1 Cor. 3. 11. So then when he saith the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and that in them also are written the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb he doth not mean that this Wall had twelve Christs for its support but That the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles is that Doctrine upon which both Christ and Grace and all Happiness standeth firm and sure for ever and to signifie also that neither Christ nor any of his Benefits can be profitable unto thee unless thou receive him alone upon the terms that they do hold him forth and offer him to Sinners in their Word and Doctrine If we or an Angel from Heaven preach unto you any other Gospel saith Paul than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As I said before so I say now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed Gal. 1. 8 9. And in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. And in them their Names This makes it manifest that by the Foundations of this Wall we are to understand the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles of the Lord Christ for their Names are to it or found ingraved in the Foundations Thus it was with the Doctrine which was the Foundation of the Jewish Church the first Pattern being delivered by the man Moses his Name was always so entailed to that Doctrine that at last it became common and that by Divine Allowance to call that Doctrine by the name of Moses himself There is one that accuseth you saith Christ even Moses in whom you trust and again For Moses of old hath in every City them that preach him John 5. 45. Act. 15. 21. The same liberty of speech doth the Holy Ghost here use in speaking of the Foundations of this Wall which is the Doctrine of the Twelve And in that he calleth the Doctrine by the Name of Foundations and leaveth it onely with telling us the Names of the twelve Apostles are engraven in it he expects that men should be wise that read him and that they should be skilful in the Word of Righteousness if they come up clearly to the understanding of him And in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Thus you see that the twelve Apostles above all the Servants of Christ are here owned to be the foundations of this Wall and good reason for they above all other are most clear and full in the Doctrine of Grace and all Doctrines pertaining to Life and Holiness In other Ages saith Paul it was not made known to the Sons of men as it is now revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Ephes. 3. 5. Moses was not fit for this for his was a more dark and vailed Administration While Moses is read the Vail is over the Heart saith Paul Neither was any of the Prophets fit for this for they were all inferiour to Moses and were as it were his Scholars Nay John the Baptist is here shut out for the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater then he The Apostles above all other were the men that were with the Lord Jesus all the time from the Baptism of John even until the time he was taken up into Heaven they saw him heard him and discoursed with him and were Beholders of all the wondrous Works that he did they did eat and drink with him after his Passion and saw after he was risen the print of the Nails and the Spear with which he was peirced when he died for our Sins And because they had seen felt and at such a rate experienced all things from the very first both touching his Doctrine Miracles and Life therefore he said unto them in chief Ye shall be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and all Judea and in Samaria and unto the utmost parts of the Earth Act. 1. 21. 13. 31. 10. 39. 2. 31. 1 Joh. 1. 2 3. Act. 1. 8. Further The Apostles were in that marvellous manner indued with the holy Ghost that they out-stript all the Prophets that ever went before them neither can I believe that in the best of times there should be any beyond them yet if it should so fall out that a Dispensation should come in which they should have as to the pouring forth of the Spirit their Equals yet it could not follow that therefore the Gospel should be offered in other terms than they at first have offered it especially besides what hath been said of them if you consider to them 't was said Whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven Matth. 18. 18. they as to their Doctrine were infallible 't was impossible they should err he that despised their Doctrine despised God himself Besides they have given in commandment that all should write after their Coppy and that we should judge both Men and Angels that did or would do otherwise Timothy must have his Rule from Paul and so must holy Titus All which if we consider it the holy Ghost speaks to the purpose in saying That in the twelve Foundations are found the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb they are called the chief and such as have laid the Foundation and others build thereon and that as no men have laid the Foundation but they so none can lay even that Foundation otherwise then they afore have laid it 1 Cor. 12. 28. Ephes. 4. 8. 1 Cor. 3. 6 10. Heb. 6. 1 2 3. 1 Cor. 3. 