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is the want of grace; and whatever grace you want, be it faith, repentance, love, or whatever elfe, it is lying treafured up in this chamber: if you want pardon, purity, happinefs, holinefs, all the ftock of riches that you can imagine, to make you up for ever and ever, is treafured up in this chamber; and behold the chamberdoor is open to you all, while we preach among you Gentiles, the unfearchable riches of Chrift. Let every foul here, be like beggars gathered about this door.

5. There is the chamber of his covenant, to which the gathering of the people fhould be; when God gathers people into it, he is faid to fhew them his covenant, Pfalm xxv. 14.; and in fhewing his covenant, he fhews fome divine fecrets to them. When the peo

ple gather in to this chamber, they are faid to take hold of his covenant, Ifaiah lvi. 4. 6. This chamber is remarkable for the wells that are in the midft of it.— There is both a well for wafhing, and a well for drinking; and both are open, that the people may gather together to them. The well for washing is the blood of the covenant; and that is the fountain open for fin and for uncleannefs, Zech. xiii. 1. It is juft the boundlefs bottomlefs fea of the Redeemer's blood, which cleanfes from all fin: this fountain is open, that all guilty, filthy, polluted people may gather to it, and be wafhed. The well for drinking, is not only that fame blood of Chrift, which is drink indeed; but all the bleffings of the covenant, and all the promises of the covenant; to all or every one of which, people fhould gather, and draw water out of thefe wells of falvation with joy, Ifa. xii. 3. Here is the well of water fpringing up to everlafting life, John iv. 14. and all the people are invited to gather to it; "Whofoever will, let him come, and take the water of life freely," Rev. xxii. 17. In this chamber there is the best of cheer; bread enough, and to Spare; all spiritual blessings of heavenly places in Cbrift Fefus; and this chamber, and all the cheer that is in it, whereof Christ himself is the all, it is dedicate of God for the ufe of the people, that their gathering

may

may be to it; "I will give thee for a covenant of the people," Ifa. xlii. 6.

6. There is the chamber of his palace, for the gathering of the people into: by his palace, I mean, his church; and by his church, I mean, both his church militant on earth, and triumphant in heaven.

As for the church militant, that is the palace of the great King, Pfal. xlv. 15. there he defires to dwell, Pfal. lxviii. 16. It is his houfe where he would have the gathering of the people to be; therefore he calls it a houfe of prayer for all people, Ifa. Ivii. 7. and all are to flee unto it, Ifa. ii. 2. The ordinances and provifions of Chrift's houfe are, in a peculiar manner, for the entertainment of the people; and the flewards of the houfe have a fpecial commiflion to invite all forts of finners, even these that have played the prodigal and the fool in the way of fin, to come in to it; Prov. ix. 3. "Whofo is fimple, let him turn in hither: As for him who hath no understanding, Wisdom fays to him, Come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled." Luke xiv. 21. 23. "Go quickly, fays the Mafter of the houfe, to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, the blind, the maimed, and the halt; yea, go to the high-ways, and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my houfe may be filled." It is a pity indeed, that ever people should be difcouraged from gathering into the Lord's houfe, while the provifions of the house are mixed with unwholefome food of corrupt or erroneous doctrine; while the ftewards of the houfe do turn it to a den of thieves and robbers; robbing the people of their Chriftian privileges; and while the fervants of the house do fall by the ears, and begin to fmite their fellow-fervants, becaufe the Lord of the houfe is away, and delays his coming: while, in a word, the doctrine, worfhip, difcipline, and government of the house is out of order, and in great confufion, not garnifhed like the palace of the great King. This indeed is matter of lamentation, and will be fo, till the King of Zion the Maf, ter of the house himfelf come by the power of his Spirit, and fet matters right: and, as the prophet fays, Hag. ii. 7. "I will fhake all nations, and the Defire of all

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nation fhall come;" fo, before the Lord comes in a glorious manner to his houfe, we have reafon to expect he will give the house a terrible shake, and make it tremble. But in the mean time, let not the diforders * of the house hinder the gathering of the people to it; for at beft the lower chambers of our King's palace will never be fo clean, as the upper chamber in the higher house. The church militant will never be in a state of perfection here; only ftudy you to keep always the cleaneft and beft fide of the houfe, like fick people betaking themselves to the pureft air. But withal, let never your gathering to his houfe or ordinances content you, without the prefence of the Mafter of the house, and the Lord of ordinances, fo as you may have it to say, that not only you was brought to the banquetting-houfe, but alfo his banner over you was love.

