upon 'em in themselves, but confiders them with Part 2. that treasure of the Gofpell committed to their charge.

This Gofpell is the Pearl of great Price, which when one had found, he went his way, and fold all that he had to purchase it. This is the Treasure of which S. Paul fpeaks, when he faith, we have this treasure in Earthen veffels. The Apostles, with Evangelical truth in their Breasts, are the 12 foundations, the 12 Gates, and the walls of the City. They are Every thing with this; for Truth is every thing; and without it they are nothing.

V. 22. And I saw no Temple therin, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple. This must be understood as the words of another Prophet, who fpeaking of the Church in this periods faith, Every man shall not teach his Neighbour, for they fhall be all taught of God; which doth not import that the Miniftry fhall be abolisht, but that the increase of Knowledg fhall be fo great, that ordinary men might rather be Teachers, than need to be taught: doubtless there fhall be Temples to the end of the world, and places fet a part for publick worship. But it fhall hardly be neceflary to diftinguish places for divine fervice, because God fhall be every where ferved in perfection. The Lord and the Lamb fhall be its Temple. God fhall dwell in them, and they in God; the union of holy fouls with God shall be most intimate and reciprocal.

v.23. And the City had no need of the fun, nor of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light therof. Here the fun and the Moon do fignifie created lights which cause a fucceffion of day and night, and

thefe

Part 2. thefe Luminaries are Emblems of the manner wherin the light of Grace is now difpenft. There is now a mixture of Light and Darkness, of Day and Night, in the fame Church, and in the fame foul. It fhall no more be thus in the Church of the Seventh Period; The air of that Church fhal be always full of Light. God fhall abundantly impart know ledge to the Souls of the Saints, in a more immediate manner, without any created Luminary.

V.24. And the Nations of them which are faved, shall walk in the Light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

V.25. And its Gates shall not at all be shut by day: for there shall be no night there.

V.26. And they shall bring the glory and honour •fthe Nations intoit.

V. 27. And there shall in no wife enter into it any thing that defileth, or that worketh abomination, and a lie, but they who are written in the Lamb's book of Life.

Here is the perfect and compleat calling of the Gentiles, who fhall joyn themselves with the converted Jews, to compofe this glorious Church. The Holy Ghoft feems to intimate, as if there fhould be none but the Elect, and no Reprobates. At leaft, if there be any Hypocrites, that their number fhall be fo fmall as not worthy to be counted.

Then he shewed me a pure River of water of life, clear as Chryftal, proceeding out of the Throne of God, and of the Lamb. 'Tis fo well known that water in the Scripture ftile fignifies grace and the Di vine Spirit that 'tis needlefs to remark it. Ho every one that thirsts, come to the waters; out of his belly shall flow living waters: but he spake of the Spirit,

Spirit, which they should receive who believed on Part 2. him. So that the River which proceeds out of the Throne of God, is that vital Spring of Spirit and Grace, which God will most plentifully dispense to this Church. It is the fame River which the chap. 47 Prophet Ezekiel faw coming out of the Temple: at firft it was no higher then the anckels, but by little and little the increase was fuch, that you mustbe obliged to fwim to pafs over it. 'Tis the Emblem of that measure of Grace, which is always progreffive, and in these last and happy days, fhall flow

as the Sea.

V, 2. In the midst of the street of it, and of either fide of the River, was there the Tree of Life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every moneth, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations. This is almoft copied from Ezekiel, fo that we may fee it defcribes the fame thing. Ezekiel faid, that on the bank of the River, were very many trees on the one fide and the other, fruit trees, whofe leaves shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be confumed, it shall bring forth new fruit every moneth. This farther denotes Grace, which is our meat and drink, to fatisfy our hunger, and quench our thirft, which is the Manna in the Wilderness, and Water out of the Rock. The fruits of this tree shall be for the healing of the Nations. Ezekiel faith, the leaf thereof shall be for medicine. vit That Grace which fhall be our food, fhall alfo fupply the use of Phyfick. Every one may fee here a manifeft allufion to the Earthly Paradise, to its Rivers, and to the Tree of Life that was there. To denote that the Church in this her laft Period fhall be a true Paradise, where plenty and abundance of all bleffings may be met with. 'Tis of this reign, and of this laft Period of the Church, that the last part

of

Part 2. of the eleventh Chapter, is to be understood. We have already seen how that Chapter is an Epitome of what shall befall the Church. In the firft part, we have a fhort account of the happy state of the Church during the time of its purity. In the fecond, the reign of Antichrift is defcribed, and the laft perfecution which the Church fhall fuffer. And in the Third, we have the glorious ftate of the Church after the hath fubdued her enemies. This is the Prophecy.

Chap. 11.

V. 15. And the seventh Angel founded, and there were great voices in Heaven, faying, the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift, and he shall reign for ever and

ever:

V. 16. And the four and twenty Elders, who fat before God on their feats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God.

V. 17. Saying, we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty, which art, and waft, and art to come, because thou haft taken to thee thy great Power, and haft reigned.

V. 18. And the Nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the Time of the dead that they fhould be judged, and that thou shouldft give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets, and to the Saints, and them that fear thy name, fmal and Great, and Shouldst destroy them which deftroy the Earth.

V. 19. And the Temple of God was open'd in · Heaven, and there was seen in his Temple the ark of his Teftament, and there were lightnings, and voices, and thundrings, and an Earthquake, and great Hail

We have obferved, that the feven Trumpets followed upon the feven feals, and were not contemporary with'em: the feven feals carry the

Pres

Prophecy almost as far as the fall of Paganism unto Part 2. Conftantine, the first Christian Emperor.

The Seven Trumpets divide the reft of the Time, between Conftantine, and his Chriftian Succeffors, to the end of the World. And the feventh Trum. pet that founds here, is the beginning of the last Period; which comprehends the fall of the Empires of the World, and particularly that of the Antichriftian Kingdom, or the Papacy.

The Seventh Angel founded, and there were great voices. These are voices of Acclamation and joy. That Thunders and Lightnings are joyned to those voices, fignifies the preaching of the Gospel.

And the four and twenty Elders, who fat before God on their feats, fell upon their faces, and wor shipped God, Jaying, we give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, &c. "Tis the Song and fubject matter of thanksgiving, wherewith the Holy People fhould praife God, during the reign of a thousand years when God fhall have fubdued all their Enemies. Obferve here, that the four and twenty Elders appear alone, and begin the Song; whereas in the firft Vifion the living Creatures begun the Song, and the Elders followed 'em. 'Tis not to exclude the living Creatures and the Miniftry, in the laft Period of the Church; but to fignify, that then the People fhall be fo filled with the Divine Spirit, that they fhall not need to wait the infpiration and affiftance of the Holy Miniftry, to ingage them to praise God, and perform holy duties.

The Nations were angry, and thy wrath is comes .e. the Nations of the Antichriftian People, have executed their malice and fury, and thou haftavenged it by destroying their Empire. And the Time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thon shouldeft give reward unto thy Servants the ProSf

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