The Holy City, Commentary · Chapter 21 · Verse 18

The Holy City · Commentary · Chapter 21 · Verse 18

p. 138Vers. 18.

And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper; and the City was pure Gold, like unto clear Glass.

IN these words you have a discovery ofThe Glory of the Wall. the Glory both of the Wall and City it self; and that, as you see, under the notion of two choice Metaphors: the Wall is Jasper, the chief of Stones; and the City is Gold, the chief of Metals: p. 139And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper, and the City was pure Gold.

This Jasper is that Stone in the light of which this City is said to descend, as in the light of a Stone most precious: Now as there he saith she descended in the light of this Stone, so here he saith this Stone is the Wall thereof; And the building of the Wall of it was of Jasper.

This therefore confirmeth unto you what I said of the Wall before, to wit, That it was the Salvation of God through Christ: Wherefore learn this by the way, That this City shall not be at this day in her own keeping, but in the keeping of Jesus Christ; He with his Benefits doth compass her round, and by him alone she lieth down in safety: Wherefore it is from this Consideration that God doth say by the Mouth of the Prophet, I will give them within my House and within my Walls, a place and a name better then that of Sons and of Daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off, Isa. 56. 5.

And the [building] of the Wall, &c.

By this word building, we are to understand p. 140both the Materials of the Wall, the manner of their placing, and the Instruments that God will use for the setting up thereof: Now to speak properly, this Wall being the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 30 Heb. 11. 10 Heb. 3. 4.1 Cor 1:30Heb 11:10Heb 3:4Himself in his precious Merits, Benefits and Offices, the Builder hereof must needs be God Himself; for he it is that hath made this Christ for us a Safeguard and Defence, by making of him our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption, by which he doth incompass us round on every side, and that at every moment, to deliver us from the Power and Destruction both of Sin, Death, the Devil, and Hell.

But again, The building here spoken of, is a building of this Wall after the destruction of Antichrist, and so long after Christ was sent, and made these things in his own Person, to his beloved and blessedThe building of the Wall. Church: Wherefore the building of this Wall that is here spoken of, it must be understood of the recovering again the purity of those Doctrines in which the Lord Jesus with all his Benefits is found and made ours, for our everlasting Defence and Safety: For we find that the King of Babylon, who was a Type of our p. 141Antichrist, when he came up against Jerusalem, the Type of our Primitive Church, he brake down their City, destroyed their Walls, rifled their Houses, and killed their Children; whose steps, I say, our Antichrist follows to a hair, in treading down the Primitive Church, corrupting her Doctrines (which are her SafeguardPsal. 74: 4, 5, 6, 7.Ps 74:4Ps 74:5Ps 74:6Ps 74:7 and VVall) also robbing and spoiling the Houses of God, and killing his Children with a thousand Calamities; turning all the heavenly Frame and Order of Church-Government into an heap of Rubbish, and a confused Dunghil.

Wherefore the building again of this Wall is to be understood of the recovering and setling and fastening the Doctrines of Christ, as afore, in which Doctrines he in all his Benefits is wrapped, and held fast forever: I say, a recovering of them, and setting him up again in his primitive and pure Glory, of being our Priest, Prophet and King, in his Church, and a giving unto these Offices their own proper length, breadth, height, and depth; letting them rule in all their Force, Glory, and Majesty, and Zec. 14. 9▪ Rev. 11. 15.Rev 11:15Authority, for then will be golden Days, and not till then; then, I say, when the p. 142Zech. 9. 7, 8.Zech 9:7Zech 9:8several Offices of the Lord Jesus do rule in their own nature and largeness of Authority both in the Church and in the VVorld.

