Secondly more distinctly and exactly that it was measured with a reede 12 thousand furlongs and the length and breadth and hight were equall First from the more indefinit expression observe that however it was a square whiles it is expressed under the notion of a citie And the Church is a round a round heaven and a round earth whiâ—es expressed under the notion of a world the round to signifie the laboriousnesse of the Church labor agricolae currit in orbe 1 Cor. 3.9 the Church is Gods husbandry her worke is never at an end She must continually move here propter quiâ—tem that she may rest whe shee is above the rowling heavens To signifie that the Church thus renewed shall be capeable of all truthes and conteine and know and teach all truthes of doctrine of discipline of manners and practise then too As a circle saith the Philosopher is the most capacious figure that is The square to signifie that as according to the Philosopher a square is the most setled and solid fast standing figure so the Church thus renewed refined in doctrine Heb. 12.26 discipline and manners shall never bee shaken any more never altered in the substance of either no not of her discipline that hath beene liable to so many changes but only in degrees to as much better as may be Secondly from the more distinct expression that the Church is as much in altitude as latitude as high as broad this signifies that as the Church is growne eminent in holinesse and high in heavenly mindednesse so shee is seene of men and esteemed and esteemed and highly extolled with the respect she hath from them So that Hierâ—salem is the praise of the whole earth according to promise Isay 62.7 So that as King David preferred it above his chiefe joy Psal 137 6. So all Kings shall bring their honour to it Revel 21 24. All shall as the Psalmist delight to tell the towers thereof Psal 48.12 i. e. joy to finde all perfect nothing missing All shall lay downe all forget all even the cunning of their right hand in comparison of the Church as Psal 137. Christ in this his comming shall as at the last day be admired of all that beleive 3 Thes 1.10 Thus of the forme or fashion Next of the matter oredifice which includes the Walles Townes Streetsâ— Temple or publike place of worship The walles are confidesor their Situation Foundation Superstruction Apertions First her situation 1. The walles are without the citie 2. Containe all the citie 3. Are conformable to the fashion of the citie 1 Without the citie to signifie that no annoyances things or persons should come neere the citie of the reformed Church Mat. 27.33 without the walls are the dunghills without Hierusalem is Golgotha the place of dead mens sculls The forme of execution of offenders was to carry them out of the citie Heb. 13.12 and so to punish them The civill punishment carrying in it a character of the spirituall excommunication Phil. 3.2 The Church is warned to beware of Dogges i.e. Those Mat. 7.6 For they are of the concision and are evill doers as the Apostle intimates They have their dogges nature and skinne still in and on in heart and in life for they are evill doers biters as well as barkers And how shall the Church better beware of dogges then as the house-holder by shutting them out of doores So the prophesie runnes Revel 22.15 without there shall bee dogges which are described by their dogge-trickes Their mad sorceries filthy lecheries biting murthers houling idolatries false barking lyes 2 The walles thus situated containe all the whole citie parts and persons thereof exclude none of those To signifie that Christ his Church in no wise doth plucke up the wheate in stead of tares For she sees plainely the tares to bee tares Mat. 13. by their ripenesse before she plucke at them She remembers her Saviours rule That hee will in no wise cast out him that commeth to him Iohn 6.37 Thirdly the walles so conformed to the citie signifie the sweet harmonie proportion and conformitie that is betweene the Church and her discipline She is not yoaked with a discipline that will wring her neck gall her shoulders Nor with such a one as is like the hoope that the Juggler can creepe through Gal. 5.1 Compare maâ— 11.28.29 Her discipline reacheth to all occasions causes persons things Shee makes not her meshes so wide as Actaeon A hunter of wild beasts that catcheth only those that would with open mouth devoure him Nor doth she as Vulcan make her net so subtile that the simple naked soule may be catcht before it is aware The Church hath from God her exact measure how to knit her discipline the pure golden measure of an unstrretchable reede i. e. The pure word of God Revel 21.15 Isa 8.20 Gal. 6.16 Blessed are they that walke according to this Canon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marke the double emphasis This notable Cannon This Canon of Christ This Canon of the Scripture or this Canon of walking as a new creature in and by Christ according to the Scripture Secondly Foundation And this is of twelve