time past to exhort and encourage one another to stick fast to the Promise for they shall be swallowed up of Life and open Vision Here shall be no need either of Prayer of Repentance of Faith or of good Works as afore And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it Now I say the holy Ghost is pleased to bring in here the shining Vertues of the Church under the notion of a shining Moon because as the Church her self is compared to the Moon so her Vertues are as naturally compared to a shining Light as Christ saith Let your light so shine and again Let your loins be girded and your lights burning for indeed while we are here that Church and Congregation of the Lord doth most shine and most send forth the golden Rayes and pleasant Beams of Christianity that is most in the exercise of the afore-mentioned Vertues take away the Moon and the night is doubtful or though the Moon be in the Firmament if she hath lost her light the night is not thereby made more comfortable And thus I say it is first with the World where here there is no Church to shine or where there is a Church that doth not so shine that others may see and be lighted for while the day of time doth last even the World it self hath need of the shining of the Church but at this day this time will be no longer because the Day of Eternity will break and by that means cause the World that now is even the World of the Ungodly to cease to have a being here any longer Therefore now no need of the Moon or of the light thereof to shine before that which is not Secondly Again as the Church is in her light before men as the Moon is in her light in the night to the world so as I said before this City which is called also Heaven she even she shall have no need of these things for she shall be taken up in open Vision and shall be compleatly delivered from all imperfection she shall not need now the light of her Children to provoke her and to stir her up to this or the other act of holiness all shall be done all shall be compleat the Lord himself is come Indeed while Christ is absent as touching his Person and while the work of God is not yet compleatly done in the Church there will be need both of the light of Sun and Moon but when the work is done and he come then these things will be out of use Thus The 〈…〉 of the Just is as the shining light which shineth more and more unto perfect day For the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof This is rendered as the reason why at this day both the light of Sun and Moon are needless it is because the Glory of God did lighten it and because the Lamb is the light thereof Now the Glory of God must be understood in this place not of that Glory that doth attend the Church in this world for that Glory doth attend the Church upon the account of her Purity of Worship of Temple-Worship and doth either abide on her or withdraw it self according to her exact observing the Rule or declining from it as I have shewed you in the beginning of this discourse But the Glory that here you read of it is a Glory that supplieth this City without those Ordinances yea therefore those Ordinances as the Temple and the light of the Sun and Moon do cease because of the Glory of this Glory that now is come into this City The City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it mark for the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof Wherefore I say this Glory that now he speaks of it is the Glory that shall possess this City at the end of her Glory in this world wherefore as saith the holy Ghost by Isaiah the Prophet from this day forward The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightness shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory Isa. 60. 19. For the Glory of God did lighten it c. Thus it was at the finishing of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness and of the Temple at Jerusalem both which were figures in their finishing of the finishing of the state of the Church in this world and it is said of them that in the day when they in all things were accomplished according to the fashion that was revealed before concerning their Order and accomplishment that then the Glory of God so appeared upon them that neither Moses nor Aaron was able to enter in or to stand therein because of the Cloud and of the Glory of the Lord that at that time filled the House Thus you see this City descends in one measure of Glory and is consumate in another measure of Glory The Glory of the Lord was upon the Mount Sinai while the pattern of the Tabernacle was giving but it rested on the Tabernacle when the work thereof was finished to signify I say that the Glory of God will rest in his Ordinances and in his Church by them so long as Ordinances are in use but when they are needless then it will rest in the Church without them and that more gloriously than ever it therein did rest by them For the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Mark Though now there shall be no need of Temple Sun or Moon yet Christ the Lamb or the Man who was offered in sacrifice for our Redemption shall be of use and benefit for the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Wherefore all that we who are the saved shall enjoy of Glory and Sweetness in another world though we shall not enjoy it from God through Christ by and in the Ordinances yet we shall enjoy it through Christ the Lamb without them for the Lamb is the light of it By this word Lamb he would have us understand that when we are in Glory the blood death and bloody conquest that the man Christ did get over our infernal enemies will be of eternal use to us because that benefit of Christ shall not only for ever be the Foundation of our eternal felicity but the burden of our Song of Glory in all our raptures among the Angels It will be the Blood the Blood the redeeming Blood of the Lamb. Blessing glory honour and power be to him that sits upon the Throne and to the LAMB for ever and ever 'T is he in whom will be found the seven Eyes the seven Spirits of God in whose light we shall see the heights and depths of those Springs and everlasting Fountains and Depths of Glory for ever and indeed the conceit of
