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A30152 The holy citie, or, The new-Jerusalem wherein its goodly light walls, gates, angels, and the manner of their standing, are expounded : also, her length and breadth, together with the golden measuring-reed, explained, and the glory of all unfolded : as also, the numerousness of its inhabitants, and what the tree and water of life are, by which they are sustained / by John Bunyan ... Bunyan, John, 1628-1688. 1669 (1669) Wing B5536; ESTC R36063 132,664 312

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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 strong●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
Souls into this City and that the same Doctrine is the Doctrine that keepeth up the Wall of their Salvation about them when they are entred in within the Gates Vers. 15. And he that talked with me had a Golden Reed to measure the City and the Gates thereof and the Wall thereof Now having passed the relation of the Wall Gates and Foundations he comes to the Measuring-Line to see how all things lie and agree with that Under the Law I find that all things pertaining to the Worship of God were to be by Number Rule and Measure even to the very Tacks and Loops of the Curtains of the Tabernacle Now the Rule or Line by which all things were then squared it was the Laws Statutes and Ordinances which was given to Moses by the Lord in the Mount Sinai for thither he went to receive his Orders and according to the Pattern there shewed him so he committed all things by writing to them that were to be imployed in the workmanship of the holy things pertaining to the rise and compleating of the Tabernacle and all its Instruments Exod. 10. 11. 24. 1. 25. 40. Deut. 30. 10. 31. 24 25 26. Now when this Rule was thus received then whosoever observed not to do it he was to fall under the Penalty that by the same Law also was prescribed against the Offenders and Transgressors Num. 15. 30 31. I find also that when the Temple was builded in the days of Solomon all things were then done according to the writing that David made when the hand of God was upon him when he made him understand all the work of this Pattern 2 Chron. 3. 1 2 3. Chap. 4. 1 Chron. 19. 3 4 5 6 7. 28. 19. Thus again When Josiah went about to bring to pass the Reformation of the Church of the Jews and their Instruments of Worship after their revolting he goeth to the Law of God and by that understanding what was out of order and how to put all things into order he so did reduce them to their former manner The same way also went Ezra and Nehemiah at the rebuilding of the Temple and City after the Captivity 2 Kings 22. 8 9 10 11 12 13. Ezra 7. 14. Ezra 8. 3 4. From all which I conclude That the Reed the Golden Reed that here you read of it is nothing else but the pure and unspotted Word of God by which both the City Gates and Wall of this Jerusalem is regulated Which Word by the holy Prophet is also compared to Gold and is said to be above much fine Gold Psal. 12. 6. and 19. 9 10. I find in the Vision of the Prophet Ezekiel that the Angel that there is said to measure the City which was a Type of our Jerusalem he appeared with a line of Flax in his hand to measure the pattern withal which very phrase doth shew us that his was but the Type and an Old-Testament-business but John hath his in a New-Testament-stile and that in the most excellent manner of Language to signifie that his City or the City that he hath the Vision of is to be the end of all Types and Shadows and the very perfection of them all Wherefore he tells us also that the Line or Reed by which this City is builded and squared it is not now a Line of Flax but a Reed of Gold a Golden Reed to signifie not a Word of the Law and Letter that had to do with Shadows but the New Testament and ministration of the Spirit which hath to do with Substance and the heavenly things themselves Heb. 9. 23. A Golden Reed to measure the City c. I told you at the first that this City was the Church of God that should be in the latter dayes but yet not the Church disorderly and confusedly scattered here and there without all visible order and discipline but the Church brought into exact Form and Order lying every way level and square with the Rule and Golden Reed of the New Testament of Christ wherefore he calleth it a City a City under Rule Thus it was in the Type for when Solomons Temple was to be builded and the City in after-times it was not enough that they had Stones and Timber but every one of them must be such Stones and such Timber and must also come under the Rule and Square of the Workman and so being fitted by Hewers Sawes Axes and Squares they were fitly put into the building 1 Kings 5. 17 18. and 7. 9 10 11 12. 1 Chron. 22. 2. By this then we may see with what a holy exact Line Rule and Order this Church and City at this day will be compact and builded the Members must be all such as shall be made fit for the City of God by the hewing words of the Prophets they must joyn in Christian-Communion also according to the Golden Reed of the New Testament and ministration of the Spirit Indeed all the time of the reign of Antichrist the Church as she was a holy Temple in the Lord so she was measured with reference to the truth of her Grace and invisible condition but as she is to be a City so she then is to be troden down and to lie without all Form and Order but when Antichrist is dead she shall again come into mind be considered reared builded by measure and inhabited and observe it as the Rule of the Carpenter is of use in the building from the first appearance of the laying of a Stone in order even till it be in every point and part compleat so the Golden Reed with which the Angel is here said to measure the City c. is to be of use from the first Foundation even to the laying of the last Stone thereof As was also fore-shewed by the man that is said to measure the pattern of this in Ezekiel Ezek. 40. to chapter 48. And he measured the City That is he measured the Church in her Constitution and Fellowship Now when God is said to measure he is said to measure sometimes in Judgment and sometimes in Mercy sometimes to throw down and sometimes to build up and establish Sometimes I say he is said to measure in Judgment with intention to throw down and destroy Thus he measured the City before she went into Captivity and the ten Tribes before they were carried away beyond Babylon because they lay cross to his Word and had perverted that which was right c. but when he is said to measure the City in this place it is that she might be builded and set up wherefore as I said the Line or Golden Reed that is now stretched forth to measure this City it is to the end that all things may be in right Form and Order fitly joyned and knit together by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working of the measure of every part making increase of the Body to the