I fhall now come to the Confideration of the 19th and 20th Verfes. The Sun fhall be no more thy Light by Day, neither for Brightness fall the Moon give Light unto thee; (How then? Muft the Church be in Darkness at this time? No, noj but, the Lord fhall be unto thee an everlasting Light, and thy God thy Glory.

This is more than the Glory of ten thoufand Suns could poffibly be; and therefore it follows to fhew the Certainty of it, thy Sun fall no more go down, neither hall thy Moon withdraw it felf: for the Lord Jhall be thine everlasting Light, and the Days of thy Mourning fhall be ended.

This bleffed, glorious State of the Church, which is held forth in thefe Verfes, is great, wonderful, and inexprefible. Wherefore it is much to be wonder'd at, that Expofitors fhould take thefe Words to fignify only the Light of Profperity to the Jews, after their Return from Babylon; as I underftand fome take it: Does not this fhew, that Perfons, who have no Light concerning the Glory of Chriff's Kingdom to be in this World, but an Antipathy against it, will rather give any Interpretation upon thefe Texts of Scripture, than to give it a favourable Look to the Kingdom Glory? They do not only force their own Senfe on the Texts, but ftrain and fqueefe it oft times contrary to the very Senfe which the Spirit of God in plain Words hath expreffed.

Thefe Words do hold forth no less than a Perfect, Perfonal Reign, and Kingdom of Chrift with

the

theSaints, in the time of the thoufand Years. However the greateft part of the Chapter hath a Refpect to the firft Branch of that Kingdom. For thefe Words are certainly the fame with thofe in Reu. xxi. 23. where we read, that the City had no need of Sun, neither of the Moon to fine in it for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof. Both thefe Texts run too high for a weak imperfect State; and therefore must be referred unto the time when Chrift fhall perfonally come from Heaven, with all the Saints. Then there will be no more need of any of thefe Creature Comforts, becaufe God and the Lamb, or God in Chrift, will be all thefe, and infinitely more, than all Creature Enjoyments can poffibly be to them. Again, thefe Words do fhew, that there will be a perfect Light of Glory fhine forth upon all the Inhabitants of Zion, which will be no lefs than the Light of Vifion, For then it is that they shall be like bim, that is, like Jefus Chrift, and not only So, but they shall fee him as be is. 1 John 111. 2. Here will be no Clouds, no Mift of Darkness, nor Ignorance any more, but a perfect Light of Joy, Happiness and Felicity for ever. Such a Light will God in the Lamb Chrift Jefus be unto the Saints, as will fill their Hearts with a perfect Knowledge of that fecret Myftery of the Bleffed Trinity. Yea a perfect Knowledge of all thofe Myfteries which are to be feen, known, and underftood by them concerning God, Chrift, Angels,. and Men, together with all the Purposes, Councils, and Decrees of the Lord Jehovah about the great Works of Creation, Redemption, and Salvation. Through the Light of this glorious Sun it is, Rr 2 that

that we fhall fee, and know each other, as we our felves are known. Here we fhall have a perfect Knowledge and Understanding into all thofe Myfteries of the glorious Gofpel, and thofe great Points of Doctrines, which the most eminent of the Servants of God are now fo much in the dark about. The Glory of this Light will fo enlighten the Saints, as to difcover every fecret Myftery which lay bid in God, from the beginning of the World; which will afford to them infinite Comfort, Delight, and Satisfaction. Now that which will put an infinite Glory upon all this, is the Duration of it; as is very full in that Expreffion, but the Lord fhall be unto thee an Everlafting Light, and thy God thy Glory. God in the Lamb Chrift will be the Glory of his People. No greater Glory can the Saints have, or defire, than God himself to be their Glory. But oh, how fweet is the Cenfideration of its lafting Excellency; this Glory, that will then arife upon Zion, will not be for a time, for a hundred, for a thousand, or Millions of Years, but for ever: And therefore we read in the 20th verfe. Thy Sun fhall no more go down, neither shall thy Moon withdraw it felf. The Lord Jehovab, this glorious Sun will never be in an Eclipfe, it will never draw it felf under a Cloud, neither will it fet any more. For the Lord fhall be thine Everlasting Light, twice expreffed in these two Verfes: And the Days of thy Mourning hall be ended. Sure then this can be no other than a Perfect Sinless State. For while Sin remains in us, there will be Caufe of Mourning. But when the latter Part of this Prophecy comes to be fulfilled, the Days or time of the Saints mourning will

•be

be ended; and then they fhall forrow no more at all. Oh! What Words can we Defire, to fet forth the Reality, as well as the Glory of the Saints Happiness in the Kingdom of Chrift, more than thefe do? For here will be no more Sin, Pain, Sorrow nor Grief: No more Clouds, Darkness, nor Death. Then we fhall for ever fee Chrift's Face, and his Name fhall be in our Foreheads. Yet fome will object and fay, fure this will not be fo, untill they come to Heaven. The Anfwer is, I do acknowledge that the Saints at this time will be in Heaven; but it will be a Heaven upon the Earth; When the Glory of the New Jerufalem, fhall come down from God out of Heaven; and the Tabernacle of God fhall be with Men. Rev. 21. It does evidently appear from what hath been faid, that the Bleffeduefs held forth in this Prophecy, with many other Placcs, must be in this World; when Chrift and the Saints fhall reign in the actual Poffeffion of that vifible Kingdom, which is to be under the whole Heaven, Dan. 7. and therefore upon this Earth, though it is true, that when they come to dwell with God and Chrift in the Imperial Heavens, then the Glory here spoke of, will be enjoyed by them in a more eminent way. Yet this fpeaks nothing againft (but the contrary) of fuch a time to be in this World.

Verfe 21. Thy People alfo fhall be all Righteous: they fall inherit the Land for ever, the Branch of my Planting, the Work of my Hands, that I may be glorified.

Thy

Thy People, that is the Lord's People, fhall be all righteous. They fhall openly, vifibly, and glorioufly appear to be Righteous in that Day: There will not one Unrighteous Perfon be found among the Saints, in the time of Chrift's Perfonal Reign Nothing that fins or defileth fhall be admitted into the Glory of the New Jerufalem. For they fhall be all Righteous, all the Saints, all the Children of God, the whole Election being brought home to Chrift by calling Grace, they may all now be faid to be righteous; not by any Righteousness of their own, but through the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, they will all appear at this time to be Righteous, actually and perfonally, through an Im putation of Chrift's Righteoufnefs put upon them; and an Implantation of Grace or Righteoufnefs put into them. Well, if they fhall be all righteous under this Confideration, then it is moft certain here will be no preaching of the Gospel, in order to Converfion; because there will be none to be converted; for thyPeople Jball be all Righteous; and fo no more Work, nor Room for Converfion after this. There will be no need then to fay, Know ye the Lord; for they fhall all know him from the Leaft unto theGreateft of them. Well! Thefe are they that shall inherit the Land for ever. And what Land is this, which they shall inherit? The Land of Promife or this Earth when refined; a Land flowing with Milk and Honey. This will be no less then the new Heavens, in refpect of the heavenly Inhabitants; and the new Earth in refpect of the Place where they shall inhabit. Then it is that the Saints will appear in a way of Eminency to be the Branch of the Lord's planting, the Work of his Hands, that he may be glorified. That Glory