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
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
a crushed bunch of Herbs in which is no Vertue or like a Furnace full of Dross out of which the Gold is taken or like an old crazy and ruinous House from which is departed all Health and Happiness and indeed much like to this is that saying of the Prophet to wit That at this day the whole circumference of the World that is without the Walls and Priviledges of this City it shall be but like an old ruinous House in which dwells nothing but Cormorants Bitterns Owls Ravens Dragons Satyrs the Screech-Owl the great Owl the Vulture and the like most doleful Birds All their Princes shall be nothing saith the Prophet and when they call their Nobles to the Kingdom none shall be there In their very Pallaces shall be Thorns and Nettles and Brambles for all among them that are Princes and Nobles indeed will have pack'd up and be gon for Jerusalem So that the World I say will be left empty void and stript both of Treasure Beauty and Health at the day of Jerusalems building again But O how melancholy a forlorn beautiless World will this be at this day It will be onely the place of Dogs Sorcereâ—s Whoremongers and Murderers and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie it will now be the very Emblem of Hell as the Church at this day will be the Emblem of Heaven wherefore as the Church as I shewed you before will be most fit for her puting on of Immortality and Incorruption so the World will at this day be most fit to be swallowed up of the Lake and bottomless Gulf. All things that are good and worth any thing shall at this day be found onely in the City of God The Gold will be in Jerusalem Again In that this City is here called by the name of Gold it is to shew us how great pains and travel and charge the Lord Christ hath been at to get so great a Treasure together Gold is fetched from a far Countrey and that with great pains charge and difficulty The Gold wherewith King Solomon made his drinking Vessels it cost a three years Journey to obtain it so the Saints also those Golden Vessels wherewith is made this Golden City they cost Christ a three days travel in the heart of the Earth even sweatingly under the wrath of God to obtain them and thus to build this City with them Further In that he saith this City is Gold he would have us to consider what the state of the Church was before she came into this happy condition to wit an afflicted tempted and tried condition Gold as it comes from the Mine it cometh commixed with its Dust and Ore wherefore the Goldsmith hath a burning Furnace wherein he having put it doth with the fire purge and take away the Dross and Dust from among the Metal it self into which Furnace he puts it once twice thrice and again to the end it may at length be thorowly cleansed and purified from its Dross Now all this befalleth the People of God they are thrown into the burning fiery Furnace of Affliction and Temptation and there they are tried purged and purified as the Lord also saith by the Prophet I will try them as Gold is tryed and will refine them as Silver is refined yea I will melt them and try them for how shall I do for the Daughter of my People Isa. 31. 9. Jer. 9. 7. Zech. 13. 9. Lastly When he saith this City is Gold he also thereby insinuates how invincible and unconquerable a Spirit the People of God are possessed with Gold is a Metal so invincible and unconquerable that no fire can consume it it may burn it indeed and melt it the Dross indeed doth consume and give way to the power of the fire but the Gold remains and holds its ground yea it gets ground even of the Furnace and Fire it self for the more it is burned and melted the more it recovers its colour and the more it shakes off its Dross and Dishonour Just thus it is with the People of God and hath been so even from the beginning The more they oppressed them the more they grew Exod. 1. 12. the truth of which will be proved with a witness when God comes to set up this City Jerusalem his Church hath been now for many hundred years in the King of Babylon's Furnace all which time she hath most gloriously endured and withstood the heat and at last when the fire hath done its worst against her Behold there comes out a City of Gold A Type of which was the state of the three Children who though they were cast into the Fire bound and in disgrace yet came out in the Liberty and Grace of the Son of God Dan. 3. 23 24 25 26. Wherefore let her be bold to say even before she comes out of the Fire When I am tried I shall come forth as Gold Job 23. 10. And the City was pure Gold These words PURE Gold clear up what I said already Pure Gold or Gold upon which the fire hath done its work The Church in the fire of Persecution is like Esther in the perfuming Chamber but making fit for the presence of the King which fire when it hath done its work then she comes into his presence in cloathing all of Gold The Kings Daughter is all glorious within her cloathing is of wrought Gold and again At thy right hand did stand the Queen in Gold of Ophir Psal. 45. 9 13. Wherefore he means by pure Gold Gold out of the Fire Gold on which the fire of Persecution and Temptation hath done its full and compleat work And the City was pure Gold like unto clear Glass By Glass in this place we are to understand the Word of God as both James and Paul do testifie Jam. 1. 23 24 25. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 1 Cor. 13. 12. By clear glass then we are to understand the Word in its own nature and purity without the corruptions and traditions of men Wherefore when he saith this Golden City was like unto clear Glass it is as if he had said she is even with the Word and Law of her Goldsmith in all her matters The Word is a Golden Reed this City a Golden City and that a Golden City taken out of the furnace of affliction and therefore like to the Golden Reed And the City was pure Gold like unto clear Glass Vers. 19 20. And the Foundations of the Wall were garnished with all manner of precious stones The first Foundation was a Jasper the second a Saphir the third a Chalcedony the fourth an Emerald the fifth a Sardonix the sixth a Sardius the seventh a Chrysolite the eighth Beryl the ninth Topaz the tenth Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Jacinct the twelfth an Amethyst Thus having shewed us the Glory of the Wall and of the City he now comes to shew us the glory of the Foundations The Foundations you know I told you before they are
