CAP.21. ;eyelatán oftheApocalypfe. 845 veaied univerfally, verfi o, II. Severally , in refpelt of the Wall, and the City , and the effentiall parts thereof; u, of the form of the Wall, verfe 12, 13, 14. Of the Forme of the City, verfe 15, 16, 17. And then of the matter, common, verf. 18. fpeciall , of the Wall, verf. 19. 20, 2I. Of the City, verfe 21. Externall arguments, WhereWith the glory of this City ic fa forth, are firft God himfelf, , Who is both the Temple, verfe zz. and the light of the. City?, verf. 24. Secondly , the Nations, Which fall bring their glory hither, verf: 24. Which fhall be both void ofall feare andfu/ition, verfe 25. As alfofach as donot defile it With any contagion, verf. z7. Thirdly, that marvellousabundanceofthings that areneceffary, and the Perpetualneffe ofthis glory, in theChapterfol- THE EXPOSITION. ANdIfaW a neWheaven. The opinion of the refurreaionwhich was grounded upon the end of the former Chapter, hath perfwaded very many men,to interpret all thefe things ofthe Church,fuch as it is to be at length in the heavens. But wee have (hewed, that there is neither any fpeech had in that place,of the laft refurrec'ion; neither yet Both the HolyGhoft paintout untous in this place theAngel-like happineffe of the Saints after this life ; But that he is dill intreatingof matters to be done upon earth, as the matters themfelves which are fpoken of, will make it manifeft ih their proper places. And, perhaps,wemay think that it were no needful!matter for us,to have theheavenly inheritance tobe fet forth with words, as which all men know fufficiently to be above all the praifes that can be given unto it by any man yea, even thofe men know- thus much, who are wont otherwife to think bafely of the Church upon earth, as if it were a vile and contemptible matter. But the efti- mation of the Church, as it is a pilgrime on earth, is leffe then it ought to be among mortal! men ; fo that there might be a neceffary reafon, why the glory and dignity thereof fhould be more plenti- fully commended. Andyet the defcription thereofmaketh a way to com- prehend that heavenly felicity in our mindes. For if the magnificence of the Spoufe be fo great upon earth, what manner of th;ngs, and how ex- cellent are thofe which God hath prepared for his Saints in his own pretence? But our mindes are too dim and dull to meditate of thefe things as they be in themfelves; let us therefore turn our eyes to contemplate this earthly Paradife ; which, though it be greater then it can be extolled with any eloquence of words, yet it is more ricer and P p p n p 2 agree- ï
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