waited for him. Pfal. 36. 7,8. How excellent is tly Loving Kindness, O Lord! Therefore the Chil dren f men put their truft under the Shadow of thy Wings. They shall be abundantly fatisfied with the farmefs of thy Houfe, and thoufhalt make them Drink of the Rivers of thy Pleofures: For with thee is the Fountain of Life; in thy Light fhall we fee Light. This is that City which is fpoken of in Revel. 21. 21. ard fo forwards, of which St. John faith,TheTwelve Gatesare Twelve Pearls, every feveralGate was of one Pearl, and the firects of the City were pure Gold, as it were Transparent Glafs. And I saw no Temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it. And the City had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to fhine in ; for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof. And there shall be no Night there, and they need no Candle, neither the Light of the Sun, for the Lord giveth them Light, and they shall Reign for ever and ever. Of th's Heavenly City fpeaketh the Prophet Ifaiah: In this Mountain fhall the Lord of Hofts make to all the People a Feaft of Fat things, a Feaft of Wine on the Lees, a Feaft ef Fat things full of Marrow, of Wine on the ees well refined. David refolves thus: As for me, I will behold thy Face in Righteousness,. I Shall be fatisfied when I awake with thy Likeness. Thou wilt fhew me the path of Life,in thy prefence is fulness of Foy, and at thy Right Hand are Pleafures for evermore. This is the Holy of Holies, it is Holy in refpect of the Glorious Company that is in it for there are none but Saints and Angels

Angels, and it is moft Holy, because the Sacred Prefence of the Deity is there.

O glorious Banquet! O Heavenly Seats! O Eternal Manficns in which the Souls of the Bleff d are always replenished, and abound with all Godly Joys, and being adorned with Crowns, they fhall aflift the Angels fitting in a R gal Throne, worthy of Eternal Life, and which is the higheft Happiness of all, they fhall enjoy continual Converfation with Jefus Chrift, with his Arch-Angels, Ang ls, and the higher Powers, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities and Powers, that exceeds all Gold,precious Stones, and the bright Rays of the Sun.

As for the King of Heaven, nothing can be faid fufficiently, for he exceedeth all hearts and thoughts. If Peter who faw our Saviours Transfiguration in the Mount, in a Cloud, that was but an Image of the Glory that was to come, faith unto Jefus, Mafter, it is good for usto be here, r.jecting all Worldly Pleafures from his mind, in respect of that; what fhill we fay, when the very Truth fhall appear, and we have the Fruition of the fime? Likewife we may behold the Bl. ffed ftate of thofe that fhall enjoy the Life to come. You are come to Mount Sion, and unto the City of the Living God, the Heavenly Ferufalem, and to an innumerable Company of Angels, to the general Aflembly, and Church of the First Born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of juft Men made perfect, and to Jefus the Medi

ator.

ator of the new Covenant, Heb. 12. 22. And how this Heavenly City and new Jerufalem is defcribed, we may read it notably fet down in the 21 of the Revelations, where, by divers earthly Similitudes, the Glory thereof is fhadowed, fetting forth the fame by thofe things which make earthly Cities famous and admirable; as the great compafs and height of the Walls and ftately Buildings, the gorgeous Furniture thereof, Jewels and precious Stones, ́pleasant Rivers, and the Tree of Life in the midst thereof, no light in the City. But let us behold the order and frame of the City, as we may read in the aforefaid 21 Chapter of Revelations, whither ftill I refer you. The matter declared is as followeth, beginning at Verie 12. This City Jerufalem bad a great Wall, and high, and at the Gates 12 Angels and the Names written, which are the 12 Tribes of Ifrael. On the Eaft Side there were 3 Gates, and on the North Side 3 Gates, and on the South Side 3 Gates, and on the Weft Side 3 Gates; and the Wall of the City had 12 Foundations, and in them the Names of the Lambs 12 Apoftles: and the City lay Four Square, and the length is as large as the breadth of it, and the length and breadth and height of it are equal; and the building of the Wall of it was of Fafper, and the foundation of the Wall of the City was garnished with all manner of Precious Stones, and the 12 Gates were 12 Pearls, and every Gate is of one Pearl, and the Streets of the City are Pure Gold as fhining Glafs. The Names of the precious Stones are further there recited.

Oh

Oh glorious City of God! Pfal. 46. 4. Pfal. 36. 8. There is a River, the Streams whereof shall make glad the City of God, the place of the Tabernacles of the moft High, out of which then, O Lord, fhalt make them drink of the River of thy Pleasure.

A torrent of Plea fure, a full Cup running over, in which the Saints of God rejoyce in Chrift, cloathed in White, and following the Lamb, wherefoever he goeth; and with the Angels Sing to the Lord, faying, Salvation to our God, which fitteth upon the Throne, and to the Limb, Amen, Blessing and Glory, and Wifdom, and Thanksgiving, and Honour, and Pow er, and Might be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

You fee in thefe Words, how glorious the City of God is, the Walls of Jafper, the Foun dations of Precious Stones, the Gates of Pearls, the Pavements of Pure Gold. And if the Walls, S.reers, and Gates be fuch, how much more joyful, comfortable and inexpreffible are thofe things within the City? For we may affure our felves, there are many hidden Treasures, and matters of far more account. Many things fpoken of the outward Palace, but those things which are within are unfearchable. According to Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcomech, will I give to eat of the hidden Manna, and will give him a white Stone, and in the Stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, fave be that receiveth it: So fecret and hidden are the things within the City.

This Jerufalem is called a Kingdom, Luke

22. 29. Therefore (faith Chrift) I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my Table, in my Kingdom, and fit on Thrones judging the Twelve Tribes of Ifrael. And to comfort the godly in all wants, diftreffes and neceflities in this World, Chri faith unto them, Luke 12. 32. Fear not, little Flock, for it is your Father's good Pleafure to give you the Kingdom: And what greater preferment can they look for? Yea, which is more, that which but one can have in a Realm here,eve ry one fhall be a King, as we read, Rev. 3. 11. Behold, I come quickly; hold that faft which thou haft, that no man take thy Crown: And that which the Apoftle fpeaketh of himself, in the 2 Tim. Chap. 4. Verfe 7. I have fought a good Fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteoufnefs, Rev. 4. 10. And the Four and Twenty Elders caft down their Crowns before the Throne of God. If earthly Princes want no worldly Joys, yet they that wear Crowns in Heaven, fhill far more abound in all Happiness.

The greatest Joys on Earth, are of least account in Heaven; for all fhall be Crowned. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteoufnefs, which the Lord the Righteous Fudge Jhall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing.

Gods Kingdom is not fhaken, as our earthly Kingdoms are: nor is it to be compared to our Tereftrial or Temporary Kingdoms; no, he hash left thofe Kingdoms to the Sons of

Men,