Alas! This VVall is yet unbuilt, the Offices of the Lord Jesus do not yet shine in that purity, nor so stand in their proper places, as they shall do at the coming in of New Jerusalem: the VVall lies yet but as an heap of Rubbish; the Offices of the Lord Christ are to this day by many Preachers confounded, and removed Ezek. 28. 2, 3.Ezek 28:2Ezek 28:3to and fro, even like loose and roulingstones; these Offices also are by others 2 Thes. 2. 4.2 Thess 2:4attributed to Antichrist, and his Children of Iniquity; but at this day the Nations shall know themseves to be but men, and the Doctrines of Christ shall be set again in their own places: Now shall every going into this City, and every going out thereof, stand where The Names and Attributes of the Father and Son, the Towers of this Wall.it ought; and now shall every Tower and Fortress on this VVall be placed as in the days of old; which Towers and Fortresses are the glorious Names and Attributes of the Father and Christ: for the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower, the Righteous flee into it, and are safe: and again, Thou hast been a shelter to me, and p. 143a strong Tower from the Enemy: Wherefore now, I say, shall the Name of God, as Lord of all, and Father of his Church, with the Names of the Son, as Head, Saviour, and King of kings, be as the BulwarksSong 1. 10 1 Pet. 2. … 1, 2.Song 1:101 Pet 2:11 Pet 2:2 to this City, to which shall be added all the Promises, Consolations, Encouragements, &c. in the blessed Book of God, out of which this City continually shall suck the Milk and Nourishment of the unsearchable Grace of God to them; to all which shall be added many new pieces of Timber in the Wall (for so Neh. 2. 8.Neh 2:8it was in the Type at the rebuilding of the City) by which new pieces, I gather, that the special Providence of God, and his Protection, shall be at this day so fastened in this Wall for the compleat delivering of this City both from Hell and Earth, that she shall stand in full force, safety, and peace, even till the Heavens and the Earth shall be no more. Now when this Wall is thus set up, even every Truth and Office of Christ, in is own true natural force, about this City; and when God in his special and most indeared affections shall engage himself even everlastingly to keep this City safe from all storms and tempests, and trouble and p. 144sorrow; then shall these Citizens, as a sign of their Conquest both of Hell and the World, even set up their Banners on the several Towers of this Wall, and the Standards that belong to the TribesThe Saints shall set up their Banners on these Towers. Psal. 20. 5.Ps 20:5 thereof; then, I say, We shall rejoyce in thy Salvation, O Lord, and in thy Name will we set up our Banners: And then shall the Inhabitants of the World both wondering and tremblingly say, Who is this that looketh forth as the Morning, fair as the Sun, clear as the Moon, and terrible as an Song. 6. 10Song 6:10Army with Banners? O the Names of God, of Christ, of his Offices, and the power of his Grace and Promises! How will they shine! In what Glory will they appear! They will be even as a Wall of fire round about Jerusalem; and will not be, as now, in the mind and thought of the People, as the White of an Egg in the Mouth, without taste; but shall be and appear in their own Brightness, Sweetness, and Grace: For how great is his Goodness, and how great is his Beauty! Corn shall make the young Men chearful, & new Wine the Maids: In that day shalt thou say, O Lord, I will praise thee, though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me: Behold God p. 145is my Salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my Strength, and my Song, he also is become my Salvation. Isa. 12. 1, 2.

For the Workmen, I am sure God is the principal, as I said before; but yet he will do it by instruments, thorow the guidance of his Spirit. The building of the Wall of old, was of God; but so, as that he did it by the hand of Nehemiah, and his Companions. I do observe in the compleating of the City Jerusalem of old, that there was first Altar-work, then Temple-work, and after that the building the Wall, and compleating the City. Altar-work,Altarwork, Templework, and Citywork. I say, was the first which was reared, and on which there was offered according to the Law, and holy custom, the Sacrifices and Offerings both morning and evening, as every day required; but the foundation of the Temple was not yet laid, Ezra 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. These Altarmen were those also that afterward built the Temple; but yet by them was first of all repaired the Altar, to signifie that the first work that will be on foot at the beginning of the return of the ChristiansWhat Altar-work is. from out of Antichristian Babylon, it will be to finde out Altar-work, that is, the p. 146Priestly Office of Christ, and to offer … Him, the Prayers and Supplications of the Church continually. Wherefore these Altar-men, or these men in their Altar-work, did figure-out for us our famous and holy Worthies, that before us have risen up in their place, and shook off those Reliques of Antichrist that intrenched upon the Priestly Office of our Lord and Saviour, even worthy Wickliff, Hus, Luther, Melancton, Calvin, and the blessed Martyrs in Q. Maries dayes, &c. with the rest of their companions: these in their day were stout & valiant Champions for God, according to their light, and did upon the Altar of God, which is Christ our Lord, offer up many strong cries, with groans and tears, as every day required, for the compleat recovering of the Church of God; the benefit of whose Offering we have felt and enjoyed to this day; but by this the Foundation of the Temple was not yet laid.Ezra 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.Ezra 3:1Ezra 3:2Ezra 3:3Ezra 3:4Ezra 3:5Ezra 3:6

