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
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
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
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
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
but the things themselves being good they do also by this means convey very great sweetness and pleasantness into the Hearts of those that have the knowledge of them Every step I say that now they take it shall be as it were in Honey and Butter The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy shall be upon their Heads they shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away Isa. 35. 10. as he saith Again I will build thee and thou shalt be built O Virgin of Israel thou shalt again be adorned with Tabrets and shalt go forth in the Dances of them that make merry For thus saith the Lord Sing with gladness for Jacob and shout among the chief of the Nations publish ye praise ye and say O Lord save thy People the Remnant of Israel Behold I will bring them from the North Country and gather them from the coasts of the Earth and with them the blind and the lame the woman with Child and her that travelleth with Child together a very great company shall return thither Jer. 31. 4 7 8. By these words the Blind and the Lame the Woman with Child and her that travelleth he would have us understand thus much First That the way of God shall by the illuminating Grace of Christ be made so pleasant so sweet and so beautiful in the Souls of all at that day that even the blindest shall not stumble thereâ—n neither shall the Lame refuse it for â—ear of hurt yea the Blind the Lame â—he Woman with Child and her that travelleth shall though they be of all in most evil case to travel and go the Journey yet at this day by reason of the glorious light and sweetness that now will possess them even forget their impediments and dance as after musical Taâ—rets Secondly This City upon the time of her rebuilding shall have her blind men see her halt and lame made strong she also that is with Child and her that travelleth shall joyntly see the City-work that at this day will be on foot and put into form and order yet before the end Behold at that time I will undo all that afflict thee saith the Lord to this People and I will save her that halteth and gather her that was driven out and I will get them praise and fame in every Land where they have been put to shame at that time I will bring you again even in the time that I gather you for I will make you a Name and a Praise among all People of the Earth when I turn back your Captivity before your EYES saith the Lord God Zeph. 3. 19 20. And her Light was like unto a Stone most precious In that he saith Her Light is like unto A STONE MOST PRECIOUS he sheweth us how welcome and with what eagerness of spirit this Light will at this day be imbraced by the Lords People Truly the Light is good saith Solomon and a pleasant thing it is for the Eyes to behold the Sun and if so then how beautiful desirable and precious will that Light be that is not onely heavenly and from Christ but that will be universal among all Saints to shew them the same thing and to direct them to and in the same Work The want of this hath to this day been one great reason of that crossness of Judgement and Perswasion that hath been found among the Saints and that hath caused that lingering and disputing about the glorious state of the Church in the latter days Some being for its excellency to consist chiefly in outward glory and others swerving on the other side conclude she shall not have any of this some conceiving that this City will not be built until the Lord comes from Heaven in Person others again concluding that when he comes then there shall be no longer tarrying here but that all shall forthwith even all the Godly be taken up into Heaven with divers other opinions in these matters And thus many run to and fro but yet God be thanked Knowledge does increase though the Vision will be sealed even to the time of the end But now I say at the time of the end the Spirit shall be poured down upon us from on high now also they that erred in Spirit shall come to understanding the City shall descend in the Light of a Stone most precious the Sun will be risen upon the Earth when Lot goeth from Sodom into Zoar Gen. 19. 23. Now there shall be an oneness of Judgment and Understanding in the Hearts of all Saints they shall be now no more two but one in the Lords hand Alas the Saints are yet but as an Army routed and are apt sometimes through fear and sometimes through forgetfulness to mistake the word of their Captain General the Son of God and are also too too prone to shoot and kill eveâ— their very right-hand man but at thâ— day all such doing shall be laid aside for the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea which Knowledge shall then strike thorow the Heart and Liver of all swerving and unsound Opinions in Christs matters for then shall every one of the Christians call upon the Name of the Lord and that with one pure Lip or Language to serve him with one consent 'T is Darkness and not Light that keepeth Gods People from knowing one another both in their Faith and Language and 't is Darkness that makes them stand at so great a distance both in Judgement and Affections as in these and other days they have done But then saith God I will plant in the Wilderness that is in the Church that is now bewildered the Cedar the Shittah Tree the Myrtlâ— Tree and the Oyl Tree I will set in the Desart the Fir-Tree the Pine and the Box-Tree together that they may see and know consider and understand together that the Hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy One of Israel hath created it and again The glory of Lebanon shall comâ— unto thee the Fir-Tree and the Pine-Tree and the Box-Tree together to beautifie the House of my Glory and to make the place of my Feet glorious Isa. 41. 19 20. 60. 13. Never was fair weather after foul nor warm weather after cold nor a sweet and beautiful Spring after a heavy and niping and terrible Winter so comfortable sweet desirable and welcome to the poor Birds and Beasts of the field as this day will be to the Church of God Darkness it was the Plague of Egypt It is an empty forlorn desolate solitary and discomforting state wherefore Light even the illuminating Grace of God especially in the measure that it shall be communicated unto us at this day it must needs be precious In Light there is warmth and pleasure it is by the Light of the Sun that the whole Universe appears unto us
