Part 2. What it is to measure in a pro pherical Tense. V.18. And the building of the Wall of it was of lafper; and the City was pure Gold, like unto clear Glass. Tomeasure, is to make account of, to esteem, to reckon among things that are confiderable. Wherefore in the eleventh Chapt. St. John was ordered, to measure only the Temple and the Altar, and those who worshipped there. Not to value or make account of any but true Believers. But for the outer Court, it was faid unto him, Measure it not, I have left it unto the Gentiles. As to the outward part of the Church, make no account of it, for the Paganism of Antichrift and Popery fhall be there eftablifht, and fhall reign for the space of 42. Prophetic moneths, i.e. 1260 years. Here the H.Spirit measures the Holy Ierufalem throughout, not only the Temple and the Altar, but the Court that was before abandon'd to the New Pagans; and not only the Court, but the whole City: to measure the City, the Gates thereof, and the wall thereof; 'Tis to fignifie that in this laft Chriftian Church of the laft Period, every thing therin fhall be Great and Good, worthy to be esteemed, and measured, and reckon'd as things of value and confideration. Men do not measure waste and barren Heaths, fands, and rubbish; 'tis not worth the while: but Palaces, and fruitfull grounds, vineyards, and orchards, and the buildings of a City. This is the mystery of the measure. But obferve the difference between the Circumstances of the first measure in the 11th. Chap. and those of this second here, befides those we have already taken notice of 1. That the first measure reacheth only to the Court and the Altar, that was the Chriftian Church for the 3 first ages, as hath been faid; but here the the measure extends to All, and even to the City, Part 2, which denotes the Primitive Chriftian Church to be very inconfiderable, compared with the Church of this laft Period. 2. 'Tis S. John that received the Reed in the 11th. Chap. to measure the Temple and the Altar, there was given me a Reed like unto a rod, and the Angel food, and faid, rife and measure the Temple. But here 'tis an Angel that measureth; an Agent of an higher order than the Apoftle. 3. Laftly; S. John hath only a rod given him, a reed to measure with; a weak Juftrument and of little value: but here the Angel measures with a Golden reed. All which fets forth the great excellence of the Church in this laft period, that it fhould furpass even the Primitive Church, as much as a city exceeds a Temple, an Angel a nian, or a Golden Rodan ordinary cane or reed. The city was built foursquare; the fquare is an emblem of Reft, because that figure of all others is most proper to keep firm; which fignifies the tranquility and immutable Peace of this Church. The fquare alfo relates to the number Twelve, which occurs fo often in this defcription: for 12 is a fquare number, that shows three on all fides. Three, a number of perfection as well as feven to fignifie that on what fide foever you look upon this Church, whether in regard of its Holinefs, or Knowledg, or Peace, or Glory, the fhall be every way perfect. Thefe are the four fides of the fquare, Holiness, Knowledg, Peace, and Glory; and this Perfection fhe hath from the number Twelve, viz. from the twelve Apostles. He measured the City with the Reed 12 thoufand Furlongs. This is not to be understood of the circumference of her Walls, or of their diame ter Chap. 23. Partz. ter, or their Heighth, but of the whole Body of the City taken together, as a Cube that contains 12 thousand furlongs, counting every thing. There are 12 foundations which are the 12 Apafles, or rather the 12 Articles of faith. Every foundation answers to a thousand Cubits, i.e̟. that every of the Apostles by his doctrine and preaching, did increase the Church, and contribute to its building, and to the gathering of the faints, in the fame proportion, which a foundation of one cubical foot, or therabouts, hath to a thousand furlongs. This fignifies the great Increase and multiplication of the Church. "The length, the breadth, the Heigth of the City were Equal, that is, it was in all accounts a perfect Cube: throw a Die where you please, it will alway find a place to reft. So fhall be the Church of the laft period, what ever Commotions may