shall I say more? "I will make thy windows of "And thy gates carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones." Before I enter upon these gates I will inquire a little into the real delights of this city, the foundations of which are said to be sapphires, the windows of it to be agates, and the gates of it to be carbuncles. The first glory of it is said to be light: "And the city had no need of the sun, neither the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." 2. The next sweet delight is the river of pleasure, which appears to me to be the perpetual emanations of divine love; for charity, says Paul, never faileth: "Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasure." 3. The third glorious delight of this city is the tree of life, with its delicious fruit: "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, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." 4. There is to be in this city a cessation of arms, and an end to all war for evermore: "Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces." "The righteous perish, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace." 5. There is to be a perfection of joy, which springs from four things: first, it is the joy of harvest: when the wheat is brought into the barn it is harvest-home. It is the joy of them that divide the spoil: the battle is ended, and the triumph follows. It is the joy of inheritance: the firstborn is of age, and at the fulness of his stature, and takes possession of his inheritance. It is the joy of wedlock: let us rejoice and be glad, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. They shall come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head, Isaiah li. 11. 6. This city is intended to be the glorious rest of all the saints. God rested in his love when he founded it; his hand rests here in building it up. Here the labourer is to rest from the heat and burden of the day, and from all the oppositions, troubles, and persecutions, of the ungodly. "There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God." 7. This city is said to be free, and to be the mother of us all. Liberty in this state is far from being complete; for although we are brought forth from the prison, and are purged from guilt and filth, and are delivered from the bondage of the law, and from the reigning and destroying power of sin, yet we are burdened with a body of death, and the body of our flesh is doomed to the bondage of corruption; but both shall be delivered. "The creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." 8. The next thing of infinite value in this city is the glorious apparel of the citizens. They all wear one colour; and, as priests unto God, they are all clad in linen: "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints." 9. The next thing to be observed is this, namely, that there is nothing promised in all this book but to overcomers: "He that overcometh shall inherit all things." Hence they all appear in triumph, and all shout and sing victory. This is represented by the palm branch, which used to be carried in the eastern triumphs: "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." 10. They have all got crowns upon their heads. We read of being crowned with knowledge, crowned with lovingkindness, crowned with righteousness, crowned with never-fading glory, and crowned with life; but to be found in Christ in the great day, and to be owned of him, blessed and glorified with him, is the best of all glorious crowns: "In that day [and especially in the great day] shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people." Hence we read that the worshippers above cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." 11. The next thing to be enjoyed in this city is immortality. These vile bodies of ours must be purged, purified, refined, and changed, and fashioned like unto the glorious body of Christ; weakness must be changed for power; dishonour shall be changed for glory; corruption must be put off, and incorruption be put on; mortality left behind when immortality takes place. This is being clothed upon with our house which is from heaven; and this is what I understand by the following passage: "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God." 12. The next unutterable delight, and that which crowns all the rest, is, a promised sight of our most wonderful, adorable, ever-blessed, propitious, and ever-loving Father. "The time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father." "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." "I will make thy windows of agates." "And thy gates carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones." is the colour of it. only gate of this city. The carbuncle is red; that Without a sacrifice, and satisfaction to justice by it, there can be no par don; and without a mediator there can be no access to God here or hereafter; for without shedding of blood there is no remission; and into the heavenly Jerusalem there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, Rev. xxi. 27. And without a mediator none can approach unto God: "No man cometh unto the Father but by me." As our surety he discharges our debts, and by the blood of his covenant we come forth from the prison. By faith in him we come to the light of God's countenance; by faith in him we come to the enjoyment of God's love; by faith in him. we pass from death to life; being justified by the faith of him we find peace with God; by faith we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; "We that believe do enter into rest;" by faith we stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, while those that believe not are in bondage, and wrath abideth on them. The righteousness of Christ is to all and upon all that believe: "And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." The Spirit's grace is the firstfruits of glory, and the Spirit himself is the earnest of it; and we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith; and by the eye of faith we obtain the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Christ is therefore the only gate, as I have shewn |
