The Holy City, Commentary · Chapter 21 · Verse 15
Vers. 15.
And he that talked with me had a Golden Reed to measure the City, and the Gates thereof, and the Wall thereof.
Now having passed the relation of theA Golden Reed. Wall, Gates, and Foundations, he comes to the Measuring-Line, to see how all things lie and agree with that.
Under the Law, I find that all things pertaining to the Worship of God were to be by Number, Rule and Measure, even to the very Tacks and Loops of the Curtains of the Tabernacle: Now the Rule or Line by which all things were then squared, it was the Laws, Statutes and Ordinances which was given to Moses by the Lord in the Mount Sinai; for thither he went to receive his Orders: and according to the Pattern there shewed him, so he committed all things, by writing, to them that were to be imployed in the workmanship of the holy things pertaining to the rise and compleating of the Tabernacle, and all its Instruments. Exod. 10. 11. & 24. 1. & 25. 40. Deut. 30. 10. & 31. 24, 25, 26.
Now when this Rule was thus received, then whosoever observed not to do it, he was to fall under the Penalty that by the same Law also was prescribed against the Offenders and Transgressors, Num. 15. 30, 31.
I find also that when the Temple was builded in the days of Solomon, all things were then done according to the writing that David made, when the hand of God was upon him, when he made him understand all the work of this Pattern, 2 Chron. 3. 1, 2, 3. & Chap. 4. 1 Chron. 19. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. & 28. 19.
Thus again, When Josiah went about to bring to pass the Reformation of the Church of the Jews, and their Instruments of Worship, after their revolting; he goeth to the Law of God, and by that, understanding what was out of order, and how to put all things into order, he so did reduce them to their former manner. The same way also went Ezra, and Nehemiah, at the rebuilding of the Temple and City after the Captivity, 2 Kings 22. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Ezra 7. 14. Ezra. 8. 3, 4. From all which I conclude,This Golden Reed is the Word of God. That the Reed, the Golden Reed that here you read of, it is nothing else but the pure and unspotted Word of God; by which, both the City, Gates and Wall of this Jerusalem is regulated: Which Word by the holy Prophet, is also compared to Gold, and is said to be above much fine Gold, Psal. 12. 6. and 19. 9, 10.
I find in the Vision of the Prophet Ezekiel, that the Angel that there is said to measure the City, which was a Type of our Jerusalem, he appeared with a line Ezek. 40. 3.of Flax in his hand, to measure the pattern withal; which very phrase doth shew us that his was but the Type, and an Old-Testament-business: but John hath his in a New-Testament-stile, and that in the most excellent manner of Language, to signifie that his City, or the City that he hath the Vision of, is to be the end of all Types and Shadows, and the very perfection of them all: Wherefore he tells us also, that the Line orWhy the measuring-Line of New Jerusalem in special, is called a Golden Reed. Reed by which this City is builded, and squared, it is not now a Line of Flax, but a Reed of Gold, a Golden Reed; to signifie not a Word of the Law and Letter that had to do with Shadows, but the New Testament, and ministration of the Spirit, which hath to do with Substance, and the heavenly things themselves, Heb. 9. 23.
A Golden Reed to measure the City, &c.
I told you at the first, that this CityThe City measured was the Church of God that should be in the latter dayes; but yet not the Church disorderly, and confusedly scattered here and there, without all visible order and discipline, but the Church brought into exact Form and Order, lying every way level and square with the Rule, and Golden Reed of the New▪Testament of Christ; wherefore he calleth it a City, a City under Rule. Thus it was in the Type; for when Solomons Temple was to be builded, and the City in after-times, it was not enough that they had Stones and Timber, but every one of them must be such Stones, and such Timber, and must also come under the Rule and Square of the Workman; and so being fitted by Hewers, Sawes, Axes and Squares, they were fitly put into the building, 1 Kings 5. 17, 18. and 7. 9, 10, 11, 12. 1 Chron. 22. 2. By this then we may see, with what a holy, exact Line, Rule and Order this Church and City at this day, will be compact and builded; the Members must be all such as shall be made fit for the City of God, by the hewing words of Hos. 6. 5.the Prophets; they must joyn in Christian-Communion also according to the Golden Reed of the New Testament, and ministration of the Spirit. Indeed all the time of the reign of Antichrist, the Church, as she was a holy Temple in the Lord, so she was measured with reference to the truth of her Grace, and invisible condition: but as she is to be a City, so she then is to be troden down,Rev. 11. 1. and to lie without all Form and Order: but when Antichrist is dead, she shall again come into mind, be considered, reared, builded by measure, and inhabited: and observe it, as the Rule of the Carpenter is of use in the building, from the first appearance of the laying of a Stone in order, even till it be in every point and part compleat; so the Golden Reed, with which the Angel is here said to measure the City, &c. is to be of use from the first Foundation, even to the laying of the last Stone thereof: As was also fore-shewed by the man that is said to measure the pattern of this, in Ezekiel, Ezek. 40. to chapter 48.