precious stones The naturall foundation as of an house the rocke 1 Cor. 3. gravell or compacted clay is onely one and that rocke is Christ But the Artificiall foundation as of an house is the wall built within the ground this is twelve fold or many fold consisting of the plurality and variety of all the offices These twelve stones were used in the old Testament as prophesies of the qualities conditions of the twelve Paâ—â—iaâ—kâ—s and their tribes And hereof the state and condition of the Ministers building 〈◊〉 â—ew Church on the doctrine of the Apostles ministers and their severall gifts grounded and guided by the doctrine of the Apostles Small parts or peeces make not a foundation many ranckes of stone make a foundation Disunion or interruption of the continuation of a foundation is dangerous The Church cannot consist with an index expurgatorius cannot possibly beare inhibitions of reading these or those bookes of Scripture of preaching these or those fundamentall doctrines or sound truthes 3. Superstruction or raising the superstructure And that is done up all of Iasper as the foundation was of 12. precious stones whereof the first also was a Iasper as two other were the Sardius and Emerauld which three stones are put to represent the Trinitie Revel 4. The green Iasper the eternall Godhead and Father the redde Sardius the crucified Sonne Christ The groenish Raâ—e-bowlike emerauld As Gods bow in the clowd a token of an outward covenant Gen. 9.14 15. the proceeding Holy Ghost the token of Gods covenant in the heart Now that the wall muâ—â—â—â— built up above the foundation all of Iasper what can 〈◊〉 signifie but that the Church must be ad of God all according to the Scriptures If men will build on the
but a part of glory Rom. 8.29.30 and therefore in the chaine of mans salvation the Apostle includes it and signifies it under the word glory And all these heavens sweetly move one under another orderly and perpetually 3. The order is observable first the heavens are named then secondly the earth answerable to the order of the Creation and the historie thereof Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth If ever wee will have men reformed we must get religion to be reformed If salt shall loose it favour wherewith shall any thing bee salted If ever wee will hope for a reformed common wealth we must helpe forward the refortamion of the Church The standard must bee right if you will have private men measure and deale right If the vitall parts the braine liver and heart be amisse doe not minister right blood spirits and motion the exterior limbes of the body cannot bee well A sad soule makes a sickly man Till Iacob reformed the Church in his family casting out the idolls c. hee was never setled in the politie Gen. 31. Gen. 32. Gen. 33. Gen. 34. Gen. 35. ver 2 3 4 5 6. and worldly affaires of his familie but hunted like a patridge by Esau by Laban by feare of Sechemits But when the Idols were throwne out and an alter built to the true God and religion setled then had he rest in Canaan So when Church and common wealth grew to bigge for the shell of a particular house and familie and so crept forth into a Kingdome and Nation when the whole Church in her generall worship was corrupted the whole common wealth was vassalised looke else over all the storie of the Judges 3. Earth Heare is the last part of the new world And though there is but one earth in the singular mentioned yet here is more then one thing remarkeable First The Church is called Earth 1. To minde her of her impietie mortalitie and miserie while shee is on earth Ier. That as the Prophet Ieremiah cryed out three times O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord to put every man in the world in mind that he is earth in his beginning earth in his continuance earth in his dissoltuion So it puts all the collective Church in mind that whiles she is on earth she hath some iniquitie some sinne and so hath not here her spirituall perfection That she shall meete with outward miseries besides inward agonies of minde and conscience and so shall have the Gospel-afflictions 2 Tim. 1.8 Partake of the afflictions of Christ That shee is mortall she must leave the earth at last to get to heaven Secondly to minde her of her consolation that where she hath beene wronged shee shall bee righted shee hath beene tyrannised over on earth and shee shall reigne on earth Revel 5.10 she hath beene made old in her face by teares in her cloathes by superstition and humane inventions And now she shall bee made a new earth All her particular members shall be new with grace comfort liberty of the Gospel above all that formerly shee hath had in quantitie or qualitie in one if not both Rugaque in antiqua fronte senilis erat I am juvenilis erit 2. The earth is joyned to or with the heavens Nay it is placed in the middle of the round of the heavens so that it cannot depart from its center point when that may be but unto the heavens i. e. at the last day into glory So