the contrary is foolish Is not Christ the Head and we the Members and do not the Members receive their whole light guidance and wisdom from it Is not he also the price the ground and bottom of our Happiness both in this world and that which is to come And is it possible it should be forgotten or that by it our Joy Light and Heaven should not be made the sweeter to all eternity Our soul is now bound up in him as in a bundle of life and when we come thither he is still the Christ our life and it is by our being where he is that we shall behold his Glory and our Glory because he is glorified For the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof As he said John 16. 22. Ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your Joy no man taketh from you Thus much of this City her descending her fashion her glory and of her wading thorow glory from glory to glory Vers. 24. And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour to it After this long and pleasant Description of this Holy and New Jerusalem the Holy Ghost now falleth upon a Relation of the People that shall be the Inhabitants of this City and of their numerousness and quality And the Nations c. The Nations of the world both of the Jews and Gentiles Every one knoweth what the Nations are wherefore I need not stay upon the explication of that for it doth in general include the multitude of the sinners of the world Therefore when he saith the Nations shall walk in the light of this City it is as if he had said that at this day when she is here in her tranquility the sinners and disobedient among the sons of men shall by multitudes and whole Kingdoms come in and close with the Church and House of God These Spiders shall take hold with their hands and be in Kings Palaces Prov. 30. 28. And the Nations c. For this word the Nations is a great word and it comprehendeth much mark it doth not say a Nation or some Nations neither doth it say few or small Nations but indefinitely the Nations Many Nations Strong Nations All Nations the Nations in general only he ties them up with this limit the Nations of them that are saved which yet is not so much spoken to clip off the multitude that we suppose may then be converted as to shew us their qualifications and happiness as he saith by the Prophet in another place Thy Children shall be all holy or righteous and great shall be the peace of thy Children And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it Surely the holy Ghost would never have spoken at such a rate as this if he had not intended to shew us that at the day of the setting up of this Jerusalem a great harvest of sinners shall be gathered by the Grace of the Gospel But the truth is the Scriptures go with open arms towards the latter end of the world even as if they would grasp and compass about almost all People then upon the face of the whole Earth with the Grace and Mercy of God The Earth saith God shall be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea As he saith also for the comfort of the Church in another place Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy Walls are contiaually before me Thy Children shall make haste thy Destroyers and those that made thee waste shall go forth of thee Lift up thine eyes round about behold all these gather themselves together to come unto thee as I live saith the Lord thou shalt surely cloath thee with them all as with an Ornament and bind them on thee as a Bride doth For thy waste and desolate places and the land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away The Children which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other shall say again in thine ears The place is too strait for me give place that I may dwell Then shalt thou say in thy heart Who hath begotten me these seeing I have lost my Children and am desolate a captive and removing to and fro Who hath brought up these Behold I was left alone these where have they been Thus the multitudes of the Nations shall at this day be converted to the Lord and be made the Inhabitants of this Jerusalem as he saith again The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. And again The Kingdom and Dominion and the 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 Rev. 11. 15. Dan. 7. 26 27. And observe it these Promises are to be fulfilled in the last days at the time of the pouring forth of the last Vial which is the time of the sounding of the last of the seven Trumpets for then this City shall be builded and Lucifer fallen from Heaven then the Prisoners shall be set at liberty and the People be gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. Rejoyce O ye Nations with his People for he will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries and will be merciful to his Land and to his People Alas it is now towards the end of the world and therefore now all is going if the Lord steps not in with the riches of his Grace Wherefore now at last before all be turned into fire and ashes behold the Lord casts the net among the multitude of Fish and the aboundance of the Sea shall without fail be converted to Jerusalem Though Satan and Antichrist have had their day in the world by their outrage have made fearful havock of the souls of sinners from time to time yet now at length God will strike in for a share with them and his Son shall divide the spoyl with the Strong Wherefore he now sets up this City puts the Glory of Heaven upon her provides a New Heaven and a New Earth for her situation drives prophaness into the holes and dens of the Earth giveth Righteousness authority to reign in the world and takes off the vail from all faces that none may hereafter be for ever beguiled by blindness and ignorance Now shall they make merry with the things of God now shall all eat the fat and drink the sweet For in this Mountain shall the Lord make a feast of fat things to all People a feast of