And he measured the City.
That is, he measured the Church in her Constitution and Fellowship. Now, when God is said to measure, he is said to measure sometimes in Judgment, and sometimes in Mercy; sometimes to throw down, and sometimes to build up and establish: Sometimes, I say, he is said to measure in Judgment, with intention to throw down and destroy: Thus he measured the City before she went into Captivity, and the ten Tribes before they were carried away beyond Babylon, Isa. 28. 17, 18.because they lay cross to his Word,Amos 7: 7, 8, 9. and had perverted that which was right, &c. but when he is said to measure the City in this place, it is that she might be builded and set up: wherefore, as I said, the Line or Golden Reed that is now stretched forth to measure this City, it is to the end, that all things may be in right Form and Order, fitly joyned, and knit together, by that which every joynt supplyeth, according to the effectual working of the measure of every part, making increase of the Body, to the edifying of it self in love, Ephes. 4. 16. Col. 2. 19.
Again, By measuring the City, he would have us to understand, that all her Limits and Bounds were now apparent, that all things, even the Church and all the World, was made to see their own Compass: for as God in the dayes when Temple-Worship (only) was on foot, would not lose a Form or Ordinance of all the Forms and Ordinances of his Temple; so when City-work comes up, he will not lose an Inch of the Limits, and Bounds, and Compass of his City, she shall be full as large, and of as great a compass every way, as is determined of her: as he saith by the Prophet, All the Land, saith he, shall be turned †This is that which a little before is called the new Heaven and a new Earth.into a Plain; that is, there shall be a smooth Face upon the whole Earth, all Snugs, and Hubs, and Hills, and Holes shall now be took away, even from Gebato Rimmon, South of Jerusalem: and it (the City) shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamins Gate, unto the place of the first Gate, unto the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananiel, unto the Kings Wine-Presses. The four places here mentioned in this verse, they do seem to be the four Corners of the City of old; at which places the City bounds were set; and in which very Circle the Prophet tells us, but with Gospel Language, she shall be setled again, Zech. 14. 10.
And he measured the City, and the Gates thereof.
This was figured forth by the VisionThe Gates measured in Ezekiel, for in it he saw the Angel go from Gate to Gate, and saw him take the exact and distinct measure of every one thereof; nay, not only of them in a general way, but of the Thresholds, the Porch, the Posts, and the Faces of their Enterances; he measured also every little Chamber that was above upon the Gates, with all the Spaces that were between, Ezek. 40 chapter.
Now by Gates, I told you, we are to understand the Son of God, as he is the Way to the Father, and to the Priviledges of this City: Wherefore when he saith, He measured the Gates, it is as if he had said, he measured the Entrance, Strength & goodly Countenance of Him, with the Mansions of Glory that are to be injoyed by every one that entereth in hereby; for the Porch, Posts, Face, Enterance and Chambers of the Gate in Ezekiel, they signifie the Enterance, Strength, Shining Countenance, and resting places that every one shall find in the Lord Jesus that entereth in by him: and to measure all these, it is in substance but this, To set them forth, and out, in their full force, glory, largeness, beauty & profitableness, in the view of all: for I told you at the first, the Golden Reed is the Word of God: Now the City and the Gates thereof, are said to be measured by this Golden Reed; which I say, can be nothing else, but an opening of all the Excellencies of Christ, as …e is the Gate of the Sheep, even by the …ull Sway, Power, Majesty, and Clearness of the Word. The Lord help us! Christ, as he is the Door to God, and to all Gospel-Priviledges, is now strangely handled, and so hath been of a long time among the Sons of men; some of them making him the very In-let to all the vile and abominable crew in the world, counting all that are pliant to their ungodly humours, the Saints of the most high, and Christ the Door and Gate through whom they have right to enter, and to whom belongs the Delicates of the precious things of God, even those which he hath most choicely layed up, and reserveth for none but those that unfeignedly turn from iniquity, and walk with him in the newness of the Spirit. Others again do shut up the Gates against the Godly, labouring with might & main to hinder those that labour to enter, that fain would do itMat. 23. 14. unfeignedly. Others again do labour2 Chron. 29. 7. all that in them lies to deface the Gates, to take away their Beauty: like him that2 Kings 18. 