that all the particular members are compassed about with heaven influenced with the virtue of heaven All of them are heavenised and therefore all the members of the Church are called the new earth within the Orbes of these new heavens The Church is the whole of the particular members Not a Hierarchie a Prelacie or a Cleargie onely are termed the Church But all that Christ redeemed are called Christ body i. e. his Church A body must have all its varietie of members 1 Cor. 12. It were monstrous to see one all mouth or all eye or all both Ministers can bee no more of the body of the Church as a Church but the eye and mouth of the Church yea moreover when the whole earth that is under heaven is put to signifie the Church what lesse can be understood then that all the world shall be a Church in the renewed condition thereof Sure not many if any whole Kingdomes shall be excepted Mat. 13. Out of our common prayer booke was expunged the faire interpretation of kneeling at the Communion That the Papists might not be offended Then 2. The prayer against the Pope that we might not offend his Clerge 3. The prayer for the Kings posteritie as the electe posteritie of an elected father That the word elect might not offend the Arminians some sprinklings of bran theremay be in the 3. peckes of meale of the Church but not one or two of sand and the rest of meale The Protestant reformed Church shall no more shoot away themselves to finde Papists c. till they had almost lost themselves Thus of the substance of this new world Heaven and Earth Next of the qualities Newnesse Righteousnesse For both are to be referred both to Heaven and Earth For it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which earth But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which heaven and earth As for the Sea that is not mentioned unlesse by way of exclusion i. e. of the bad As for the good ye sea of Chrystall the sound doctrine that cannot bee said to be new for it is semper cadem alwaies the same in substance and meaning Nor can it bee said to have righteousnesse for it is righteousnesse it selfe and so non recipit magis minus it is alwaies alike righteous But the heavens of a reformed worship of worship made more spirituall set more right and the earth of men renewed in knowledge and grace and made more righteous in life may bee properly said to be new heavens and new earth wherein dwells righteousnesse 1. These Heavens and Earth are said to be New first to note that all old things are done away Revel 21.4 Isa 65.17 All things of the old Serpent Idolatry Revel â—1 12 superstition prophannesse Hos 2.17 All the things of the old man All his man inventions Mat. 15.9 All old things of the old ceremoniall law of Judaisme much more of Hethenisme Papisme c. When God abolished that he intended not that his Church should onely change their yoake and burthen The whole dispute of the Apostle in his Epistle to Galatâ— tends this way The intent of Christs comming was to this purpose Iohn i. The Law came by Moses but grace truth came by Iesus Christ 2 To note that this new state of the Church must be as created of nothing So the promise Jsa 65.17 men are so wedded to their own phaÌ„tasies braine devised formes so opposite by nature to
spirituall worship they themselves being carnall sensuall that God must create all new if he will have all new And this he will do as he did the world He created it by the word let there be let it be so So the Lord by the power of his word of his Gospel will direct and draw his owne Church and all the friends thereof to set up their new reformed worship and to draw men to that new life and conversation in and towards the Church which he calles here the new heavens and the new earth The Lord will in speciall manner inlighten and inliven men especially Ministers to write and discover what is this new state of the Church Master Brightmar on Rev. 21.9 Thinkes that some holy man shall set forth a booke wherein he shall make it plaine to all the faithfull that the glorie and Majestie of this Church shall bee most divine and heavenly But more likely a collection of men one or two out of every shire and County appointed by authority to meet and agree as one man to draw nakedly and barely out of the Scriptures those cleare truths concerning this new state as will not indure any quiddities or querckes and able to beare downe all contradictories opposed against them 2. These Heavens and Earth are said to have righteousnesse dwelling in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which Heavens Earth dwells righteousnesse Therefore all these righteousnesses dwell in the one or the other First the doctrine of truth righteousnesse or right tenets Not the doctrines of lies legends fables flatteries 2. The Doctrine of Christs righteousnesse of justification by faith in him As with much struggle that doctrine was opened in the first founding of this new Church though long much Rom. 10.3 since that eclipsed so now it shall dwell