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THE HOLY CITY;OR,THE NEW JERUSALEM
By John Bunyan
Revelation 21:10-27; 22:1-4
“And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and highmountain, and showed me that great city, the holyJerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Havingthe glory of God: and her light
was
like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal:And had a wall great and high,
and 
had twelve gates, andat the gates twelve angels and names written thereon,which are
the names
of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east three gates, on the north three gates, onthe south three gates, and on the west three gates. And thewall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them thenames of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he thattalked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, andthe gates thereof and the wall thereof. And the city liethfour-square, and the length is as large as the breadth: andhe measured the city with the reed, twelve thousandfurlongs: the length and the breadth and the height of it areequal.And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred
and 
forty
and 
four cubits,
according to
the measure of a man, that isof the angel. And the building of the wall of it was
of 
 jasper, and the city
was
pure gold, like unto clear glass.And the foundations of the wall of the city
were
garnishedwith all manner of precious stones. The first foundation
was
jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony;the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth,sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth,a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth;the twelfth, an amethyst.And the twelve gates
were
twelve pearls, every severalgate was of one pearl; and the street of the city
was
puregold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no templetherein: for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are thetemple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of 
 
the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it,and the Lamb
is
the light thereof. And the nations of themwhich are saved, shall walk in the light of it: and the kingsof the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And thegates of it shall not be shut at all day by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory andhonour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wiseenter into it any thing that defileth, neither 
whatsoever 
worketh abomination, or 
maketh
a lie: but they which arewritten in the Lamb’s book of life.And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear ascrystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of theLamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river,
was there
the tree of life, which bare twelve
manner 
of fruits,
and 
yielded her fruit every month: andthe leaves of the tree
were
for the healing of the nations.And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of Godand of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall servehim. And they shall see his face, and his name
 shall be
intheir foreheads.”In my dealing with this mystery, I shall not meddle where I see nothing, neither shall Ihide from you that which at present I conceive to be wrapt up therein; only you must notfrom me look for much enlargement, though I shall endeavour to speak as much in fewwords, as my understanding and capacity will enable me, through the help of Christ.In this description of this holy city, you have these five general heads:FIRST, The vision of this city in general. SECOND, A discovery of its defence,entrances, and fashion, in particular. THIRD, A relation of the glory of each. FOURTH,A discovery of its inhabitants, their quality and numerousness. FIFTH, A relation of itsmaintenance, by which it continueth in life, ease, peace, tranquility, and sweetness for ever. To all which I shall speak something in their proper places, and shall open them before you.But before I begin with any of them, I must speak a word or two concerning John’squalification, whereby he was enabled to behold and take a view of this city; whichqualification he relateth in these words following:Verse 10. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showedme that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.The angel being to show this holy man this great and glorious vision, he first, byqualifying of him, puts him into a suitable capacity to behold and take the view thereof;‘He carried me away in the spirit.’ When he saith, He carried me away in the Spirit, he
 
means he was taken up into the Spirit, his soul was greatly spiritualized. Whence takenotice, that an ordinary frame of spirit is not able to comprehend, nor yet to apprehendextraordinary things. Much of the Spirit discerneth much of Gods matters; but little of the Spirit discerneth but little of them: ‘I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, butas unto carnal,
even
as unto babes in Christ; I have fed you with milk, and not with meat;for hitherto ye were not able
to bear it 
, neither yet now are ye able’ (1 Cor 3:2).‘And he carried me away in the spirit,’ &c. Thus it was with the saints of old, when Godhad either special work for them to do, or great things for them to see. Ezekiel, when hehad the vision of this city in the old law, in the captivity at Babylon, he must be firstforefitted with a competent measure of the Spirit (Eze 40:2). John also, when he had thewhole matter of this prophecy revealed unto him, he must be in the Spirit; ‘I was (saithhe) in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet’talking with me, &c (Rev 1:10,11). Whence note again, that when God calls a man tothis or that work for him, he first fits him with a suitable spirit. Ezekiel saith, when God bid him stand upon his feet, that the Spirit entered into him, and set him upon his feet(Eze 2:1,2).‘And he carried me away,’ &c. Mark, And he carried me [away] &c. As a man must havemuch of the Spirit that sees much of God, and his goodly matters; so he must be alsocarried away with it; he must by it be taken off from things carnal and earthly, and takenup into the glory of things that are spiritual and heavenly. The Spirit loveth to do what itdoth in private; that man to whom God intendeth to reveal great things, he takes himaside from the lumber and cumber of this world, and carrieth him away in the solace andcontemplation of the things of another world; ‘And when they were alone, he expoundedall things to his disciples’ (Mark 4:34). Mark, and when they were ALONE; according tothat of the prophet, ‘Whom shall he teach knowledge, and whom shall he make tounderstand doctrine?
them that are
weaned from the milk,
and 
drawn from the breasts’(Isa 28:9). Whence observe also, he is the man that is like to know most of God, that isoftenest in private with him (Luke 2:25-38). He that obeyeth when God saith, Come uphither, he shall see the bride, the Lamb’s wife. For ‘through desire a man havingseparated himself, seeketh
and 
intermeddleth with all wisdom’ (Pro 18:1).‘And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain.’ Thus having showedhis frame, and inward disposition of spirit, he now comes to tell us also of the place or stage on which he was set; to the end that now being fitted by illumination, he might not be hindered of his vision by ought that might intercept. He carried me away in the Spiritto a great and high mountain. Thus did God of old also; for when he showed to Mosesthe patterns of the heavenly things, he must ascend to the Mount Sinai (Exo 19:3). Hemust into the mount also, when he hath the view of the Holy Land, and of that goodlymountain Lebanon (Deu 32:49). Whence we may learn that the things of God are far from man, as he is natural; and also that there are very great things between us and thesight of them: none can see them but such as are carried away in the Spirit and set onhigh.‘...To a great and high mountain.’ This mountain therefore signifieth the Lord Christ, on
of 00

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