WHether this Censure of the People of Israel be a continuance of Gods words to the Prophet, begun, ver. 27. or whether they be the Prophets Words in answer to the charge there given him, I have set thee for a Tower—that thou mayest know and try their way; Evident it is, that thereby is represented to us the great Corruption of the Church and State of Israel at that time, under the similitude of Debased and Corrupted Coin. Ver. 28. They are grievous Revolters— they are Brass and Iron, they are all Corrupters. Which is further am­plified, 1. By the Pains that had been taken, and Means used to remedy this Corruption. Ver. 29. The Bellows are burnt, the Lead is consu­med of the Fire, the Founder melts in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. 2. By the Re­jecting and Casting them off, thereupon Repro­bate Silver, Refuse Coin shall Men call them, be­cause the Lord hath rejected them.

[Page 2]Doct. The State of a Church, with respect to the degeneracy of the People, is like that of a Land, with respect to the debasing of the Coin; they are like Reprobate, Refuse, and Rejected Money.

The same similitude is used by the other Pro­phets, Isa. 1.22. Thy Silver is become Dross. Ezek. 22.18. The house of Israel is to me become Dross, all they are Brass, and Tin, and Iron, and Lead in the midst of the Furnace. Which is not spoken as to those Metals in them­selves, but as used to Corrupt the Silver, and Debase the Coin, which Metaphor is largely persued in the following verses, to note how they were like Money, that was first Corrup­ted, then Reprobated and Refus'd, which the Government would Reject, and forbid to be Own'd, or to pass Currant any more; Repro­bate Silver shall Men call them, &c. What the Case of this Land hath been, with respect to the debasing of the Coin, almost every one is sensible of, and hath felt more or less; Had it not been timely restor'd, it might have pro­ved ruin to the Nation: Now this similitude doth so suit the Condition of this poor Church [Page 3] and Nation, with respect to our great dege­neracy, that unless something be done for a more effectual remedy, our Case must needs be sad indeed. The considering of the Parallels in the Doctrinal Part, may help to prepare us for the Application.

1. Heretofore there was good Coin, of the right Stamp, of the full Weight; Currant Mo­ney of the Merchant. The conveniency and usefulness of which for Trade and Commerce no one doubts of: Now this doth aptly set forth the happy condition of a Nation where Religion flourisheth; and Holiness and Righ­teousness are, as it were, the currant Coin of it. That place in Isaiah 1.22. that speaks of the debasing the Silver, hath reference to what goes before, ver. 21. It was a faithful City, it was full of Judgment, Righteousness lodged in it: It was pure Coin, though now Adulterated. In­deed if we were to seek for a time when there was no corrupt Money in the Land, we must run it up to Ages long since past; So if we seek for perfect Purity, we must look as far, as to the state before the Fall, when God made Man upright, and instamped upon him his own image, and there was no disagreement from the [Page 4] Standard and Rule of his Holy Law: Yet there have been days since that, when there hath been a greater comparative Purity, as in the primitive times of Christianity, and next to them in the year after the Reformation; so that it might be said of the Churches that they were like pure Silver Coin in the same respect, as it was said of Jerusalem, in that forecited place, in the days of Asa and Jehosaphat: And though it cannot be deny'd that there may be a great fault in saying, The former times were better than these, Eccles. 7.10. Yet that is to for­bid a murmuring at the Judgments in our days, and not to prevent our Humiliation for the sins of them; though there hath been all along some bad Money, yet we can all remember the time when it was much better than of late: here were Faults and Corrup­tions in the days of our Fathers, but it is yet within the memory of some alive, when there was not such a flood of Debauchery as hath broken in since; and many that are no ways factiously inclined, have given a true Report, of that Zeal for God that was amongst the Pro­fessors of Religion heretofore, that seriousness in their Families, circumspection in their lives; [Page 5] of that encouragement that the power of god­liness met with, from Persons of Great Name and Note, in the Counties and Places where they dwelt