abide in the setled new estate and never be banished from its free hold The doctrines of mans ability to keepe the law of justification by works c shall have no more place 2 Tit. 11.12 Thirdly the righteousnesse of piety or godly conversation every man shall have a care in his particular conversation to practise righteousnesse Fourthly the righteousnes of amitie charity shall dwell heare Isa 11.5.6 Men shall not be wolves tygers c. i. e. persecutors of their brethren Fiftly here shall be the righteousnes of Christs discipline Christ himselfe by the scepter of his mouth not of mers braines shall order and disposeall things Isa 11.3.4.5 He shall so settle his Church that the unrighteous not the righteous shall be smitten And in what Churches doe all these righteousnesses more evidently dwell then in those that come nearest to the Apostolicall founding of Churches See the Churches of Geneva Holland c. No cryes there by reason of persecution No cryings up there of human traditions Thus of the new world Next that this might not seeme to be a world without inhabitants the holy Ghost describes the holy citie which intimateth inhabitants in which as we shall see in the last place dwells the adorned spouse Secondly therefore we come to the holy citie Where we are to note 1. Civitas the Citizens 2. Vâ—bs the Citie 1. The citizens And that these are here to be understood both the Apostle Peter intimateth in the text putting righteousnesse for righteous men And dwelling which relatively inferrs inhabitants As also the Apostle Iohn Revel 21. both in calling the new Hierusalem the adorned bride As also in saying God shall dwell with men in this holy citie and no lyer or abominable person shall enter therein Of these citizens note the Substance That is the societie of them 2. The quality Holy 1. The substance i. e. Societie Citizens constantly make a corporation a well governed body answerably this citie called the holy citie which hath great varietie of officers yet with great unity amitie and regularity As things digested in a predicament or table No opposition betweene things subordinate as we see in the wheeles of a clocke that wheele next the poyse being the first mover communicates motion to all the rest This corporation is governed by themselves among themselves that is according to their immediate particular lawes and priveledges The supreame magistrate runnes above them in the generall lawes for the whole kingdom i. e. The King and Parliament and Commonlawes are above them But otherwise their privilegia i. e. their privata leges their private lawes of their owne corporation are managed by themselves among themselves The foundation of the relation betweene each member of the corporation is internall the generall choose the particular And the particular accepts the priviledge and promiseth faithfulnesse and justice towards the generall The communion that is amongst them is such that they admit into their societie onely the good and they eject the degenerating that turne bad Just thus it is in the reformed Church of Christ every congregation is as a particular corporation First In it are all the sorts of officers appointed by Christ named often by Christ that the Church might not be ignorant I say al the officers to continue to the end of the world Ephes 4.11 Pastors and Teachers 1. Cor. 12.28 Teachers and helpes in government 1 Tit. 5. Elders or Bishops in every citie And Deacons two besides the elders 1 Tim. 3.1.2 c. to the end of the 13. Philip. 1.1 To all the Saints at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Rom. 12.7.8 Are named Teaching and exhorting 1 Tim. 4.17 Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the word and doctrine Secondly in and among them with great unitie and amity the goverment of themselves is by themselves touching all things done among them Mat 18.19 Observe well Two or three cannot may not dâ—eâ—â— So the text But the Church Tell the Church saith Christ if more private admonition will not serve And if the offender will not hearken to the Church then let him bee excommunicated which Church throughout the New Testament the holy Ghost by the Apostles explaines to be every particular congregation So that from Christs time downeward it was so to be taken As the Church at Antioch Acts 13.1 And when they had preached at Derbe Lystra Iconiâ—m Antioch they ordayned them Elders in every Church Acts 14.23 And when he bad â—anded at Cesarea and gone up and saluted the Church Act. 18.22 He sent to the Ephesus and called for the Elders of the Church Acts 20.17 The Church at Aquila and Priscillas house Rom. 16 3. 1 Cor. 16.19 So the Church at Philemons house In hard times particular Churches were made up of religious families and other Christians there abouts joyned to them in their meetings So Peter Martyr Willet The Church at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 The Churches of Asia 1 Cor. 16.19 which Saint Iohn names to the number of seven Revel From the Apostles time 300. yeares hot persecution for the