shall be so effectually joyned together that now they shall be no more two that is at a distance with a ditch between but one sound and inclosing-Wall to shew us That now the state of this Jerusalem even touching her outward Glory Peace and Tranquillity will be so stable invincible and lasting that unless that part of the Wall which is Eternal Salvation can be brokendown the Glory of this City shall never be vailed more Wherefore the Prophet when he speaks with reference to the happy state and condition of this City he saith Violence shall be heard no more within thy Land nor wasting and destruction within thy Borders but thou shalt call thy Walls Salvation and thy Gates Praise as he saith also in another place Thine Eye shall see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down nor one of the Stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the Cords thereof be broken Isa. 60. 18. 33. 20. The Walls are now conjoyned both joyned into one the Father hath delivered up the great Red Dragon into the hand of Christ who hath shut him up and sealed him down even down for a thousand years Wherefore from the Lord shall there be upon every dwelling Place of Mount Zion and upon all her Assemblies a Cloud and Smoak by Day and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night for upon all her Glory shall be a Defence And in that day shall this Song be sung We have a strong City Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks Isa. 4. 5. 26. 1 2. The same in effect hath our Prophet John saying I saw the Holy City the New Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband and I heard a great Voice out of Heaven saying The Tabernaele of God is with men and he shall dwell with them and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their Eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away Rev. 21. 2 3 4. And had a Wall great and high These words Great and High are added for illustration to set out the matter to the height and indeed the glory of a Wall lyeth in this that it is great and high the Walls of the Canaanites were terrible upon this account and did even sink the Hearts of those that beheld them wherefore this City shall be most certainly in safety she hath a Wall about her a great Wall a Wall about her an high Wall It is great for compass it incloseth every Saint it is great for thickness it is compacted of all the Grace and Goodness of God both â—â—ritual and temporal and for height if you count from the utmost side to the utmost then it is higher then Heaven who can storm it and for depth it is lower then Hell who can undermine it Great Mercies high Mercies great Preservation and a high Arm to defend shall continually at this day incamp this City God himself will be a continual Life-Guard to this City I will incamp saith he about mine House because of the Army because of him that passeth by anâ— because of him that returneth and no Oppressor shall pass thorow them any more for now have I seen with mine Eyes Zech. 9. 8. And had twelve Gates Having thus shewed us her Wall he now comes to her Gates it had Gates it had twelve Gates By Gates in this place we are to understand the way of Entrance Gates you know are for coming in and for going out and do in this place signifie two things First An Entrance into communion with the God and Saviour of this City Secondly Entrance into communion with the Inhabitants and Priviledges of this City in both which the Gates do signifie Christ for as no man can come to the knowledge and enjoyment of the God and glorious Saviour but by and thorow the Lord Christ so no man can come into true and spiritual communion with these Inhabitants but by him also I AM THE WAY saith he the Truth and the Life and no man comes to the Father but BY ME and again I am the DOOR BY ME if any man ENTER he shall be saved and shall go in and out and finde pasture Joh. 10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. 14. 6. And had twelve Gates In that he saith Twelve Gates he alludeth to the City Jerusalem that was of old which had just so many and are on purpose put into the number of Twelve â—o answer to the whole number of the Elect of God which are comprehended within the number of the Twelve Tribes whether they are natural Jews or Gentiles for as all the Godly Jews are the Seed of Abraham after the Flesh though â—ot Godly because they are the Children of the Flesh of Abraham so all the Godly Gentiles are the Children of Abraham after the Spirit though not by that means made the Children of the Flesh of Abraham they both meet then in the Spirit and Faith of the Gospel as God saith to the Jews When the Stranger shall sojourn with thee and will keep the Passover that is become godly and receive the Faith of Christ let all his Males be circumcised and then let them come near and keep it c. For they that are of Faith are the Children of faithful Abraham who is called The very Father of us all Thus you see all the godly come under the Title of the Children of Abraham and of the Jews and so under the denomination also of being Persons belonging to the Tribes the twelve Tribes who answer to those twelve Gates Wherefore the Psalmist minding this speaketh indifinitely of all the Godly under the name of The Tribes of Israel saying Our Feet shall stand within the Gates O Jerusalem Jerusalem is builded a City that is compact together whithâ— the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel to give thaâ—â— to the Name of the Lord Psal. 122. 2 3 â— But again Though I am certain that all the Gentiles that are at any time converted are reckoned within the compass of some of the Tribes of Israel to which the Gates of this City may truly be said to answer Yet the Gates are here in a special manner called by the name of twelve to answer to the happy Return and Restoration of those poor distressed Creatures the twelve Tribes of the Jews that are scattered abroad that are and for a long time have been to our astonishment and their shame as Vagabonds and Straglers among the Nations there to continue many days without a King without a Prince and without a Sacrifice and without an Ephod that is without the true God the true Saviour and the true Word and Ordinances after which saith the same