2. There hath been of late a great debasing of the Coin. Part of it Embezelled, and the weight Diminished; part of it Adulterated, the Stamp Chang'd; some plain Brass to every eye, the rest more cunningly Counterfeited, but presently discovered by a more discerning sight. The dangerous condition in which the Land was a while ago on this account, doth represent to us our danger still with respect to higher Corruptions; where it is to be hoped that there may be the True Stamp still; Yet is our Spiritual state like that of the Coin, Impair'd; the Ancient Seriousness, Piety and Charity, much clipt off; the Letters missing by which it was wont to be known; by this shall all men know that you are my Disciples, if you love one a­nother; Our divisions have been to us what the Sheers and such like Instruments, have been to the Money. With others it hath been yet far worse; there is nothing of the Royal Coin left; they have another Stamp upon Brass and Iron wash'd over, Ezek. 22.18. What a mix­ture [Page 6] of false Doctrines and Blasphemies (witness the late spreading of Socinianism and Deism) of Debauchery, and wicked Practices, Drun­kenness, Uncleanness and Prophanation of the Lord's Name and Day, hath there been with the poor remainder of a Christian Profession! The Brass is apparent, By their Works you shall know them: Though others have cunningly disguised their Wickedness, who yet lye open to the All-discerning Eye of him, who trys the Hearts and the Reins. It is true, the Corruption of the Coin was not all at once, but in a few Months space, it grew worse at last than in many years before. The sinful Corruption of this Nation hath been a gradual thing, and whither will it proceed if it be not yet at the height, and if some stop be not put to the day­ly increase? Already is the Land reduc'd to as miserable a Case, as ever the Coin was. For, (1.) Sin has obscur'd the glory of it: There was always some good pieces where the Coin were at worst, and usually some Silver in the most debased Piece, but the lustre of the Coin was lost It is (2.) rendred Deceitful and Hy­pocritical, as Israel was call'd, Isa. 10.6. The Counterfeit Coin was perpetually cheating, and [Page 7] deceiving those that had to do with it. And thereby (3.) It is become worthless and con­temptible, nigh unto cursing, ready to be rejected, like Coin that could not be used, it was so Adulterated, or as the Prophet useth another si­militude, Jer. 24.8. Like figs that could not be eaten, they were so evil.

3. Many attemps were made to prevent the mischief, but all prov'd ineffectual, so long as the corrupted Coin was suffered to pass cur­rant. Indeed the more ignorant sort saw not the cause of the Mischief, nor the need of a remedy: They thought and said, That if their Money might but pass according to its denominati­on, tho' it was made of Leather, it was all one to them. Others that understood better did dread the consequences, and did something to prevent them; private Persons in their places, and the Governours in theirs; many of the counter­feit Pieces were stopt, and broken, that they might cheat no more; many of the Debasers and Coiners were taken and suffered the due re­ward of their deeds; but all this was insuffici­ent to put a stop to the Corruption, on the con­trary, it grew worse and worse. This is set down in the verse before the Text, v. 29. The Bellows ae­burnt, [Page 8] the Lead is consumed of the fire, the Foun­der melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. Which may in the general Note, that the Land in respect of Moral Corruption, was not only like debased Coin, but worse; be­cause it was more easie to redress the State of the Coin than of the Land: But indeed this verse hath some difficulty as to the Application of the Metaphor, for the fire is wont to be the last remedy, and to prove effectual to the designed end, and so we find it used in the Pa­rallel places, Isa. 1.25, 26. Ezek 22.22. I con­ceive therefore that the simililtude must signi­fie something else here, and something less than it doth in the other places, viz. The Prepara­tory and Precious Methods that were used (before the Rejection spoken of in the Text) which all miscarry'd: Here were Bellows pro­vided, and Lead (used then instead of Quick­silver) to have facilitated the melting; here was the Founder ready, but all in vain, Why? because the wicked was not plucked away. The debased Coin was still Currant; the Founder melts his Lead, and consumes it for nothing. Hath it not been thus in our Land? It is a strange stupidity of some, that they are [Page 9] against all attempts of a Reformation; they would have all things go as they do; Heresies, and Debaucheries let alone: But yet attempts have been made, some private stop put to the Corruption in some places; Publick Proclama­tions against Debaucheries, Orders against He­resies, Commissions and Consultations about Church Reformation. Nay, here hath been something of the Fire kindled, the Bellows and Lead prepared. Noting either the preaching of the Word, or the preparatory Judgments of Plague, Fire, Wars, and such like Calami­ties, all which are ineffectual because the wick­ed are not plucked away. It still grew worse while the debased Coin past currant.