Gates shall not be shut at all Thy Gates shall be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles and that their Kings may be brought But again This day of Grace and of conversion of sinners it must be looked upon either as the Church is in captivity and persecution or as she is out now as she is in Captivity so her longest day is usually accompanied with a black and doubtful night of Temptation and Affliction Wherefore this Day here being spoken of it is the Day of Grace that she shall have even when she is absolutely delivered from the rage of the Beast False Prophet and Whore Wherefore he is not content to say the Gates shall not be shut at all by day but adds withal for there shall be no night there as who should say I know that commonly in the day of the Churches affliction she is accompanied with nights aswel as days but it shall not be so here Thy Sun shall go no more down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended Wherefore John considering this doth quite exclude the night saying There shall be no night there Indeed after this New Jerusalem hath had her Golden day in this world I say just towards the ending thereof she will yet once again be beset with raging Gog and Magog which enemies will after the long safety and tranquility of this City through the instigation of the Devil come upon the breadth of the Earth and encamp about this holy City But behold in the midst of of this intention to swallow her up The Lord rains fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroys them all So that Gog I say though he may bring one only evening upon this Holy City after her long peace and rest among the sons of men yet he shall not bring one night upon her nor cause a Gate thereof to be shut for ever The Sun shall now stand still in the midst of Heaven and this night shall be thus prevented by this marvellous Judgment of God as another Prophet saith At evening-time it shall be light that is though her enemies will at last still make thorow their enmity one only attempt to swallow up all in everlasting oblivion yet they themselves shall fall down dead upon the Mountains of Israel and be a prey to this Jerusalem Thus there will be only day accompanying the Inhabitants of this City For there shall be no night there Vers. 26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations to it This as I said before is to shew us how heartily and how unfeignedly both the Nations and their Kings shall now come over to New-Jerusalem They come hand in hand not the People without their Prince nor the Prince without his People though it will and must be so in the times of Persecution But now together THEY shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations to it Again I told you before that the Jews shall at this day be converted to the Christian Faith and shal have a great Name much of Heaven upon them in this City For indeed they are the first-born the natural branches and the like Now when he saith They shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations to it I cannot think that by this should be understood only or yet principally the outward pomp and treasure of the world but that rather by honour and glory we are here to understand the Heavenly Treasure and Glory that the Saints shall continually pour forth into one anothers bosoms in this City in this City I say for at this day as I have formerly shewed you there will be found no Treasure any where but at Jerusalem every Saint shall be here every Grace shall be here the precious Stones of the Sanctuar ythe precious Sons of Sion shall not then as now lie scattered some in the World and some in Mistris Babylons lap neither shall any thing pertaining to the Churches priviledges be found in her at all for ever There shall be heard no more at all in her any Harpers Trumpeters Pipers or any other heavenly Musick in her neither shall there be any more the sound of a Milstone to grind us bread nor the light of a Candle to guide us in the house nor yet the Voice of the Bridegroom Christ nor of the Bride his Wife to tempt or allure any that are seeking the Way of Life to stay with her all these things shall be brought to Jerusalem Christians you must understand that there is a time when all the Treasures of the Church are to be found in Babylon as in the dayes of old but at this day when this City is built not any of them shall be found there but all shall be brought and delivered up to Jerusalem again as was also foreshewn in the Type and all places shall be void of the Treasure of Heaven but Jerusalem Wherefore by the Glory and Honour of the Nations in this place I understand That all the Treasures of the Church and all the Graces that at this day lie scattered here and there some in one place and some in another they shall be found no where at that day but in this City in the Church that walks according to rule Now the Reasons why I take this honour and glory to be meant of these things are First Because thus it was in the time of the building of Jerusalem after the Captivity the Treasure of the Jews which was become the Treasures of the Provinces of Babylon was again restored and brought to Jerusalem as you may see by the Scriptures now cited Secondly Because I find indeed that the milk and honey 〈…〉 the Land of Canaan which is in our Gospel-language the Gifts Graces and Treasures of the Church it is called The Glory of all Lands Now I say seeing the milk and honey which is the Comforts of the Church and her Treasure is called the Glory of all Lands I take Glory and Honour in this place to signify the same thing also Thirdly Because also I find by comparing the Prophets that the Christians Glory and Honour lieth mostly even principally in Heavenly and Spiritual things as in Faith Love Experience of God of Grace of Christ and Spiritual Life I reade that at the building of of this City the Jews and Gentiles shall meet together and that at that day they shal mutually be partakers of each others glory The Gentiles shall milk out and be delighted in the abundance of the Glory of the Jews and the Glory of the Gentiles shall be again extended unto the Jews like a mighty flowing stream But I say that this Glory and Honour should consist in outward things or that the Glory that is meerly carnal should be principally here intended I confess it