Now after these, arise another People, not another with respect to Christianity, but with respect to further light. These men, though they keep the continual Offerings upon the Altar, as the other did,What is Templework. yet they are men also that are for Temple-work, p. 147wherefore these begin to search out the Foundations of the Temple of God, that they may rear up the House, as well as build up the Altar: These be they that are for having the Church a select Act. 19. 9 Rom. 1. 7 2 Cor. 6. 14, 15, 16. 1 Cor. 12 13.Acts 19:9Rom 1:72 Cor 6:142 Cor 6:152 Cor 6:161 Cor 12:13company of visible Believers, walking in the Faith and Holiness of the Gospel; which Believers are for separating from the unconverted and open prophane, and for building up one another an holy Temple in Act. 2. 40 Eph. 2.▪ 21, 22. 1 Cor. 5 11, 12, 13Acts 2:40Eph 21 Cor 5:111 Cor 5:121 Cor 5:13the Lord, through the Spirit. I say, a Temple, or House, or Church, separate and distinct from that confused heap of rubbish and carnal Gospelers, that every where like Locusts and Maggots craul up and down the Nations. These were figured forth by Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the people of the Land that are for working and labouring in this service of Temple-work. Hag. 1. 12. Hag. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Again, As there is thus Altar-work, and Temple-work to be done by the Saints when they are coming out of spiritual Sodom and Egypt: So at the end of these, there will be City-work on foot also. Which City-work will chiefly consist in setting up the Wall and Gates for defence, and of building themselves p. 148Houses or Mansions of rest and refreshment,Isa. 65. 19 20, 21.Isa 65:19 after all their hard usage under the tyranny of the Man of sin, that Son of Perdition; which City-work wil be then compleated, when the Church of Christ hath obtained a compleat conquest and victory over the world, and hath got her enemies, and them that hate her, to lye at her feet, and to lick the dust of the soals Isa. 60. 14Isa 60:14thereof. For, as I have told you already, Temple-work, yea, when that is compleat in the work, yet there may be great havock made of the Church of Christ; at which time also, City-work may be trampled under the feet of the wickedRev. 11. 1, 2, 3.Rev 11:1Rev 11:2Rev 11:3 and uncircumcised Gentiles; but when the City is builded, then Zion is become a strong hold, and about all her glory shall Isa. 4. 5.Isa 4:5be a defence. Then she either draweth and allureth her adversaries to entreat her kindly, and to count it their honour to be under her protection (as did the Gibeonites) or else she breaks and b…uises,Josh. 9.Josh 9 and subjects them to her by her Power and Authority. The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift, and the rich among the People shall entreat thy favour, Psal. 45. 12. In the last dayes, saith the Prophet, it shall come to pass, that the Lords p. 149House shall be established upon the tops of the Mountains, and shall be exalted above the Hills; and People shall flow unto it, and many Nations shall come and say, Come, and let us go up unto the Mountain of the Lord, and to the House of the God of Jacob, and and he will teach us of his wayes, and we will walk in his paths. For the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And ye shall judge among the People, and rebuke strong Nations afar off; and they shall beat their Swords into ploughshares, and their Spears into pruning hooks; (that force and power that they used formerly to destroy the Church of God, now they shall use it to do her service, even to break up the clods of the hearts of sinners, and to prune and dress the House of God and Vinyard of Jesus Christ) Nation shall not lift up a Sword against Nation, neither shall they learn war any more; (for the Word of the Kingdom of Peace shall bear sway) And thou, O Tower of the Flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first Dominion; the Kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Jerusalem, Mich. 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. This is Citywork, and as to the Glory, Peace, and p. 150Deliverance of the Church, it is the chiefest of all other, because it is not only most excellent for concourse and multitude, but, I say, for preservation and safety; and that not only to keep the Worshippers, if they keep their order, but to keep the Order and Worshippers both in order and continual safety, that they may be for ever in the purest order. But now, though at the compleating ofNeh. 4. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. & 6. v. 1 to 13.Neh 4:1Neh 4:2Neh 4:7Neh 4:8Neh 4:9Neh 4:10Neh 4:11Neh 6:1–13 this Wall, and the building its Towers, when they are finished, there will be great peace; yet all the time that these things are doing, before they be done, let the work-men look for opposition, taunts, underminers, and a thousand tricks for the hindrance of it; For the Street of the City shall be built, and the Dan. 9. …5.Dan 9:5Wall, even in troublous times.

And the building of the Wall of it, was of Jasper.