11. And in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. These words then teach us two things worthy of our Christian Consideraration First That God hath given to every man a certain and visible mark to aim at for his Salvation or to build his Soul upon namely The Doctrine of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb for in that he saith their Names are in the Foundations it is better for us all things considered then if he had said In them was the Name of God himself that is it is more easie to see this way through the mist of our Carnality what the Mystery of his Will should be which is that we receive Christ according to their Doctrine Words Writings Epistles Letters c. their Names I say being there God counts it as the Broad Seal of Heaven which giveth Authority to all that Doctrine whereunto by themselves they are prefixed and subscribed not where they are writ by others but by themselves I say as the Token of every Epistle and of their Doctrine for Truth the which Paul insinuates when he saith that his hand is the Token of every Epistle as he saith again Am not I an Apostle And again Behold I Paul have written unto you I Paul I an Apostle I a wise Master-Builder I who am
and shewed me that great City the holy Jerusalem Having thus told us how and with what he was qualified he next makes relation of what he saw which was that great City the holy Jerusalem Jerusalem in the Language of the Scripture is to be acknowledged for the Church and Spouse of the Lord Jesus and is to be considered either generally or more particularly Now as she is to be taken generally so she is to be understood as being the whole Family in Heaven and Earth and as she is thus looked upon so she is not considered with respect to this or that state and condition of the Church here in the world but simply as she is the Church therefore it is said when at any time any are converted from Satan to God That they are come to Mount Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable Company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born that are written in Heaven to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect to Jesus and to the Blood of sprinkling Heb. 12. 22 23 24. But again As Jerusalem is thus generally to be understood so also she is to be considered more particularly 1. Either as she relates to her first and purest state or 2. As she relates to her declined and captivated state or 3. With reference to her being recovered again from her apostatized and captivated condition Thus it was with Jerusalem in the Letter which threefold state of this City shall be most exactly answered by our Gospel-Jerusalem by out New-Testament-Church Her first state was in the days of Christ and his Apostles and answered to Jerusalem in the days of Solomon her second state is in the days of Antichrist and answereth to the carrying away of the Jews from their City into Babylon and her third state is this in the Text and answereth to their return from Captivity and rebuilding their City and Walls again All which will be fully manifest in this Discourse following Besides That this holy City that here you read of is the Church the Gospel-Church returning out of her long and Antichristian Captivity consider First She is here called a City the very name that our Primitive Church went under which name she loseth all the while of her Apostatizing and Captivity under Antichrist for observe I say all the while she is under the scourge of the Dragon Beast and the Woman in Scarlet c. she goeth under the name of a Woman a Woman in travel a Woman flying before the Dragon a Woman flying into the Wilderness there to continue in an afflicted and tempted condition and to be glad of Wilderness-Nourishment until the time of her Enemies were come to an end Rev. 12. Now the reason why she lost the title of City at her going into Captivity is Because then she lost her situation and strength she followed others then Christ wherefore he suffered her Enemies to scale her Walls to break down her Battlements he suffered as you see here the great Red Dragon and Beast with seven Heads and ten Horns to get into her Vineyard who made most fearful work both with her and all her Friends her Gates also was now either broken down or shut up so that none could according to her Laws and Statutes enter into her her Charter also even the Bible it self was most grosly abused and corrupted yea sometimes burned and destroyed almost utterly wherefore the Spirit of God doth take away from her the title of City and leaveth her to be termed a wandring Woman as aforesaid The Court that is without the Temple saith the Angel leave out and measure it not for it is given to the Gentiles and the Holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months Rev. 11. 2. The Holy City shall they tread under foot that is all the City-Constitutions her Forts and Strength her Laws and Priviledges for a long time shall be laid aside and slighted shall become a hissing a taunt and a by-word among the Nations And truly thus it was in the Letter in the destruction of Jerusalem by the King of Babylon and his wicked Instruments by whose hands the City was broken up the Walls pulled down the Gates burned the Houses riâ—â—ed the Virgins ravished and the Children laid dead in the top of every street 2 Chron. 36. 