Prophet They shall even in the latter days that is when this City is builded return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall then fear the Lord and his Goodness Hos. 3. 4 5. This the Apostle also affirmeth when he telleth the believing Gentiles That blindness in part â—s happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in which Israel in this place cannot by any means be taken for the Gentiles that are converted for thâ—â— Israel must be rejected until the bulk of the elect Gentiles be converted besides he calleth this Israel by the name of Israel even while unconverted but the converted Gentiles still Gentiles even when converted he calls this Israel the Natural Branches but the Gentiles Wilâ— Branches and tells us further Thaâ— when they are converted they shall be grafted into their own Olive Tree but when the Gentiles are converted they must be cut off of their own Stock and Tree read Rom. 11. throughout Wherefore I say the Gates are called twelve to answer these poor Creatures who at this day shall be awakened and enlightned and converted to the Faith of Jesus These Gates in another place are called A Way and these Jews The Kings of the East and it is there said also That at present this Way doth want preparing which is as much as to say This City wants setting up and the Gates want setting in their proper places Wherefore saith John The sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates that is destroyed the strength and force of the Roman-Antichrist for the River Euphrates was the fence of literal Babylon the Type of our spiritual one which force and fence when it is destroyed or dried up then the way of the Kings of the East will be prepared or made ready for their Journey to this Jerusalem Rev. 16. 12. Of this the Prophets are full crying Cast ye up cast ye up prepare the way take up the stumbling block out of the way of my People and again Go thorow go thorow the Gates prepare ye the way of my People cast ye up cast ye up the high-way gather out the stones lift up a Standard for the People Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the World Say to the Daughter of Zion Thy Salvation cometh behold his Reward is with him and his Work before him and they shall call them The holy People the Redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called Sought out A City not forsaken Isa. 62. 10 11 12. All which doth most especially relate to the Conversion of the Jews in the latter day who in great abundance shall when all things are made ready come flocking in to the Son of God and finde favour as in the days of old And at the Gates twelve Angels By Angels in this place we are to understand the Messengers and Ministers of the Lord Jesus by whom the Mystery of Eternal Life and Felicity is held forth and discovered before the Sons of Men and thus this word Angel is frequently taken in this Prophecâ—â— Rev. 1. 20. 2. 1 8 12 18. 3. 1 7. 14. 6. And at the Gates twelve Angels In these words then there are two things to be considered First Why they should be called twelve And Secondly Why they are said to stand at the twelve Gates of this New and Holy City For the first They are called twelve to signifie two things 1. The Truth of their Doctrine and 2. The sufficiency of their Doctrine and Ministry for the converting of the twelve Tribes to the Faith of Christ and Priviledges of this City First For the Truth of their Doctrine For by twelve here he would have us to understand that he hath his Eye upon the twelve Apostles or upon the Doctrine of the twelve the Apostolical Doctrine as if he should say This City the New Jerusalem shall be every way accomplish 〈…〉 with Beauty and Glory she shall 〈◊〉 a Wall for her security and twelve â—ates to answer the twelve Tribes yea and also at these Gates the twelve Apostles in their own pure primitive and unspotted Doctrine The Romish Beasts have corrupted this Doctrine by treading it down with their Feet and have muddied this Water with their own dirt and filthiness but at this day this shall be recovered from under the Feet of these Beasts and cleansed also from their diâ—t an 〈…〉 again in the same Glory S 〈…〉 and Purity as in the Primitive â—â—mes It is said that when Israel was passed out of Egypt beyond the Sea they presently came to Elim where were twelve Wells of Water c. and that they â—ncamped by the Waters which twelve Wells did figure forth the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles out of which the Church at her return from Captivity shall draw and drink as out of the Wells of Salvation Now shall the Wells of our Father Abraham which the Philistines have for a great while stopped now I say shall they again be opened by our Isaac his Son and shall be also called after their own Names Gen. 26. 18. This is generally held forth by the Prophets That yet again the Church shall be fed upon the Mountains of Israel and that they shall lie down in a good fold and a fat pasture yea I will feed my Flock and I will cause them to lie down saith the Lord God Ezek. 34. 14 15. Secondly As by these twelve we are to understand the Truth and Purity of the Doctrine of the Twelve so again by this word twelve we are to understand the sufficiency of that Doctrine and Ministry to bring in the twelve Tribes to the Priviledges of this City Mark for the twelve Tribes there are twelve Gates for every Tribe a Gate and at the twelve Gates twelve Angels at every Gate an Angel O Judah saith God I have set an Harvest for thee when he shall turn again the Captivity of his People and so for the rest of the Tribes Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh he will stir up his strength to save them I will hiss for them saith God and gather them for I have reedeemed them and they shall increase as they have increased and I will sow them among the Nations and they shall remember me in far Countreys and they shall live with their Children and shall return and I will bring them again also out of the Land of Egypt and gather them out of Assyria and I will bring them into the Land of Gilead and Lebanon and place shall not be found for them Zech. 10. 6 7 8 9 10. But to come to the second Question that is Why these twelve Angels are said to stand at the Gates which may be for divers Reasons First To shew us that the Doctrine of the Twelve is the Doctrine that letteth in at these Gates that also that shutteth out Whose sins ye remit they are remitted saith Christ