Of Jasper only; For as by building is shewed unto us the manner of the work, so by Jasper is shewed unto us the matter it self, the matter therefore must be (Jasper) Christ only, his Word, Offices, and glorious Brightness only; for indeed, p. 151whatever the special Grace, Protection, and Providence of God will at this day be over this City, yet it shall be every whit of it according to Christ; that is, both of him, for him, and by him, as the Fruits and Effects of his Suffering, Bloodshed, and Merits: Therefore, saithIsa. 53. 12Isa 53:12 God, I will divide him a Portion with the Great, and he shall divide the Spoyl with the Strong, because he hath poured out his Soul unto death, and was numbred among the Transgressors. O Holiness! How will it shine both in Kings and Nations, when God doth this!

And the City was pure Gold.

Having thus given us a discovery ofThe Glory of the City. the glory of the Wall, he now comes to shew us the glory of the City that is within the Wall: The City (faith he) is Gold, it is pure Gold: This was figured out byExod. 25. 31. to 36Exod 25:31–36 the Golden Candlesticks belonging to the Tabernacle and Temple among the Jews, which Candlesticks did then present unto us the worth and use of the Church of CHRIST; The seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches, says theRev. 1. 2…Rev 1:2 Lord Christ himself. Now the City here p. 152spoken of, is the Church in her highe… ▪ and greatest glory: Its state was also figured out by the Temple it self, whose Beams, Posts, Walls, Doors, and the like, were most famously covered over with Gold, 2 Chron. 3. 5, 6, 7. It was also (though but leanly) represented to us by the golden state of old Jerusalem in the days of Solomon the King, in which state Gold was so plentiful in the midst thereof, that Silver was nothing counted of among the Citizens there, in those days, but was as common as the Stones in the Street of the City, 2 Chron. 9. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27.

And the City was pure Gold.

I find by the search of the Scriptures, that there is divers sorts of Gold in the World; there is the Gold of the Land of Havillah, the Gold of Parvaim, the Gold of Ophir, the Gold of Sheba, and the Gold of Uphaz, Gen. 2. 11. 2 Chron. 3. 6. Job 22. 24. Psal. 72. 15. Jer. 10. 9. Now seeing he saith the City is Gold, yet not distinguishing what Gold, or which, we may suppose in this place he means Gold of all these sorts: and indeed it is most p. 153agreeable to this Text, thus to judge: for the Church at this day shall be made up of the twelve Tribes that are scattered abroad, and of the Gentile Nations both far and near; who as they now lie, are, for ought I can learn, at as great a distance, and as remote from one another (not onelyonly in knowledge and affections) but touching the places of their abode, as are the Golden Mines, out of which the Gold that I spake of before, is digged and fetch'd: Thus shall Gold, the Golden Saints of God, at this day be gathered out of the several Golden Mines of the World, and be brought to King Solomon the Son of David, our Lord Jesus, to Jerusalem, with which he will build him a Golden shining City, the Joy of all the World.

And the City was pure Gold.

Gold is the choice and chief of all Metals, both for worth, colour, and vertue; wherefore when he saith, The City is Gold, you may conceive how rich and shining, and vertuous this City will be; the Riches of the whole World will be here, the Beauty of the whole World will p. 154be here, and the Vertue of the whole World will be here; I mean spiritual Riches, Beauty, and Health; wherefore the rest of the World at this day will be but as a crushed bunch of Herbs in which is no Vertue; or like a Furnace full of Dross, out of which the Gold is taken; or like an old crazy and ruinous House, from which is departed all Health and Happiness; and indeed much like to this, is that saying of the Prophet, to wit, That at this day the whole circumference of the World that is without the Walls and Priviledges of this City, it shall be but like an old ruinous House, in which dwells nothing but Cormorants, Bitterns, Owls, Ravens, Dragons, Satyrs, the Screech-Owl, the great Owl, the Vulture, Isa. 34. 10 to 17.Isa 34:10–17and the like most doleful Birds: All their Princes shall be nothing, saith the Prophet, and when they call their Nobles to the Kingdom, none shall be there: In their very Pallaces shall be Thorns, and Nettles, and Brambles; for all among them that are Princes and Nobles indeed, will have pack'd up, and be gon for Jerusalem: So that the World, I say, will be left empty, void, and stript both of Treasure, Beauty, and Health, at the day of Jerusalems p. 155building again: But O how melancholy a forlorn beautiless World will this be at this day! It will be onelyonly theRev. 22. 15.Rev 22:15 place of Dogs, Sorcere…s, Whoremongers and Murderers, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie; it will now be the very Emblem of Hell, as the Church at this day will be the Emblem of Heaven: wherefore as the Church (as I shewed you before) will be most fit for her puting on of Immortality and Incorruption; so the World will at this day be most fit to be swallowed up of the Lake and bottomless Gulf. All things that are good, and worth any thing, shall at this day beZech. 14. 14.Zech 14:14 found onelyonly in the City of God: The Rev. 18.Rev 18Gold will be in Jerusalem.

