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

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

the World that will be converted or the Gate that will be last because longest occupied with the travels of the Passengers and wayfaring-Men in their Journy to this Jerusalem But I pass that From the order of their standing I shall enquire into two things First Why the Gates should look in this manner every way both East West North and South Secondly Why there should be three just three on every side of this City On the East three on the North three on the South three and on the West three For the First The Gates by looking every way into all Quarters may signifie to us thus much That God hath a People in every corner of the World and also That Grace is to be carried out at these Gates by the Angels in their Ministry into every place to gather them home to him as it is said of the living Creatures Whither the Head looked they followed it and turned not as they went so whithersoever the Gates look thither the Ministers go and carry the Word to gather together the Elect He sent them two and two before his Face into every City and Place whither he himself would come Again The Gates by their thus looking every way do signifie to us That from what Quarter or Part of the World soever men come for Life for those men there are the Gates of Life even right before their doors Come they from the East why thither look the Gates and so if they come from North or West or South No Man needs at all to go about to come at Life and Peace and Rest Let him come directly from Sin to Grace from Satan to Jesus Christ and from this World to New Jerusalem The twelve Brazen Oxen that Solomon made to bear the molten Sea they stood just as these Gates stand and signifie as I said before that the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles should be carried into all the World to convert as in the Primitive Times so now at the building of New Jerusalem and to bring in Gods Sheep to the Fold of his Church Now I say as the Word is carried every way so the Gates the open Gates look also into all corners after them to signifie that loving Reception that shall be given to every Soul that from any corner of the whole World shall unfainedly close in with Grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus therefore Men shall come from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and sit down in the Kingdom of God Luk. 13. 29. Psal. 107. 1 2 3. On the East three Gates on the North three Gates on the South three Gates and on the West three Gates Having thus shewed you in a word why they stand thus looking into every Corner or Quarter of the World I now come to shew you why there must be just three looking in this manner every way First then There may be three looking every way to signifie that it is both by the consent of the Three Persons in the Trinity that the Gospel should thus every way go forth to call men and also to shew you that both the Father Son and Spirit are willing to receive and embrace the Sinner from whatsoever part or corner of the Earth he cometh hither for Life and Safety Come they from whence they will the Father is willing to give them the Son and so is the Son to give them Himself and so is the Spirit to give them its help against whatever may labour to hinder them while they are here Joh. 3. 16. Rev. 21. 6. 22. 17. Secondly In that three of the Gates look every way it may be also to shew us that there is none can enter into this City but by the three Offices of the Lord Jesus Christ by his Priestly Office must wash away their Sins and by his Prophetical Office he must illuminate teach guide and refresh them and by his Kingly Office rule over them and govern them with his Word Heb. 7. 25. Joh. 13. 8. Act. 3. 22 23 24. Isa. 40. 10 11. 9. 6 7. Psal. 76. 1 2 3. Psal. 110. 3. Thirdly Or by three Gates may be signified the three states of the Saints in this Life an entrance into Childhood an entrance into a Manly state and an entrance into the state of a Father in the Church Or lastly The three Gates may signifie the threefold state we pass thorow from Nature to Glory The state of Grace in this Life the state of Felicity in Paradise and our state in Glory after the Resurrection Or thus The state of Grace that possesseth Body and Soul in this Life the state of Glory that posseseth the Soul at Death and the state of Glory that both Body and Soul shall be possessed with at the coming of the Lord and Saviour This was figured forth by the order of the Stairs in the Temple at Jerusalem which was first second and third by which Men ascended from the lowest to the uppermost Room in the House of God as he tells us They went up with winding Stairs from the first into the second story and from thence by them into the third 1 King 6. 8. Thus much for the Wall and Gates of New Jerusalem Vers. 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. In these words we have two things considerable 1. That the City-Wall hath twelve Foundations 2. That in these twelve are the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. First It hath twelve Foundations This argueth invincible strength and support That Wall that hath but one Foundation how strongly doth it stand if it be but safely laid upon a Rock even so strong●y that neither Wind nor Weather in their greatest vehemency are able to shake or stir it to make it fall but I say how much more when a City hath Foundations twelve Foundations and those also laid by God himself as it is said concerning the Worthies of old They looked for a City that had Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Heb. 11. 13 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. The Wall you know I told you is the Wall of Salvation or the Safety of the Church by Jesus Christ to which is adjoyned as the effect of that the special Providence and Protection of God Now this Wall saith the Holy Ghost hath twelve Foundations to wit to bear it up for the continuation of the safety and security of those that are the Inhabitants of this City a Foundation is that which beareth up all and that upon which the stress of all must lie and abide Now to speak properly the Foundation of our Happiness is but one and that one none but the Lord Jesus for other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ

Church of Christ hath obtained a compleat conquest and victory over the world and hath got her enemies and them that hate her to lye at her feet and to lick the dust of the soals thereof For as I have told you already Temple-work yea when that is compleat in the work yet there may be great havock made of the Church of Christ at which time also City-work may be trampled under the feet of the wicked and uncircumcised Gentiles but when the City is builded then Zion is become a strong hold and about all her glory shall be a defence Then she either draweth and allureth her adversaries to entreat her kindly and to count it their honour to be under her protection as did the Gibeonites or else she breaks and b●uises and subjects them to her by her Power and Authority The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift and the rich among the People shall entreat thy favour Psal. 45. 12. In the last dayes saith the Prophet it shall come to pass that the Lords House shall be established upon the tops of the Mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills and People shall flow unto it and many Nations shall come and say Come and let us go up unto the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths For the Law shall go forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem And ye shall judge among the People and rebuke strong Nations afar off and they shall beat their Swords into ploughshares and their Spears into pruning hooks that force and power that they used formerly to destroy the Church of God now they shall use it to do her service even to break up the clods of the hearts of sinners and to prune and dress the House of God and Vinyard of Jesus Christ Nation shall not lift up a Sword against Nation neither shall they learn war any more for the Word of the Kingdom of Peace shall bear sway And thou O Tower of the Flock the strong hold of the daughter of Zion unto thee shall it come even the first Dominion the Kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Jerusalem Mich. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. This is City-work and as to the Glory Peace and Deliverance of the Church it is the chiefest of all other because it is not only most excellent for concourse and multitude but I say for preservation and safety and that not only to keep the Worshippers if they keep their order but to keep the Order and Worshippers both in order and continual safety that they may be for ever in the purest order But now though at the compleating of this Wall and the building its Towers when they are finished there will be great peace yet all the time that these things are doing before they be done let the work-men look for opposition taunts underminers and a thousand tricks for the hindrance of it For the Street of the City shall be built and the Wall even in troublous times And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper Of Jasper only For as by building is shewed unto us the manner of the work so by Jasper is shewed unto us the matter it self the matter therefore must be Jasper Christ only his Word Offices and glorious Brightness only for indeed whatever the special Grace Protection and Providence of God will at this day be over this City yet it shall be every whit of it according to Christ that is both of him for him and by him as the Fruits and Effects of his Suffering Bloodshed and Merits Therefore saith God I will divide him a Portion with the Great and he shall divide the Spoyl with the Strong because he hath poured out his Soul unto death and was numbred among the Transgressors O Holiness How will it shine both in Kings and Nations when God doth this And the City was pure Gold Having thus given us a discovery of the glory of the Wall he now comes to shew us the glory of the City that is within the Wall The City faith he is Gold it is pure Gold This was figured out by the Golden Candlesticks belonging to the Tabernacle and Temple among the Jews which Candlesticks did then present unto us the worth and use of the Church of CHRIST The seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches says the Lord Christ himself Now the City here spoken of is the Church in her highe● and greatest glory Its state was also figured out by the Temple it self whose Beams Posts Walls Doors and the like were most famously covered over with Gold 2 Chron. 3. 5 6 7. It was also though but leanly represented to us by the golden state of old Jerusalem in the days of Solomon the King in which state Gold was so plentiful in the midst thereof that Silver was nothing counted of among the Citizens there in those days but was as common as the Stones in the Street of the City 2 Chron. 9. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 27. And the City was pure Gold I find by the search of the Scriptures that there is divers sorts of Gold in the World there is the Gold of the Land of Havillah the Gold of Parvaim the Gold of Ophir the Gold of Sheba and the Gold of Uphaz Gen. 2. 11. 2 Chron. 3. 6. Job 22. 24. Psal. 72. 15. Jer. 10. 9. Now seeing he saith the City is Gold yet not distinguishing what Gold or which we may suppose in this place he means Gold of all these sorts and indeed it is most agreeable to this Text thus to judge for the Church at this day shall be made up of the twelve Tribes that are scattered abroad and of the Gentile Nations both far and near who as they now lie are for ought I can learn at as great a distance and as remote from one another not onely in knowledge and affections but touching the places of their abode as are the Golden Mines out of which the Gold that I spake of before is digged and fetch'd Thus shall Gold the Golden Saints of God at this day be gathered out of the several Golden Mines of the World and be brought to King Solomon the Son of David our Lord Jesus to Jerusalem with which he will build him a Golden shining City the Joy of all the World And the City was pure Gold Gold is the choice and chief of all Metals both for worth colour and vertue wherefore when he saith The City is Gold you may conceive how rich and shining and vertuous this City will be the Riches of the whole World will be here the Beauty of the whole World will be here and the Vertue of the whole World will be here I mean spiritual Riches Beauty and Health wherefore the rest of the World at this day will be but as

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