17 18 19 20 21. Jer. 52. Lam. Chap. 1 2 3 4. Now was Zion become a plowed Field and Jerusalem turned to heaps a place of Briers and Thorns and of wastness and desolation Mic. 3. 12. Isa. 7. 23 24. Secondly The phrase also that is joyned with this of City doth much concern the point she is here called The new and holy City which words are explained by these As a Bride adorned and prepared for her Husband the meaning is That she is now got into her Form Fashion Order and Priviledges again she is now ready adorned prepared and put into her Primitive state Mark though she was in her state of affliction called a Woman yet she was not then either called a City or a Woman ADORNED but rather a Woman robbed spoiled rent and torn among the briers and thorns of the Wilderness Isa. 5. 6. 42. 22. 32. 13 14. Wherefore this City is nothing else but the Church returned out of Captivity from under the reign of Antichrist As is yet further manifest because Thirdly We finde no City to answer that which was built after the Jews return from Captivity but this for this and onely this is the City that you finde in this Prophecie that is nominated as the Antitype of that Second of the Jews wherefore John hath no relation of her while towards the doom of Antichrist and no description of her in particular until Antichrist's utterly overthrown as all may see that wisely read the 17th 18th 19th 20th Chapters of this Prophecie And shewed me that great City The holy Ghost is pleased at this time to give the Church the name of a City rather than any other name rather than the name of Spouse Woman Temple and the like though he giveth us her under the name of a Woman also to help us to understand what he means but I say the name of a City is now the name in special under which the Church must go and that for special Reasons First To shew us how great and numerous a People will then be in the Church the Church may be a Woman a Temple a Spouse when she is but few but an handful but two or three but to be a City and that in her glory it bespeaks great store of Members Inhabitants and Citizens especially when she goeth under the name of a GREAT City as here she does He shewed me that GREAT City Secondly She goeth rather under the name of a City than Temple or Spouse to shew us also how plentifully the Nations and
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
themselves but now they shall shew themselves again even these Foundation-stones Stones that are great Stones Stones of ten Cubits and Stones of eight Cubits 1 Kings 7. 10. Thus much of the glory of the Foundations Ver. 21. And the twelve Gates are twelve Pearls every several Gate was of one Pearl and the Street of the City was pure Gold as it were transparent Glass Having thus shewed us the glory of this City Wall and Foundations he now comes to shew us the glory of the Gates and of the Street of the City And the twelve Gates are twelve Pearls The Gates I told you before they signify Christ both as he is the way to communion with the God of this City and with the Inhabitants thereof that so they may have a share in the Priviledges of the same I told you also then that though he tels us exactly of the measure both of City and Wall yet he tells us nothing of the measure of these twelve Gates and goings in thereat and the reason is because Christ as he is the way to Grace He is beyond all measure both as to fulness and freeness Ephes. 3. 8. And now again he puts us to the same plunge with the unsearchable riches of the Lord Christ for who can count the worth of a Pearl as big as the Gates of a City as indeed when Christ himself doth speak of the Parable of the Pearl in the Field he only telleth us that there is such a one but never valueth the worth thereof only he saith a Pearl of great price and so leaveth it Mat. 13. 35 36. Now when he saith that the Gates are Pearls he thereby insinuates several things As First To shew us how rich a Treasure Christ Jesus our Lord is and will be to all those that by him shall enter in through the Gates into this City Riches and Honour are with me saith he even durable Riches and Righteousness My fruit or the fruit of entering in by me it is better than Gold and my revenues thâ—â— choice Silver I lead in the way of Righteousness in the midst of the Paths of Judgment That I may cause them that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures Pro. 8. 18 19 20 21. Ephes. 3. 8. Christ is rich indeed both in his Blood Resurrection Intercession and all his Offices together with his Relations and all his Benefits all which he bestoweth upon every one that receiveth him and maketh them unspeakably wealthy Secondly The Pearl as it is rich and so worth much so again it is beautiful and amiable even to take the eyes of all beholders it hath I say a very sweet and sparkling Light and Glory in it enough to take the eye and affect the heart of all those that look upon it And thus is Christ to all that come to him and by him to the Father c. My Beloved saith she is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand his mouth is most sweet he is altogether lovely The Mother of Harlots had some knowledge of the Beauty and Glory of this Stone and knew that it had a very taking and drawing Glory in it and therefore she gets it for some time to adorn her self withal She was