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
and whose sins ye retain they are retained And hence it is that the true Ministers in their right administration are called Porters because as Porters stand at the Gate and there open to or shut upon those that make an attempt to enter in so the Ministers of Christ by the Doctrine of the Twelve do both open to and shut the Gates against the Persons that will be attempting to enter in at the Gates of this City Secondly But again They are said to stand at the Gates for the incouraging and perswading of the tempted and doubting Jews who at the beginning of their return will be much afflicted under the sight and sence of their own wretchedness Alas were it not for some to stand at the Gates of this City for instruction and the incouragement of those that will at that day in earnest be looking after life they might labour as in other things for very very Vanity and might also be so grievously beat out of Heart and Spirit that they might die in despair But now to prevent this for those that are in the way to Zion with watry Eyes and wetted Cheeks here stands the Angels continually sounding with their Golden-Gospel-Trumpets Enter ye into his Gates with â—hanksgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankful unto him and bless his Name for the Lord is good and his Mercy 〈◊〉 everlasting and his Truth indureth for ever even to all Generations as he saith again And it shall come to pass in that day that the great Trumpet shall be blown and they shall come which were ready to perish in the Land of Assyria and the out-casts of the Land of Egypt and shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Jerusalem And at the Gates twelve Angels and Names written thereon which are the Names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel Thus it was in the Vision of the Prophet when he was taking a View of the Pattern of this City And the Gates of the City saith the Angel to him shall be after the Names of the Tribes of Israel which saying John doth here expound saying The Names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel were writ or set upon them This being thus it cleareth to you what I said but now to wit That the Gates are called twelve to answer the twelve Tribes for their Names are written thereon This must therefore without all doubt be a very great incouragement to this despised People I say great incouragement that notwithstanding all their Rebellion Blasphemy and contempt of the glorious Gospel their Names should yet be found recorded and ingraved upon the very Gates of New Jerusalem Thus then shall the Jews be comforted in the latter days and truly they will have but need hereof for doubtless at their return when they are throughly sensible of the Murder they have committed not onely upon the Bodies of the Prophets and Apostles but of the Son of God himself I say this must needs tother with the remembrance of the rest of their villanous actions exceedingly afflict and distress their bleeding Souls for the Children of Israel shall come they and the Children of Judah together going and weeping they shall go and seek the Lord their God and shall ask the way to Zion with their Faces thitherward Jer. 50. 4 5. Mark going and weeping there will not be a step that these poor People will take in the day of their returning but will be watered with the Tears of Repentance and Contrition under the consideration of the wickedness that in the days of their Rebellion they have committed against the Lord of Glory as he saith also by another Prophet I will pour upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as a Man mourns for his onely Son and they shall be in bitterness for him as him that is in bitterness for his first-born at that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon and the Land shall mourn Zech. 12. 10 11 12. Wherefore I say they both have and also will have need of twelve Gates and on them the Names of their twelve Tribes with an Angel at each to incourage them to enter this holy and goodly City and to tell them that yet he counts them his Friends in whose House he received the wounds in his Hands But again As by the Names of the twelve Tribes written on the Gates we may see what incouragement the Jews will have at their Return to enter in at them so we may also understand that by the Names of the twelve Tribes here written God would have us to perceive how all must be qualified that from among the Gentiles at this day do enter in at these Gates namely Those and those onely that be cut out of their own wild Olive-Tree and transplanted among the Children of Israel into their good Olive-Tree Such as are Jews inwardly the Israel of God according to the New Creature they shall enter for the holy Gentiles also by vertue of their conversion are stiled the Children of Abraham Jews the Chosen Generation the Peculiar People the Holy Nation and so are spiritually though not naturally by carnal generation of the twelve Tribes whose Names are written upon the Gates of this City And it shall come to pass saith the Prophet that in what Tribe the Stranger that is the Gentile sojourneth there shall ye give him his Inheritance saith the Lord God Ezek. 47. 22 23. Thus the Jews and Gentiles shall meet together in the Spirit of the Gospel and so both become a righteous Nation to both which the Gates of this City shall stand continually open at which also they may with boldness demand by the Faith of the Lord JESUS their entrance both for Communion with the God Grace and Priviledges of this City according to that which is written Open ye the Gates that the righteous Nation which keepeth the Truth may enter in Isa. 26. 2. Thus much of the Number of the Gates and now to proceed to the Order of them Vers. 13. On the East three Gates on the North three Gates on South three Gates and on the West three Gates I shall not speak any thing to the manner of his repeating of the Quarters towards which the Gates do look why he should begin at the East then to the North afterwards crossing to the South and last to the West though I do verily think that the holy Ghost hath something to shew us wherefore he doth thus set them forth and possibly he may set them thus and the West last not onely because the West part of the World is that which always closeth the day but to signifie that the West when Jerusalem is rebuilded will be the last part of
