" You know how
pleasant this is, even to be fulfilled in the letter of it, not only
to birds and beasts, but to men; especially it is pleasant to such
men as have for several years been held in the chains of affliction.
It must needs therefore be most pleasant and desirable to the
afflicted church of Christ, who hath lain now in the dungeon of
antichrist for. above a thousand years. But, Lord, how will this
lady, when she gets her liberty and when she is returned to her own
city, how will she then take pleasure in the warmth and spangling
beams of thy shining grace, and solace herself with thee in the
garden, among the nuts and pomegranates, among the lilies and
flowers, and all the chief spices!
"And in the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the
river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of
fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the
tree were for the healing of the nations."
This tree of life is the Lord Jesus Christ; and that he is here
called a tree, is to show how fruitful and exceeding advantageous he
in all his benefits will be to the inhabitants of this city. This is
the tree under whose branches the fowls of heaven shall now most
safely lodge, and find relief from the hot and fainting beams of the
persecuting sun of this world.
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