decked with Gold and precious Stones and Pearls and was therefore called the well-favoured Harlot by which means she hath drawn into her lewdness the Kings and Kingdoms of the world who have in such sort been entangled with her Beauty and with her Fornication that they have been adulterated from God and their own Salvation For indeed she used this Pearl but for to get them to drink of her Fornication that they might drink and spue and fall and never rise more But now when he saith the Gates are Pearl it is as if he had said This Woman is stript of her beauty and delicate ornaments the Pearl is taken from her and is set in his right place even to be for the Gates of Jerusalem Wherefore it is to be expected that many should be taken with the way of entrance into this beloved City in the day that she shall be set up and appear in her heavenly beauty The glory of that City must needs be great whose Wall is Jasper and Gates are Pearl And the twelve Gates are twelve Pearls Not Pearls and other Precious stones commixed but Pearl only To signifie that Christ only can let in souls into this City that they may partake of the goodness and priviledges thereof 'T is not he and Saints together neither is it all the Saints and Angels in Heaven without him He alone hath the Key of David and that openeth and no man shutteth and that shutteth and no man openeth Rev. 22. 22. 3. 7. Secondly As he saith The several Gates are each of them Pearls So he saith that every several Gate was of One Pearl of one entire Pear By which he would have us understand also that as none can enter in but by Christ so none can enter in but by whole Christ. Christ must be helpful to thee every way or he will be helpful to thee no way thou must enter in by every whit of Christ or thou shalt enter in by never a whit of him Wherefore look not to have him thy Saviour if thou take him not for King and Prophet nay thou shalt not have him in any one if thou dost not take him in every one of these Wherefore the Prophet saith He shall build the Temple of the Lord that is by his Prophetical Office and he shall sit and rule upon his Throne and he shall be a Priest upon his Throne and the counsel of peace shall be between them both Zech. 6. 12 13. And the Street of the City was pure Gold as it were transparent Glass In these words there are four things to be enquired into First What this Street is Secondly Why he saith not Streets but Street as of one Thirdly Why this Street is called by the term of pure Gold Fourthly And why it should look like transparent Glass For the First A Street ordinarily is the place of common concourse and the place of continual open salutation and taking acquaintance one of another and as touching this Street we are also to understand it of the open and common place or way of Gods Worship in which Saints salute each other and acquaint themselves together also here the World are converted Saints built up and edified c. Wisdom cryeth without she uttereth her voice in the Streets saith Solomon she cryeth in the chief places of concourse in the opening of the Gates in the City she uttereth her words that is in the publick and righteous Ordinances of the Lord Jesus which he hath ordained in his Church for men to travel and trade in for the good and wholsome merchandize of Heaven as the men of this world do for the things thereof in
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-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
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
the Streets and Open places of their Cities and places of priviledge Thus it was in the figure when the City Jerusalem was builded after the Captivity as ours shall be at and after the overthrow and downfal of Antichrist for then it is said that the People to hear the Law were gathered together in the Street even in the Water-Street there they heard the sence given and there they were convinced of their wickedness also there they received the knowledge of God's goodness to them and there they received power to eate the fat and drink the sweet to eat and drink and be merry and to cast away sadness and fear Nehem. chap. 8. This by way of allegory is called the way for the wayfaring men even the way of holiness over which the unclean shall not in any wise pass The way in which they learn to know God and themselves and the way of newness of life in which every one walks that entereth in by the Gates of New Jerusalem And it is most sutable to the matter that went before To understand the Street to be the way of God the way of Holiness and Newness of life because as it is natural for the Stranger so soon as ever he is entered the Gates of a City to have his feet in the Streets of the City so it is natural for the sinner so soon as ever he is entered into the Church by Christ to have his feet treading in the way and paths of Holiness Wherefore it is usual in the holy Scripture to call the transformatian of the sinner from Satan to God a holy way and also to admonish him that is so transformed to walk in that way saying Walk in the Faith Love Spirit and newness of Life and walk in the Truth Wayes Statutes and Judgments of God He that entereth not by these Gates into the City he cannot walk in newness of life but he that hath