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
Lord that saves you You know I say what a flame of love and bowels and compassion and self-denial and endeared affection to God and all Saints it will beget in the soul. O! it is good to be here saith the gracious heart Well and so thou shalt be alwayes if thou live to see New Jerusalem setled in her own place Isa. 65. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. And the Street of the City was pure Gold as it were transparant Glass Mark a Street of Gold like Glass a Street of Gold as it were transparant Glass By Glass here as also in the eighteenth verse we are to understand the word Jam. 1. 23 24 25. Wherefore when he saith the Street the Golden Street was like unto Glass he means that the walking and carriage of the Saints at this day shall be like unto or according to the Word the Life of the Saints answering the Life of the Word and Rule of the Lord Christ. Again in that he doth add to Glass the word Transparent he would have us to understand thereby these two things First That the walking and ways of Holiness of the Saints shall be more in the Power and Spirit of the Word than all along in the reign of Antichrist they have been For transparent Glass it is the most cleer and excellent Glass and goeth as far beyond other sorts of Glass as he that walks in the Spirit and Power of the Commandment goes beyond him that only walks in the Letter and outward Word thereof Alas the Churches of Christ at their first assembling will be like the coming together of Ezekiels bones cloathed much with flesh and sinews but greatly void of spirit and life Ezek. 37. 7 8. Wherefore the Spirit Power Holiness and Majesty that now will appear in the Church it will greatly transcend and go beyond the Spirit Power and Holiness that hath accompanied her in former days Then shall the Sun be ashamed and the Moon confounded when the Lord shall reign in Mount Zion c. Then shall the Sun be ashamed that is then shall that little light and understanding of the Word that hath been in the Church in the days when a third part of the glory of the Gospel was hid by the smoak of the Pit be as it were laid aside and be useless every Saint shall be under the light of a Sun that shines seven-fold brighter even as the light of seven days We see it is so in some measure at this day What Light and with what clearness do the Saints in this day see the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God beyond what the holy and goodly Martyrs and Saints did in the days that were before us Hus Bilny Ridly Hooper Cranmer with their Brethren if they were now in the world would cry out say Our light and knowledge of the Word of the Testament of Christ was much inferior to the Light that at this day is broken forth and that will yet daily in despite of Men and Devils display its Rayes and Beams amongst the sons of men When the Children of Israel were to depart the Land of Egypt the Lord made known himself to them otherwise than ever he made known himself either to Abraham Isaac or Jacob their fathers The Book also at the recovering the Church from under Antichrist is to be unlocked and unsealed gradually first one Seal and afterwards another and last of all the seventh before which time the Book will never quite be opened according to that of the Angel Go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end in which time which is the time of New Jerusalem they shall be opened and men shall consider it perfectly Wherefore Secondly It must needs be that the Church return to her old and primitive love for what is the cause of the want of love to Christ and one another now but our want of light in the Things Mysteries and Priviledges of the glorious Gospel of the Son of God Wherefore this being come then Love will reign and have her perfect work among the Godly Love is the very quintescence of all the Graces of the Gospel and is as transparent to them the greatest of these is Charity it is the fulfilling of the Law the Bond of Perfectness and the most excellent Way Wherefore the holy Ghost doth mean by this word TRANSPARENT Glass that the height of Light and the height of Love will be found in this City all their things shall be done without confused smoak and darkness and also without spiritual priâ—â— and desire of vain glory then shall they indeed do all their things in Charity and in the feeling Bowels and Fellowship of the Gospel Then shall the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former times Mal. 3. 4. Alas Though now through Grace the Saints of God have attained to more Light and Knowledge in the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God than heretofore they had yet their Light is far inferior to that which will be when this City is builded Our spiritual Union and Fellowship in the very Bowels of the Grace and Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ also is yet greatly defective It is said that no man was able to enter into the Temple of God until the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled but when the seven last Plagues are spent and when all the Adversaries of the Church which caused terror in the Land of the Living shall be laid with the uncircumcised in the Pit then look for Golden days and not till then then shall this Golden Street be finished that is then shall the Light Faith Love and Holiness of the Gospel be walked in and embraced in a transparent and transcending way He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take Root Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the World with Fruit. Isa. 27. 6. Vers. 22. And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it These words do in my present Light point at the end of the days of this Jerusalem here in this World and in so doing they signifie to us that when she is builded she shall stand and continue in â—his her glorious state afore-mentioned â—ven until that Glory be swallowed up of â—hat which doth excel That they do point at the end of her â—ay in this world I do gather from these particulars First Because they are the last words â—f the description of her Glory that is â—ese and the words ensuing which is â—t one and the same continued speech â—d it is easie to conclude that John in â—is description of this City doth from â—st to last even from the first appearing of her as she cometh out of Babylon till she be perfect in Glory give us the
