"
Never was fair weather after foul, nor warm weather after cold, nor
a sweet and beautiful spring after a heavy and nipping and terrible
winter, so comfortable, sweet, and desirable and welcome to the poor
birds and beasts of the field, as this day will be to the church of
God. Darkness! it was the plague of Egypt; it is an empty, forlorn,
desolate, solitary, and discomforting state. Wherefore light, even
the illuminating grace of God, especially in the measure that it
shall be communicated unto us at that day, it must needs be
precious. In light there is warmth and pleasure. It is by the light
of the sun that the whole universe appears unto us distinctly, and
it is by the heat thereof that every thing groweth and flourisheth;
all which will now be gloriously and spiritually answered in this
holy and new Jerusalem. O how clearly will all the spiders and
dragons and owls and foul spirits of antichrist, at that day, be
discovered by the light hereof. Now also will all the pretty and
little birds in the Lord's field, most sweetly send forth their
pleasant notes, and all the flowers and herbs in his garden spring.
Then will it be said to the church by her husband and Saviour, "Rise
up, my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time
of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is
heard in our land; the fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and
the vine with her tender grapes give a good smell.
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