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need not suppose that this city actually came down from God out of heaven; it will be quite in keeping with the rest of the allegory to believe that it was, as our Lord says, "The city of my God. . . which cometh down from heaven from my God; that it was "Jerusalem which is above," as contrasted with Jerusalem on earth, and therefore fitly represented as "That great city, the holy Jerusalem, desceuding out of heaven from God."

Neither is it imperative to believe that the length, the height, and the breadth of it were equal; a city 375 miles (or 12,000 furlongs, reckoning eight furlongs to the Roman mile) in height, length, and breadth, would be preposterous. Neither is it necessary to suppose that the names of the Twelve Tribes are literally inscribed on the twelve gates, or the names of the Twelve Apostles on the foundations of the wall. It need not lessen our respect for Scripture to receive as highly allegorical the beautiful statement that the "river of life proceeded out of the throne of God and of the Lamb," or that the "tree of life, in the midst of the street of it, yielded her fruit every month." This is all symbol and allegory; and yet the basis of the symbol is pure and holy truth. It is the Spirit of God speaking with the tongue of men, and assuring us that every image expressive of glory and incorruption fails to convey a complete idea of its happiness, its security, and its eternal joys.

But whilst due allowance must be made for the allegorical character of this sublime description, the distinguishing feature of the celestial character of this new and glorious city remains unaltered.

It is said to "come down from God out of heaven," to "descend out of heaven from God;" it is called "the city of my God, which cometh down out of heaven from my God:" "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem;” “Jerusalem which is above;""The city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Every expression serves to show that it cannot mean an earthly city; every word serves to keep up a marked contrast between the "Jerusalem which now is and the "Jerusalem above; " The city which did not continue, and the city which was soon "to come."

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issues its laws; no earthly potentate rules on its throne: "The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him ;" and that throne is not set up in any earthly city, neither is it filled by any earthly sovereign, but by him whose dominion is the universe, and whose glorious name is "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords."

Its glory is of no earthly nature. no earthly nature. It is said to have "the glory of God," the Shechinah of God's continual presence, -not like that faint reflection of the Divine glory which dwelt in the Jewish temple, but shining in light inaccessible and full of radiance, eclipsing sun, and moon, and stars: "Her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper-stone, clear as crystal." "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

Its inhabitants are not of earth. They are "the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus"" The spirits of just men made perfect," united in holy fellowship with "an innumerable company of angels, and the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven." They are the 144,000 "which were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and the Lamb," joined in the common bond of allegiance and perfection with the angels of God in heaven, those ministering spirits sent forth to minister unto them which shall be heirs of salvation, whose number is "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands."

The character of its people is such as has never yet been found within the walls of an earthly city. The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." "And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life."

Its happiness and joys such as cannot be known on earth : "For God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there

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shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it." For, behold I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days" (there shall be no more death): "for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old, shall be accursed . . . for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands."

Of what earthly city can it be said, "The building of the wall was of jasper, and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass, and the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst1 and the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass?"

Of what earthly city can it be said, "The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof?"

Of what earthly city can it be said, that "A pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeded out of the throne of

"Twelve stones also there were upon the breastplate, extraordinary in largeness and beauty. The first three stones were a sardonyx, a topaz, and an emerald. The second, a carbuncle, a jasper, and a sapphire. The first of the third row was a ligure, then an amethyst, and the third an agate. The first of the fourth row was a chrysolite, the next was an onyx, and then a

God and the Lamb: in the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bear twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations?"

Of what earthly city can it be said, " And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him; and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads; and there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light; and they shall reign for ever and ever?"

"Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God" thou place prepared amidst the many mansions of the Father's house; things too bright, too wonderful for a world like ours -too high in their nature and character for a terrestrial Paradise; things, whose hidden depths, souls of slaughtered martyrs, and spirits of just men made perfect, alone can fathom; things, whose divine echoes are faintly caught on earth, and of whose unspeakable and illimitable glory we can only catch the dim and distant reflection; things, which are a joy to infinite intelligence and infinite love; things that pertain to eternity and heaven, to God and to his Christ, and to the throne set up on the everlasting hills.

And is it for us to bring down heaven to earth, to narrow its sublime realities, to compromise and to curtail its unspeakable promises, and to conceive of no bliss, no joy, no heaven, but such as can be dwarfed to the insignificant limits of our own perception? Is it for us to put a barrier to that everlasting kingdom which now holds heaven and earth in its sublime embrace, and to say that that celestial throne must be exchanged for a terrestrial and an earthly one? Is it for us to say that "the name at which every knee must bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth, must henceforth be adored only by one rank and class of the intelligent and admiring creation? Is it for us to say that the new and heavenly Jerusalem is not now the city of God in heaven, and that the saints of God do not now exult in its eternal joys? What! shall the glory of the second resurrec

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tion eclipse the first? Shall the blessedness of those who shall be raised hereafter exceed that of those "who first trusted in Christ?" Shall the promise, "blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection," be reversed to mean that the glory of the latter dead shall outshine that of the former? Shall the reward of those who shall sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, be inferior to that of those who are judged by them? Shall the boon to those that overcame be less than that awarded to those who are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses? and shall the martyr's crown of righteousness look pale and dim beside that of an ordinary servant of the Lord? Reason, analogy, Scripture, decide otherwise. With the coming of the Lord Jesus came the kingdom- the gathering of the elect the perdition of the ungodly-the fall of Babylon-the dethronement of Satan the opening of the gates of the heavenly city to all believers.

In heaven are to be seen its everlasting walls. In heaven are to be heard its eternal hallelujahs. In heaven are set up its gates of pearl, and its streets of pure gold like unto clear glass. Look Look up through the mists and films of earth with the eye of faith, and you will see its glory sparkling through the skies. Listen with the ear of holy expectation, and you will catch the echo of its celestial songs, pealing forth notes of sweet and solemn gladness, contrasting strangely with the hum and turmoil of this busy world. Gaze up stedfastly into heaven, and, like the martyr of old, you will see Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and your dazzled eye will catch the reflection of its streets of gold. Go on stedfastly, honestly, faithfully in the path of duty; and so "an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom." Let the holy city come down from God into and let the words- no more death more crying no more pain night-speak to your inmost heart like an angel of God. Let the promise of the "pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, which proceedeth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb," be unto you a "well of water springing up into everlasting life." Let the eternity of the benediction, "I will make

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