He appeared in

on mount Sinai; but in Sion he is said to dwell, and to make it his habitation for ever. terror on mount Sinai, as we have seen; but Sion was in Jerusalem, which is a "vision of peace." He gave the law on mount Sinai; the gospel went forth from Sion, Isa. ii, 2, 3. He utterly forsook Sinai, and left it under bondage; but Sion is free for ever, Gal. iv. The people were burthened with the law at mount Sinai, with which burden they were led to Sion, where they waited for deliverance from it, in the observations of those institutions of divine worship which were typical and significant thereof.

Sion therefore is the place of God's special gracious residence, the throne of Christ in his reign, the subject of all graces, the object of all promises, as the scripture abundantly testifies. This is the first privilege of believers under the gospel. They come to mount Sion; that is, they are interested in all the promises of God made to Sion, recorded in the scripture; in all the love and care of God expressed towards it; in all the spiritual glories assigned to it. The things spoken of it were never accomplished in the earthly Sion; but typically, spiritually, and in their reality they belong to believers under the New Testament. All the promises, Sion, do belong

therefore, which were made of old to to the present church of believers. These in every condition they may plead with God; they have the grace, and shall have the comfort contained in them. There is the security and assurance of their safety, preservation, and eternal salvation. Hereon depends their final deliverance from all their oppressions.

Be their outward condition never so mean and destitute; be they afflicted, persecuted, and despised, yet all the glorious things that are spoken of Sion are theirs, and accomplished in them in the sight of God, however excellent and innumerable.

Let this be compared with the people's coming to mount Sinai, as before declared, and the glory of it will be conspicuous. And believers are to be admonished, to walk worthy of the privilege, Psalm xv; to be thankful for it; to rejoice in it; and to make it an effectual motive to obedience and perseverance.

§3. They are said to come "unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem." Both these are the same. So Jerusalem is called the city of God; Psal. xlvi, 4; xlviii, 1, 8; lxxxvii, 3. But in every

place with respect to Sion.

1. They came to a city. They received the law in a wilderness, where they had neither rest nor refuge. But in a city there is order, defence, and safety; it is the name of a quiet habitation.

2. This was the city of God. The state of the church under the New Testament hath the safety, and beautiful order of a city, the city of God; the only city which he takes peculiarly to be his own in this world. It is his on account of propriety; he framed it, he built it, it is his own; no creature can lay claim to it, or any part of it. And those who usurp a dominion over it, shall answer to him for their usurpation. It is his on account of inhabitation; for he dwelleth in it, and in it alone, by his gracious presence. It is under God's rule, as its only sovereign. Therein he disposeth all his children to a spiritual society. So Paul tells the Ephesians, that by grace they were delivered from being strangers and foreigners, and made fellow citizens with the saints, and the household of God, Ephes. ii, 19.

3. The apostle adds a property of God of great consideration in this matter. It is "the city of the living God;" that is, of the true and only God. Of him who is omnipotent, able to keep and preserve his own

city, as having all life, and consequently all power in himself. Of him who lives eternally, and with whom we shall live, when we shall be no more here.

4. This city of the living God, is the heavenly Jerusalem. And the apostle herein prefers the privileges of the gospel, not only above what the people were made partakers of at Sinai in the wilderness; but also above all that afterwards they enjoyed in Jerusalem in the land of Canaan. For in the glory and privileges of that city the Hebrews greatly boasted. But the apostle casts that city, in the state wherein it then was, into the same condition with mount Sinai in Arabia, that is, under bondage, Gal. iv, 25; and he opposeth thereto that Jerusalem which is above, that is, this heavenly Jerusalem. And it is called heavenly; because, as a city, it is not of this world; because no small part of its inhabitants are already actually instated in heaven; because as to its state on earth, it comes down from heaven, Rev. xxi, 2, 3; that is, hath its original from divine authority and institution; because the portion and inheritance of all its inhabitants lie in heaven: because the spiritual life and graces of all that belong to it are heavenly; and, finally, because their (ToMlevμa) city conversation, is in heaven.

§4. And we may yet a little farther represent the glory of this privilege, in the ensuing remarks:

1. A city is the only place of rest, peace, safety, and honor, among men in this world. To all these, in the spiritual sense, we are brought by the gospel. Whilst men are under the law, they are at Sinai, in a wilderness where there are none of these things. The souls of sinners can find no place of rest or safety under the law. But we have all these things by the gospel. Rest in Christ, peace with God, order in the commun

ion of faith, safety in divine protection, and honor in our relation to God in Christ.

2. The greatest and most glorious city which is, or ever was in the world, is the city of this or that man who hath power or dominion in it. The gospel church is the city of the living God; and it is ten thousand times more glorious to be a citizen thereof than of the greatest city in the world. To be a citizen of the city of God, is to be free, to be honorable, to be safe, to have a certain habitation, and a blessed inheritance.

3. God dwells in the church of believers The great king inhabits his own city. Herein is the special residence of his glory and majesty. He built it, framed it for himself, and says concerning it, "There will I dwell, and this shall be my habitation for ever." And it is no small privilege to dwell with God in his own city. The name of this city is "Jehovah Shammah," the Lord is there, Ezek. xlviii, 35.

4. The privileges of this city of God are heavenly, it is the "heavenly Jerusalem." Thence it is that the world knows them not, values them not.

$5. In the next place the apostle affirms, that believers are come to "an innumerable company of angels;” (μupiati ayyελv) to myriads of angels. A myriad is ten thousand, and when it is used in the plural number, it signifies an innumerable company, as we here render it. Possibly he hath respect to the angels that attended the presence of God in the giving of the law, whereof the Psalmist says; "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place," Psal. lxviii, 17; or the account of them given by Daniel; "Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;" chap. vii, 10; that is an innumerable company.

This access to angels is spiritual. The access of the people to their ministry in Sinai was corporeal only; nor had they any communion with them thereby; but ours is spiritual, in virtue of the recapitulation of them and us in Christ, Ephes. i, 10; they and we are brought into one mystical body, whereof Christ is the head; one family which is in heaven and earth, called after his name, Ephes. iii, 14, 15; we are brought together into one society; they and we are constantly engaged in the same worship of Jesus Christ. Hence they call themselves our fellow servants. This God hath given in command to them as well as to us. For he saith, "Let all the angels of God worship him," chap. i, 6; which they accordingly do, Rev. v, 11, 12.

Besides; there is a ministry committed to them for the service of the church, chap. i, 14; and the fear and dread of their ministry is now taken from us, which was so great under the Old Testament, that those to whom they appeard thought they must die immediately. There is therefore a perfect reconciliation between the church on earth and the angels above; the distance and enmity occasioned by sin is taken away, Col. i, 20. There is a oneness in design, and a communion in service between them and us; as we rejoice in their happiness and glory, so they seek ours continually; their ascription of praise and glory to God, is mingled with the praises of the church, so as to compose an intire worship, Rev. v, 9—12.

Wherefore by Jesus Christ we have a blessed access to this innumerable company of angels. Those who, by reason of our fall from God, and the first entrance of sin, had no regard to us, but to execute the vengeance of God against us, represented by the cherubims with the flaming sword (for he maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire) to keep