City shall be left the Forts and Towers shall be for Dens for ever a Joy of wild Asses a Pasture of Flocks until the Spirit be poured on us from on high and the Wilderness be a fruitful Field c. And then the Lord shall defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the House of David shall be as God even as the Angel of the Lord before him The Inhabitants shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity And he measured the Wall thereof an hundred and forty and four Cubits according to the measure of a man that is of the Angel According to the measure of a Man The Man Christ Jesus For the measure of this City or the Golden Reed with which this City is thus measured it is His his Word and Law of the New-Testament All Judgment is committed into the hand of the Son and God hath given him authority to execute Judgment also because he is the Son of man According to the measure of a Man that is of the Angel This Angel is one of the Seven that had the seven last Plagues to execute upon the Man of Sin and yet he saith the measure is according to the measure of a man the meaning is That the City the New Jerusalem is to be builded according to the VVord of Christ but yet by his VVord as it is in the hand of his Angels that is his Messengers and Servants of which Servants the chief will be those that are his Instruments â—o pour forth the seven Vials full of 〈…〉 ven last Plagues upon the Antich 〈…〉 n Harlot For they with their Plagues will both destroy what standeth in impiacable opposition and will subject the rest and bring them into a correspondency with the Word and Will of God as I have shewed Whence note That they of his Servants that God shall use to pour forth his last and most dreadful Plagues upon the Whore they are they that God will use to shew us the Pattern of this holy City Or thus They that can tell how to plague the Whore they can tell how to measure this City The righteous men they shall judge them that is the Antichristian Harlot with her wicked and adulterous Daughters after the manner of Adulteresses and after the manner of Women that shed blood because they are adultrous and blood is in their hands Ezek. 23. 45. Thus much touching the frame of this City its Wall Gates and Foundations with the measure of each And now it remains that I speak of the Glory of them Vers. 18. And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper and the City was pure Gold like unto clear Glass IN these words you have a discovery of the Glory both of the Wall and City it self and that as you see under the notion of two choice Metaphors the Wall is Jasper the chief of Stones and the City is Gold the chief of Metals And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper and the City was pure Gold This Jasper is that Stone in the light of which this City is said to descend as in the light of a Stone most precious Now as there he saith she descended in the light of this Stone so here he saith this Stone is the Wall thereof And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper This therefore confirmeth unto you what I said of the Wall before to wit That it was the Salvation of God through Christ Wherefore learn this by the way That this City shall not be at this day in her own keeping but in the keeping of Jesus Christ He with his Benefits doth compass her round and by him alone she lieth down in safety Wherefore it is from this Consideration that God doth say by the Mouth of the Prophet I will give them within my House and within my Walls a place and a name better then that of Sons and of Daughters I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off Isa. 56. 5. And the building of the Wall c. By this word building we are to understand both the Materials of the Wall the manner of their placing and the Instruments that God will use for the setting up thereof Now to speak properly this Wall being the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in his precious Merits Benefits and Offices the Builder hereof must needs be God Himself for he it is that hath made this Christ for us a Safeguard and Defence by making of him our Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption by which he doth incompass us round on every side and that at every moment to deliver us from the Power and Destruction both of Sin Death the Devil and Hell But again The building here spoken of is a building of this Wall after the destruction of Antichrist and so long after Christ was sent and made these things in his own Person to his beloved and blessed Church Wherefore the building of this Wall that is here spoken of it must be understood of the recovering again the purity of those Doctrines in which the Lord Jesus with all his Benefits is found and made ours for our everlasting Defence and Safety For we find that the King of Babylon who was a Type of our Antichrist when he came up against Jerusalem the Type of our Primitive Church he brake down their City destroyed their Walls rifled their Houses and killed their Children whose steps I say our Antichrist follows to a hair in treading down the Primitive Church corrupting her Doctrines which are her Safeguard and VVall also robbing and spoiling the Houses of God and killing his Children with a thousand Calamities turning all the heavenly Frame and Order of Church-Government into an heap of Rubbish and a confused Dunghil Wherefore the building again of this Wall is to be understood of the recovering and setling and fastening the Doctrines of Christ as afore in which Doctrines he in all his Benefits is wrapped and held fast forever I say a recovering of them and setting him up again in his primitive and pure Glory of being our Priest Prophet and King in his Church and a giving unto these Offices their own proper length breadth height and depth letting them rule in all their Force Glory and Majesty and Authority for then will be golden Days and not till then then I say when the several Offices of the Lord Jesus do rule in their own nature and largeness of Authority both in the Church and in the VVorld Alas This VVall is yet unbuilt the Offices of the Lord Jesus do not yet shine in that purity nor so stand in their proper places as they shall do at the coming in of New Jerusalem the VVall lies yet but as an heap of Rubbish the Offices of the Lord Christ are to this day by many
