A30152:285
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.
And the City was pure Gold.
Gold is the choice and chief of all Metals, both for worth, colour, and virtue; wherefore when he saith, The City is Gold, you may conceive how rich and shining, and virtuous this City will be; the Riches of the whole World will be here, the Beauty of the whole World will ⟨p. 154⟩be here, and the Virtue 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 Virtue; 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 Privileges 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, 1and 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 Palaces shall be Thorns, and Nettles, and Brambles; for all among them that are Princes and Nobles indeed, will have packed up, and be gone for Jerusalem: So that the World, I say, will be left empty, void, and stripped both of Treasure, Beauty, and Health, at the day of Jerusalems ⟨p. 155⟩building again: But O how melancholy a forlorn beautiless World will this be at this day! It will be only the2 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 showed you before) will be most fit for her putting 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 be