Bounds of visible Church-Communion and so all those that thorow the Gifts and Operations of special or common Grace do fall within the compass of those Rules and Bounds Thus it was in the Type at the return out of Captivity none were to be admitted entrance into the Church but those that could shew their Priviledges by Genealogy and the Records of the Church and to others it was said That they had neither Portion nor Lot nor Memorial in Jerusalem Now that by Book of Life in this place we are to understand that Book that hath in it the Bounds and Liberties of this City and so every one that falleth within the compass of these Bounds and Priviledges visibly Consider First They that are visible matter for visible Church-Communion they shall be found within this City and yet there shall not enter any but those that are written in the Lambs Book of Life Secondly Now visible Church-Communion doth not absolutely call for onely invisible Saints neither can it for if the Church was to joyn with none but those whom they knew to be the very Elect of God as all invisible Saints are then she must joyn with none at all for it is not possible that any Church should be so infallible to judge in that manner of the Elect as to discern them always and altogether from the non-Elect which cannot be an invisible Saint Thirdly By Book of Life therefore in this place we are to understand I say that Book that hath written in it every visible Saint whether they be Elect or not and so such a Book that is capable of receiving in a man at one time and of blotting of him out again as occasion doth require at another which thing is onely applicable to that Book that binds and looses on the account of a mans being a visible Saint or a visible Apostate which thing is onely applicable to the visible Rules of receiving or shutting out of visible Church-Communion which Rules being the Rules of Christs New-Testament it is proper to call it the Book of Life and is about the matter of going in or going out of this very City so called If any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and from the things that are written in this Book O how happy is he who is not onely a visible but also an invisible Saint He he shall not be blotted out of the Book of Gods eternal Grace and Mercy when others are liable to lose a share not onely in Heaven but to be for ever blotted out of the Book that approveth of visible Believers also Fourthly But again to explain the matter yet more In the visible Church there is not onely Sons but Servants that is not onely those that are truly Elect but such as have received a Gift for the perfecting the Church under Christ in his Service here in this World Now I say the Servant for the time present hath his place in the Church as well as the Son though not the place of a Son but of a Servant even a place of Service as of Preaching Prophesying administring the Ordinances that are given to the Church and the like all which a man that hath not Grace may do and that by the appointment of Christ thus was Judas Demas Hymeneus Phyletus and others who sometimes were the Servants of Christ in the Church and did minister for him to them yet themselves notwithstanding such as were all that time strangers and aliens to the life and power and saving operations of the justifying and preserving Grace of the Gospel as he saith also by the Prophet Isaiah Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks and the sons of aliens shall be your Plough men and your Vine-dressers For verily Christ will give to those that have not his saving-grace yet great knowledge and understanding in the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and will also make them for profit and advantage in his Church to feed their flocks to plow up the fallow ground of their hearts and to dress their tender Vines Yet I say they themselves shall not be everlastingly saved for they want his saving-grace As Christ saith The servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth for ever As he saith again in another Prophet If the Prince give a gift to any of his sons the inheritance thereof shall be his sons it shall be their possession by inheritance but if he give a gift of inheritance to one of his servants then it shall be his to the year of Liberty after it shall return to the Prince but his inheritance shall be his sons for them Some indeed have grace aswel as gifts now they that are such the profit of their gifts shall be rewarded by vertue of their grace but as for them that have only a gift when the work of a gift is done then they cease to be any longer of use in the Church and therefore are forthwith shut out of the same but the Son abideth for ever Thus you see that as visible Church-communion doth not absolutely call for the Elect only but admits and that by the Book of Rules all that are visible and open Saints by calling so also the Lord Jesus himself doth and will use some in his Church as his Officers and Servants that yet in a a strict sence are neither his Sons nor Members Who yet are within the bounds of that Book of Life that here he speaks of as is evident because with Christ's allowance they are admitted into commnnion with his Church and by him also furnished with Gifts and Abilities to profit and edifie withal Now observe such a one is admitted though but a Servant yet not by the Church because but such a one The Church receiveth no man upon the account of gifts alone but upon the account of the appearance of Grace as of Gospel-Repentance of the Confession of Faith and of a Conversation suitable to the same All which a man that is not elect may have the notion of yea the power though not the saving Power 5. Further this which I have said about the visible Church-Communion and so consequently about the Book of Life it must needs be a Gospel-Truth yea a thing for Truth in this New-Jerusalem because besides what hath been said there will be found in this City even at the coming of the Lord Jesus which coming of his will not be for some time after the building and setting of it up I say there will be then sound among them foolish Virgins and such who have not the saving-grace of God in their souls But yet 1. these very souls shall be counted by the Church yea by Christ himself for Virgins that is such as had not defiled their Profession 2. And will be such Virgins as have and hold every
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