Kingdoms of men shall at that day traffick with her and in her for her goodly Merchandize of Grace and Life to shew us I say what wonderful custom the Church of God at this day shall have among all sorts of People for her Heavenly Treasures It is said of Tyrus and Babylon That their Merchandize went into all the World and men from all quarters under Heaven came to trade and to deal with them for their Wares why thus it will be in the latter day with the Church of God the Nations shall come from far from Tarshish Pul Lud Tubal Javan and the Isles afar off They shall come saith God out of all Nations upon Horses and Mules and upon swift Beasts to my holy Mountain Jerusalem And it shall come to pass that from one new Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord Isa. 66. 19 20 21 22 23. Alas the Church at that day when she is a Woman onely or a Temple either may be without that Beauty Treasure Amiableness and affecting Glory that she will be endowed with when she is a prosperous City His marvelous kindness is seen in a strong City Psal. 31. 21. In Cities you know are the Treasures Beauty and Glory of Kingdoms and 't is thither men go that are desirous to solace themselves therewith Out of Zion the perfection of Beauty God hath shined Thirdly It is called a City rather than a Woman or Temple to shew us how strong and securely it will keep its Inhabitants at that day In that day shall this Song be sung We have a strong City Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks And verily if the Cities of the Gentiles and the strength of their Bars and Gates and Walls did so shake thâ— Hearts yea the very Faith of the Children of God themselves how securâ— and safe will the Inhabitants of this Citâ— be even the Inhabitants of that City whicâ— GOD Himself will build c. But lastly and more especially The Church is called here a City chiefly to shew us that now she shall be undermost no longer Babylon reigned and so shall Jerusalem at this day And thou O Tower of the Flock the strong hold of the Daughter of Zion unto thee shall it come even the first Dominion the Kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Jerusalem Mic. 4. 8. Now shall she when she is built and compleat have a compleat Conquest and Victory over all her Enemies she shall reign over them the Law shall go forth of her that rules them and the Governours of all the World at that day shall be Jerusalem-Men And the Captivity of this Host of the Children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites even unto Zarephath and the captivity of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad shall possess the Cities of the South And Saviours shall come out of Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lords Ob. 20 21. For the Law shall go forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem And â—e shall judge among many People and rebuke strong Nations afar off and they shall beat their Swords into Plowshares and their Spears into Pruning-Hooks Nation shall not lift up a Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more Mic. 4. 1 2 3. There brake he the Ships of Tarshish with an East winde As we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of Hosts in the City of our God God will establish it for ever Psal. 48. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. For observe it Christ hath not only obtained the Kingdom of Heaven for those that are his when this World is ended but hath also as a Reward for his Sufferings the whole World given into his hand wherefore as all the Kings and Princes and Powers of this World have had their time to reign and have Glory in this World in the Face of all so Christ will have his time at this day to shew who is the onely Potentate and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. At which day he will not onely set up his Kingdom in the midst of their Kingdoms as he doth now but will set it up even upon the top of their Kingdoms at which day there will not be a Nation in the World but must bend to Jerusalem or perish For the Kingdom and Dominion and 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 Dan. 7. 27. And his Dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the River to the ends of the Earth Zech. 9. 10. O Holiness how shall it shine in Kings and Nations when God doth this He shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God In these words we are to enquire into three things First What he here should mean by Heaven Secondly What it is for this City to descend out of it Thirdly And why she is said to descend out of it from God First For the word Heaven in Scripture it is variously to be understood but generally either materially or metaphorically Now not materially here but metaphorically and so is generally if not always taken in this Book Now that it is not to be taken for the material Heavens where Christ in Person is Consider That the descending of this City â— not the coming of glorified Saints with their Lord because that even after the descending yea and building of this City there shall be Sinners converted to God but at the coming of the Lord Jesus from Heaven with his Saints the door shall be shut that is the door of Grace against all Unbelievers Luk. 13. 25. Matth. 25. 10. Therefore Heaven here is to be taken metaphorically for the Church which as I said before is frequently so taken in this Prophecie as also in many others of the holy Scriptures Rev. 11. 15. 12. 1 2 3 7 8 10 13. 13. 6. 19. 1 14. Jer. 51. 48. Matth. 25. 1. c. And observe it though the Church of Christ under the tyranny of Antichrist loseth the title of a standing City yet in the worst of times she loseth not the title of Heaven She is Heaven when the great Red Dragon is in her and Heaven when the third part of her Stars are cast unto the Earth she is Heaven also when the Beast doth open his Throat against her to blaspheme her God his Tabernacle and those that dwell in her Secondly Now then to shew you what are to understand by this that she is said to DESCEND out of Heaven for indeed to speak properly Jerusalem is always in the Scriptures set in the highest ground and men are said to descend when they go down from her but to ascend or go up when they are
