This land, among many other glorious titles given to it, was called Emanuel’s land, that is, God with us, Christ’s land, or Christian land, Isa. viii. 8.
But now, Jerusalem from above is not material and earthly, but spiritual, Gal. iv. [25;] Heb. xii. [22.] Material Jerusalem is no more the Lord’s city than Jericho, Nineveh, or Babel, in respect of place or country: for even at Babel literal, was a church of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. v. [13.]
It is true, that anti-christ hath christened all those countries whereon the whore sitteth, Rev. xvii., with the title of Christ’s land, or Christian land.
The blasphemous titles of the christened and Christian world.
And Hundius, in his map of the Christian world, makes this land to extend to all Asia, a great part of Africa, all Europe, and a vast part of America, even so far as his unchristian christening hath gone. But as every false Christ hath false teachers, false Christians, false faith, hope, love, &c., and in the end false salvation, so doth he also counterfeit the false name of Christ, Christians, Christian land or country.
The material land of Canaan was to keep her sabbaths, so no material land or country now.
Sixthly. This land was to keep her sabbaths unto God. Six years they were to sow their fields, and prune their vines, but in the seventh year they were not to sow their fields, nor prune their vineyards, but to eat that which grew of itself or own accord.
But such observations doth not God now lay upon any fields, vineyards, &c., under the gospel.
God feedeth his sometimes immediately.
Yet, in the spiritual land of Canaan, the true church, there is a spiritual soul-rest or sabbath, a quiet depending upon God, a living by faith in him, a making him our portion, and casting all care upon him who careth for us: yea, sometimes he feedeth his by immediate, gracious works of providence, when comforts arise out of the earth, without secondary means or causes, as here, or as elsewhere, manna descended from heaven.