happen, the fhall not lofe herreft, nothing fhall be able to destroy or hinder it. Interpreters have no reafon to make an objection here, that a City that is as high as large would be a monstrous pile; for every thing here is beyond the ordinary rules among men, to fignifie that this Holy Society fhall not be governed as Humane focieties now are. Befides this, the great Equality of this City in all its dimenfions, feems to me to denote that admirable Equality between all the Saints, which fhall take place in the feventh period of the Church; not that all difference of Conditions fhall be abfolutely laid afide; there fhall ftillbe fuperiors and Inferiors, Rich and Poor, fome to Govern, and others to obey; but thofe great diftances between mens conditions fhall then be filled up by Charity and Love; wheras now they are inlarged and widened by Pride and vanity. Then Then he measured the Wall, 144 Cubits. Here Part 2. is the number 144, which is facred because of the number 12 which is its Root; 'tis eafie to apprehend why the Wall is 144 Cubits, 'tis because it is raised upon 12 Foundations; and the wall of the City had twelve Foundations. Build upon twelve, raife another number by multiplying this by it self, and you make 144. for 12 is the fquare root of 144. Every building of the Church is raifed upon the 12 Apoftles, and in its raifing fhe is multiplied, as in building upon 12, you make 144. and thefe 144 Cubits are not to be taken for the fame thing with the 144 thousand who were marked, which are the whole body of the Saints. Thefe 144 (ubits are in the walls of the 1 City, and not in the whole City. This wall is that which gives protection to the City and the Church; it is Truth, and the Holy Miniftry, by whom that Truth is preached; fo that the 12 Foundations are the Principal Paftors with the Truths they teach, viz. the 12 Apostles and the 144 Cubits are the whole Evangelical Miniftry, built upon the 12 Apoftles as their first Teachers. He measured the wall, according to the measure of a man, i.e. of the Angel: that denotes, that the Angel in giving to a wall one hundred forty four Cubits, founded upon twelve hath therin followed the ordinary way of Computa tion among Arithmeticians, who by multiplying twelve by it felf, make one hundred forty four. And the building of the wall was of lafpar, and the City was of pure Gold like unto clear glass. The diftinction of men according to their different qualities is conveniently and commonly enough made by the Emblem of Metals; men of low and bafe Spirits, funk into degeneracy and vice, are Chap. 23. Part 2. are well reprefented by Lead. Iron is the Emblem of Cruel and hard-hearted perfons, who are void of Pity. Brafs doth well enough reprefent fuch as glitter and make a fhow of more than they are or have: for Brafs imitates the colour of gold, but is fhort in value, Silver is an Emblem of those who are in fome fort vertuous, but not in the first rank. Laftly, Gold is the Emblem of fuch fpirits as are pure, folid, firm, and truly vertuous. This is that which the H. Ghoft would teach us, that the Church, in this laft Period, fhall be made up of fuch perfons, as are of fincere and approved piety,of a vertue that is bright and folid; therfore the City is faid not only to be of Gold, but of gold clear as Crystal. Nevertheless, as in every Church, the Ministry ought to poffefs a more eminent degree of Chriftian vertues than others; the wall, which fignifies the Ministry of the Church in the feventh Period, is faid to be of Iafpar, and precious stones, more valuable than gold. V. 21. And the 12 Gates were of 12 Pearls, every feveral gate was of one Pearl. We have feen how the 12 Gates fignifie the 12 Apoftles; the Guards, Guides and Porters as it were of the Church: we might easily discover a resemblance between the Apostles and Pearls; but 'tis fufficient to understand, that the defign of the H. Ghoft is to fhow that thefe 12 Men are of an ineftimable value. All the riches of the world cannot be a fufficient price for 12 Pearls, big enough to make 12 Gates of Cities: and herewith we must know that when the fpirit of God puts fo high a price upon weak men like our felves, when he calls them Iafpars and precious fones, the Gates and Foundations of a City, he doth not look upon |