Pipes that are on the Head of the golden Candlestick shall at this day convey with all freeness the golden Oyl thereout into our golden Hearts and Lamps Our Winâ— shall be mixt with Gall no longer we shall now drink the pure blood of the Grape the glory of pardoning and forgivinâ— Mercy shall so shew it self at this day in this City and shall so visibly abide theâ— in the Eyes of all Spectators that all shall be inflamed with it For Zions sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest untill the Righteousness thereoâ— go forth as brightness and the Salvation tâ—ereof as a Lamp that burneth and the Gentiles shall see thy Righteousness and all Kings thy Glory and thou shalt be called by a new Name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Isa. 62. 1 2. and again The Lord shall make bare his holy Name in the eyes of all the Nations and all the ends of the Earth shall see the Salvation of God Isa. 52. 9 10. Psal. 98. 2. At that day the Prophet tells us that there shall be HOLINESS upon the very Horses Bridles and that the Pots in the Lords House shall be like the Bowls before the Altar and every Pot in Jerusalem shall be Holiness unto the Lord Zech. 14. 20 21. The meaning of all these places is That in the day that the Lord doth turn his Church and People into the frame and fashion of a City and when he shall build them up to answer the first state of the Church there will such Grace and plenty of Mercy be extended unto her begetting such Faith and Holiness and Grace in her Soul and all her Actions that she shall convince all that are about her that she is the City the beloved City the City that the Lord hath chosen for after that he had said before He would return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem he saith moreover That Jerusalem shall be called A City of Truth and the Mountain of the Lord of Hosts the holy Mountain And all the People of the Earth shall see that thou art called by the Name of the Lord and they shall be afraid of thee Deut. 28. 10. Secondly As the Glory of the Grace of God will at his day be wonderful manifest in and over his City so also at that day will be seen the Glory of his Power O my People saith God that dwellest in Zion be not afraid of the Assyrian he shall smite thee with a Rod and shall lift up his Staff against thee after the manner of Egypt that is shall persecute and afflict thee as Pharaoh served thy Friends of old but be not afraid for yet a little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger in their destruction and the Lord of Host shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the Rock Oreb and as his Rod was upon the Sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt the sum is God will at the day of his rebuilding the New Jerusalem so visibly make bare his Arm and be so exalted before all by his Power towards his People that no People shall dare to oppose or stand if they do make the least attempt to hinder the stability of this City Isa. 10. 24 25 26 27. I will surely gather or assemble O Jacob all of thee saith God I will surely gather the Remnant of Israel as the Sheep of Bozrah as the flocks in the midst of the fold they shall make a noise by reason of the multitude of men The breaker up is come up before them they have broken up the Antichristian siege that hath been laid against them they are gone thorow the gate they are gone out of it and their King shall pass before them and the Lord in the head of them Like as a Lion and a young Lion roaring on the prey when a multitude of Shepherds are called forth against him he will not be affraid of their Voice nor abase himself for the noise of them so shall the Lord come down to fight for Mount Zion and for the Hill thereof The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man and shall stir up Jealousie like a man of War he shall cry yea roar he shall prevail against his Enemies but not by Might nor yet by Power that is the Power and Arm of Flesh but by the power of the Word and Spirit of God which will prevail and must prevail to quash and over-turn all opposition Thirdly When God hath thus appeared in the Glory of his Grace and the Glory of his Power to deliver his Chosen then shall the implacable Enemies of God shrink and creep into holes like the Locusts and Frogs of the Hedges at the appearance of the Glory of the Majesty of God now the high ones lofty ones haughty ones and the proud shall see so evidently the hand of the Lord towards his Servants and his indignation towards his Enemies that they shall go into the Rocks and Holes of the Earth and into the tops of the ragged Rocks for the fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he shall arise to shake terribly the Earth Isa. 2. Where the presence of the Lord doth so appear upon a People that those that are Spectators perceive and understand it it must needs work on those Spectators one of these two things either first a trembling and astonishment and quailing of Heart as it doth among the implacable Enemies or else a buckling and bending of Heart and submission to his People and Ways as saith the Prophet The Sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending to thee all they that despised thee shall fall down at the soles of thy feet they shall call thee The City of the Lord The Zion of the Holy One of Israel as Moses said to the Children of Israel The Lord shall put the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the Land that you shall tread upon as he said unto you Isa. 60. 14. Deut. 11. 25. At this day the footsteps of the Lord will be so apparent and visible in all his actions and dispensations in and towards his People this holy City that all shall see as I have said how gratious loving kind and good the Lord is now towards his own Children Such glory I say will be over them and upon them that they all will shine before the World and such tender Bowels in GOD towards them that no sooner can an Adversary peep or lift up his Head against his Servants but his hand will be in the Neck of them so that in short time he will have brought his Church into that safety and her Neighbours into that fear and submission that they shall not again so much as dare to hold up a hand against her no not for a thousand Years Thus saith the
