t6:sz 'THE CHURCII cALLED THE .CITY oF G .OD. Boo1dV. Now touching the Track, Traffick, or Merchandize of this City, upon which it~ 'Wealth and Protperiry dod1 wholly depend, take what follows : Firft, Their Trade is heavenly. JVbe~efore, holy Brethren, Partakers of the heavenly Calling, m!fider the Apo;Ue and Iligh-Prieft ofour Profejfion, Jefus Chrift, fleb. i1i. I, 2 • .t\nd as they are all MerclHnts, anrl ufc one Trade, lo they all deal with one ar.d rhe lame Benefactor, from whom they haye quick Returns; they fetch their Goods from afar. Something touching the Excellency of the Trade of the City of God, ! .fi1Z,ll hint in a few .Particulars. SrcondJ;·, A• touching her Commodities, or the Merchandize which her Citizms .deal in. Ftrft, Negath·ely . .I. They are not prohibited Goods. 2. They are not counterfeit Goods. ..3· They are not temporal and cornJttib!e Goods. ·secondly, Affirmali·vely, and more directly, they are, 1. Soul-enriching ComnJOdltiL:s, T!1mgr, (h:.H are of very great VVorth and ·v.alue.. .']'he Menhandiu of /Vifdo;;, is bettu t.ban the l\1/erchandize of Sil-ver, and the Gai,; thn·,of than fine Gold, Prov. iii. 1 +· · 2.. Thev are llCt.:dtul Thing~, fuch Things as we cannot be without. Some Thinas that Merchants of a City deal in, and fetch from af.H, thuugh they are of gre~t ·value, yet we may very well (ubl111, and liv~.comforta!.:lly without them, as Pearl, and precious Stones, &c. But there is an abfolutc nece!lity of all thofe Things the ·Citizens of this City trade in and for. -3· They are fuch Commodit1es as will make the Nations and Perfons that buy them :happy for ever; and indeed there is no trud·hppinefs without them. •f<.'/eft· Wbnt is the 'I'raffi,k uf tbis City of God? Anf"-'· The fir£1: Thing that ( fi1all mention, is the Truth; this ilie dlers to Sale: -Buy the 'J'ruth, and Jell it not, Pro~·. xxiii. 23. The Church is called the Pillar and Ground of'l'rutb, I -Jim. iii. 15. Truth is only to be found in this City, or.in the Ware-HQu[es of the Citizens of .Zion, viz. the Word of God, and the .HeartS of Believers. The fecond Thing, is a Soul-converting -Gofpel, and blelfcd Ordinances, 'I'ht L~w goeth Jort.b of Z10n, and the Word cf the Lord from Jerufalem, Mica.b ii. 4· The third Thing they deal in, are the Gifts and Soul-enriching Graces ohhe Spirit, Hope, Love, Humili ty, &c. Things of very great .worth. The fourth is J uftification; every true Sinner makes it his Bufineis to get this precious Treafure. The fifth Thing is the Peace of God, which paffeth all Unded\anding, one of the rare£1: Commodities in the World. The lixth Thing is, Union and Communion with God. 'l'bat u:hich we have [een and heard, declare we unto you, that ye alfo may have Fellowjhip wit.b us; and truly our Fellowjhip is with tbe Father, and with-his Son Jefus Cbrifl, I J~hn i. 3· The feventh Thing is, l"eace of Confcience : Herein do I exercife mJfelf, to have al– ways a Co11fci81:ce vaid of Offence, towards God, and towards Men, Afls xxiv. I 6. The eighth Thing .is, ·SanCtification, or a holy Life; they who trade not in this Commodity, are none of the true Sons and Citizens of Zion. •Ninthly, the Pearl of great price, worth more than ten thoufand Worlds. Tenthly, the la£1: Thing that I !hall mention is, eternal Life, a Crown of Glory that fadetl1 not away, 1 Pet. i. 4· METAPHOR. X. A City whofeCommerce lies · principally in a foreign Trade or Merchandizing, hath ufually ana– vigable River belonging to it, by which means their Commodities, or thofe Goods they deal in, are brought home to their very Doors; as we fee by experience. What PAR A ·l, LE L . X . The City of God, whofe Trade lies in .fpiritual Merchandize fetched from afar, bath a mo11: glorious River belongina to it, which may indeed be faid to run throu~h every Street thereof, viz. the holy Spirit, and Word of God. The Spirit in feveral Places of Scripture is called a River, and by means of thefe blelfed Streams are all divine and facrcd Commodities, which the Godly
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