Again, In that this City is here called by the name of Gold, it is to shew us how great pains, and travel, and charge the Lord Christ hath been at, to get so great a Treasure together: Gold is2 Chron. 9 12.2 Chr 9:12 fetched from a far Countrey, and that with great pains, charge, and difficulty:Luk. 22. 44.Luke 22:44 The Gold wherewith King Solomon made his drinking Vessels, it cost a three yearsMat. 12. 40.Matt 12:40 Journey to obtain it: so the Saints also, those Golden Vessels wherewith is made this Golden City, they cost Christ a p. 156three days travel in the heart of the Earth, even sweatingly under the wrath of God, to obtain them, and thus to build this City with them.

Further; In that he saith this City is Gold, he would have us to consider what the state of the Church was, before she came into this happy condition, to wit, an afflicted tempted and tried condition. Gold, as it comes from the Mine, it cometh commixed with its Dust and Ore; wherefore the Goldsmith hath a burning Furnace, wherein he having put it, doth with the fire purge and take away the Dross and Dust from among the Metal it self; into which Furnace he puts it once, twice, thrice, and again, to the end it may at length be thorowly cleansed and purified from its Dross: Now all this befalleth the People of God; they are thrown into the burning fiery Furnace of Affliction and Temptation, and there they are tried, purged, and purified; as the Lord also saith by the Prophet, I will try them as Gold is tryed, and will refine them as Silver is refined; yea, I will melt them and try them; for how shall I do for the Daughter of my People? Isa. 31. 9. Jer. 9. 7. Zech. 13. 9.

p. 157Lastly, When he saith this City is Gold, he also thereby insinuates how invincible and unconquerable a Spirit the People of God are possessed with: Gold is a Metal so invincible and unconquerable, that no fire can consume it; it may burn it indeed, and melt it; the Dross indeed doth consume, and give way to the power of the fire, but the Gold remains, and holds its ground; yea, it gets ground even of the Furnace and Fire it self; for the more it is burned and melted, the more it recovers its colour, and the more it shakes off its Dross and Dishonour: Just thus it is with the People of God, and hath been so even from the beginning; The more they oppressed them, the more they grew, Exod. 1. 12. the truth of which will be proved with a witness when God comes to set up this City Jerusalem: his Church hath been now for many hundred years in the King of Babylon's Furnace; all which time she hath most gloriously endured and withstood the heat; and at last, when the fire hath done its worst against her, Behold, there comes out a City of Gold: A Type of which, was the state of the three Children, who though they were cast into p. 158the Fire, bound, and in disgrace; yet came out in the Liberty and Grace of the Son of God, Dan. 3. 23, 24, 25, 26. Wherefore let her be bold to say, even before she comes out of the Fire, When I am tried, I shall come forth as Gold, Job 23. 10.

And the City was [pure] Gold.

These words, PURE Gold, clear up what I said already: Pure Gold, or Gold upon which the fire hath done its work. The Church in the fire of Persecution isEsth. 2. 12Esth 2:12 like Esther in the perfuming Chamber, but making fit for the presence of the King; which fire, when it hath done its work, then she comes into his presence in cloathing all of Gold: The Kings Daughter is all glorious within, her cloathing is of wrought Gold: and again, At thy right hand did stand the Queen in Gold of Ophir, Psal. 45. 9, 13. Wherefore he means by pure Gold, Gold out of the Fire, Gold on which the fire of Persecution and Temptation hath done its full and compleat work.

p. 159And the City was pure Gold, like unto clear Glass.

By Glass, in this place, we are to understand the Word of God, as both James and Paul do testifie, Jam. 1. 23, 24, 25. 2 Cor. 3. 18. & 1 Cor. 13. 12. By clear glass then, we are to understand the Word in its own nature and purity, without the corruptions and traditions of men. Wherefore when he saith, this Golden City was like unto clear Glass: it is as if he had said, she is even with the Word and Law of her Goldsmith, in all her matters. The Word is a Golden Reed, this City a Golden City; and that, a Golden City, taken out of the furnace of affliction, and therefore like to the Golden Reed. And the City was pure Gold, like unto clear Glass.