entered in by them he cannot but walk in newness of life The next thing then that a man passeth into when he is entered in to the New Jerusalem is to walk in the STREET thereof the way of Holiness even the way in which men learn to fear God and to believe in and love the Lord Jesus c. Secondly Now this Street or way of Holiness it is on purpose called not many but one to shew us the perfection of Light Grace Faith and spiritual Comfort that the Inhabitants of this City shall then enjoy Daniel also calleth it ONE Street to signifie the same thing Wherefore from hence I gather that then all Saints shall walk as before I have made appear even in one Street in one Way and in one Light It is Antichrist that hath brought in all those Crossings By-Laws and odd Nooks that to this day many an honest heart doth greatly lose it self in but at this day they shall be otherwise minded that is made all to savour one thing and to walk one way not biting and devouring each other as now And indeed there is all reason it should be thus for the Street it self is but one There is but ONE God ONE Lord Jesus ONE Spirit ONE Faith ONE Baptism even as we are also called in ONE hope of our Calling Now therfore when Saints have the rubbish of Antichristian darkness and trumpery removed then they shall have as they also had of old but one Heart one Soul one Judgment one Mind and shall with one heart and mouth glorifie God The which also shall be prayed for of all the Saints even of all that have received the pure language before these things come to pass They shall call upon the Name of the Lord with ONE Lip to serve him with ONE Consent Zeph. 3. 9. Oh! the heavenly spiritual harmony that will be in the City of God in those days when the Trumpeters and Singers shall be as One to make One Sound then the House shall be filled with a Cloud Thirdly When he saith that the Street of the City was pure Gold he alludes to the Floor in Solomoms Temple which was overlaid with Gold he alludes to Solomons Chariot also whose bottom was paved with Love and overlaid with Gold By the Floor of the Temple we are to understand the way of Holiness and by the Chariot of Solomon the tryumphant Glory of that way Again in that he saith this Street is Gold he would have us to understand the worth and treasure that is laid up in the ways of God and of a truly gracious heart First for the worth and treasure that is laid up in the ways of God They beget Light they change the heart they lead from Death the Devil and Hell to Life God and the Kingdom of Heaven in them God walks and those that walk there also are sure to meet with him O this way It is the way which no Fowl knoweth and which the Vultures eye hath not seen it cannot be gotten for Gold neither shall Silver be weighed for it the Gold and the Crystal cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of fine Gold No mention shall be made of Coral or of Pearls for the price of Wisdom is above Rubies Job 28. 7 15 16 17 18 28. All the ways of God they are pleasantness and all his paths are Peace and ought to be preferred before our necessary food Again As the Ways of God are thus rich and so far above the Gold and Rubies of the world so also is that sanctified and gracious heart without which no man can walk in this Golden Street It is not every Clown with his clumping dirty shoes that is admitted into Kings Privy-Chambers and private Palaces Neither doth or will God at the day of New Jerusalem suffer any to trace about this Golden Street but such as have Golden feet and that beautified with goodly shoes For as for this Street all that walk in it they must be golden men with golden hearts and with Graces that are much more precious than Gold that perisheth Further In that he saith this Street is Gold pure Gold he giveth us to understand also what great delight and pleasure the Lord's People will take in his Ways and Ordinances in that day There will not then be that backwardness to do good and to receive God as there is in these more dry empty days of the Gospel As Gold is pleasing to the covetous man and worldling so shall the Ways of God be to the Saints and Godly at that day Now we have strong Corruptions and weak Grace but then we shall have strong Grace and weak withered Corruptions You that are spiritual you know what an high and goodly lifting up of heart one small gale of the good Spirit of God will make in your souls how it will make your lusts to languish and your souls to love and take pleasure in the
