Revelation 22:3

St. John has not yet done with this copious description of the New Jerusalem, but here he closes it by doing these two things,

1. He shows what shall not be found there: there shall be no curse, no accursed person, or accursed thing, no sin, nor any thing sinful, that deserves the curse; and there shall be no night there, no darkness of ignorance or error, or darkness of affliction, temptation, or desertion, no night of natural darkness, no night of spiritual darkness, much less of eternal darkness, which is the portion of the wicked: farther, there shall be no need of natural light, the light of the sun; no need of artificial light, the light of. candle; no need of the spiritual light of the word and ordinances, all which shall then and there cease.

2. He shows what there shall be there, namely,

1. The throne of God and the Lamb, that is, the glorious and everlasting presence of God and Christ, as on. throne of royal majesty, insomuch that the name of the city may be Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there.

2. It is added, that his servants shall serve him, that is the glorious angels and glorified saints shall continually stand before him, and administer unto him, not spend their eternity in. perpetual gazing upon God, but executing his commands, obeying him with vigour, praising him with cheerfulness, loving him above measure, fearing him without torment, trusting him without despondency, serving him without lassitude and weariness, without interruption or distraction, praising God, and singing eternal hallelujah's to the Lamb for ever and ever.

3. It is declared that they shall see God's face, which imports fruition as well as vision of him, together with. sweet and satisfactory delectation in him. Matthew 5:8; Hebrews 12:14 Blessed are the pure in heart, and holy in life, for they shall see God: that is, have. clear and apprehensive, though not. full and comprehensive, knowledge of him.

4. His name shall be in their foreheads: his name, that is, his holy nature, his image and likeness, by which they shall be known, as. man is by his name: an allusion probably to the high-priest, who had holiness to the Lord written on his frontlet; or. reflection upon the worshippers of the beast, who have his name on their foreheads; in like manner the name of God shall be on his servants' foreheads; they are thankful for imperfect lineaments here, but shall be satisfied with his likeness then and there.

Lastly, It is closed with this, they shall reign for ever and ever, not for. thousand years, as the militant church is said to reign on earth after antichrist's destruction, but for eternal ages, and this not partially, but fully and completely, when all their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, yea, death itself, shall be put under their feet, and that for ever.

From the whole learn, That when we are at any time dejected upon the account of our dark and imperfect knowledge,or afflicted upon the occasion of many wearisome nights and days of sin and sorrow, of trouble and temptation, of misery and desertion, which we have here on earth, let this meditation comfort us, that the happy day is coming, when there shall be no night, but an eternal sabbath of rest, light, and life, with plenty of all good things, even fulness of joy and rivers of pleasure for evermore.

O Lord, the well of life so pure Doth ever flow from thee, And in thy light thy saints are sure Eternal light to see. -- The Lord giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.