Lord Behold I will bring again the Captivity of Jacobs Tents and have mercy upon his dwelling Places and the City shall be builded upon her own heap and the Palace shall remain after the manner thereof and out of them shall proceed thanks-giving and the Voice of them that make merry and I will multiply them and they shall not be few and I will also glorifie them and they shall not be small Their Children also shall be as aforetime and their Congregation shall be established before me and I will punish all that oppress them Jer. 30. 18 19 20. Having the Glory of God And her Light was like unto a Stone most precious even like a Jasper Stone clear as Crystal Having thus told us of her Glory even of the Glory of God how it at this day will rest upon this City he now comes to touch a second thing to wit her Light and that in which she descends and by which as with the Light of the Sun she seeth before her and behind her and on every side This therefore is another Branch of her Beauty She in her descending hath the Glory of God and also the Light of a Stone most precious Ezekiel tells us That in the Vision that he saw when he came to destroy the City which Vision was the very same that he saw again at the restoring of it he saith I say that in this Vision among many other wonders he saw a Fire infolding it self and Brightness about it and that the Fire also was bright and that out of it went forth Lightning that the likeness of the Firmament upon the living Creatures was the colour of the terrible Crystal that the Throne also upon which was placed the likeness of a Man was like or as the appearance of a Saphir-Stone all which words with the nature of their Light and Colour the holy Ghost doth in the Vision of John comprize and placeth within the Colour of the Jasper and the Crystal-stone And indeed though the Vision of John and Ezekiel touching the end of the matter be but one and the same yet they do very much vary and differ in terms and manner of Language Ezekiel tells us That the man that he saw come to measure the City and Temple had in his hand a Line of Flax which Line John calls a Golden Reed Ezekiel tells us that the River came out of or from under the Threshold of the House but John saith it came out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb Ezekiel tells us that on either side of this River grew All Trees for food John calls these ALL Trees but ONE Tree and tells us that it stood on both sides of this River The like might also be shewed you in many other particulars as here you see they differ as touching the terms of the Light and Brightness that appears upon this City at her rebuilding which the holy Ghost represents to John under the Light and Glory of the Jasper and Crystal Stone for indeed the end of Ezekiel's Vision was to shew us That as when the Glory of God departed from the City it signified that he would take away from them the Light of his Word and their clearness of Worship suffering them to mourn for the loss of the one and to grope for the want of the other so at his return again he would give them both their former Light of Truth and also the clearness of Spirit to understand it which also John doth shew us shall last for ever And her Light was like unto a Stone most precious This Stone it is to represent unto us the Lord Jesus Christ in whose light and clearness this City comes out of Babylon for as he saith she hath the Glory of God that is his visible hand of Grace Power and Majesty to bring her forth so she comes in the light of this precious Stone which terms I say both the Prophet Isaiah and the Apostle Peter do apply to the Lord Jesus and none else the one calling him A precious Corner-Stone the other calling him The chief Corner-Stone elect and precious Isa. 28. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 6. Now then when he saith this City hath the light of this Stone to descend in he means That she comes in the shining Wisdom Knowledge Understanding and Influences of Christ out of her afflicted and captivated State and observe it she is rather said to descend in the Light of this Stone then in the Light of God though both be true because it is the Man Christ the Stone which the Builders rejected in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge of whose fulness we do all receive and Grace for Grace for it hath pleased the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell Col. 2. 3. John 1. 16. Col. 1. 19. see also Act. 2. 33. and Ephes. 4. 10 11 12 13. This sheweth us then these two things first That the time of the return of the Saints to build the ruinous City is near yea very near when the Light of the Lord Jesus begins to shine unto perfect day in her God will not bring forth his People out of Babylon especially those that are to be the chief in the building of this City without their own Judgments They shall see Eye to Eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion as he saith also in another place The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun sevenfold as the light of seven days in the day that the Lord bindeth up the Breach of his People and healeth the stroke of their Wound Now the Eyes of them that see shall not be dim the Ears of them that hear shall hearken The Heart also of the rash shall understand Knowledge and the Tongue of the Stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly The Lord shall be now exalted and be very high for he will fill Zion with Judgement and Righteousness and Wisdom and Knowledge shall be the stability of thy times When Israel went out of Egypt they wanted much of this they went out blindfolded as it were they went they knew not whither wherefore they went not in the glory of that which this City descendeth in as Moses said The Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive nor Eyes to see nor Ears to hear unto this day Deut. 29. 4. But these shall see every step they take they shall be like the Beasts that had Eyes both before and behind they shall see how far they are come out of Antichrist and shall see also how far yet they have to go to the compleat rebuilding and finishing of this City Secondly This sheweth us how sweet and pleasant the way of this Church will be at this day before them Light Knowledge and Judgement in GOD's matters doth not onely give men to see and behold all the things with which they are concerned
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
