moon to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten ity And the Lamb is the light thereof.' This shows us that in the gospel covenant there is no light of nature needed, to strengthen the christian's faith. For the glory of God and the Lamb are the light thereof." And the nations of them that are saved walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth bring their honor into it." This teaches us that the salvation of the nations of the earth is connected with the glory of God, for they in being saved walk in the light of his glory. And as the kings bring their honor into the city, we are taught that we are saved by the merits of Christ, he is the Lord our righteousness. "We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." This is that honor mankind in being saved bring into the holy city, without which none could enter into gospel communion in the new covenant, "There shall in no wise enter in any thing that defileth," &c. This shows us no man can be saved in his unbelief and sin. Those who are unbelievers as long as they remain such cannot enter into the enjoyment of the blessings of the city. Why not? says the reader, the gates are always open and there is light enough. Answer, unbelief can never find those open gates, we can only enter through faith. Why not? replies the reader. Answer, because unbelief blinds the eyes of their understanding. How can a blind man find an open door by the light of the sun. He cannot ; but let him be first restored to sight, and then by fair open day light he can easily and joyfully find an open door. Just so, although the door of the gospel covenant of mercy, is never shut against any poor sinner, and there is no night there; yet no blinded sinner can find it, until Christ restores his spiritual sight, and when this is done, then he can find the door of mercy wide open, yes as wide as the whole world, and enter it by the gospel day light, with joy and rejoicing, and find peace to his soul.

Rev. 22.1." And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear, as chrystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb." This, as a river in its course de

scending and running freely, teaching us the nature of divine life. It descends from God and the Lainb, in a gentle easy flow down to man, it is an impassable river of love ; its current stream is in the middle of the holy city; in the midst of the new covenant. This stream of divine life will never be exhausted; it has a durable fountain head; it is the throne of God, and the Lamb; it is amply sufficient to water all the offspring of God the Father, with eternal life. Verse 2. "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bear twelve manner of (ruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Here I would observe that this living tree is spoken of in the femanine gender; therefore means the church in her youthful stage, as it bears twelve manner of fruits, answering to the fruits of the early labors of the twelve apostles. As the ver dant leaves of a natural tree denote its life and growing vigor; even so this emblem by leaves, denoted the li ving state of the early church, which was then such a convincing proof of a divine reality in the christian religion, that it had a tendency to heal the nations of their idolatrous notions. And it is to be hoped that Zion will soon rise in her strength, and again put on her beautiful garments, be clothed again with leaves, a token that she has risen from the dead,-men seeing her good works, those signs of her life, and her leaves be for the healing of the nations. However, Christ is the life of the church which makes it the tree of life, as certain as the circulating sap of a natural tree is its life; but in the winter season the sap remains in the root until summer approaches may this be the day of the approach of sunmer with the church. But to return; the exact order and regulation of that holy city, seen by John the divine, implies that order which the gospel covenant is calcula ted to restore in the universe among the disorganized world of mankind, by bringing Zion's watchmen to see eye to eye, and uniting the whole world together in the bonds of peace, and the most cordial harmony.

CHAPTER 3.

REGENERATION.

St. Mat. 19. 28. "Ye who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

Regeneration implies a state of the human mind, prior to the new birth, wherein the sinner is awakened to an anxious concern, about his future state of being; and being in sore travail of soul, labors hard in mind after knowledge in the truth as it is in Jesus. Zion's children can never come forth to the birth, without this previous generating influence of the holy convicting spirit on the mind, which begets a growing concern in the soul; in which state the creature travails in painful thought for a deliverance from bondage into the glorious liberty of the children of God: constantly more or less desiring to be brought forth into the light of divine truth. Christ being the truth, the way, and the life, Zion's new begotten, yet unborn children anxiously desire to know whether they have an interest in him. the son of God or not. In their expectations their travail is between hope and doubt. Sometimes they realize a small glimmer of hope, clouded with much doubt, and sometimes half trusting to their own work, and then again they are led to give up all hopes from that quarter. In this state of sore travail, Zion's children are sometimes deceived by those in the same condition like themselves, "The blind lead the blind," so that both fall into the ditch together. Vainly imagining that they have become a christian church, because they have such

strong concern about religion, and so much troubled about many church affairs, and attend so much to outward formal services, whereas they have not yet obtained that better part, i. e. the knowledge of the truth they have not yet obtained; they have not yet entered through faith into gospel rest, but throught doubts and fears have fallen into the ditch. For they are still troubled about many things, and much serving. Therefore

have not yet come to Christ, and taken upon them his easy yoke and pleasant burden, and found peace to their souls, but their way, like the way of the transgressor is hard, their journeying is as they themselves confess, through a thorny maize. How true that saying, "The wicked are like the troubled sea whose waters cannot rest, but casteth up mire and dirt." And surely the troubled waters of a muddy ditch, can be but little if any better. Nor those who fall therein very far ex

cel the wicked world.

Regeneration is the prelude to our Lord's taking away the veil from the understanding, it preceds his work of bringing his soul to the birth: and presupposes a former generation of life in the soul, as when God created man male and female. Therefore to regenerate man, brings to view, not only his first estate in creation previous to his being brought forth into paradise, but also signifies the necessity of a renewal of a conscious, and at the same time, a keen sensibility of right and wrong in the soul, previous to his being again born into the paradise of Christ's kingdom. But can an unborn child of Zion, cultivate the garden of the Lord, and grow in grace and a knowledge of the truth, to the perfect stature of a man in Christ, without ever being born again of that free woman above which is the mother of us all? No. Regeneration may take place, and Zion may be in travail, but if she should never bring forth her children, they never could serve the Holy Father, in his beautiful garden, and what is worse, the mother would die with her children. But however, under the superintendence of infinitive wisdom, there can be no failure. The gospel covenant as the free mother of as

all, can conceive no less souls in number, than all who are marked by creation, which must constitute a universal conception. Zion will be in constant travil until all are born again of the holy spirit; and each individual as soon as conceived in regeneration must groan and travail in pain until born into the kingdom of Christ who is himself as our head, the first born of every creature. I would observe in this place, that our Lord's disciples followed him, only in the regeneration, until the day of penticost. Therefore, when Christ appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, he reproved them with both hardness of heart and unbelief; and further observed, "He that believeth not shall be damned." And before he would allow them to go out and preach that gospel which is to every creature in all the world, he ordered them to tarry at Jerusalem, until they should receive the promise of the Father; in other words, be endued with power from on high.

For they had not by regeneration, received a knowledge of the universal extent of God's gracious promise of salvation; and this they could not comprehend until by being born again, they should receive the ministry of reconciliation.

The reader will recollect that Jesus told Peter, "When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren;" so that notwithstanding this servant had followed his Lord in the regeneration, he was not yet converted, nor capable of strengthening his brethren in the faith of the gospel. Nor was Peter able to do this until he saw the vision of the sheet let down from heaven by which he first learn ed that God was no respector of persons; he then preached this truth to his brethren, and they believing, thro' the strength of faith, were filled with joy, and with one accord lifted up their voice and glorified God.

And from this time they were suffered to be called Christians. But could never bear this holy name while bound up in partial notions concerning the plan of divine grace. For notwithstanding they had before been saved from the love of sin, by the washing of regeneration, as yet they were not born into the knowledge of