a crushed bunch of Herbs in which is no Vertue or like a Furnace full of Dross out of which the Gold is taken or like an old crazy and ruinous House from which is departed all Health and Happiness and indeed much like to this is that saying of the Prophet to wit That at this day the whole circumference of the World that is without the Walls and Priviledges of this City it shall be but like an old ruinous House in which dwells nothing but Cormorants Bitterns Owls Ravens Dragons Satyrs the Screech-Owl the great Owl the Vulture and the like most doleful Birds All their Princes shall be nothing saith the Prophet and when they call their Nobles to the Kingdom none shall be there In their very Pallaces shall be Thorns and Nettles and Brambles for all among them that are Princes and Nobles indeed will have pack'd up and be gon for Jerusalem So that the World I say will be left empty void and stript both of Treasure Beauty and Health at the day of Jerusalems building again But O how melancholy a forlorn beautiless World will this be at this day It will be onely the place of Dogs Sorcereâ—s Whoremongers and Murderers and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie it will now be the very Emblem of Hell as the Church at this day will be the Emblem of Heaven wherefore as the Church as I shewed you before will be most fit for her puting on of Immortality and Incorruption so the World will at this day be most fit to be swallowed up of the Lake and bottomless Gulf. All things that are good and worth any thing shall at this day be found onely in the City of God The Gold will be in Jerusalem Again In that this City is here called by the name of Gold it is to shew us how great pains and travel and charge the Lord Christ hath been at to get so great a Treasure together Gold is fetched from a far Countrey and that with great pains charge and difficulty The Gold wherewith King Solomon made his drinking Vessels it cost a three years Journey to obtain it so the Saints also those Golden Vessels wherewith is made this Golden City they cost Christ a three days travel in the heart of the Earth even sweatingly under the wrath of God to obtain them and thus to build this City with them Further In that he saith this City is Gold he would have us to consider what the state of the Church was before she came into this happy condition to wit an afflicted tempted and tried condition Gold as it comes from the Mine it cometh commixed with its Dust and Ore wherefore the Goldsmith hath a burning Furnace wherein he having put it doth with the fire purge and take away the Dross and Dust from among the Metal it self into which Furnace he puts it once twice thrice and again to the end it may at length be thorowly cleansed and purified from its Dross Now all this befalleth the People of God they are thrown into the burning fiery Furnace of Affliction and Temptation and there they are tried purged and purified as the Lord also saith by the Prophet I will try them as Gold is tryed and will refine them as Silver is refined yea I will melt them and try them for how shall I do for the Daughter of my People Isa. 31. 9. Jer. 9. 7. Zech. 13. 9. Lastly When he saith this City is Gold he also thereby insinuates how invincible and unconquerable a Spirit the People of God are possessed with Gold is a Metal so invincible and unconquerable that no fire can consume it it may burn it indeed and melt it the Dross indeed doth consume and give way to the power of the fire but the Gold remains and holds its ground yea it gets ground even of the Furnace and Fire it self for the more it is burned and melted the more it recovers its colour and the more it shakes off its Dross and Dishonour Just thus it is with the People of God and hath been so even from the beginning The more they oppressed them the more they grew Exod. 1. 12. the truth of which will be proved with a witness when God comes to set up this City Jerusalem his Church hath been now for many hundred years in the King of Babylon's Furnace all which time she hath most gloriously endured and withstood the heat and at last when the fire hath done its worst against her Behold there comes out a City of Gold A Type of which was the state of the three Children who though they were cast into the Fire bound and in disgrace yet came out in the Liberty and Grace of the Son of God Dan. 3. 23 24 25 26. Wherefore let her be bold to say even before she comes out of the Fire When I am tried I shall come forth as Gold Job 23. 10. And the City was pure Gold These words PURE Gold clear up what I said already Pure Gold or Gold upon which the fire hath done its work The Church in the fire of Persecution is like Esther in the perfuming Chamber but making fit for the presence of the King which fire when it hath done its work then she comes into his presence in cloathing all of Gold The Kings Daughter is all glorious within her cloathing is of wrought Gold and again At thy right hand did stand the Queen in Gold of Ophir Psal. 45. 9 13. Wherefore he means by pure Gold Gold out of the Fire Gold on which the fire of Persecution and Temptation hath done its full and compleat work And the City was pure Gold like unto clear Glass By Glass in this place we are to understand the Word of God as both James and Paul do testifie Jam. 1. 23 24 25. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 1 Cor. 13. 12. By clear glass then we are to understand the Word in its own nature and purity without the corruptions and traditions of men Wherefore when he saith this Golden City was like unto clear Glass it is as if he had said she is even with the Word and Law of her Goldsmith in all her matters The Word is a Golden Reed this City a Golden City and that a Golden City taken out of the furnace of affliction and therefore like to the Golden Reed And the City was pure Gold like unto clear Glass Vers. 19 20. And the Foundations of the Wall were garnished with all manner of precious stones The first Foundation was a Jasper the second a Saphir the third a Chalcedony the fourth an Emerald the fifth a Sardonix the sixth a Sardius the seventh a Chrysolite the eighth Beryl the ninth Topaz the tenth Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Jacinct the twelfth an Amethyst Thus having shewed us the Glory of the Wall and of the City he now comes to shew us the glory of the Foundations The Foundations you know I told you before they are