Wine on the lees of fat things full of marrow of Wine on the lees well refined Isa. 25. 6. And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it They shall walk in the light of it That is in the Light that is in it while it is in its purity in this world and in the Glory of it when it is in its perfection and immortality in another Whence note by the way that in the midst of all this Glory or while the glorious light of the Gospel shall thus shine in the world yet even then there will be some also that will not see and rejoyce in the Glory hereof But as for those whoever they are they are excluded from a share in the blessed and goodly Priviledges of this City 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 By these words are great things held forth He told us before that the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and here he tells us that even their Kings also the Kings of the Earth do bring their Honour and Glory to it The people of the Nations they are but like to single-pence and half-pence but their Kings like Gold Angels and Twenty-shilling-pieces Wherefore when he saith that the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honour unto it It argueth that the Gospel and the Grace of God when it is displayed in its own nature and seen in its own complexion even then they that have most of the Honour and Glory of the World will yet stoop their Top-gallant unto it Because of thy Temple which is at Jerusalem shall Kings bring Presents to thee The Kings of Tarshish of the Isles shall bring Presents to thee The Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts yea all Kings shal fall down before him and all Nations shall serve him The Kings shall see and arise and Princes shall worship because of the Lord c. The Kings shall come to thy light and Princes to the brightness of thy rising The Kings shall see thy righteousness and all Kings thy Glory Yea that which hath not been told them shall they see and that which they have not heard shall they consider All the Kings of the Earth shall praise thee O Lord when they hear the words of thy mouth Yea they shall sing in the ways of the Lord for great is the Glory of the Lord. Thus we see that though in the first day of the Gospel the poor the halt the lame and the blind are chief in the embracing of the tenders of Grace yet in the latter day thereof God will take hold of Kings And the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour to it To it That is to Jerusalem Wherefore this City must be built before they all of them will fall in love with her Indeed I do conceive that some of them will lay their hand to help forward the work of this City as did Hiram with Solomon and Darius Cyrus Artaxerxes with Ezra and Nehemiah at the buliding and repairing the City in the letter in the days of old But yet I say the great conquest of the Kings will be by the beauty and glory of this City when she is builded Thou shalt arise O Lord and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy Servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof So the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all Kings thy Glory And indeed before this City is set up and established in her own place most of the Kings and great ones of the Earth wil be found imployed and taken up in another work than to fall in love with Mount Zion and with the Hill thereof They will be found in love with Mistris Babylon the Mother of Harlots the Mistris of Witchcrafts and Abominations of the Earth They will I say be committing Fornication with her and will be as the horns upon the heads of the Beast to defend the riding Lady from the Gunshot that the Saints continually will be making at her by the force of the Word and Spirit of God They will be shaking the sharp end of their weapons against the Son of God continually labouring to keep him out of his Throne and from having that rule in the Church and in the World as becomes him who is the head of the body and over all principality and power These shall make war with the Lamb but I say it shall so come about at the last by the illuminating Grace of God and by the faithful and patient enduring of the Saints together with the glory that every-where shall now be abiding on the Church and Congregation of Jesus that they shal begin to receive a mans heart and shall consider things that have not been told them wherefore at last they shall withdraw themselves from the love of this Mistris and shall leave her to scrape for her self in the world and shall come with repentance and rejoycing to Zion nay not onely so but to avenge the Quarrel of God and the Vengeance of his Temple and to recompence her also for the delusion and inchantments wherewith she hath entangled them They shall hate her they shall make her desolate and naked they shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire Rev. 17. 16. Now Madam what sayest thou the Kings must come to Jerusalem Jezebel thy Chamber-companions will shortly notwithstanding thy paintedface cast thee down headlong out at the windows Yea they shall tread thee in pieces by the feet of their prancing-Horses and with the wheels of their jumping Chariots They shall shut up all bowels of compassion towards thee and shall roar upon thee like the Sea and upon thy fat ones like the waves thereof Yea when they begin they will also make an end and will leave thee so harborless and comfortless that now there will be found for thee no gladness at all no not so much as one Piper to play thee one Fig. The delicates that thy soul lusted after thou shalt find them no more at all Babylon the glory of Kingdoms and the beauty of the Caldees excellency shall be as when God overthew Sodom and Gomorrah It shall never be inhabited neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation neither shall the Arabian pitch Tent there nor Shepherds make their folds there but wild Beasts of the Desart shall lie there and their houses shall be full of doleful Creatures And the Satyrs shall dance there and the wild Beasts of the Islands shall cry in their desolate places and Dragons in their pleasant Palaces and her time is near to come and her dayes shall not be prolonged Isa. 13. 19 20 21 22 23. Thus wilt thou come down
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