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
wonderfully For in thee have they set light by father and mother in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger in thee have they vexed the fatherless and widdow in thee men carry tales to shed blood in thee they eat upon the Mountains and in thee they commit lewdness God hath smitten his hands at thy dishonest gain and all the blood which hath been in the midst of thee God will be avenged of thee but will not meet thee as a man You have cast lots for my People saith God you have given a Boy for a Harlot and a Girl for Wine that you may drink You have made havock of my young Converts to satisfy your lusts therefore What have you to do with me O Tyre and Sidon and all the Coasts of Palestina will ye render me a recompence and if ye recompence me swiftly and speedily I will return your recompence upon your own head I will throw it as dirt in your face again And never talk of what thou wast once for though thou wast full of wisdom and perfect in beauty though thou hast been in Eden the Garden of God yea though every Precious Stone for some time was thy covering and thou the very anointed Cherub that covereth walking upon the Mountain of God and in the midst of the Stones of fire yet because by reason of the multitude of thy Merchandize thou hast sinned and art filled with violence Therefore God will cast thee as prophane out of the Mountain of God and wil destroy thee O covering Cherub from the midst of the Stones of fire yea he will cast thee to the ground and lay thee before Kings that they may behold thee And all they that know thee among the People shall be astonished at thee thou shalt be â— terrour and never shalt thou be any more Ezek. 28. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. And when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do Though thou cloathest thy self with crimson though thou deckest thee with ornaments of Gold though thou paintest thy face with painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy lovers will despise thee they will seek thy life Jer. 4. 30. And the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and their honour to it Mark They do not only forsake the crimson Harlot neither do they content themselves with eating her flesh and burning her with fire but they come over they come over to Jerusalem they are conquered by the Grace of Christ and Wisdom of the Son of God They shall make war with the Lamb but the Lamb shall overcome them for he is King of kings and Lord of lords and those that are with him are Called and Chosen and Faithful Now they shall all give way to the Government of the King of kings the Governor of the Jews and shall with gladness delight to see him rule his Spouse with his own Law Rules and Testament they shall play the pranks of Jeroboam no longer in making Calves to keep the People from going up to Jerusalem to worship Now they shall count him also King of Nations aswel as King of Saints and he shall wear the Crowns and they shall seek to him Rev. 19. 12. and 15. 5. Jer 10. 7. Isa. 52. 15. 2 Chron. 9. 23. Vers. 25. And the Gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there This is the effect of what you read before namely of the coming in of the Kings and Great ones of the Earth to this Jerusalem For when the Whore is made desolate and naked and burned with fire and when the Kings also that loved her and that maintained her are come in and have closed with the Glory and Beauty of this City then what need is there to shut the Gates Alas all the injuries that the Kings and Great Ones of the Earth have done to the Church and Spouse of Christ in these days of the New Testament it hath been through the Instigation and Witchcraft of this Mistris of Iniquity The Horseman hath lift up both the bright Sword and the glittering Spear against the Saints of God by reason of the multitudes of the Whordoms of the wel-favoured Harlot the Mistris of Witchcrafts who selleth Nations thorow her Whordoms and families thorow her Witchcrafts Wherefore I say this Gentlewoman being laid in her grave and all her fat ones gone down to the sides of the pit these Kings will change their mind and fall in love with the true and chast Matron and with Christ her Lord Now when this is thus this City must needs be safely inhabited as towns without walls and as a place neer to which there is neither Thief nor ravenous Beast Persecutors while they remain in their spirit of outrage against the Church and People of God they are frequently in the Scripture compared to the venemous Dragons fierce Lions and ravenous Wolves all which at this day shall be driven out of the World that is so out as never to molest the Church again or to cause a Gate of this City to be shut through fear against them as he saith by the Prophet In the habitation of Dragons where each lay shall be grass with â—eeds and rushes In the habitation of Dragons that is even in the places of Persecutors where each lay shall be food for the Flock of Christ. The Dragon is a venemous beast and poisoneth all where he lieth he beats the Earth bare and venoms it that it will bear no grass as do the Persecutors where they inhabit and lie But behold the dayes do come in which these Dragons shall be removed and the ground where they lay be made fruitful and flourish so that even there shall be places for the flocks to lie down in In the habitation of Dragons where each lay shall be grass with reeds and rushes No Lion shall be there nor any ravenous Beast shall be found thereon but the Redeemed of the Lord shall walk there and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away according to that of Moses The Lord will give peace in his Land and his People shall lie down and none shall make them afraid For he will rid the evil Beasts out of the Land and the Sword shall not go through it more And my People shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places And the Gates shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there This word day we may understand two ways either for the day of bringing in to fill this City or for the day of her perfection and fulness Now if you take it with reference to the day in which her Converts are coming in as indeed it ought why then the
