A30152:89
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 now for the third particular, namely, What it is to descend out of Heaven FROM GOD.
1. To descend out of Heaven (that is, out of the Church in Captivity) from God, is this; The Church is the place in which God doth beget all those that are the Children of him; wherefore in that they are said to descend out of Heaven FROM GOD, it is as as if he had said, The Children of the Church are Heaven-born, begotten of God, and brought forth in the Church of Christ: For Jerusalem which is above, is the Mother of us all: The Lord shall count when he writeth up the People, that this man was born there; Gal. 4. 26. Psal. 87. 5, 6.
2. When he saith he saw this Jerusalem come out of Heaven from God, he means, That those of the Church in Captivity that shall build this City, they shall be a People peculiarly fitted and qualified for this Work, of God. It was not all the Children of Israel that had their hand ⟨p. 27⟩i• building Jerusalem after the Captivity of old; their Nobles put not their hands to the Work of the Lord; also there were many1 of Judah that were sworn to Tobiah the arch Opposet of the building of the City, because of some Kindred and Relation that then was between them and him, Neh. 6. 17, 18, 19. and as it was then, so we do expect it will be now; some will be even at the beginning of this Work, in Babylon; at that time also some will be cowardly and fearful, yea, and even men hired to inder the Work,