them as at the first Ezek 4. 1 2 3 4. Neh. 2. 8. 3. 18. Ezr. 7. 27 Neh. 4. 15. 6. 15 16. Jer. 33. 7. 32. 44. Ezek. 36. 33 34 35 36. 37. 11 12 13 14. Amos 9. 11. Lastly When he saith he saw her decend from God out of Heaven he may refer to her Glory which at her declining departed from hâ—â— and ascended to God as the Sap returns into the Root at the Fall of the Leâ—â— which Glory doth again at her return descend or come into the Church and Branches of the same as the Sap doth arise at the Spring of the Year for indeed the Churches Beauty is from Heaven and it either goeth up thither from her or else comes from thence to her according to the natures of both Fall and Spring Cant. 2. Thus you see what this HEAVEN is and what it is for this City to DESCEND out of it also what it is for this City to descend out of it FROM GOD. Vers. 11. Having the Glory of God These last words do put the whole matter out of doubt and do most clearly shew unto us that the descending of this City is the perfect return of the Church out of Captivity The Church when she began at first to go into Captivity her Glory began to depart from her and now she is returning again she receiveth therewith her former Glory having the Glory of God Thus it was in the Type when Jerusalem went into Captivity under the King of Babylon which was a figure of the Captivity of our New-Testament-Church under Antichrist it is said that then the glory of God departed from them and went by degrees first out of the Temple to the Threshold of the House and from thence with the Cherubims of Glory for that time quite away from the City Ezek. 10. 4 18. 11. 22 23 c. Again As the Glory of God departed from this City at her going into Captivity so when she returned again she had also then returned to her the Glory of God whereupon this very Prophet that saw the Glory of God go from her at her going into Captivity did see it the very same and that according as it departed so return at her deliverance He brought me to the Gate saith he that is when by a Vision he saw all the Frame and Patterns of the City and Temple in the state in which it was to be after the Captivity he brought me to the Gate that looketh toward the East and behold the Glory of the God of Israel came from the way the East the very same way that it went when it departed from the City Ezek. 11. 23. his Voice was like the Voice of many Waters and the Earth shined with his Glory It was according to the appearance of the Vision which I saw even according to the Vision that I saw when I came to destroy the City and the Vision was like the Vision that I saw by the River Chebar and I fell on my face and the Glory of the Lord came into the House by the way of the Gate whose prospect is towards the East so the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner Court and behold the Glory of the Lord filled the House Ezek. 43. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Thus you see it was in the Destruction and Restoration of the Jews Jerusalem by which God doth plainly shew us how things will be in our Gospel-Church she was to decline and lose her glory she was to be trampled as she was a City for a long time under the feet of the unconverted and wicked World Again She was after this to be builded and to be put into her former Glory at which time she was to have her Glory her former Glory even the Glory of God returned to her again He shewed me saith John that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God having 〈◊〉 Glory of God As he saith by the Prophet I am Returned to Jerusalem with Mercies and my House shall be built in it and again I am Returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem Zech. 1. 16. 8. 3. Having the Glory of God There is the Grace of God and the Glory of that Grace there is the Power of God and the Glory of that Power and there is the Majesty of God and the Glory of that Majesty Ephes. 1. 6. 2 Thess. 2. 9. Isa. 2. 19. 'T is true God doth not leave his People in some sence even in the worst of times and in their most forlorn condition as he sheweth by his being with them in their sad state in Egypt and Babylon and other of their states of calamity as he saith Though I cast them far off among the Heathen and although I have scattered them among the Countreys yet will I be to them a little Sanctuary in the Countreys where they shall come Ezek. 11 16. God is with his Church even iâ— her greatest adversity both to limit bound measure and appoint out to her her quantity and quality her beginning and duration of distress and temptation but yet I say the Glory of God in the notion of Ezekiel and John when they speak of the Restoration of this City that is not always upon his People though always they are beloved and counted for his peculiar Treasure She may then have his Grace but not at the same time the glory of his Grace his Power but not the glory of his Power she may also have his Majesty when not the glory thereof God may be with his Church even then when the Glory is departed from Israel The difference that is between her having his Grace Power and Majesty and the Glory of each is manifest in these following particulars Grace Power and Majesty when they are in the Church in their own proper Acts onely as we are considered Saints before God so they are invisible and that not onely altogether to the World but often to the very Children of God themselves but â—ow when the glory of these do rest upon â—he Church according to Ezekiel and John why then it will be visible and ap parant to all Beholders When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall APPEAR in his glory Psal. 102. 16. as he saith also in another place The Lord shall ARISE upon thee and his glory shall be SEEN upon thee Isa. 60. 1 2. Now then to speak a word or two in particular to the Glory of God that at this day will be found to settle upon this City First therefore at her returning she shall not onely have his Grace upon her but the very Glory of his Grace shall be seen upon her the glory of Pardoning Grace shall now shine in her own Soul and Grace in the glory of it shall appear in all her doings now shal both our inward and outward man be most famously adorned and beautified with Salvation the golden