Bounds of visible Church-Communion and so all those that thorow the Gifts and Operations of special or common Grace do fall within the compass of those Rules and Bounds Thus it was in the Type at the return out of Captivity none were to be admitted entrance into the Church but those that could shew their Priviledges by Genealogy and the Records of the Church and to others it was said That they had neither Portion nor Lot nor Memorial in Jerusalem Now that by Book of Life in this place we are to understand that Book that hath in it the Bounds and Liberties of this City and so every one that falleth within the compass of these Bounds and Priviledges visibly Consider First They that are visible matter for visible Church-Communion they shall be found within this City and yet there shall not enter any but those that are written in the Lambs Book of Life Secondly Now visible Church-Communion doth not absolutely call for onely invisible Saints neither can it for if the Church was to joyn with none but those whom they knew to be the very Elect of God as all invisible Saints are then she must joyn with none at all for it is not possible that any Church should be so infallible to judge in that manner of the Elect as to discern them always and altogether from the non-Elect which cannot be an invisible Saint Thirdly By Book of Life therefore in this place we are to understand I say that Book that hath written in it every visible Saint whether they be Elect or not and so such a Book that is capable of receiving in a man at one time and of blotting of him out again as occasion doth require at another which thing is onely applicable to that Book that binds and looses on the account of a mans being a visible Saint or a visible Apostate which thing is onely applicable to the visible Rules of receiving or shutting out of visible Church-Communion which Rules being the Rules of Christs New-Testament it is proper to call it the Book of Life and is about the matter of going in or going out of this very City so called If any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and from the things that are written in this Book O how happy is he who is not onely a visible but also an invisible Saint He he shall not be blotted out of the Book of Gods eternal Grace and Mercy when others are liable to lose a share not onely in Heaven but to be for ever blotted out of the Book that approveth of visible Believers also Fourthly But again to explain the matter yet more In the visible Church there is not onely Sons but Servants that is not onely those that are truly Elect but such as have received a Gift for the perfecting the Church under Christ in his Service here in this World Now I say the Servant for the time present hath his place in the Church as well as the Son though not the place of a Son but of a Servant even a place of Service as of Preaching Prophesying administring the Ordinances that are given to the Church and the like all which a man that hath not Grace may do and that by the appointment of Christ thus was Judas Demas Hymeneus Phyletus and others who sometimes were the Servants of Christ in the Church and did minister for him to them yet themselves notwithstanding such as were all that time strangers and aliens to the life and power and saving operations of the justifying and preserving Grace of the Gospel as he saith also by the Prophet Isaiah Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks and the sons of aliens shall be your Plough men and your Vine-dressers For verily Christ will give to those that have not his saving-grace yet great knowledge and understanding in the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and will also make them for profit and advantage in his Church to feed their flocks to plow up the fallow ground of their hearts and to dress their tender Vines Yet I say they themselves shall not be everlastingly saved for they want his saving-grace As Christ saith The servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth for ever As he saith again in another Prophet If the Prince give a gift to any of his sons the inheritance thereof shall be his sons it shall be their possession by inheritance but if he give a gift of inheritance to one of his servants then it shall be his to the year of Liberty after it shall return to the Prince but his inheritance shall be his sons for them Some indeed have grace aswel as gifts now they that are such the profit of their gifts shall be rewarded by vertue of their grace but as for them that have only a gift when the work of a gift is done then they cease to be any longer of use in the Church and therefore are forthwith shut out of the same but the Son abideth for ever Thus you see that as visible Church-communion doth not absolutely call for the Elect only but admits and that by the Book of Rules all that are visible and open Saints by calling so also the Lord Jesus himself doth and will use some in his Church as his Officers and Servants that yet in a a strict sence are neither his Sons nor Members Who yet are within the bounds of that Book of Life that here he speaks of as is evident because with Christ's allowance they are admitted into commnnion with his Church and by him also furnished with Gifts and Abilities to profit and edifie withal Now observe such a one is admitted though but a Servant yet not by the Church because but such a one The Church receiveth no man upon the account of gifts alone but upon the account of the appearance of Grace as of Gospel-Repentance of the Confession of Faith and of a Conversation suitable to the same All which a man that is not elect may have the notion of yea the power though not the saving Power 5. Further this which I have said about the visible Church-Communion and so consequently about the Book of Life it must needs be a Gospel-Truth yea a thing for Truth in this New-Jerusalem because besides what hath been said there will be found in this City even at the coming of the Lord Jesus which coming of his will not be for some time after the building and setting of it up I say there will be then sound among them foolish Virgins and such who have not the saving-grace of God in their souls But yet 1. these very souls shall be counted by the Church yea by Christ himself for Virgins that is such as had not defiled their Profession 2. And will be such Virgins as have and hold every
