A30152:65
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.
Besides, That this holy City that here you read of, is the Church, the Gospel-Church, returning out of her long and Antichristian Captivity; consider,
First, She is here called a City, the very name that our Primitive †Church went under; which name she loseth all the while of her Apostatizing and Captivity under Antichrist: for observe, I say, all the while she is under the scourge of the Dragon, Beast, and the Woman in Scarlet, &c. she goeth under the name of2 a Woman, a Woman in travel, a Woman flying before the Dragon, a Woman flying into the Wilderness, there to continue in an afflicted and tempted condition, and to be glad of Wilderness-Nourishment, until the time of her Enemies were come to an end, Rev. 12.
Now the reason why she lost the title of City, at her going into Captivity, is, Because then she lost her situation and strength; she followed others then Christ, wherefore he suffered her Enemies to scale her Walls, to break down her Battlements; he suffered, as you see here, ⟨p. 14⟩the great Red Dragon, and Beast with seven Heads and ten Horns, to get into her Vineyard, who made most fearful work both with her and all her Friends: her Gates also was now either broken down, or shut up, so that none could according to her Laws and Statutes enter into her; her Charter also, even the Bible it self, was most grossly abused and corrupted, yea, sometimes burned and destroyed almost utterly: wherefore the Spirit of God doth take away from her the title of City, and leaveth her to be termed a wandering Woman, as aforesaid: The Court that is without the Temple (saith the Angel) leave out, and measure it not, for it is given to the Gentiles; and the Holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months,