that the Church shall see that all in the worship of God that is not evidently from the word of Christ is not of Christs but of Antichrist then will the Lord reveale to her the full of the discipline of the Church The full freedome of the Gospel The scales must first fall from Saint Pauls eyes before he can see the Gospel to preach it Whiles our Church lay swadled and rocked in the unsetled cradle of humane inventions the face-cloth of ignorance lay over the eyes hundreds of truths lay hidden which now are talked of distinctly in every ones mouth So great an advantage of light doe they get that turne their faces towards the Sun-rising and their backes upon the darke climates of the old heavens 3. The scope and intention of the Church shall be to advance holinesse not to make her selfe great in honour and dignity among men but good with holinesse towards God Not to inrich her selfe with worldly pompe but with comfort and with conscience and the graces of the spirit Her doctrine her discipline her forme of worship c. all spread the winges to hatch up holinesse even as Saint John was carried by the Angell Revel 21.10 willingly to see what the Angell was eager to shew him from the top of an high mountaine touching the new state of the holy citie so sure the new Church must looke and aymes at holinesse and newnesse And not onely aymes and addresses all things to that purpose but also hitts the white For Fourthly the new Church is holy in practise and conversation Shee makes all her members in the common eye and charity of men to bee holy or else shee will not owne them for her children By this generall frame of holinesse in all her members Ministers and people she becomes all glorious For sanctification is a kind or degree of glorification Rom. 8. Therefore the Apostle wrappes it up in glorification in reckoning all the linckes of the chaine of salvation Psal 45. And the Church is said by holinesse to be all glorious within The Church is all glorious by justification But that is without her and about her She is wrapped in that as in a garment Rom. 13.14 But sanctification is within her as her proper qualitie as a Church Answerably Saint Iohn calles her holinesse and lightsomnesse with knowledge and reformation Verse 11. her having of the glory of God And that God was the light of the citie and the nations that were saved should walke in the light thereof And for all things that are contrary to this new holy Verse 23.24 and glorious estate shee cast out Revel 21. verse 4. verse 27. Fifthly and lastly holy in opinion and estimation The Church should be so really and universally holy making all her members at least outwardly and probably to imbrace holinesse that holinesse shall be in fashion and so in estimation among men It shall be no more a jeere but a joy As it s said by the Prophet many shall take hold of one Jew for religions sake so in this new Church much more shall men admire and esteeme her for holinesse So verse 24. The Kings of the earth shall bring their glory to the Church Revel 21. verse 24. And thus of the Civitas the citie the corporation of men Next of the Vâ—bs the materiall citie of buildings c. whereof note 1. The forme or fashion 2. The matter or edifice The forme is considerable for two things 1. Quantitie 2. Figure 1. Quantitie As here the compellation or comparison Heavens signifies or intimates greatnesse For what is of created things extra calum ultimum without and beyond the utmost heaven So the geometricall dimention there in Rev. 21. delineated makes it by some accompts the greatest citie that ever was For if we reade the text according to the ordinary reading Verse 16. And hee measured the citie with a reede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the some of twelve thousand furlones and understand them in a more plaine and obvious sence of the compasse of the citie that every side of the foure square was three thousand furlongs it will follow that this citie of the Church is twelve thousand round For every foure square is one hundred times as much every way from side to side as the length of that side is Supspose a foure square of 110. furlongs in each straight line of the sides of that square Thâ—s foure square measured all along over-thwart from side to side was 3000 furlongs â—â—n King So Geographers And the whole plot of ground from each side to each side three hundred thousand furlongs which is beyond all other cities that ever wee reade of For old Babylon the great was but a village in comparison Every side of the square thereof being but 120 furlongs and so the whole plot of ground could be but foure thousand furlongs So Nineveh was not comparable for the text in the Prophet Ionah 3 3. was oâ— three dayes journey i.e. as the learned will have it the walles were three dayes journey about A dayes jurney being according to the civill law twenty miles So that every â—â—â—e square oâ— side of the quadeâ—angle was 15. miles i. e. 15. 