out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. In that this Water of Life is said to proceed not only out of the Throne of God but also of the Lamb. It signifieth and holdeth forth unto us two speciall things First That the Throne of God is also made the Throne of the Lord Jesus Christ upon which he as a reward of his Sufferings and Victory over Sin Satan and all Evils is set down and upon which he sits and rules as Lord and Chief of all Worlds He is set down on the right hand of Power on the right hand of the Majesty on high as he saith To him that overcometh will I grant to sit down with me on my Throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father upon his Throne This being thus it signifieth that this City shall have her enjoyments of Life Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost by vertue of the Kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ aswel as by the vertue of his Priestly and Prophetical Office The Church doth in our dayes know a little what Joy Peace and Life is to be enjoyed from Christ even through that dark and glimmering sight that she hath of the Offices of Christ in a mist but she feels not yet what Joy she shall have and what Peace she shall enjoy when her Lord in all his Offices is manifest before her and when he in the glory of them doth reign in the midst of this Jerusalem There are none of the Offices of the Lord Jesus yet upon the Throne in his Church on Earth though they be all upon the Throne in Heaven O! but the day is coming that they shall be all upon the Throne in the Church on Earth when they shal each of them in its full length breadth heighth and depth bear sway among his People and before all men Then shall the Moon be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shalâ— reign in mount-Mount-Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Antients gloriously Isa. 24 23. O that thou wouldest rend the Heavens that thou wouldest come down that the Mountains might flow down at thy presence O that the day were come that the smoak should go forth of the Temple of God that men might enter into it and there meet with God upon the Throne and with Jesus in him upon the Throne in all his Offices It will be thus thou Zion shortly and great shall be the Peace of thy Children The second thing observable is That as all Grace comes from out of the Throne of God so it also proceeds or comes out of the Throne of the Lamb that is No Grace comes to any but thorow the Victory and Conquest of the Lord Christ We are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus and again We have Redemption thorow his Blood even the forgiveness of our Sins according to the riches of his Grace By which we may gather that when these things come to be in their own Purity among us that is when Grace runs clear without the dirt and mud of the Traditions of men commixed therewith then will all that hold up false and erronious Opinions be washed away for this River will not onely wash away the sins and filthiness of those that are truly gracious but it will also destroy the Heretick and erronious Person it will be to them at that day as the red Sea was to the Egyptians of old which Sea though it was a Wall on this hand and on that to the Children of Israel yet it destroyed the Egyptians that assayed to go thorow it as Israel did The reason also why we are at this day in such confusion in matters of Religion it is for want of the clear and pure streams of this River of Water of Life all which will be mended when there is but one River to water this City and that too the pure River of the Water of Life in all its streams as clear as Crystal then shall all drink-in all things into one Spirit and be watered with the same Dews of Heaven Thus much of the Water of Life that belongeth to this Jerusalem Vers. 2. And in the midst of the Street of it and on either side of the River was there the Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of Fruits and yeilded her Fruit every month and the Leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the Nations This Tree of Life is the Lord Jesus Christ and that he is here called a Tree rather then by other of his Names it is to shew us how fruitful and exceeding advantagious he in all his Benefits will be to the Inhabitants of this City this is that Tree under whose Branches the Fowls of Heaven shall now most safely lodge and finde relief from the hot and fainting Beams of the persecuting Sun of this world as the Word doth there inform us Now before I come to speak to this Tree touching the manner of its Fruit and it s often bearing with the efficatiousness of its Leaves which here he saith doth heal the Nations I will take notice of one or two general things that lie before me from the standing of the Tree in the midst of the street of this City First then In that he saith this City hath a Tree of Life in it He alludes to the Garden of Eden the pleasant Paradise that God began the World withal whereby he signifieth that as the World began with a Paradise so also it shall end with a Paradise when Sin and Satan have done their worst This New Jerusalem shall be the wind-up of the world and in it shall stand the Tree of Life as well as there stood one in the goodly Garden which was the beginning thereof In which Paradise there shall be no Tree of Knowledge or the Law of Works to bear sway and to cause that the Sons of God shall be thrust out thence for their eating of its forbidden Fruits no the Tree of Life alone shall here bear sway and rule whose Fruit is only healthful and the Leaves thereof for Medicine Now this Tree of Life being in the midst of this City it signifieth that the Inhabitants of it shall be sweetly shadowed refreshed and defended with its coolness and also sweetly nourished and comforted with its dainties And hence it is that the Scriptures do hold him forth in his benefits to his Church under these very notions As the Apple-tree is among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste Indeed the shadow of this Tree of Life as always it is refreshing to the tempted and weary so now it will be far more They that dwell under his shadow shall return they shall revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine and the scent thereof shall be as the Wine of Lebanon
