A30152:222
The holy city, or, The new-Jerusalem wherein its goodly light walls, gates, angels, and…The holy citie, or, The new-Jerusalem wherein its goodly light walls, gates, angels, and…
The holy city, or, The new-Jerusalem wherein its goodly light walls, gates, angels, and the manner of their standing, are expounded : also, her length and breadth, together with the golden measuring-reed, explained, and the glory of all unfolded : as also, the numerousness of its inhabitants, and what the tree and water of life are, by which they are sustained / by John Bunyan ...The holy citie, or, The new-Jerusalem wherein its goodly light walls, gates, angels, and the manner of their standing, are expounded : also, her length and breadth, together with the golden measuring-reed, explained, and the glory of all unfolded : as also, the numerousness of its inhabitants, and what the tree and water of life are, by which they are sustained / by John Bunyan ...
London: printed for Francis Smith, 1669
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
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 Privileges 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 enjoyed by every one that entereth in hereby; for the Porch, Posts, Face, Entrance and Chambers of the Gate in Ezekiel, they signify the Entrance, 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 ⟨p. 109⟩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-Privileges, 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 laid 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 it1 unfeignedly. Others again do labour2 all that in them lies to deface the Gates, to take away their Beauty: like him that3 took the Gold from off the Doors and Gates of the Temple, rendering Christ a low ⟨p. 110⟩