〈◊〉 eight furlongs i.e. 120 furlongs and so was just of the 〈◊〉 of old Babylon in the East and no more Not is Babylon in the West Babylon the new Rome comparable for at first it was but two miles in compasse now at last but a-leaven miles in compasse and in the middle age thereof but 50. in compasse so that it fall 10 miles short of the measure of the compasse of the walls of Nineve But if we reade as Arias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the summe of furlongs 12. times 12. thousand Then the citie is 44. thousand furlongs about and the whole flore a 100 times more And just as the state of the new Church under the notion or a citie is greater then other cities so under the notion of a Church greater then ever was any Church For the largest description of the former Church was but 144 thousand long and but 12. thousand broad But this renewed Church is by this last reading 144. Revel â— thousand in the whole square compassing it about And by the former reading 12 thousand in the whole square bouting the city And the whole floore or breadth every way 300. thousand measures For it makes no matter what you call them whether furlongs or c. The bare numbers sufficiently report the proportions And well may the new Churches proportion so exceed seieng this makes one maine difference that she shall be as wide as the world as wee said before neeâ—e upon before the Lord leave the worke And so she shall be as great as good i.e. greater and better both then ever any Church was 2. Figure Which is expressed first more indefinitly As if onely a square upon a flat i.e. square in regard of length and breadth
forme of worship Isa 37.3 and will oppose against the opposite or contrary things to Christ I say such Benjamins Isachars and Iudah's as these are fit for the building of the Church I may not expatiate upon the rest to tell you Levi is put next to Iudah and not so low as Simeon with whom he sinned in slaying the Sechemites because Levi after recovered his fall by slaying the idolaters Exod. 32. Thereby to signifie here that men that have shewed them-selves as the Levites did when Moses called Exod. 32. have stood for right of doctrine and a good conscience such ministers are fit for the building of the Church I will not now descend to the rest of the foundations In a sermon discourse we can give but tasts of things Fourthly Apertions i. e. Gates or rather gate-waies then gates For they are alwaies opan yet neverthelesse there are gates and usefully mentioned both touching the time when they stood so alwaies open viz. when all was new no feare of old orders that any lying in the old Adams condition might rush into the assemblyes of Christians and unto the Ordinances of Christ And touching the nature made of pearle A shell of a fish generated by the dew of heaven Most fitly to signifie Christ the loore and the way yea the one only doore because they all of pearle so generated even as Christ was generated of the dew of heaven i.e. The holy Ghost Compare Psal 110. vers 3. overshadowing Mary And be sure Christ will have a care of his Church not to admit on his part any polluted persons So that albeit it is necessarily noted that there were twelve gates in number for all are but one in kinde or matter to note that Christ hath made way for all the twelve tribes of Israel yet withall it is most appositly expressed that the keepers were 12 Angells i.e. The Angells of the Churches Revel 21.12 as called Revel 2.1 chap. 2. chap. 3. oft i.e. The faithful ministers to looke that no wicked Angels or men that is false teachers or foule practisers enter in set up a synagogue of Sathanneere Gods Church So that by all this continuall opening of the gates and yet continually watched is signified that the Churches time of reformation shall not bee a time of open hostiltie from outward potent enemies then the gates would bee shut but if liable to any enemies it will bee to the Hypocrites that will seâ—ne to come in as if honest and when in labour to disâ—â—be and defile And therefore these are watched and examined by the Angells upon any the least suspition marke noâ— the summe of all in relation to a reformation intended in these gates That if there be not able and holy ministers set in all the entrances of the Church and they without flattery or iniquitie doe not bring in men into the Church by Christ Christ is not by them advanced in all things and all things else doctrines ceremonies c. deposed in comparison of Christ and his doctrine and governement c. then that is not the holy citie here spoken of nor any part thereof Thus of the walls of the citie Secondly of the townes places or materiall parts of this citie The whore of Babylon sitteth upon seven hills sutable to her many abominations But holy Ierusalem the true worshipper of God-trinitie in unitie consists chiefely but of three i. e. Mount Aera the lower towne for trading and honest walking in mens severall callings Mount Moriah for the publike place of Gods