Mark 1. His shadow will make us return that is to our first Love to the dayes of our youth to our young fresh tender and flourishing Faith Love and Self-denial that we received in the dayes of our Espousals 2. As it will make us return to these so it will make us revive in these they shall return and revive they shall revive as the Corn as the Corn doth when in the heat of Summer after long scorching it it covered with cool Clouds and watered with the bottles of Heaven 3. As is shall make them return and revive so it shall make them grow they shall grow as the Vine that is speedily fruitfully and spreadingly 4. This is not all but the smell of Saints in those dayes shall be excellent They shall revive as the Corn they shall grow as the Vine and shall send forth their scent as the Wine of Lebanon This Tree is a Perfuming-Tree and makes them also that abide under the shadow thereof to smell as sweet-smelling Myrrh it makes them smell as the Wine of thy Grace O Lord and as the fragrant Oyntments of Heaven When the Spouse did but touch where her Lord had touched afore her it made her hands drop with Myrrh and her fingers with sweet-smelling Myrrh O they will be green savoury reviving flourishing growing Christians that shall walk the street of New-Jerusalem I am saith he a green Fir-Tree from me is thy Fruit found But again As he shall be thus profitable to his People for shadow and reviving so he will be in the midst of the Street of it for food for refreshing and replenishing that way I sate down under his shadow with great delight said she and his fruit was sweet to my taste Ezekiel tels us that this Tree is all Trees And on the bank of the River on this side and on that were all Trees for meat Indeed Christ is all Trees yea there is more to be found in him for the food of the Soul than there can be on all Trees for the food of the Body He is a Fir-tree for tallness greenness and strength He is an Olive for fatness a Vine for sweetness and goodness for therewith is refreshed the heart both of God and man What shal I say he is the Almond-tree the Fig-tree the Apple-tree all Trees The Tree of Life also in the midst of the Paradise of God To conclude Seeing Christ is said to be in the midst of the Street of this City it sheweth unto us with what at all occasions the actions of the Saints of this City shall be seasoned The Street you know I told you is the Way of Holiness in this City the place of Spiritual recreation and solace Now in the very midst of this Street there stands this Tree which being thus it sheweth us how wonderfully Christ as a Tree of Life will be in all the words and deeds of the Inhabitants of this Jerusalem they will walk in Christ they will talk in Christ they will do all they do in Christ or rather Christ will be found in all their wayes even as the Tree of Life is found in the midst of the Street of this City they shall walk up and down in my Name saith the Lord. Again In that this Tree is said to stand in the midst of the Street it sheweth unto us how common and free his benefits will now be also The Plumbs and Figs and Grapes and Apples of this Tree will be open to every Passenger not a Boy nor a Girl that now shall play in thy Street O Jerusalem but shall eat of the Fruits of the Tree that stands in he midst of thee as of common things And in the midst of the Street of it and and on either side of the River was there the Tree of Life As this Tree doth stand in the midst of the Street of this City so it also standeth one each side of the River of the Water of Life of which you have heard before Now when he saith the Tree is on either side of the River whence by the way note yet again That both the Water of Life and also the Tree of Life they are both to be enjoyed by the Inhabitants of this City in the way of Holiness the Tree is in the midst of the Street and the River runs thorow or between the very tables of the heart of this Tree of Life on either side of the iver was there the Tree of Life Again In that it is said that this Tree of Life is on either side of the River it argueth that they who come at any time at this River for water to quench their thirst and to make them live they must come to it by the Tree of Life which is Christ. In more easie terms read it thus There is none can partake of the Grace of God but by the man Christ Jesus which is this Tree of Life for this Tree this Christ doth stand on either side of the River to signifie that all Grace to us comes thorow his bloody Wounds Death and Victory I am the Way saith Christ the Truth and the Life no man cometh to the Father but by me And on either side of the River was there the Tree of Life Mark But one Tree and yet such a Tree whose body reached as far as the River reached indeed Ezekiel saith this Tree is all Trees for meat yet not to shew that there is more Trees of Life than one but to shew that all that can be thought of that is good for soul-nourishment is to be found in this one that is in Christ Jesus and it is further evident that though he saith all Trees as if he meant many yet he spake but metaphorically to shew thereby the fulness of Christ because John doth understand him so calling it one Tree to wit the Tree of Life But mark again so far as the River goes so far the Tree goes so that where you cannot find the Tree of Life be sure there is none of the Water of Life No Christ no Grace He that hath the Son hath life but he that hath not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides upon him For on either side of the River was there the Tree of Life Which bare twelve manner of Fruits This word Fruits it may be taken two ways either as it relates to God or as it relates to man for as I said before the Fruits of this Tree refresheth the heart both of God and man Now if it be taken with reference to God then it signifieth the compleat satisfaction that by the worthiness of the Fruits of the Passion of Christ is given to God for the salvation of the Church this City of God He suffered to finish transgression to make an end of sin and to bring in everlasting Righteousness by this I say is the heart of God refreshed and in this doth it rest
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