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this is the one John faw coming down from heaven. It is now above, but it will after the new earth is created, "come down from heaven to the earth.

5. This fame new Jerufalem is called by Paul, a building of God, Eternal in the heavens. 2 Cor. v. I, "For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." This appears to be the fame as the heavenly Jerufalem, and holy city..

6. This new Jerufalem is called a kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, the fame as the city

prepared. Matth. xxv. 34, "Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." In Rev. the holy city is faid to be the refidence of the faints, here they are invited to a kingdom. In other places mention is made of a city Chrift fays, I go to prepare a place for you, in his Father's houfe; here it is faid the kingdom is PREPARED for them, which must mean the fame thing, or elfe there are contradictions in the fcriptures.

PREPARED.

7. This new Jerufalem is in three places called PARADISE. Luke xxiii. 43, "And Jefus faid unto him, verily I fay unto thee, to day fhalt thou be with me in Paradife." What is here called Paradife, is in the verfe before called Chrift's kingdom. The thief faid to Chrift on the crofs, "Lord remember me when thou comeft into thy kingdom." That PARADISE means the new Jerufalem, is plain from Rev. ii. 7, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the PARADISE of God." We are told by Chrift, that the tree of life is in the midst of the PARA DISE of God. In Rev. xxii. 2, we are told that the tree of life was in the midst of the street of the holy city, the new Jerufalem, which plainly proves that the new Jerufalem, and PARADISE mean one thing. This is where Paul was caught up, and heard unfpeakable words.

I think that whoever compares thefe places together, will find that all thefe different expreffions in different parts of the fcriptures refer to one thing; the NEW JERU

SALEM, which will be feen in the new earth, an eternal excellency, the joy of the whole earth.

All thefe places of fcripture mean fomething; and the nations of the earth in general have an idea of a place of bliss hereafter, as well as of happiness in a future ftate. It is evident that all the nations of the earth have borrowed their notions of a PARADISE, or heaven to come from the one described in the fcriptures of truth. Whereever there is counterfeit, it is a fign of true coin; when a falfe Paradife is defcribed, there must be a true one. Had there been no truth, a lye could not have been told. A lye is a certain fign of truth. From all I can learn from the fcriptures, this is the fum;

1. What is called the new Jerufalem-the holy citythe heavenly Jerufalem,-the city of the living Godthe Paradife of God, &c. is now created, and prepared from the foundation of the world, and has now the glory of God in it. It is now the city which hath foundations, whofe builder and Maker is God. This appears plain to me from the fcriptures that have been mentioned in this difcourfe.

2. It is plain that Jefus Chrift, the angels and all the tranflated faints, and thofe who rofe from the dead at Christ's refurrection, are now in this city called Paradise. Christ faid to the thief, "This day fhalt thou be with me in Paradife." It has been proved to be the new Jerufalem. This is where Paul was carried at a certain time. When Chrift comes to reign on the earth, all the faints who are now with him in the new Jerufalem he will bring with him. This is what Mofes and Elias now enjoy. This is the holiest of all where Chrift has now entered; of which the holy place in the old tabernacle and temple were patterns. This is mentioned in Heb. viii. 1, 2, "Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the fum; we have fuch an high Prieft, who is fet on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the fanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man." old tabernacle, Mofes pitched, but the tabernacle where Christ is gone, the Lord pitched. This means the new

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Jerufalem; becaufe when John faw the new Jerufalem come down from heaven, the cry was-" Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they fhall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."

3. This New Jerufalem, called the tabernacle of God, is to come down from heaven after the earth is new. It is plain that this city will be moved, by the name given it; the tabernacle, which means a moveable building.

That this city which is now built will come down from heaven, to the new earth all prepared to dwell in, is as certain as it is that a bride is adorned for her husband, and no other. Rev. iii. 12, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he fhall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerufalem, which cometh down from heaven from my God."