4. At last the Government resolv'd to make a thorough work; they wholly rejected the de­based Coin, that it should no more pass by the Name it did ( Reprobate, or Refuse, Silver shall Men call it.) They order'd all the corrupted Money to be brought to the fire, that nothing should go but according to Weight and Standard, and that the whole at last should be made New, more excellent for beauty, safety and usefulness than ever before. The Lord hath rejected it, saith the Text; But, alas! who shall [Page 10] live when God will do this? When (1) God shall pour contempt upon the prophane in the eyes of the World, and shall separate the precious from the vile; So that they shall not pass currant as Men in fashion that blaspheme the Name of God with their horrid Oaths, and ridicule Re­ligion as a Cheat and Priestcraft; when they shall not call the proud happy, but, Reprobate Sil­ver shall Men call them. When (2.) all things shall go by weight and measure, as reduc'd to the standard of the Word; when things shall not go by meer name, as we have called that a Shilling which was not half weight, nor a quarter worth but as weigh'd in the Ballance of the Sanctuary. When (3.) upon bringing the rejected and refuse Silver to the flame, all things shall become new, and the Church re­stor'd to its Beauty and Excellency as the Coin is. This is admirably represented, in Ezek. 22.19,— 22. and in other places. Now whatso­ever way the Lord will work this, whether by Magistrates whom he will spirit and stir up for it; or by Afflictions, sometimes called a Fur­nace; or by greater Effusions of his Spirit in the preaching of the Word; or whether by all these together, sure we are, that he will be [Page 11] like a refiners fire, Mal. 3.2. And there will be these two things in it.

1. Great Wrath upon such as shall be found debased and corrupted, and so refused and re­jected, Psalm 119.119. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the Earth like dross; They despised God, his Ways and his People, they counted them as the Off-scouring of the World, and they themselves shall be lightly esteem'd, Ezek. 22.20, 21. As they gather Silver, and Brass, and Iron, and Lead, and Tin, into the midst of the Furnace to blow the fire upon it, so will I gather you in mine anger and my fury—and I will blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, &c. The Judg­ments of God are very searching and desola­ting upon the wicked many times in this World, as we have instances in Church-History all a­long, even so as to be an Emblem of the great Judgment to come, and to express, Rev. 3. 3— I will come upon thee, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

2. Great Mercy to the Church afterwards, for upon the rejecting the wicked, the Church is restored, Prov. 25.4. Take away the Dross [Page 12] from the Silver, and there shall come forth a Ves­sel for the Finer; which is apply'd in the next Words to the taking away the wicked— verse 5. Divers of the Prophets spake of this Mal. 3.3. He shall sit as a Refiner, and Purifier of Silver: and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi, and purge them as Gold and Silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in Righteousness. He may pos­sibly begin with them in Judgment for their Corruptions, and in Mercy for their Recovery, that they may be instruments in restoring others. Of whom another Prophet speaks in the same manner, Zech. 13.9. And it shall come to pass, that in all the Land saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein; and I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as Silver is refin'd, and will try them as Gold is tried: they shall call upon my Name, and I will hear them, &c. Here is a remnant reserv'd and re­stor'd, made bright and Illustrious, like New and Beautiful Coin. The like we may see in Isa. 1.25. and 4.3, 4. Of which, further Use may be made in the Application, to which we shall now proceed.