the contrary is foolish Is not Christ the Head and we the Members and do not the Members receive their whole light guidance and wisdom from it Is not he also the price the ground and bottom of our Happiness both in this world and that which is to come And is it possible it should be forgotten or that by it our Joy Light and Heaven should not be made the sweeter to all eternity Our soul is now bound up in him as in a bundle of life and when we come thither he is still the Christ our life and it is by our being where he is that we shall behold his Glory and our Glory because he is glorified For the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof As he said John 16. 22. Ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your Joy no man taketh from you Thus much of this City her descending her fashion her glory and of her wading thorow glory from glory to glory Vers. 24. And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour to it After this long and pleasant Description of this Holy and New Jerusalem the Holy Ghost now falleth upon a Relation of the People that shall be the Inhabitants of this City and of their numerousness and quality And the Nations c. The Nations of the world both of the Jews and Gentiles Every one knoweth what the Nations are wherefore I need not stay upon the explication of that for it doth in general include the multitude of the sinners of the world Therefore when he saith the Nations shall walk in the light of this City it is as if he had said that at this day when she is here in her tranquility the sinners and disobedient among the sons of men shall by multitudes and whole Kingdoms come in and close with the Church and House of God These Spiders shall take hold with their hands and be in Kings Palaces Prov. 30. 28. And the Nations c. For this word the Nations is a great word and it comprehendeth much mark it doth not say a Nation or some Nations neither doth it say few or small Nations but indefinitely the Nations Many Nations Strong Nations All Nations the Nations in general only he ties them up with this limit the Nations of them that are saved which yet is not so much spoken to clip off the multitude that we suppose may then be converted as to shew us their qualifications and happiness as he saith by the Prophet in another place Thy Children shall be all holy or righteous and great shall be the peace of thy Children And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it Surely the holy Ghost would never have spoken at such a rate as this if he had not intended to shew us that at the day of the setting up of this Jerusalem a great harvest of sinners shall be gathered by the Grace of the Gospel But the truth is the Scriptures go with open arms towards the latter end of the world even as if they would grasp and compass about almost all People then upon the face of the whole Earth with the Grace and Mercy of God The Earth saith God shall be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea As he saith also for the comfort of the Church in another place Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy Walls are contiaually before me Thy Children shall make haste thy Destroyers and those that made thee waste shall go forth of thee Lift up thine eyes round about behold all these gather themselves together to come unto thee as I live saith the Lord thou shalt surely cloath thee with them all as with an Ornament and bind them on thee as a Bride doth For thy waste and desolate places and the land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away The Children which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other shall say again in thine ears The place is too strait for me give place that I may dwell Then shalt thou say in thy heart Who hath begotten me these seeing I have lost my Children and am desolate a captive and removing to and fro Who hath brought up these Behold I was left alone these where have they been Thus the multitudes of the Nations shall at this day be converted to the Lord and be made the Inhabitants of this Jerusalem as he saith again The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. And again The Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the Most High whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him Rev. 11. 15. Dan. 7. 26 27. And observe it these Promises are to be fulfilled in the last days at the time of the pouring forth of the last Vial which is the time of the sounding of the last of the seven Trumpets for then this City shall be builded and Lucifer fallen from Heaven then the Prisoners shall be set at liberty and the People be gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. Rejoyce O ye Nations with his People for he will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries and will be merciful to his Land and to his People Alas it is now towards the end of the world and therefore now all is going if the Lord steps not in with the riches of his Grace Wherefore now at last before all be turned into fire and ashes behold the Lord casts the net among the multitude of Fish and the aboundance of the Sea shall without fail be converted to Jerusalem Though Satan and Antichrist have had their day in the world by their outrage have made fearful havock of the souls of sinners from time to time yet now at length God will strike in for a share with them and his Son shall divide the spoyl with the Strong Wherefore he now sets up this City puts the Glory of Heaven upon her provides a New Heaven and a New Earth for her situation drives prophaness into the holes and dens of the Earth giveth Righteousness authority to reign in the world and takes off the vail from all faces that none may hereafter be for ever beguiled by blindness and ignorance Now shall they make merry with the things of God now shall all eat the fat and drink the sweet For in this Mountain shall the Lord make a feast of fat things to all People a feast of
