, tho' freed from its Rigor and Condemnation, yet are ftill fubject to its Direction and Obligation. But to be Eas'd and Acquitted from all the care of Keeping, and from all the Fear of Breaking it, O how Joyful and Happy is that Liberty! The bleffed Re verfe to the fad Captivity of thofe most curfed Caft-aways, that are bound band and foot, and caft into outer darkness, and that Furnace of Fire, which they can neither Abide, nor Avoid. Tho' not a man in the World, but one of these Two moft Oppofite Lots must be his Share: Yet alas! So are the Eyes of moft men Blinded, either with the Smoak of Worldly Honour, or the Duft of Earthly Lucre, or the Enchantments of Fleshly Pleasure, That they neither See nor Confider it, till fudden Deftruction be upon 'em; and thofe Eyes are then Opened by the Pain, that before were quite clofed by the Sin. CHA P. IV. Of the Situation and Form of the City of God. BUT let us take the pleasure of Re turning to the Heavenly City; and more particularly Contemplate its Site and Form, its Foundation and Gates, its Walls and Streets. Its Situation is upon the boly Hills. Pfal. 47. 1. whereto agrees St. John, Rev. 21. 10. The Angel carry'd me away in the Spirit, to a great and high Mountain; and (hew'd me that great City, the holy Fer |