16 took the Gold from off the Doors and Gates of the Temple, rendering Christ a low and carnal business, &c. but at the measuring-day, at the day when the Golden Reed shall be the alone Rule: then you shall see this City and her Gates discovered in their own Glory, Holiness and Beauty: for though in our Affliction under Antichrist, our Temple and Instruments of Worship, with the City, Wall, Gates, and the like, have been much defaced, (even our Doctrine of Faith and Worship) and have been much trod and trampled under the foot of the uncircumcised: Yet all shall be recovered and brought into Order again, by the Golden Reed of the Word of God: which thing was figured forth to us by that good man Ezra the Scribe, who at the restoring of Jerusalem took review of all the things pertaining to the City, both touching its Breaches and Deformity, and also how to set all things in Order, and that by the Law of God which was in his Hand, even according to the Writing thereof, Ezra 7. 14. & 8. 34. Neh. 8, 9. And whosoever doth but read the History of Ezra and Nehemiah throughout, they shall finde that by the Word of God they brought all things to pass; all the Ordinances of the House and City of God, into their right and holy Order: And indeed the measuring of the City and of the Gates thereof, which is Christ the Way, it can be nothing else but a bringing of them by the right understanding and opening of the Word, into their proper Places and Excellencies, both for Comers in, and Goers out, according to the Commandment, Ezek. 40. 4. & 43. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. for, to speak properly, Christ in his Love, Grace, Merits and Largeness of Heart, to let Souls into Communion with God and all Happipiness, is in all these things unsearchable, and passing knowledge, being filled with these things beyond thought, and without measure, Ephes. 3. 8. Col. 3. 9. Ephes. 3. 18. & 19. Joh. 3. 34.
And he measured the City, the Gates thereof, and the Wall thereof.
In that he saith, he measured the Wall The Wall measuredalso, it is to shew us that all things now are according to the Rule of the Word: The Inhabitants are according to the Word, the Entrance is according to the Word, yea, and so is the safety of it also, even a Fence to fence them from their Enemies; even a fence on every side, that they may be at ease and rest, and be no more a tossing to and fro: O thou afflicted, and …ossed with Tempest, saith he, and not comforted, (I will do many good things for thee) in righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from Oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from Terror, for it shall not come nigh unto thee, Isa. 54. 11, 14.
Touching the Wall, what it is, I have spoken already; therefore here I speak onelyonly to the measure of it, which measure is onelyonly the fulfilling all those Promises and Engagements of God, that are made to New Jerusalem, for her Safety and continual Defence; and that not onelyonly in her own Eyes, but in the Eyes of all her Beholders: Then shall that Saying be with gladness in the Mouths of all the Inhabitants of this Jerusalem, We were bond-men, and yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended Mercy unto us in the sight of the Kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the House of our God, to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a Wall in Judah and in Jerusalem, Ezra 9. 9. Which Wall, I say, shall be so conspicuous to all the Adversaries of this holy and beloved City, that the greatest of them shall not once dare to peep or mutter against her any more: God is known in her Palaces for a Refuge: for lo, the Kings were assembled, they passed by, they saw it, and so they marwelled; they were troubled, and hasted away; fear took hold upon them, and pain, as of a Woman in travel: As it is said of the building of the Wall after the Captivity; when the Enemies and all the Heathen saw it was finished, they were much cast down in their own Eyes. Psal. 48. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Neh. 6. 15, 16.
The regulating of this City by this Golden Reed, and the measuring the Gates and VVall by this VVord, when finished, will then cause all that have skill in singing the Lords Songs, and of lifting up the Praises of God in this City, to gather themselves together to sing, and to praise, and to say, Bless ye the Name of the Lord, for his Mercies endure for ever: for then will they purifie the People (this City) with the Gates and Wall thereof, Neh. 12, 28, 29, 30.
VVherefore in the mean time, between this and the building of this City, let Jerusalem come into your mind, and walk about her, go …e round about her (enquire by the VVord what God hath said of her State, Strength, Safety, Ease, Peace, and blessed Tranquillity in the latter days) tell the Towers thereof, mark ye well her Bulwarks, consider her Palaces, that ye may tell it to the Generations following, Psal. 48. 12, 13.