+I. The Church of Christ as she exists in the present
world.+--"Jerusalem, above and free."
1. _Above; that is, seen in connection with God and the scenes of the
heavenly world._--(1) Her Head is from above. (2) If we take the
Church as a whole, though she is in part on earth, the greater number
of her members are in heaven. (3) Our Jerusalem is above because her
members all fix their affections there and thither then as the great
end of their profession.
2. _Jerusalem above is free, and so are her children._--From the
bondage of seeking salvation by works of law, from the guilt of sin,
from its dominion.
+II. The filial sentiment with which we ought to regard the Church of
Christ.+--She is "the mother of us all." The general idea is, that if
we are indeed spiritual, under God, we owe all to the Church. To her
God has committed the preservation of His truth. In stormy times she
has sheltered her lamps in the recesses of the sanctuary, and in
happier times has placed them on high to guide and save. The Spirit
of God is in the Church. To her you owe your hallowed fellowships. In
the Church it is that God manifests Himself.
+III. The animating anticipations we are thus taught to form of the
Church as glorified.+--Turn to the description given in Revelation
xxi. 1. _Mark the wall great and high_--denoting the perfect,
impregnable security of those who dwell there. 2. _At the gates are
angels_--still ushering in the heirs of salvation and disdaining not
to be porters to this glorious city. 3. _Mark the foundations,_
garnished with all manner of precious stones--implying permanency.
4. _Mark the circumstance that in the twelve foundations are
inscribed the names of the twelve apostles_--the whole being the
result of their doctrine. 5. _The whole city is a temple all filled
with the presence and glory of God._ No holiest of all is there where
every part is most holy. All are filled, sanctified, beatified, by
the fully manifested presence of God. He is all in all; all things in
and to all.--_Richard Watson._
_Jerusalem a Type of the Universal Church._
+I. God chose Jerusalem above all other places to dwell in.+ The
Church catholic is the company chosen to be the particular people of
God.
+II. Jerusalem is a city compact in itself by reason of the bond of
love and order among the citizens.+ In like sort the members of the
Church catholic are linked together by the bond of one Spirit.
+III. In Jerusalem was the sanctuary, a place of God's presence,+
where the promise if the seed of the woman was preserved till the
coming of the Messiah. Now the Church catholic is in the room of the
sanctuary, in it we must seek the presence of God and the Word of
life.
+IV. In Jerusalem was the throne of David.+ In the Church catholic is
the throne or sceptre of Christ.
+V. The commendation of a city, as Jerusalem, is the subjection and
obedience of the citizens.+ In the Church catholic all believers are
citizens, and they yield voluntary obedience and subjection to Christ
their King.
+VI. As in Jerusalem the names of the citizens were enrolled in a
register,+ so the names of all the members of the Church catholic are
enrolled in the Book of Life.
+VII. The Church catholic is said to be above:+ 1. In respect to her
beginning. 2. Because she dwells by faith in heaven with
Christ.--_Perkins._