2. If Fruit here be taken with reference to men then it signifieth the Happiness and Glory that those for whom he dyed and rose again should receive by this means His Fruit I have shewed you is sweet to the taste of his Church which Fruit is the effect of his undertaking for Sinners and the comfortable savour of it in the soul. Which bare twelve manner of Fruits In that he saith the Fruits are twelve he herein alludeth to the twelve Tribes of the Israel of God for which twelve Tribes here will be found a suitable measure of Food healing Food I will multiply the Fruit of the Tree saith God and also the encrease of the Field that you may receive no more reproach of Famine among the Heathen Again These that John calleth twelve manner of Fruits the Prophet Ezekiel calleth all manner of Fruit for meat For indeed as I shewed before there is that to be found in Christ both for fulness and variety that is not to be found in Heaven and Earth beside Here is Fruit for Body Fruit for Soul Fruit for Babes Fruit for Strong-men Fruit for Fathers yea for glorified Saints and Angels Fruits variety of Fruits even twelve manner of Fruits 2. By twelve manner of Fruits he doth also allude to the Apostles who are called twelve and are those who have made provision for the House of God according to the twelvefold manner of the Dispensation of God unto them and of the twelve fold manner of Operation of that holy Spirit which wrought in every one of them severally as he pleased which twelve were before figured out unto us by the twelve Officers of King Solomon the Type of Christ which twelve were to make provision for the House of the King according to the season of the year and each man his month in the year Which very thing the holy Ghost also doth here cast his eye upon that makes him bring in the words of every month saying it yeeldâ— its Fruit every month For indeed what ever you reade of concerning this City in this description of John you find something or other in the Writings of the Prophets that giveth ground for such expressions Wherefore seeing the Officers of Solomon were twelve and the Apostles of Christ twelve also and seeing the Officers of Solomon made provision for his house each man his month in a year and the Fruits of this Tree of Life is called twelve manner of Fruits I do take the twelve manner of Fruits here to be signified by the provision of Solomon's Officers according to the twelve seasons of the year and they a Type of the twelvefold Doctrine of the twelve Apostles of the Lord Christ for it is their Doctrine that is the bread of the Church yea the milk for the Babe and the strong meat for men And yeelded her Fruit every month As this confirmeth what I have said before so it further sheweth us these three things First That the effectual Fruits of Christ for the saving of the world they are to be had especially at certain seasons It yeelded her Fruit every Month. Secondly It sheweth also that at the building of this Jerusalem these Seasons will be very thick and quick she yeelded her Fruit every month Thirdly It sheweth us also the abundance of provision that this holy City shall then enjoy from the Tree of Life even all manner of Fruit every Month. 1. For the first That the Gospel hath and will be especially effectual at certain Seasons for the saving of the sons of men it is shewed us by the descending of the Angel into the Pool of Bethesda to trouble the water which as it was at certain seasons so he that in those seasons first stepped in he only was made whole oâ— whatsoever disease he had It is shewed us also in that Parable of the Lord 's hiring men to work in his Vineyard which time of hiring though it lasteth in general from the first hour to the eleventh yet so as that there were vacant seasons between hiring-times and hiring-times quit thorow the whole day he went out at the first third sixth ninth and eleventh hour and not at every hour to hirâ— Labourers For as God hath appointed out before hand the number of his Elect so also he hath determined in his good pleasure the day of their bringing in and will then have them as certainly as the wild Ass is found in her month Of which times and seasons because men are ignorant therefore they should with all faithfulness wait upon God in all the seasons of his Grace for their souls even as he did for his body who because he would be there at all seasons brought thither his bed and couch to rest there Secondly As by the Fruit of this Tree being yeelded at certain seasons We may gather that there are certain seasons in which the Word in an especial manner shall be blessed and made successful to the salvation of many souls So again in that he saith This Fruit is yeelded every month it signifieth that in the days of the building of the City the New-Jerusalem these Seasons will be very thick and quick Lift up thine eyes saith God to this City all these gather themselves together to come unto thee thy sons shall come from far and thy daughters from the ends of the Earth All the Flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee so that thou wandering by shalt say Who are these that flie as a cloud and as Doves to the windows For I will make thy Mountain a way and my high ways shall be exalted Behold these shall come from far and lo these from the North and the West and those from the Land of Sinim Thirdly In that she is said to yeeld not only Fruit but all manner of Fruit and that not only one manner of Fruit now and another then but all manner of Fruit and that every month it argueth also that at this day Jerusalem shal have abundance of heavenly and spiritual provision and of variety of dainties for her solace and refreshment alwayes new I say and immediately from the Tree The Fruits of the Vine shall at that day be upon the Mountains of Samaria and shall be eaten as common things saith the Prophet Fear not O Land be glad and rejoyce for the Lord will do great things Be not afraid ye Beasts of the field for the Pastures of the Wilderness do spring for the Tree beareth her Fruit the Fig-Tree and the Vine do yeeld their Strength Be glad ye Children of Zion and rejoyce in the Lord your God for he hath given you the former and the latter rain moderatly and he will cause it to come down to you the rain the former and the latter rain in the first month and the Floors shall be full of Wheat and the Fat 's shall overflow with Wine and Oyl And I will restore unto you that which
