of fruits," and yielding her fruit "every month:" and the leaves of the tree will be for the service (eis Depaлerav) of the nations. And there shall be no

more curse."

Now what was Eden's beauty,-what Eden's excellence, compared with that which shall be, when, in the eyes of the adoring "multitude, no man can number," the brightness of the new Jerusalem shall be revealed! Truly "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." O reader, have you laid up your treasure in this new Jerusalem? "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the City."

We have, I think, seen clearly that the City described so minutely by EZEKIEL, upon the construction and situation of which we dwelt at some length in a former chapter, cannot possibly be the New Jerusalem described in the Apocalypse. The points of difference are as marked as those, on which we commented, between the Millennial and the new Earth. Amongst the more prominent, we cannot fail to have observed the following. The JERUSALEM OF EZEKIEL is to be about nine miles in length, and nine in breadth; covering an area of about eighty-one square miles. But the NEW JERUSALEM is to measure twelve

thousand furlongs, or one thousand five hundred miles in length, and the same in breadth; covering an area of two millions, two hundred and fifty thousand square miles. Again; THE JERUSALEM OF EZEKIEL

is to have a vast Temple within its walls wherein the service of the Lord is to be carried on continually. But THE NEW JERUSALEM is to have no Temple whatever, but "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, are" to be "the Temple of it." Again; THE JERUSALEM OF EZEKIEL is to be refreshed by a stream of water issuing forth from under the threshold of the house eastward, and flowing into the straits which will unite the Dead Sea with the Mediterranean, * and upon the banks of these straits "shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine (bruises and sores.") But THE NEW JERUSALEM is to be adorned with "a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river," is to be "the tree of life," bearing "twelve manner of fruits," and yielding "her fruit every month," and the leaves of the tree are to be for the service (εis Oεралεav) of the nations." And once again; the materials of THE JERUSALEM OF EZEKIEL are to be, for anything that appears to the contrary, of ordinary although excellent kind. But THE NEW JERUSALEM is to be built of gold and precious stones, with gates of pearl.

We cannot, then, confound these cities with each other. They are perfectly distinct. The one is to be earthly, the other heavenly. The one is for time,

*See Chapter VI.

the other for eternity. Yet we cannot fail to observe points of similarity, sufficient both in number and strength to lead us to conclude that in the Millennial Jerusalem of Ezekiel we have a type of that which shall come down from God out of Heaven.

But now we must glance at one or two assertions which direct our thoughts towards THE NEW EARTH generally that earth of which the Heavenly City is to be the capital.

The earth is to be gloriously peopled with " THE NATIONS OF THEM WHICH ARE SAVED." Righteousness and glory will reign everywhere. The glory of God and of the Lamb, which is to be the brightness of the New Jerusalem, will illuminate also the remotest regions, so that their inhabitants will "walk in the light of it." Surely it will not be said to contradict the received view concerning the eternal state, if we thus suppose that nations, with their kings and divers orders of authorities and powers will then exist. It may.-But certainly the Bible leads us to believe that it will be so, nevertheless. "The nations of them which are saved," and "the kings of the earth," are spoken of in plainest terms, as being coëxistent with the NEW JERUSALEM, and as bringing their glory and honor into it.* Indeed, to think it will be otherwise, would be to think that the order of things in the New Earth will be different from that which has (so far as the Inspired word teaches us) existed in any part of the Lord's kingdom, and to contradict all analogy. How frequently we read about "the principalities and powers in heavenly places," the

*Revelation xxi. 24-26.

"thrones" also, and "dominions," archangels, crowned elders, angels, cherubim and seraphim. There is evidently a diversity of order and power among those who have their part already in the realms of glory. There are the great ones bearing rule, and there are those who bow beneath their sway. Nor can this orderly arrangement in a kingdom where no sin exists, disturb the happiness of any, but the opposite; it needs must minister to the increased happiness of all. For ourselves, shall we complain, if on the throne of that celestial nation in which our everlasting dwelling may be fixed, the Crown of Government be borne by Paul or Peter, James or John? Nay, shall we not rejoice exceedingly concerning this, and yield them gladly the obedience which is due? And what if Mark, or Timothy, or Barnabas, or Silas, occupy the seat of honor next in rank or authority,-shall we oppose our voice? Or shall we think that there would be unreasonable dealing on the part of God towards us? Nay, do we not ourselves, as taught by our Redeeming Lord, look forward to possess authority? If we have wrought for Him with long and earnest service, using well the talents which the Lord has given us, do we not expect accordingly, to have dominion over ten, or five, or two cities, as the case may be.

It is remarkable that so many people should be strongly impressed with the idea, that in "THE WORLD TO COME" all things will be ethereal: that our future resting-place will rather be a space wherein our happy spirits may fly here and there in glory, than a true substantial world, where men in actual

bodies may abide and carry on such works as shall be found consistent with their glorified estate.

Now, it is certain from the Word of God that every redeemed soul is to be clothed, before he enters on his heavenly glory, with a body; a substantial body; a body like that of our Lord in which He rose again; a body having flesh and bones.* That is to say, the very body which was dead and buried, is to be again assumed, but rendered incorruptible, and meet for Heaven.

OUR SAVIOUR's resurrection was the type of ours. As HE rose, so shall we rise. Thus St. Paul teaches us, in the fifteenth chapter of the first Epistle to the CORINTHIANS,-"Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.

Every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at His coming." But if so, then we need not try to explain away the clear assertions of the Scripture as to the substantial nature of the NEW JERUSALEM. The fact that there shall be NATIONS with their KINGS,-that there shall be CHRIST'S TABLE, at which the Redeemed shall eat and drink with Him,-that there shall be WATER OF LIFE and TREES OF LIFE-of which the nations of God's saved people may partake,-presents for our acceptance no peculiar difficulty. Do we not call to mind how Jesus, being raised again, took bread and fish and an honeycomb and did eat before His won

*No mention has been made of blood. Indeed, it is probable that our Saviour's risen body had no blood. It is written "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." The presence of blood implies that which is corruptible.-1 Cor. xv. 50.