[Page 13] Ʋse 1. This may be used for a serious Ex­hortation, that you be not found amongst the Corrupters, and Corrupted Ones, whom the Lord will reject. The old debased Coin past a great while; it went currant, partly through faultiness, and partly through ignorance; The wicked have not been plucked away; some have continued in the Church through neglect of Discipline, and others by reason of their Washes and cunning Artifices have not been discovered to be what they are: What will you do when you can pass currant to longer? there is a day that will manifest every mans work, for the fire will declare it. If thou continuest a prophane Enemy of God and Godliness, a ma­lignant Hater of seriousness and strictness in Religion; if under the wash of an outward Profession, thou wilt still cherish Malice, Un­cleanness, Worldliness, or such like Lusts in thy Heart, thou wilt be rejected, refuse Coin, repro­bated, and cast off by the Lord Hearken therefore in time to the Word of the Lord, that God may hearken unto you.

[Page 14]1. See that you have the image of God in­stamp'd and renewed upon your Souls: When the Coin was debased, they melted down the Money that had the right stamp they corrupt­ed it with the baser Metals of Brass and Iron, and placed a counterfeit Stamp upon it; this was our ruine at first: By the Fall the Image of God was lost, and defac'd, and a contrary image stamp'd on the Soul: There must be a restoring the King's Image again, the debased Coin must be broken with the Hammer, melted with the fire, and made susceptible of a new stamp; How admirably doth this set forth the work of Grace upon the Heart! Jer. 23.29. Is not my word like a Fire, saith the Lord? and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rock in pieces? Thou must be broken by the Hammer of the Law, and melted down by the Gospel, and the Lord's Image must be renewed upon thy Soul, Col. 3.10. And have put on the new Man which is renewed in Knowledge, after the Image of him that Created him. And in the other E­pistle, Eph. 4.24. it is said to be after God, that is, after his Image, which we are told there, doth consist in Righteousness and true Holiness. So that the great Question, which you must put [Page 15] to your Souls, is, Whose is this Image and Super­scription? Is it after Christ, after his likeness? have you receiv'd Grace for Grace? Is there Grace in you, answering to the great Patterns and Exemplar in him, as in the Coin face an­swers to face, and one part and feature to ano­ther? It will come to that at last, that no Coin will go currant, but what is new. All old things must pass away, and all things become new, 2 Cor. 5.17. The Apostles words respect another si­militude, but may be applyed to this, 1 Cor. 5.7. That you must be a new lump, or Mass, on which a new Image must be stamp'd. There must be a new Heart and a new Spirit, Ezek. 36.26. From whence proceeds newness of Life and Obedience: And as the old Coin is still wear­ing away, and the new Money increasing; so must the old Man be decaying, as crucisi'd with Christ, Rom 6.6. put to a lingering death, till at last there be no more of it; and the new man must increase, till Grace comes to be perfected in Glory.

2 See that in your whole life and course you be according to the Standard, and full Weight. It was the charge upon that Remiss Church of Sardis, in which we are nearly con­cern'd, [Page 16] that the Lord had not found her works perfect before God, Rev. 3 2. not filled up; but like Coin impaird and embezelled, that would not hold weight. The Gospel requires good Works, as well as the Law, though not for the same ends: and the one is a Standard as well as the other, if he weighs us in the Ballance of his Law, and Covenant of Works there is no Righ­teousness, but that of Christs, which will hold weight: But sincerity is a kind of Evangeli­cal perfection, and so own'd in the Covenant of Grace; and sad is our case, if God should write upon us, TEKEL, thou art weigh'd in the Ballances, and art found wanting, Dan. 5.27. There are many frothy vain Persons of empty light Spirits that have no solidity; Examine your selves, saith the Apostle, prove your own selves, 2 Cor. 13.5. Where he useth a word, that is also made use of for the Tryal of Metals of which Money is made.

