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cry," Awake, O north wind, come thou fouth, blow upon the garden" of this withered church, that the may live: "Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee ?"

5. Sometimes he fpirits great men, kings and nobles, to efpoufe the cause of his fallen tabernacle: thus he moves the fpirit of Darius, Cyrus, and Artaxerxes, Heathen kings, to be active in rebuilding the temple of God. There is but little appearance of any relief to the church of Chrift, from the great folks in our day; but the God of the tabernacle, he hath the hearts of kings, nobles, gentry, and commons in his hand, and he turns them as the rivers of waters; and as he has done this in former times, fo his hand is not shortened. And therefore, let us pray for kings, and all that are in authority, that he may make them nurfing-fathers unto his church, fo as to be active for bringing about reformation-work in Scotland, and throughout all Britain and Ireland, according to our folemn league and covenant.

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6. Sometimes he rears up his fallen tabernacle in the blood and fufferings of his witneffes. The foundation of God's tabernacle upon earth, was laid in the fufferings of the head; and very frequently it is rebuilt and reformed, in a day of defection, at the expence of the blood of his members. Thus it has been in Scotland; the work of God comes floating to us in the blood of many of our worthy ancestors; and who knows, but we may be obliged to hand it down with our blood unto our pofterity? The fame perfecuting spirit is roaring at this day, that drank the blood of our forefathers, only it is chained up for a little; but how foon the chain may be lengthened, and the reins loofed, we know not; only let all who cleave to the Lord's teftimony in Scotland, be ready to fay with Paul," We are ready not to be bound only, but to die for the name of the Lord Jefus."

IV. The fourth thing in the method was, to offer fome thoughts anent the time or day of the Lord's building up the tabernacle of David. And all I fay upon this head, fhall be comprifed in the few following particulars.

1. That it is a time which God hath kept in his own power, and therefore we fhould beware of diving with too much curiofity into it. Acts i. the difciples there, after Christ's refurrection, they ask him, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Ifrael?" Which was upon the matter all one as if they had faid, "Is this the time when the tabernacle of David is to be built up? What anfwer gives he them? Why, although in a little time he was to lay the foundation of the

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New Teftament church, and to build up the tabernacle of David in a glorious manner, yet he answers them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath kept in his own power;" only he would have them to go faft and pray, and confer together, and in that way to wait for the promise of the Spirit. And therefore, let us follow duty without limiting the holy One of Ifrael, and leave events and times to the Lord: "Secret things belong unto the Lord, but things revealed to us and to our children."

2. When men think the time at hand, and their expectations big, that now the Lord will build up his tabernacle, things frequently take quite another turn, and defeat all their hopes for that feafon. Thus Ifrael, a little after they came out of Egypt, they were upon the borders of Canaan: and they imagined, that now was the time of the outmaking of the promise made to Abraham, that his feed fhould have it for an inheritance; and they could fcarce be reftrained from making the attempt immediately: Well, but their time was not God's time; they are fent back from the borders of God's fanctuary, to measure the hills and deferts of the wilderness for forty years, until the carcafes of all that generation, except Caleb and Joshua, had dunged the wildernefs; and then, when that is done, God's time of fulfilling his promise comes. And therefore let us beware of being too peremptory; many a long look did the Old Teftament faints give for the Meffiah before he came, but long looked-for came at last in the fulness of time.

3. God's time of building up his tabernacle is commonly when things are brought to the last extremity. This is clear in the text, when the tabernacle is fallen, broken, and ruined, In that day, faith the Lord, will I build up the tabernacle of David. When the cafe of the church appears defperate and hopeless, that is God's ufual time of appearing; when the Lord's people are crying," By whom fhall Jacob arife, for he is fmall?" When there is no man, no interceffor, then his own arm brings falvation, and his righteousness and veracity it fuftains him: Deut. xxxii. 36. " The Lord will judge his people, and repent himself concerning his fervants; when he feeth that their power (marg. their hand) is gone, and there is none shut up, or left."

4. God's time of building up his tabernacle is a day of vengeance and vexation unto the wicked and ungodly world, who were crying," Raze, raze it unto the foundation." The day of Chrift's death, which was the day of our redemption by price, was the day of bruifing Satan's head; and whenever Chrift fets up his kingdom, Satan's kingdom and government Is down, his works are deftroyed by the manifeftation of

the Son of God; and this is tormenting to Satan, and all that are in his interest. The day of vengeance and the year of the redeemed, go commonly together in fcripture, If. lxiii. 4. "The day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." If. Ixi. when he proclaims the acceptable year of the church's releafe, he proclaims alfo the "day of vengeance from our God." Jerufalem's rife is Babylon's ruin. And therefore we need not be surprised though a fet of men of a malignant fpirit have a jealous eye upon our meeting here this day; for they cannot hear tell of any effay toward a difplaying of a banner for Chrift, or a work of reformation, in oppofition to their own wicked defigns against the tabernacle of David.