his People of old but here he will abide rest and dwell I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and my House shall be built in it saith the Lord and again I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem for ever wherefore John considering this he saith there shall be here no more any Cnrse but the Throne of God God will now when he returneth to Jerusalem bring his Seat with him to signify his sitting down in the midst his People to be their company-keeper for ever But the Throne of God shall be in it By this word Throne we are to understand yet further these particular things First How blessed a state this City will be in at all times for the answer of of prayer the Throne of God will be in the midst of them the Throne of Grace the Mercy-Seat they will be open now to all the Inhabitants of this City yea the fame thereof shall so spread that it shall be rumored among all Nations that in Jerusalem God will be found speedily that in Jerusalem the God of Heaven and eternal Mercy is found at all times by them that seek his face My House saith he shall be called a House of Prayer for all Nations Yea many People and strong Nations shall at that day come to seek the Lord at Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. And at that day the very Fasts of the House of God shall be to the House of Judah Joy and gladness and cheerful Feasts therefore Love Truth and Peace Secondly The Throne of God being now established in this City what a government what rule what a life of holiness godliness what dread and majesty will now be in the hearts of all the Sons oâ— this City How to an hairs breadth wil he command and guide them with his eye at all times when they should either turn to to the right hand or to the left What Wisdom I say what Holiness what Grace and Life will be found in all their words and actions The Throne of God is among them from which there will come continual influence light and splendor into all their hearts Hear the Word of the Lord O ye Nations and declare it in the Isles afar off He that scattered Jacob will gather him and keep him as a Shepherd doth his Sheep for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that is stronger than he Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord for Wheat and for Wine and for Oyl and for the young of the Flock and of the Herd and their soul shall be as a watered Garden and they shall not sorrow any more at all Thirdly The Throne of God being in this City there is also thereby discovered what sway and commanding an Authority this City will have at this day as I have already shewed you over all the Earth The Lord shall roar out of Zion and shall utter his voice from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord shall be the Hope of his People and the Strength of the Children of Israel This was figured forth by the Throne of Solomon in the days when that City was in its prosperity which Throne to shew the majesty and commanding awe that then that City had over all both far and near it had for the bearers of the steps twelve Lions six on this side and six on that side of the Throne This City shall then be the Head and Chief but the Tail and Reproach no more Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God And his Servants shall serve him That is him only Indeed his Servants serve him always but yet withal they do too too often serve with the wills and lusts of men even in their Service and worshipping God that is they serve him in much Affliction Temptation Fear and Persecution but then they shall serve him without any of these Yea they shall take them Captives whose Captives they were and they shall rule over their Oppressors And it shall come to pass in that day O City that the Lord shall give thee REST from thy Sorrow and from the hard Bondage wherein thou wast made to serve and thou shalt serve the Lord thy God without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of thy life And they shall see his face This also argueth a very great dispensation of Grace and Mercy to this Jerusalem When God did deliver up his People into the hand of the King of Babylon he said it should be done in fury and in anger and that for their wickedness he would hide his face from his City Wherefore by the sight of his face here we are to understand that glorious visible appearance of God that then will be for this City and People in the face of all the world For by the Face of God we are to understand the discovery of his Severity Providences and wonderful Out-goings among the sons of men as also the glorions breaking forth of Grace Mercy and Forgiveness thorow Christ Jesus all which the People of God shall then most marvellously see and behold First They shall see his Severity and Judgments upon the Whore Secondly They shall see how God by his strange Judgments and works of Wonder hath brought this about Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorify thy Name for thou only art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before theeâ— for thy Judgments are made manifest They that are delivered from the noise of Archers in the places of drawing water there shall they rehearse the righteous Acts of the Lord even the righteous Acts towards the Inhabitants of his Villages in Israel Thirdly And as for his Mercy they shall see that their Horn is exalted and that they are neer to him Praise ye the Lord. And his Name shall be in their foreheads And his Name That is his Fear and Image it shall appear in all their doings Sometimes he saith he will write his Fear and Law in their hearts and minds Which Fear and Law is all one with that which in this place he calleth his Name in their foreheads The forehead of a man is the place above all parts of the body that is most naked and plain to be beheld of all that pasâ— by wherefore when he saith their Fathers Name shall be in their foreheads it is as if he had said The Profession of my People shall now be open and the beauty of it apparent to all beholders I will make them saith God a Name and a Praise among all the People of the Earth when I turn back your Captivity before your eyes Every Face shall then shine with Oyl as well as every heart be replenished with Milk and Wine This was held forth by the Memorial that the Israelites were to