distinctly and it is by the heat thereof that every thing groweth and flourisheth all which will now be gloriously and spiritually answered in this Holy and New Jerusalem O how clearly will all the Spiders and Dragons and Owls and fowl Spirits of Antichrist at that day be discovered by the Light hereof Now also will all the prettâ— Robins and little Birds in the Lords Field most sweetly send forth their pleasant Notes and all the Flowers and Herbs of his Garden spring Then will it be said to the Church by her Husband and Saviour Arise my Love my fair One and come away for lâ— the Winter is past the Rain is over and gone the Flowers appear in the Earth and the time of the singing of Birds is come and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land the Fig-Tree putteth forth her green Figs and the Vine with her tender Grapes give a good smell Cant. 2. 10 11 12 13. You know how pleasant this is even to be fulfilled in the letter of it not onely to Birds and Beasts but men especially it is pleasant to such men that have for several years been held in the Chains of affliction it must needs therefore be most pleasant and desirable to the afflicted Church of Christ who hath lain now in the Dungeon of Antichrist for above a thousand years But Lord how will this Lady when she gets her liberty and when she is returned to her own City how will she then take pleasure in the warm spangling Beams of thy shining Grace and solace her self with Thee in the Garden among the Nuts and the Pomgranates among the Lilies and Flowers and all the chief Spices Cant. 7. 11 12 13. Even like a Jasper Stone clear as Crystal These words are the Metaphor by which the Holy Ghost is pleased to illustrate the whole business Indeed Similitudes if fitly spoke and applyed do much set off and out any point that either in the Doctrines of Faith or Manners is handled in the Churches Wherefore because he would illustrate as well as affirm the Glory of this Jerusalem to the life therefore he concludes his general Description of this City with these Comparisons I saw saith he the holy City the Lambs Wife I saw her in her Spangles and in all her Adorning but verily she was most excellent She was shining as the Jasper and as pure and clear as Crystal The Jasper it seems is a very beautiful and costly Stone in as much as that above all the precious Stones is made use of by the Holy Ghost to shew us the Glory and shining Vertues of the Lord Jesus in this New Jerusalem and yet behold the Jasper is too short and slender to do the business there must another Stone be added Even like a Jasper Stone clear as Crystal Yea saith the Lord Jesus Her Cheeks are like rows of Jewels and so are the Joynts of her Things even like the Jewels that are the work of the hands of a cunning Workman Cant. 1. 9 10. 7. 1. The Crystal is a Stone so clear and spotless that even her greatest Adversaries in the midst of all their rage are not able justly to charge her with the least mote or spot imaginable wherefore when he saith that this City in her descending is even like the Jasper for light and like the Crystal for clearness he would have us further learn that at the day of the descending of this Jerusalem she shall be every way so accomplished with innocency sincerity and clearness in all her Actions that none shall have from her or her ways any just occasion given unto them to slight contemn or oppose her For First as she descends she meddleth not with any mans matters but her own She comes all along by the Kings high-way that is alone by the Rules that her Lord hath prescribed for her in his Testament The Governours of this World need not at all to fear a disturbance from her or a diminishing of ought they have She will not meddle with their Fields nor Vineyards neither will she drink of the water of their Wells onely let her go by the Kings high-way and she will not turn to the right hand or to the left until she hath passed all their borders It is a false report then that the Governours of the Nations have received against the City this New Jerusalem if they believe that according to the Tale that is told them she is and hath been of old a Rebellious City and destructive to Kings and a Diminisher of their Revenues I say these things are lying words and forged even in the heart of Bishlam Mithredath Tabeel and the rest of their Companions For verily this City in her descending is clear from such things even as clear as Crystal She is not for meddling with any thing that is theirs from a Thread even to a Shooe-latchet Her Glory is spiritual and heavenly and she is satisfied with what is her own 'T is true the Kings and Nations of this world shall one day bring their Glory and Honour to this City but yet not by outward force or compulsion none shall constrain them but the love of Christ and the beauty of this City The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising The light and beauty of this City that only shall engage their hearts and overcome them Indeed if any shall out of mistrust or enmity against this City and her prosperity bend themselves to disappoint the designs of the Eternal God concerning her Building and Glory then they must take what followeth Her God in the midst of her is Mighty He will rest in his love and rejoyce over her with singing and will UNDO all that afflict her Wherefore Associate your selves O ye People and ye shall be broken to pieces and give ear all ye of far Countries Gird your selves and ye shall be broken to pieces gird your selves and ye shall be broken to pieces Take counsel together and it shall come to naught speak the word and it shall not stand for God is with us Isaiah 8. 9 10. What work did he make with Og the King of Bashan and with Sihon King of the Amorites for refusing to let his People go peaceably by them when they were going to their own Inheritance God is harmless gentle and pitiful but wo be to that people that shall oppose or gainsay him He is gentle yet a Lyon He is loath to hurt yet He will not be crossed Fury is not in me saith he yet if you set the Bryers and Thorns against him He will go thorow them and burn them together Jerusalem also this beloved City it will be beautiful and profitable to them that love her but a Cup of Trembling and a burdensome Stone to all that burden themselves with her all that burthen themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of