5. However it be a day of vexation and vengeance to Zion's enemies, yet it is a day of joy and gladness unto all Zion's friends and well-wishers: Pfal. cxxvi. 2. "Then (viz. when the Lord turned back the captivity of Zion) was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with finging." And ver. 3. "The Lord hath done great things for us: whereof we are glad." And if you ask me, What is it that makes it a day of joy to the friends of Zion, when the Lord builds up the tabernacle of David? I answer, It cannot be otherwife, when we confider, (1.) That it is then a day of light: "The people that fit in darkness, then fee great light." Particularly, the light of truth is brought forth unto victory over the darkness of error. (2.) It is a day of much life and liveliness in the Lord's way and work. The Lord quickens the dry bones, and they call on his name; he revives them, and they rejoice in him; they "revive as the corn, and grow as the vine." (3.) It is a day of much fpiritual liberty. The Son makes them free, and they are free indeed. Chrift, when he rears up the tabernacle of David, proclaims the year of release, "liberty `to captives, and the opening of the prifon-doors to them that were bound." (4.) It is a day of purging and planting the houfe of the Lord. He then purges his houfe of buyers and fellers, intruders and hirelings, and every plant that his right hand hath not planted; and then he fends his people" pastors according to his own heart, whose feet are beautiful upon the mountains, because they preach the gofpel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things." When the Lord thus "clothes his priests with falvation, then his faints fhout aloud for joy." (5.) It is the day of Chrift's marriage and coronation, wherein he betrothes his church unto himself for ever, and gets many new jewels added to his crown; and then the rights of his crown, and liberties of his kingdom, are afferted and maintained. Cant. iii. laft, "Go forth, O ye daughters of VOL. II. 3 G Zion,

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and behold king Solomon, with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his efpoufals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart." Thus much for the fourth thing in the method.

V. The fifth thing was, to give the reasons of this doctrine. Why is it that God, in his own time and way, will build up his fallen and ruined tabernacle ?

Anfw. 1. Though he will not do it for our fakee, yet he will do it for his own name's fake, that it may not be polluted with the blafphemy of the enemy: If, xlvii. 9-11. "For mine own fake, even for mine own fake will I do it, for how. fhould my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another." God's name is great in Zion, when he builds his tabernacle: Pfal. cii. 16. " When the Lord fhall build up Zion, he will appear in his glory."

2. He builds up his fallen tabernacle upon the account of Chrift's interceffion, the great Angel of the covenant, who Interposes on her behalf when he is brought low. Zech. i. 12. when Jerufalem is lying in rubbish, the Angel of the covenant interpofes, faying, "How long, O Lord of lofts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerufalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which thou haft had indignation these threefcore and ten years? Well, the Lord answered the Angel with good and comfortable words, faying particularly, ver. 17. Thus faith the Lord of hofts, My cities through profperity hall yet be spread abroad, and the Lord fhall yet comfort Zion, and fhall yet choose Jerufalem.”

3. He will build up his tabernacle, from the fympathy that he hath with his people under oppreffion. He is "touched with the feeling of their infirmites: and in all their afflictions he is afflicted; and therefore he fends "the angel of his prefence to fave them, in his love and pity he redeems them," If. xiii. 9. "The fighing of his prifoners comes up before him and, "For the oppreffion of the poor, and the fighing of the needy, now will I arife (faith the Lord), and fet him in fafety from him that puffeth at him," Pfal. xii. 5.

4. He will do it for his faithfulness fake engaged in his promife. Here is his promife in the text, In that day will the Lord build up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, &c.: and his promife is fure, he will accomplish it in his own time and way; "hea ven and earth shall pafs away, but one jot" of what he hath fpoken" fhall not fall to the ground."

5. He will build it up, because it is the tabernacle of David. And he will not lie unto. David: His feed fhall endure for ever, and his throne fhall be built up unto all generations,"

Pfal.

Pfal. lxxxix. 3. 4. The "horn of David fhall bud, and he hath ordained a lamp for his anointed: he will clothe his enemies with fhame, but upon him fhall the crown flourish," Pfal. cxxxii. at the clofe. Thus much for the doctrinal part of the difcourfe.

VI. The last thing I propofed, was the Application, which I fhall endeavour to difcufs in a few inferences, having applied as I went along, particularly under the fecond head of the doc

trine.

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Inf. 1. See, from what has been faid, the love and kindness of God to men upon earth. Solomon, the wifeft of men, cries out, Will God in very deed dwell with man upon earth?” Will the high and lofty One, who inhabits eternity, and dwelleth in light that is inacceffible, ever take up lodging with finful and rebellious men? Well, I fay, from what has been faid, you fee this pofing and fitencing question anfwered; "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men." Yea, though men ruin and take down his tabernacle, yet he will rebuild and repair it; fo fond is he of dwelling with men. All the furniture of grace and glory, that lies in the hand of our great Immanuel, by the pleasure of the Father is intended to prepare a fit lodging for himfelf with men: Pfal. lxviii. 18. when he" afcended up on high, and led captivity captive, he received gifts for men, yea, even for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among us." O let us admire and adore the love of God in this matter, and cry, "Glory to God in the higheft, and on earth peace, good will towards

men."

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Inf. 2. See hence the obligations that we in this land are under to the Lord, that pitched his tabernacle fo early among us, and has allowed it to continue fo long, when he never set up or continued it in fuch a manner in any nation upon earth that I know of, fince the coming of Chrift in the flesh. Many nations of the earth were never yet enlightened with the beams of the Sun of righteousness, the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. Other places that have been enlightened for a while, their light was foon put out, and their candlestick removed: witnefs that of Jerufalem, where the New Teftament church was founded at Pentecoft; the feven churches of the Leffer Afia, Rome, Corinth, and other places; God has removed his tabernacle from them, and they are become like Shiloh; whereas his gofpel-tabernacle has been kept up in Scotland for many hundreds of years, notwithstanding of the utmoft efforts of hell to pull it down and deftroy it. He has many times threatened in the conduct of

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