In this verse Jefus mentions the new Jerufalem as the city of his God, and fays it cometh down from heaven from his God. When we read that an angel came down from heaven, we fuppofe it was true. When we read

that Chrift fhall come down from heaven, it means that he will ftand at the latter day on the earth. When we are told the new Jerufalem cometh down from heaven, we have the fame reafon to believe it will ere long come down, as we have to believe Chrift will come down from heaven hereafter. Chrift fpake of its coming down from heaven; but John had a vifion of it defcending to the new earth. Rev. xxi. 2, 10, " And I John faw the holy city, new Jerufalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

What can be more evident than this, that this city will defcend from heaven to earth where men will enjoy God in the city? This is further explained in verfe 10, "And he carried me away in the fpirit to a great and high mountain, and fhewed me that great city, the holy Jerufalem, defcending out of heaven from God." Three times this city is mentioned as coming down from heaven "which cometh down out of heaven from my God." Chap. X

ii. 12, "Coming down from God out of heaven." Chap. xxi. 2, "The holy Jerufalem, defcending out of heaven from God, ver. 10.

If these things do not convince men that this city, this paradife of God will come down from heaven, then I muft conclude that they do not receive the testimony God has given of what Chrift fays are the true fayings of God. The Lord Jefus knew that many would think thefe things concerning the city to be fimilitudes, or things different from what is faid of them; and that we might believe that what is faid of the new Jerufalem means as it fays; he has in the last of this book mentioned feveral important things; which appear to me duty to mention before I proceed to describe the city.

Rev. xxii. 6, 7, "And he faid unto me, these fayings are faithful and true, and the Lord God of the holy prophets fent his angel to fhew unto his fervants the things that muft fhortly be done. Behold I come quickly; bleffed is he that keepeth the fayings of the prophecy of this book." These two verfes follow the defcription of the holy city; and it is declared that what is faid of the city, is faithful and true, and that an angel was fent by the Lord God to fhew his fervants thofe things which must be fhortly done. After this it is faid, verfe 16, "I Jefus have fent mine angel to teftify thefe things in the churches." By this we are taught that it is meant, that the churches, as well as the fervants of God fhould know thefe to be true, and no parable.

To conclude the whole of what Chrift has faid concerning the new Jerufalem, he has warned every man not to add or diminish from what he has faid of the holy city, and thofe who fhall dwell there. Verses 18, 19, "For I teft unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto those things, God fhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man fhall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God fhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things that are written in this book. He

which teftifieth these things faith, furely I come quickly, Amen. Even fo come Lord Jefus."

These things concerning the city are here confidered a prophecy of things to come, and the perfon who fhall dare to make the prophecy anything befides what it is faid to be; is threatened with a lofs of that glory which all who believe fhall at last enjoy.

According to this declaration we are fafe in believing that what is called a city in these chapters means juft fuch an one as is here defcribed.

I fhall now proceed to the description of the new Jerufalem, as it is laid down in the two laft chapters of Revelation. In the description of this city, there are feveral particulars mentioned in thefe two chapters:

1. The new Jerufalem-Holy city-and Tabernacle of God.

The word Jerufalem fignifies "the vifion or poffeffion of peace, or, they fhall fee peace." It is made of two words, JERU, they fhall fee, and SALEM, which means peace. This city which is to come down from heaven is the new Jerufalem, in distinction from the Jerufalem at this time, or in the thousand years of Chrift's reign upon earth. It will be new and fuitable for the new heaven and earth, and for thefe new creatures who fhall dwell there forever. It is called the holy city, because every part of it will be holy, and all who fhall dwell there will be holy, and all their employment will be of the fame nature of the city. No unholy perfon will ever have admittance there :

"Thofe holy gates forever bar,
Pollution, fin, and fhame,

None fhall obtain admittance there,
But followers of the Lamb."

It is called the Tabernacle of God, because of its being moved from heaven to earth, and because God will dwell there, with his people forever.

2. The extent of the city is mentioned; ver. 16, " And he city lieth four fquare, and the length is as large as

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