the World that will be converted or the Gate that will be last because longest occupied with the travels of the Passengers and wayfaring-Men in their Journy to this Jerusalem But I pass that From the order of their standing I shall enquire into two things First Why the Gates should look in this manner every way both East West North and South Secondly Why there should be three just three on every side of this City On the East three on the North three on the South three and on the West three For the First The Gates by looking every way into all Quarters may signifie to us thus much That God hath a People in every corner of the World and also That Grace is to be carried out at these Gates by the Angels in their Ministry into every place to gather them home to him as it is said of the living Creatures Whither the Head looked they followed it and turned not as they went so whithersoever the Gates look thither the Ministers go and carry the Word to gather together the Elect He sent them two and two before his Face into every City and Place whither he himself would come Again The Gates by their thus looking every way do signifie to us That from what Quarter or Part of the World soever men come for Life for those men there are the Gates of Life even right before their doors Come they from the East why thither look the Gates and so if they come from North or West or South No Man needs at all to go about to come at Life and Peace and Rest Let him come directly from Sin to Grace from Satan to Jesus Christ and from this World to New Jerusalem The twelve Brazen Oxen that Solomon made to bear the molten Sea they stood just as these Gates stand and signifie as I said before that the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles should be carried into all the World to convert as in the Primitive Times so now at the building of New Jerusalem and to bring in Gods Sheep to the Fold of his Church Now I say as the Word is carried every way so the Gates the open Gates look also into all corners after them to signifie that loving Reception that shall be given to every Soul that from any corner of the whole World shall unfainedly close in with Grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus therefore Men shall come from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and sit down in the Kingdom of God Luk. 13. 29. Psal. 107. 1 2 3. On the East three Gates on the North three Gates on the South three Gates and on the West three Gates Having thus shewed you in a word why they stand thus looking into every Corner or Quarter of the World I now come to shew you why there must be just three looking in this manner every way First then There may be three looking every way to signifie that it is both by the consent of the Three Persons in the Trinity that the Gospel should thus every way go forth to call men and also to shew you that both the Father Son and Spirit are willing to receive and embrace the Sinner from whatsoever part or corner of the Earth he cometh hither for Life and Safety Come they from whence they will the Father is willing to give them the Son and so is the Son to give them Himself and so is the Spirit to give them its help against whatever may labour to hinder them while they are here Joh. 3. 16. Rev. 21. 6. 22. 17. Secondly In that three of the Gates look every way it may be also to shew us that there is none can enter into this City but by the three Offices of the Lord Jesus Christ by his Priestly Office must wash away their Sins and by his Prophetical Office he must illuminate teach guide and refresh them and by his Kingly Office rule over them and govern them with his Word Heb. 7. 25. Joh. 13. 8. Act. 3. 22 23 24. Isa. 40. 10 11. 9. 6 7. Psal. 76. 1 2 3. Psal. 110. 3. Thirdly Or by three Gates may be signified the three states of the Saints in this Life an entrance into Childhood an entrance into a Manly state and an entrance into the state of a Father in the Church Or lastly The three Gates may signifie the threefold state we pass thorow from Nature to Glory The state of Grace in this Life the state of Felicity in Paradise and our state in Glory after the Resurrection Or thus The state of Grace that possesseth Body and Soul in this Life the state of Glory that posseseth the Soul at Death and the state of Glory that both Body and Soul shall be possessed with at the coming of the Lord and Saviour This was figured forth by the order of the Stairs in the Temple at Jerusalem which was first second and third by which Men ascended from the lowest to the uppermost Room in the House of God as he tells us They went up with winding Stairs from the first into the second story and from thence by them into the third 1 King 6. 8. Thus much for the Wall and Gates of New Jerusalem Vers. 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. In these words we have two things considerable 1. That the City-Wall hath twelve Foundations 2. That in these twelve are the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. First It hath twelve Foundations This argueth invincible strength and support That Wall that hath but one Foundation how strongly doth it stand if it be but safely laid upon a Rock even so strongâ—y that neither Wind nor Weather in their greatest vehemency are able to shake or stir it to make it fall but I say how much more when a City hath Foundations twelve Foundations and those also laid by God himself as it is said concerning the Worthies of old They looked for a City that had Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Heb. 11. 13 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. The Wall you know I told you is the Wall of Salvation or the Safety of the Church by Jesus Christ to which is adjoyned as the effect of that the special Providence and Protection of God Now this Wall saith the Holy Ghost hath twelve Foundations to wit to bear it up for the continuation of the safety and security of those that are the Inhabitants of this City a Foundation is that which beareth up all and that upon which the stress of all must lie and abide Now to speak properly the Foundation of our Happiness is but one and that one none but the Lord Jesus for other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ
Church of Christ hath obtained a compleat conquest and victory over the world and hath got her enemies and them that hate her to lye at her feet and to lick the dust of the soals thereof For as I have told you already Temple-work yea when that is compleat in the work yet there may be great havock made of the Church of Christ at which time also City-work may be trampled under the feet of the wicked and uncircumcised Gentiles but when the City is builded then Zion is become a strong hold and about all her glory shall be a defence Then she either draweth and allureth her adversaries to entreat her kindly and to count it their honour to be under her protection as did the Gibeonites or else she breaks and bâ—uises and subjects them to her by her Power and Authority The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift and the rich among the People shall entreat thy favour Psal. 45. 12. In the last dayes saith the Prophet it shall come to pass that the Lords House shall be established upon the tops of the Mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills and People shall flow unto it and many Nations shall come and say Come and let us go up unto the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths For the Law shall go forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem And ye shall judge among the People and rebuke strong Nations afar off and they shall beat their Swords into ploughshares and their Spears into pruning hooks that force and power that they used formerly to destroy the Church of God now they shall use it to do her service even to break up the clods of the hearts of sinners and to prune and dress the House of God and Vinyard of Jesus Christ Nation shall not lift up a Sword against Nation neither shall they learn war any more for the Word of the Kingdom of Peace shall bear sway And thou O Tower of the Flock the strong hold of the daughter of Zion unto thee shall it come even the first Dominion the Kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Jerusalem Mich. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. This is City-work and as to the Glory Peace and Deliverance of the Church it is the chiefest of all other because it is not only most excellent for concourse and multitude but I say for preservation and safety and that not only to keep the Worshippers if they keep their order but to keep the Order and Worshippers both in order and continual safety that they may be for ever in the purest order But now though at the compleating of this Wall and the building its Towers when they are finished there will be great peace yet all the time that these things are doing before they be done let the work-men look for opposition taunts underminers and a thousand tricks for the hindrance of it For the Street of the City shall be built and the Wall even in troublous times And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper Of Jasper only For as by building is shewed unto us the manner of the work so by Jasper is shewed unto us the matter it self the matter therefore must be Jasper Christ only his Word Offices and glorious Brightness only for indeed whatever the special Grace Protection and Providence of God will at this day be over this City yet it shall be every whit of it according to Christ that is both of him for him and by him as the Fruits and Effects of his Suffering Bloodshed and Merits Therefore saith God I will divide him a Portion with the Great and he shall divide the Spoyl with the Strong because he hath poured out his Soul unto death and was numbred among the Transgressors O Holiness How will it shine both in Kings and Nations when God doth this And the City was pure Gold Having thus given us a discovery of the glory of the Wall he now comes to shew us the glory of the City that is within the Wall The City faith he is Gold it is pure Gold This was figured out by the Golden Candlesticks belonging to the Tabernacle and Temple among the Jews which Candlesticks did then present unto us the worth and use of the Church of CHRIST The seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches says the Lord Christ himself Now the City here spoken of is the Church in her higheâ— and greatest glory Its state was also figured out by the Temple it self whose Beams Posts Walls Doors and the like were most famously covered over with Gold 2 Chron. 3. 5 6 7. It was also though but leanly represented to us by the golden state of old Jerusalem in the days of Solomon the King in which state Gold was so plentiful in the midst thereof that Silver was nothing counted of among the Citizens there in those days but was as common as the Stones in the Street of the City 2 Chron. 9. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 27. And the City was pure Gold I find by the search of the Scriptures that there is divers sorts of Gold in the World there is the Gold of the Land of Havillah the Gold of Parvaim the Gold of Ophir the Gold of Sheba and the Gold of Uphaz Gen. 2. 11. 2 Chron. 3. 6. Job 22. 24. Psal. 72. 15. Jer. 10. 9. Now seeing he saith the City is Gold yet not distinguishing what Gold or which we may suppose in this place he means Gold of all these sorts and indeed it is most agreeable to this Text thus to judge for the Church at this day shall be made up of the twelve Tribes that are scattered abroad and of the Gentile Nations both far and near who as they now lie are for ought I can learn at as great a distance and as remote from one another not onely in knowledge and affections but touching the places of their abode as are the Golden Mines out of which the Gold that I spake of before is digged and fetch'd Thus shall Gold the Golden Saints of God at this day be gathered out of the several Golden Mines of the World and be brought to King Solomon the Son of David our Lord Jesus to Jerusalem with which he will build him a Golden shining City the Joy of all the World And the City was pure Gold Gold is the choice and chief of all Metals both for worth colour and vertue wherefore when he saith The City is Gold you may conceive how rich and shining and vertuous this City will be the Riches of the whole World will be here the Beauty of the whole World will be here and the Vertue of the whole World will be here I mean spiritual Riches Beauty and Health wherefore the rest of the World at this day will be but as
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