The city had no need of the sun. The sun is the first source and fountain head of all light and vegetation in the natural world, and in this respect used as an emblem of the holy Scriptures, which is the first source of all religious light and knowledge in the kingdom of Christ on earth, Ps. cxIx, 105. Prov. vl, 23. xx, 27. This written revelation, which was given us to lighten our path through the valley of this world, will be supplanted in New Jerusalem by immediate revelation. On all particular occasions, its citizens will be directed by the personal presence of the Lord; and in the ordinary course, the light within them, to which they shall there have arrived, will make the written word of God unnecessary, Isa. LX, 19. 20.

Neither of the moon. According to this system of emblems, the moon represents the external institutions or form of worship and Church-government. All these will be unnecessary there; as every soul shall be a temple of the living God, fully sanctified, united to him by his Spirit, and perfected in one with God in Christ. John xvii,

The glory of God did lighten it. The citizens are an assembly of all the great and truly enlightened minds, who have lived since the beginning of the world. Such a body will of itself afford a luminous light to all its members. Add to this, that the saints are the true Schechinah of the Lords personal presence, and the first receptacle of all revelation for the new earth; which is made by means of the eternal Logos, the effulgent image [añavyasBa, Qeyyos] of the glory of God, from the midst of the city.

Verse 24. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there.

25. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations

into it.

27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie : but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Though I have all along explained only the spiritual signification of these heavenly emblems; yet I have not the least doubt upon my mind, that the new earth will realize all these sublime and majestic descriptions of New Jerusalem, in an actual city of the people of God, the glory of which will be great beyond conception. The na tural sun, and the moon, have there done their services. The radiant brightness of the fulness of the Godhead, which dwells in the human nature of Jesus Christ, will shine forth from the centre of the city, and far surpass all their glory. Its luminous and transcendant brilliancy will diffuse itself over the clarified earth, whose resplendent surface will itself become a sun of great lustre, in the celestial canopy.

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. Only those, which have been successfully prepared in the four great Economies of the people of God on earth, are accounted worthy to obtain citizenship in New Jerusalem. The rest of them which are saved from among all nations, shall inhabit the new earth, and enjoy more or less of the light and glory of the city, as their gradual distances shall admit of. These distances of abode will, no doubt, be determined by their different qualifications and degrees of holiness; where they shall be assisted to improve themselves, in order to be promoted nearer to the city, from glory to glory, untill they all arrive to the immediate fruition of the Lord. Matt. v, 2. Hebrews XII, 14.

Among those who are saved, and yet not qualified før the immediate fruition of the Lord, I would number

1. First, Children who have died in their innocency, either before they sinned knowingly, and wilfully, or previous to their total loss of baptismal grace. It must be

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evident to discerning minds, that there will be a vast difference, between the happiness of a being who has nothing to plead but innocence; and the felicity of him, who has been a faithful conqueror under the banners of the Lord for many years, and coming out of great tribulation, has washed his robes in the blood of the Lamb. Thongh salvation does not depend on what we shall be enabled to do, but purely and solely on the merits of Christ; yet it has pleased the Lord to reveal unto us, that he will award his servants by different degrees of happiness in the world to come, according to the intrinsic merits of their works. Rev. XIV, 13. Matt. xxv, 14-30. These children will there receive their religious education, and be instructed in the great and marvellous mysteries of Christ's redemption, wrought out for them, which things the angel desires to look into, 1 Pet. 1, 12 ; and their happiness will be that of unfallen man.

2. Secondly, such of the blind, deaf and dumb of this world, who have enjoyed baptism and the prayers of their truly pious parents, but otherwise have either had no opportunity to become acquainted with Christ by means of the Gospel; or who, all things being considered, and every merciful allowance made in regard to the circumstances in which they were pleaced, have done well according to what they had, 2 Cor. vIII, 12. Who can doubt, that such will be dealt equitably with, and that they will there be placed in a state of discipline for further instruction, where they may improve their imperfections, and qualify themselses to see the Lord?

3. Thirdly, such of the Israelites and Jews living among the Pagan nations of the earth, who for want of a better knowledge, and more favourable circumstances, have pertinaciously adhered to the religion of their ancesters, in yet expecting the Messiah, already come, and have been faithful in discharging their duty, without wilfully striving against better light and knowledge: - will

not they find an equitable judge, und rejoice in bowing their knees with reverence and submission to Jesus, when undeceived?

4. Fourthly, such Pagans as have never had an opportunity to accept the Gospel of Christ, and yet have been faithful in using the means within their knowledge and power according to the light of nature, for the salvation of their souls-who have had an imperfect sense of their forlorn and sinful state, thirsting for more light and better means, to dispel the gloom of their dreary path. Such we may consider capable of spiritual improvement; and the Lord will, no doubt, place them in a state of qualify ing themselves for eternal purposes, and of fully establishing a new and heavenly character.

5. Fifthly, such among the Christians, as have long sinned against grace, and strove against better convictions, but in their dying hour laid hold of Christ by a lively faith; without having had time to improve their principle of virtue into habit, and their knowledge into piety, so as to establish their Christian character to the Church, and acquire the necessary qualifications for the future theatre of action. These will there be placed in a state of moral improvement and discipline, in order to secure their constancy and mature their capacities for happiness.

The kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. These kings are the princes of the saints, who are appointed to different stations on the new earth, to superintend those heavenly institutions of education and moral improvement. The glory of a king consists in the number and happiness of his subjects; and the glory of these kings, in the number of those who are qualified by their endeavours, in the different institutions under their inspec tion, for advancement in happiness. Upon a signal of approbation from the throne, they enjoy the felicity of conducting from time to time, such as are qualified for citizenship in New Jerusalem, to the immediate presence of the

Lord. Thus they bring their honor and glory to the city of God.

Verse 25. The gates of it shall not be shut by day; for there shall be no night there. We are certain from these words that it will never be night in Jerusalem, and prob-' ably not upon that half of the globe, on which the city is built; but whether it will not be night on the opposite half, towards the lake of fire, is not determined. In the lake of fire at least, there is an eternal darkness Jude ver. 15.

Verse 26. The glory and honour of the nations, are those qualified for New Jerusalem, who have been an ornament to their brethen on account of their light, virtue and piety; or these words may refer to such as had before been advanced to offices on the new earth, in which they obtained the approbation of the Lord and the peculiar esteem of their brethren. But here my pen must stop; these are mysteries of eternity far beyond our conception in this valley of tears. Isa. LXVI, 12. LX, 5. 15. 13.

Verse 27. There shall in no wise enter, &c. St. John here describes those characters, who shall for ever be excluded from this blissful abode. They are those who are defiled themselves, or corrupt others by word or deed; who work abomination in the sight of God, by living in impurity and dying in wickedness; and all liars who deceive or injure others by telling falsehoods. They shall not even be permitted to behold her internal glory. None shall enter, except those who are written in the Lamb's book of life, as faithful believers in Christ the Son of God and Redeemer of the world.