Ʋse 2. This may further be improv'd by way of caution, that you take heed of murmuring and fretting about the difficulties occasion'd by the Coin at this day, when you have more reason to lye low before God in sorrow, [Page 17] and humiliation. Murmuring hath been one of the prevailing sins of England of late, as it was of the Children of Israel when they came out of Aegypt; there are many circum­stances that are much alike in both Nothing hath more exercis'd the Tongues, and fill'd the Hearts of many this last year, than the diffi­culties about the Money: No Man smites upon his thigh and crys, what have I done? Each one murmuring at others, the wisest Councellour and Counsels cannot escape them; they fret themselves against God and the King, and look up. Sometimes they murmur at the inconveniencies occasion'd by the Calling in of the Coin, the stoppage of their Trade and Commerce, the hinderance of the War, and of the Peace, and Deliverance hop'd for by it; at other times at the difficulties in amending the Coin, the delay of it, and the frustrating some attempts that have been made to restore it.

Now not to argue against this murmuring from the General Heads of the Sin and danger of it; I desire only that they who murmur in this Case, would reflect upon themselves, and en­quire whether they have not more cause to [Page 18] mourn, than to fret upon this account. Let it be considered:

1. Whether you are not the Persons that have caused this Calamity, this Debasing of the Coin; I do not mean, whether your sins as well as others, have caus'd it meretoriously, as sin brings down all Judgments, but whether you have not been instrumental in procuring these inconveniencies, which have lain heavy on your selves and others. They that suffer'd justly for their Treason, and a kind of Rob­bery of the whole Nation, in Clipping and Coining, were not the only guilty Persons; it must needs be that they have other Confe­derates, Accessaries to their Treason and Theft, who helpt them to all that broad Mo­ney which they clipt and melted down; which Confederacy is doubtless an Iniquity, that ought to be punished by the Judges; but I hope this guilt lies (comparitively) but among a few. There is yet a more general Sin to be bewailed, which was always accounted a hei­nous piece of injustice, till the temptation grew too strong for many; the putting off false and counterfeit Money in their dealings one with [Page 19] another. How many made no conscience of putting off Brass and Iron for Silver, because, say they, we took it for good our selves; which is but in other words, to cheat others, because they themselves were impos'd upon! It was this common practice that encourag'd the pouring in such vast quantities of debased Mo­ney upon us: I doubt not, now the Tempta­tion is over, the Conviction will be more easie, that it is the same sin to put off counterfeit Money knowingly, as to put off counterfeit Goods: A sin so general, ought to be publick­ly acknowledged, and bewail'd by the Land; and shall the guilty persons murmur at that which they caus'd; at an Evil which they have encouraged and procured!

2. Whether you your selves are not like this debased Coin, this reprobate Silver, this refuse Money, which is now rejected? How little good, and how much bad would there be found, if now you are brought to the Ballance? Let me only put the Question to your Hearts in reference to the pretences of your present Murmuring.

[Page 20]1. You murmur, that the badness and defici­ency of the Coin hath hindred your Trade, and stopt the success of the War; upon this some fly out into extravagant expressions, which I list not to repeat. Now I beseech you consider whether the greater corruption of your lives hath not more hindred the progress of the Gospel, and the desired deliverance. Is not the Gospel of more concern than your Trade, and the interest of Christ in the Land than your private interest? and yet this is that which you have hindred. You are degenerated and debased, become, as the Prophet saith, Brass, Tin, Iron and Lead; Brass for Impudence in Sin, Tin for Hypocrisie, Iron for inflexibleness, Lead for stupidity; and hath not this more hindred the work of God in the Land, than the bad Money hath hindred your work? You your selves have been the Achans that have troubled our Israel: It was not the want or the badness of the Coin that hindred the success a­gainst the Enemy, so much as the abounding of sin in the Land. Oh that my People had hearkned unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways, I should soon have subdued their Enemies, and turned my hand against their Adversaries, Psal. 81.13, 14.