worship For there the temple stood Mount Zion for the place of publike justice and reliefe of the oppressed for there was Davids throne And all these firmely compacted into one citie as in territories so in spirituall and civill agreement All these are sweetly sung of in Ps 122. out feet shall stand within thy gates O Ierusalem whether tribes goe up to the testimonie of Israel For there are thrones of judgement in regard of all which now so harmoniously united Iun. in Psal 122. civilly and spiritually it is called a compacted citie i. e. saith Iunius Before this these differed in structure of townes religion and civil administration for formerly there were three townes and a twofold religion and administration the one of the people of God the other of the Jebusites but now all these by all meanes compacted In conjoyning of townes in verse three In religion of minds ver 4. And in administration of justice ver 5. In all which union that union of three of three into one the King joyes and the people joy and all shall joy and prosper that can wish well to it See the title of the Psalme And verse 1. yea every verse of the Psalme For what politicke man if a just man and a godly man will not joy when kingdomes and Churches are made as well stronger and better as well as greater That quietnesse and righteousnesse and Godlinesse kisse one another Thus shall be the reformed state of the Church of the new Jerusalem There shall be mountaines thrones streets c. all compacted into one holy Hierusalem See Revel 21. There shall be no crying through injustice there shall ye no defilement through uncleanesse And Kings shall take contentment therein For they shall bring their glory and honour unto it And then all may see the Church beginnes to bee new when she so shines that princely glory admires her 3. Thing of this new citie are the streets which are said to be of Gold And their use is we know to bee an high way for the people This is another character of the reformed Church that the waies and conversation thereof in all her members shall be first solid according to the truth of God not quagmires and hollow earth of human inventions secondly pure not onely from sinne but from scandalls and appeareance of evill Phil. 4. Taking heede of what is not of good report And thirdly shining As Mat. 5. carry out good examples to all And studying what hath praise and vertue in it Phil. 4. 4 Thing is the temple For though it bee said Saint Iohn saw no temple yet hee saw that which was equivalent yea farre more eminent in stead of the Temple For the Lord God Almighty and the lambe are the Temple The Temple was but a type of Gods presence in Christ therefore removed when God the Antitype comes And not only the material Temple as the walls and buildings were overturned by Vespasian and Titus betweene 30 or 40. yeares after Christ but all the appendixes all the shaddowes yea all the darkenesse of those shaddowes to be removed i.e. All Jewish ceremonies and all Romish humane apish ceremonies that are the imitation of them If the temple was to bee done away much more the moveable tabernacle If divinely instituted Jewish ceremonies must be done away though not changed for 3000 yeares much more human lyable to change every day that like a tayler the
foundation not Iasper divine truths but the hay and stubble of â—â—man inventions their worke shall bee burnt if the men scape Iasper is hard and strong to make the squared polished face and superficies of the wall against all washing of floods or tempests and precious and sound stuffe to fill up the wall betweene both surfaces or outsides of the wall To signifie that the Church is as well all glorious within Psal 45. That she is strong so that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against her Mat. 16.18 2 Tim. 1.7 Phil. 1.10 2 Pet. 1.1 That she is sincere and sound at heart And so is and must be every one that is indeede and in truth a very member of the Church Precious within as well as without with the precious graces of the spirit Having thus touched the bulke of the signification of these stones wee rest chiefly therein Some as Master Brightman put much in the order of these stones as if therein were signified the qualities of the severall Ministers that should follow Saint Iohns time for the rearing of the Church As the first stone Iasper used to signifie God Revel 4. to signifie a Ministrie most like God as the stone is of an heavenlike brightnesse strong to beare the first difficult brunts of the Churches reformation The second the Sapphir glittering with golden pointes to signifie a succession of teachers excelling in some peculiar gifts to repayre the Churches wants in that age The third the chalcedonie of a fierie brightnesse to signifie a third succession of ministers abounding with holy zeale for the further building up of the Church And so of the rest But many will be ready to thinke these things to be niceties and much more me to be over curious if I should but intimate