to Eternity Thus have I shewed you my present Light into this portion of the holy Scripture if any can give me further I hope I shall not refuse it but as yet methinks this should be the genuine sence of this place and is the very track of John himself For after he had seen the Wall for present Safety the Foundations for Continuation the Gates for Entrance and the like then he comes to tell us of the Glory of all and of the Street it self at last which indeed is the last and end of all the Order of God and to continue till an end be put to it by Mortality's being swallowed up of Life As is yet more fully shewed you in the next Verse of this description Vers. 23. And the City had no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof And the City had no need of the Sun That is after Temple-Worship is over this Verse is added therefore for further clearing up and illustrating of that which he said before there he tells us this City had no Temple and here he tells us she needed neither the light of the Sun or Moon there he said The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is the Temple of it and here he saith They are the Light thereof The substance of which in the language of the Holy Ghost is this The reason why Temple-Worship is now gon and over it is because there is now no need in this City of the Light of the Sun and the Moon and the reason why she hath now no need of them is because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are to it instead of both Temple and Light For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it For the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof Whereby we may note That though the Light in which she descended being the purity of Temple-Worship was glorious yet this City shall when she is once builded so advance from Glory to Glory that at the last she shall be more happy without the help of that Light without which she had been for ever unbuilded then she was by it in the midst of the Fulness of it And the City had no need of the Sun c. The word Sun is in Scripture taken divers ways sometimes for the true and natural Sun in the Firmament sometimes again for Persecution and the rage of the Enemy c. but I take Sun here not to be any of these but for the good and pure Word of the Gospel of Christ unfolded opened and explained by the Servants of Christ which Sun is the same that before you find to be darkened by the Antichristian Fog and Mist which was darkened I say even to a third part of it This Sun or Word of the Gospel Paul saith it is shadowed forth even by that which shineth in the Firmament of Heaven because as that by its light and shining giveth to those that have Eyes to see the Glory and Excellency of this World so by the shining and light of the Gospel is given the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and a view of the Excellency of the things of the World to come Now I say though while the Church is in this World and on this side the state of Glory she cannot live and flourish without the shining of this Sun but would be lifeless and lightless and without all heat and comfort For it is the entrance of the Law that giveth light here and that lightneth the Eyes making wise the simple yet at the day of the coming of her Lord in Person she shall see far more clearly without the thus shining of this Sun than ever she did or could see with and by it And the City had no need of the Sun For when by the light of it the whole Body of the Elect have found out the way to this City and when they have also by this light accomplished and fulfilled all their Work yea when the Lord himself is come and doth immediately communicate far more glorious light to this City without it than ever he did by it What need is there then of the light of this Sun for that is to be of use but for the time present even until the whole of the Body of the Lord Jesus is come to the perfect measure even to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ So then when the Body of Christ is in every sence compleated in this life by the light of the Sunshine of his holy Gospel what need of this Sun And hence it is that the Word of the Gospel is called The Word of Reconciliation the Word of Faith and the Words of this Life Wherefore I say it ceaseth when there is no more to be reconciled and when Faith in all is perfected and when this Life is put an end unto by the coming in of another For when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13. 8 9 10. The Ministers of the Gospel are of use so long as there is either Elect to be converted or any converted Soul to be perfected by that measure of Perfection that God hath appointed on this side Glory but when this Work is done their Ministry ceaseth Wherefore though like the Widows Sons they are busie to borrow Vessels for the Oyl so long as it is running and emptying it self out of the great and principal Barrel yet when it ceaseth as it will do when there is no more Vessels to be found then let them sit down as they and receive of the Fruits of their labour for the Reward of their Work is then onely to be enjoyed by them And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it This word Moon also as well as that of the Sun is to be taken divers ways in the Scriptures of Truth sometimes for the natural one sometimes for the World and Persecutors c. but Moon here is to be taken for the Church of God with reference to her Life Conversation Duties and exemplary Behaviour in which she is conversant on this side Glory according to that of the Song Who is this that looketh forth as the Morning fair as the Sun clear as the Moon and terrible as an Army with Banners When he saith then that at this day there shall be here no need of the shining light of the Moon he means that this City at this day in the state she is in when she hath the Person of the Lamb in her then she shall have no need of the growth of Christianity for they shall be all perfect nor no need of Mortification for there shall be no Sin they shall not need now as in