[Page 21]Or, 2. You murmur that there are delays in amending and restoring the Coin, that some attempts have fail'd, and many disappointments are met with that were not expected: But ought you not to consider, how many more apparent miscarriages there have been of the attempts to reform you? Here have been de­lays as to the Coin, but you see something is done; a great deal of new Money is come abroad, but what hath yet been done amongst you? though some attempts as to the Money, have miscarried, yet others do succeed; but all the several methods to reform you have in great part failed. Such exceeding difficulties do they meet with, who have attempted a greater purity in Church and State, that they are ready to give it over, as a hopeless under­taking. So refractory have Sinners prov'd, and averse to Reformation, that there is need of all fitting Arguments to persuade those, whose work it is, to overcome the discouragements they have met with, and to set about it, in good earnest; which brings us to another Use.

Ʋse 3. By way of Address and humble Ap­plication to them who have been the Restorers [Page 22] of our Coin, that they may become healers of our breaches, and restorers of paths to dwell in. I doubt not when the heat of Mens passions is a little over, the whole Nation will thank­fully acknowledge your Wisdom and Care in the late Regulation of the Money; and the more serious part of it will especially take no­tice of your delivering us from so great a Snare, as was the customary putting off bad Money to one another, almost at last without Reluctancy. Now it hath been prov'd that our Land is become by sin, like corrupted and de­based Coin, and that the Reformation of it is Gods Work, who useth what instruments he pleaseth; And Oh that it might please him to put it into your hearts to do as much for the in­terest of his Church, as you have done for the interest of the Nation! that you may resolve to sit de die in Diem, as one grand Committee for Religion, till all things are brought to the Bal­lance, and reduc'd to the great Standard of the Word. You have been sensible how much the honour of the King is concern'd, that the Coin should be such as he should own; and is not the Lord as jealous of his Ministry and Ordi­nances, on which he hath set his Stamp? I will [Page 23] only set before you, your own example, Do as you have done for us, and the Lord shall be with you. You have delivered us from the cor­rupted Coin, you have refused and rejected it; deliver us also effectually from Debaucheries and Prophaneness; put a greater restraint upon the boldness of Hereticks, that deny the Lord that bought them; what you find amiss in the Church, redress it; and begin, as God himself doth, with the Sons of Levi. His Majesties Commission to the late Convocation, 1689. will inform you of the particular grievances, and you do not want eminent Lights set up in the highest places of the Church, to assist you in the redressing of them. You have en­couraged the good Money to come abroad freely, which heretofore was hoarded up; and can it be for the glory of God, that so many Persons should be hoarded up, and confin'd to private & separate Assemblies, whose Labours are much wanted in the Church, had the com­prehension gone along with the Toleration seven years ago, it had doubtless been more for the interest of Religion in general, as well as for the Church of England in particular. You have taken care, that the old Money, not yet spoil'd, [Page 24] should be Recalled and Recoined: It hath been formerly unquestionably currant, the Nation hath flourished in the use thereof, yet when you saw that the Hammered Coin was liable to be abused still, and like to breed quarrels amongst the People, in Wisdom you thought fit to re­move it, and to exchange it for that which is more bright, and safe, and usefull: Let it please you to consider, whether there be not some Rites and Ʋsages, thô not debased by superstition, yet unnecessary and subject to abuses, which have bred quarrels in the Church for above a hun­dred years together, and whether they may not be chang'd for such as are more unquestionably useful: especially when this difference is ob­served, that the old Money which you call in, hath had on it the Royal Stamp, whereas these Usages pretend only to a bare allowance to pass for a time, and are more like to the small Money, which I remember many years ago was stampt by private Shop keepers, which by the leave of the Government, went currant for some years, within the narrow Bounds assigned them: But it hath since been found much better, that even Farthings should have the King's Stamp, and nothing suffered but what may pass currant through the Land.

