Revelation 21:27

REFLECTIONS

READER! behold with an eye of steady faith, the new heaven, and the new earth, wherein righteousness dwelleth! Yea, look again and again, with rapture, at the Church coming down from God Out of heaven, as a bride adorned for her husband! Bless God the Father, in the contemplation, for his electing love, in choosing; for his giving love, in giving the Church to his dear Son; and for all the ten thousand manifestations of his love, in predestinating each, and every individual of the mystical body, to the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ to himself, and accepting the whole Church in the Beloved, to the praise of the glory of his grace!

Bless God the Son, for his betrothing his Church before all worlds, watching over her, in all the time-state of her sad adulterous departure from him redeeming her with his blood, washing her from her sins, clothing her with his righteousness, bringing her home, and presenting her to himself, in the marriage supper, prepared for her in his kingdom of glory.

Bless God the Spirit for his anointings in the early formation of Christ and his Church as one, before the foundation of the world, for his quickening and regenerating grace in time, and for all his leadings, teachings, comfortings, and renewings, when glorifying the Lord Jesus to the Church's view, and directing the heart into the love of God. Oh! for grace, while contemplating the Church, the Lamb's wife, to behold with yet greater rapture and joy, the Lamb himself, and bless the whole persons of the Godhead, for all their love and mercy to the Church in Him.

And what a state of unspeakable felicity is the Church here brought to, after all the temptations of Satan, the deceivings of the heart, and the opposition from the world. Precious Jesus! thou art the Alpha and Omega of all blessedness. Blessed are all thy gifts and all thy manifestations in wiping away all tears from off all faces, and putting an everlasting end to all sorrow and sin. But blessed yet more art thou for thy love. Do thou, Lord, who art the everlasting light, and the glory of heaven, be the light and glory of thy Church on earth. Lord! shine daily on my soul, until thou shalt bring me home to this blessed city, where neither sun nor moon shall anymore be needful, for thou, Lord, wilt be the light of all the poor Gentiles thou hast brought into thy kingdom, and the glory of thy people Israel.