a proportion betweene the Iasper and the first reformers Luther Prague Husse of whose spirituall magnanimitie histories speake aloud as that Luther said he would goe to the meeting to dispute for the truth though every tile of the house were a divell or to that purpose That infimite reproaches the name of Heresiarcha the putting on the head the picture of the divell the threats of torments could not daunt the other two from the truth nor from maintaining the truth or if I should whisper a sutablenesse betweene the Saphier and the next succession of Ministers excelling with that golden giâ—t of setling discipline after Luthers spreading of doctrine For which goâ—den purpose is mentioned the golden reed Revel 2â— which was so well managed by Câ—l in Bâ—za c. Or if I should point at the zeal us Ministers of these last times which with the light as well as the flame thereof were carried above others to set forward the Churches reformation by pen by preaching by hazarding by suffering that they answer to the fiâ—ry chalcedony And likely enough that it would be thought as hyperphysicall a quidditie if I should note that this third stone is a Northerne one Note that as the Northerne and Easterne gues are set up first see before So the first sixe stones are Northerne and Easterne i. e. found in those parts found and glaring in the northerne parts of the world as Historians tell me To leave men therefore free to their owne just thoughts thus much I will be bold to set downe touching the application and order of the stones here In the Old Testament the Iasper was Benjamines stone the Saphire Jssachars the Chalcedonie Iudas The Emerald Levics c. And that these stones are here set down in the order of Morall or Spirituall consideration not of natural of the time of the birth of the Patriarches not of civill considerations to reckon every mothers children by the mother severally According to severall causes and considerations they be severally ordered Exod. 1.2.3 compare Each 28.13 Gen. 25. Gen. 29. Gen 30. naming al one mothers children first though not first borne before others named The morall or spirituall consideration may be this not to runne over all the twelve Ruben his Sardius should have beene first but hee lost the place by incest Gen. 35.22 Then Ioseph his Beryl should have beene first Ruben being deposed because he was the first borne of the first betrothed mother Rachel But he lost it by Jeroboam comming out of his loynes and setting up Idolatry Therefore Bejamin his Iasper is but put first being the remaining sonne of the first wife in point of law So that those Ministers that are scandalous or idolaous are no way fit to direct or project in any reformation any way to build the Church on her bases or foundation Secondly is put Jssachar his Saphir which second place Simeon his Topaz should have had Gen. 34. but being a man of a guilefull spirit wonted to conspiracies to betray a citie of Shechemites to death Gen. 37. and was one of them that gave counsell to kill Ioseph for all were not of that minde namely Ruben and Iudah were not and therefore he is put from his place and Isachar the fift borne of the second wife of Iacob namely Leah is put second and hee the fift is so put because Rubens and Simeons faults you have heard already and Levi and Iudah follow by and by with the reasons So that Ministers that are treacherous in doctrine or politie against Church or state are not fit builders of the Church Thirdly is put Iudah his Chalcedony Iudah is put after Isachar for that happily he might the sitlyer intimate Christs outward meannesse in this world and how he would not be a civill ruler over men his errand being of another nature a spirituall mediatorship But commended civill rule to the magistrate submitting to it himselfe But the most remarkable thing to bee noted is that Levi by birth should have had his Smaragd or Emerauld put in the third place But the Evangelist S. Iohn puts Iudah here and Levi next after because as the Apostle Paul disputes to the Hebrewes Christ a Priest for ever after the the order of Melchisedeck should put down all Levitical priesthood ceremonies forme of worship So that the Ministers that cry out for in the behalfe of Priests Ceremonies Altars Sacrifices c. are not meet for the building of the Church But on the contrary Benjamins that will be Gods right hand will be Gods agents instruments their Iasper their parts prayers will helpe the woman the Church in her hard travell to be delivered So at Frankfort See the Church his neede of helpe some times as the materiall Iasper a naturall woman in naturall travell Jsachars that are the youngest sonnes little in their owne eyes much in Gods And are Sapphiricall i.e. heavenly as is the prophesie and promise made to Jsachar Isa 54.11 which heavenlinesse conteines as well a spirit of discerning and desire of the new heavens as well as the highest heavens and Iudah's that will desirously advance Christ in all things ministrie doctrine