The Firm Union of a People Represented

p. 1An Election SERMON.

PSALM CXXII. 3.

Jerusalem is Builded as a City, that is Compact together.

IF we will consider Man with regard to his Inclinations and Necessities, his Reason and Speech, and his other Conversable Quality's; such as, the Mansuetude of his Nature, his Love to Justice, Equity, Probity, and the like Vertues; we must Acknowledge him a Being naturally Fram'd and Design'd for Society; and shall have a Proof not only from the Veracity of God, [Gen. 2. 18] but the Evidence of the Thing, That it is not good for man to be alone. It was Wisely Observed by the great Philosopher [A • is. Pol. Lib. 1 Cap. 2.] That a Being that can Live alone must be either a Beast or a God: Either a Being of the Lowest Sensation, Sordid and Stupid, Unmanageable p. 2and Fierce, without Reason and Foresight, Governed only by Instinct, without any Sense of it's own Wants, but what is, Suggested by Hunger and Thirst, Bodily Pain or Immediate Fear; Insensible of the Wants of others, and as little Inclin'd to Help them; Uncapable of the Noble Impressions of Generosity, Gratitude, Compassion, Equity, Justice, Faithfulness, Self-denial, and all those Social Vertues the Notion whereof is Connatural to our Minds: Or a Being Endued with those Supereminent Perfections as will make it Compleatly & Securely Happy; and can Entertain it self with Infinite and Everlasting Pleasure in the Reflection on them. But Man is a Being between these; below the Divine Nature, and above the Bestial: and so his Nature, is Necessitated, Adapted, & Disposed to Society. We have an Early Instance of this after the Flood, in the Endeavours of men to Cherish and Continue an Universal Society and Cohabitation, in the Mighty Building of a City and Tower they Attempted, That they should not be Scattered abroad on the Face of the whole Earth, Gen. II. 4.

It Pleased GOD in a Miraculous Manner, and for Wise Reasons to Ruin that Project, and to Disperse them by the Confusion of their Language▪ But however, as He is well p. 3Acquainted with the Nature, and Tenderly Affected towards the Necessity's and Comforts of Mankind, he hath not rendred Society an Impossible Thing; but hath Placed us in lesser Body's, wherein all the Advantages of the biggest may be had and enjoyed: although that City could not be Built, yet (Blessed be GOD,) City's and Corporations, and Kingdoms now there are; wherein we may enjoy the Comforts of Life, do Good to others and be Advantag'd by them; and Best Answer the End of our Beings.

p. 3Now these Happy things must not be expected Barely by a Local Vnion. A Number of men nothing but Placed together, is but a loose Body, and the Various Disposition of the Parts may Spoil any Harmony and Good Agreement, make them J◊stle and Interfere one with another, and Intercept all the Comforts of a Social Life. There are sundry things requisite to make a Nercius, a Band, and Ligament that must not be wanting, and then a Place attains the good Character which Jerusalem had, That it was Builded as a City, Compact together.

This Psalm is Expressive in General, of the Affectionate Regard King David had to Jerusalem, the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Israel: Which had sundry Advantages Appropriated to it; the Glory's whereof Enflame p. 4his Heart, and Exalt his Stile; as we may see in his lofty Description of that Place, and the warm Addresses he makes to the minds of Men to excite the same Cordial Affection towards it. The Text in Particular Represents to us the Glory's of this Place; and there are no other Parts of the Psalm, that I design to Consider and Descant on, but only as they may fall in, in the Subsequent Discourse. The Words read are an absolute Sentence and distinct Proposition: Jerusalem is Builded as a City, that is Compact together.

The Thing here Described is Jerusalem. And it may be considered in several Respects: either barely as a particular Place and Portion of Land in the Kingdom of Israel; or as a Place Comprehending the Inhabitants in a Civil Society; or since the Kingdom of Israel was the only Kingdom where the True GOD was Worshipped, and Jerusalem was the Place for the Publick and Solemn Convention of his Worshippers three times Annually, so the Word may be a Term used to Signify the Church of GOD by: Thus Gal. IV. 25. And it may also from thence be Typical of the Church of GOD now, as in Ver. 26. and in other Places.

The Description whereby Jerusalem is set out to us in our Text is, That it is Builed as p. 5a City, that is Compact together; or Joined to it self, as rendred by one, [Mr. Ainsworth.] And it is the same Word that is used to signify the Fastening & joining the Parts of the Tabernacle. It denotes the Unity of the Whole, and the Firm Coherence of the Parts. And the Description may agree to Jerusalem considered in either of the Senses forementioned.

p. 5Thus consider it in the first Sense, It was Builded as a City, that was Compact together: It was Enclosed as Villages are not; and whereas it was two Villages before, King David had United them and made them one, 1 Chron. II. 7, 8. Or consider it as a Civil Society in that Place, it was United and Compacted then in it's main Interests, Religion and Government; which it was not so while the Jebusites Held the Fort of Zion: Or Lastly, Consider it as the Church of GOD, It was as the Forecited Authour [Mr. Ainsworth in Loc.] says, Compacted, fitly Framed, and Builded together for an Habitation of God through the Spirit; Applying the Expression, Eph. II. 21, 22. And it is Desireable to see the Church Catholick, National, Provincial, or even a Particular Congregation Adorned with these, United to Christ by a Lively and Sound Faith, and to one another by a Fervent Love and Charity, p. 6without Intestine Divisions and Jarrs, keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. But the Occasions of the Day Lead me to Consider it in the Sense mentioned before; and I Hope the Text will Bear me out in it. And in Considering Jerusalem thus, Namely, as a Civil Society Comprehended in that Place, I shall take no notice of the Particulars of it's Compactness here Referr'd to, any further than as they may fall in with other things in the Discourse on the Words: In General I Observe, the State of that Place, It was Compact together; And the Sense the Psalmist had of it's Excellency on this Account: for this is one thing he setteth it off by, and therefore was Glad of the Resort made to it, and thinks himself and others Bound to Seek and Pray it's Welfare.