As to the church triumphant, that is his glorious palace, his higher houfe, of which Chrift fays, John xiv. 2. In my Father's boufe there are many manfions; thither all that have been gathered gracioufly, will be gathered gloriously; with gladness and rejoicing will they be brought, and shall enter into the King's palace, Pfal. xlv.15. This is by way of eminency, the ivory palace, where all his garments fmell of aloes, myrrh, and caffia; where the people gathered to him, will be like him; for they fhall fee him as he is: where they will be for ever with him, "In whose presence is fulness of joy, and at his righthand pleasures for evermore." As he that drinks of the ocean, tho' his thirst be never fo great and infatiable, yet leaves it as full and flowing as ever; fo thefe that drink of the ocean of thefe heavenly pleafures, will find the fulness of joy never ebbing, but ever flowing thro' all eternity. Chrift himself will be the heaven of heaven, and the very temple, wherein the happy people will be gathered together; "I faw no temple there: but the Lord God almighty, and the Lamb are the temple of it," Rev. xxi. 22. If the Lamb be the temple there, then the gathering of the people there, must be to him. Thus

* See Vol. I. page 232. at the foot; and more fully, Vol. II. page 304, 305. and Vol. III. page 44.

Thus you fee, what place there is in Chrift, and what chambers for the gathering the people to.

The fecond queftion, upon this head, was, to fhow in what refpect the gathering of the people is to him, or in what capacity. The Scripture is very copious, and elegant in fetting forth the various refpects, wherein this gathering of the people to Shilch may take place; and that, for conveying a due apprehenfion thereof to our fouls, it is fet forth by what takes place, fometimes among rational creatures, among fenfitives, among vegetables, and among inanimate things; and it is not for nought, that the Scripture is fo copious this way, that our faith may have room and liberty to act upon Christ, in whatever respect he is reprefented.

ear;

1. From rationals; while we view political or œconomical affairs among men, or whatever ftation or relation they are said to be in, or actions they are faid to perform, by thefe we will find this matter reprefented unto us. Hence our gathering to Shiloh is like the gathering of fcholars to a teacher, or of difciples to a mafter, that we may be taught of him; and he is therefore called the none-fuch Teacher, Job xxvi. 22. Who teacbeth like him? Man's teaching reacheth the but his teaching reacheth the heart: man's teaching may work upon the capacity where it is; but his teaching can work a capacity where it is not. O let all the people gather to his fchool, who is the great Prophet, who teaches with authority, that teacheth as never man taught.-Again, it is like a gathering of purfued malefactors to a refuge: it is a flying for refuge to the hope fet before us, Heb. vi. 18. To gather to him, is to fay by faith, with David, I flee to thee to bide me, to hide with thy wings, with thy blood, with thy righteousness, from the wrath of God, and from the curfe of the law. Again, it is like the gathering of rebels to a fovereign, cafting down their arms, and owning him to be their only King and Leige-lord : gathered fouls put the crown upon King Jefus his head, faying, Other lords have bad dominion over us; but now, O let the King of glory come in! Pfal. xxiv. 7. Let bim

I am

reign, and let all his enemies be fcattered.-It is like the gathering of wanderers to the right way home. the way, fays Chrift.-It is like the gathering of weary travellers to an inn, or weary labourers to a reftingplace: “Come to me, all ye that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you reft."-It is a gathering of guefts to a feaft, Matth. xxii. 10.; and of ftrangers to their home, that they may be no more ftrangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the houshold of God, Eph. ii. 19. Before a man come to Chrift, he is abroad in a far country; but whenever he comes to Chrift, he is at home. It is a gathering of children to a father, to be pitied as a father pities his children, Pfalm ciii. 13.-It is a gathering of brethren to their elder brother, as Jofeph's brethren did to their younger, that they might be fupplied by him, and live upon him. It is a gathering of beggars to a storehoufe, that they may be enriched; of captives to a Redeemer, that they may be liberate; of debtors to a Surety, that they may be ranfomed; "Be furety for thy fervant for good;" of lepers to a laver, that they may be cleanfed; " Purge me with hyffop, and I fhall be clean; yea, wafh thou me, and I fhall be whiter than the fnow."It is a gathering, as broken merchants, to a free market; what a gathering of people will be to a fair or market? But they are not all buyers that come to markets, far lefs that come to the market of ordinances; however the market is free, we may buy without money and without price. The wares are precious, tried gold, white raiment, eye-falve, and the pearl of great price. All things are nothing to this pearl; and therefore, when we fell our all to buy this pearl, yet we get it for nothing. Right gather-. ing to Chrift, is to come to his market, and to take all his wares for nothing. It is a gathering of members to an head; "For he is the head of the body, the church," Col. i. 18. From the head is derived to the body all the light, life, beauty, motion, fympathy, protection, provision, fupply of good, and prevention of evil.It is a gathering of fugitive fervants to their

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