[Page 25]I doubt not but in the setting about so great a work as is the Reforming a corrupted Land, you will meet with many difficulties, and you will not want those who will on purpose lay rubs in your way; but give me leave to say, they can propose no Objections, but what you have answer'd your selves, nor are there any Ob­structions but what you have already broke through in the like case.

Should it be objected that we have a good establishment already, that there are many good Law's against corruptions in the Land, many good Constitutions in the Church, and actual endeavours already made for a Reformation of what is amiss; was it not also so as to the Coin? was there not a good establishment of it former­ly, good Laws about the taking and refusing it, and care taken for the preventing and redres­sing of the abuses of it? yet you saw cause to do something more, and more effectually than ever had been done before in our days.

It will be objected, That alterations are dan­gerous; there will be those that will cry out, as if the Church were in danger, if you re­move but a Ceremony, but you have got over this stumbling Block too; for there have not [Page 26] wanted those that would have amused you and the Nation, with fears and jealousies, as if you were ruining the Land, when you were restor­ing the Coin. You easily perceiv'd that these out-crys came from a selfish private interest, and unconcernedness for the publick good.

It may possibly be further said, that should you do all that is desired, there would be still faults and corruptions, still quarrels and factions, that some Men will never be satisfied, what­ever is done in, and for the Church; and is not the same thing said as to the Coin, that there will be Counterfeits of the New Money too; quarrels amongst the people about it, and some dissatisfied as well as others pleased? Let not Objections, already baffled, and answered, by your selves have any force to hinder you in so great a work. And yet there is need of one Use of the Doctrine more.

Ʋse 4. To stir us up to a solemn Supplica­tion unto, and entire dependance upon the Lord to perform his own Work, in his own way. The Church needs and calls for the prayers of all the Members of it; and the promises of God are the ground of our Faith, and encourage­ment [Page 27] of our prayers, Isa. 1.25, 26. I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all they Tin; And I will re­store thy Judges as at the first, and thy Counsel­lours as at the beginning; afterwards thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness, the faithful City. Indeed if we consider Gods rejecting the wicked as Reprobate Silver, abstractedly and by it self, it seems rather matter of trem­bling, than of desire: When the Psalmist had said, Psa. 119.119. Thou puttest away all the Wicked of the Earth as dross-he adds v. 120. My flesh trembles for fear of thee. But when we consi­der it, in reference to his design, the purifying and beautifying his Church, the preserving and de­fending it from all that would mischief it How could all they who make mention of the Lord not keep silence, but pray more earnestly, and give him no rest till he hath made Jerusalem a praise in the Earth; till the name and image of our King be again visible on all his Coin; as he hath said, I will write on it the name of my God, and the name of the City of my God, Rev. 3.13. till that, which is the inscription on the Coin, shall be written round the Church, [Page 28] Decus & Tutamen, Glory and Defence: Which is directly according to his promise, for having spoken of Purging of his Church, Isa. 4.4. With the Spirit of Judgment, and the Spirit of Burning; according to the allusion of the Re­finers Fire: He adds, v. 5. That upon all the glory there shall be a defence. Which two things are again prophesied of, Zech. 2.5. I will be unto her a Wall of fire, and the glory in the midst of her. What Glory, Lustre and Beauty will the Church then have, when the Lord shall turn to the people a pure Language, and they shall call on him, and serve him with one consent? Zeph. 3.9. And for Defence; He shall fill Zion with Judgment, and Righteousness, and Knowledge shall be the stability of our times, Isa. 33.6. Then shalt thou no more be termed Desolate, nor thy Land Forsaken, Isa. 62.4. As now men call it repro­bate Silver, rejected and refuse, but thou shalt be called, Hephzibah, and thy Land, Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy Land shall be married— As the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the Bried, so shall they God rejoice over thee.