ty of God
now--in the suburbs, as it were--but we shall "have a right" to it in
the future state when we are ushered into the very heart of the great
metropolis and stand before the actual throne of the Deity, in the
presence of his August Majesty.

In the New Testament dispensation the heavenly elements of the New
Jerusalem have descended to earth in the form of the new covenant, and
God's people obtain a foretaste of heaven's glory and are made pure even
as Christ is pure, and are therefore represented as having "come unto
Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem"
(Heb. 12:22, 23); and God dwells with them in a very important sense. 2
Cor. 6:16. They are one with the redeemed above, and together they
constitute one "family in heaven and earth," all loving the same Father,
adoring the same King, drinking from the same fountain of life eternal,
and all basking in the same divine light that beams from the throne of
God. In another sense, however, there is a difference between them; for
they are separated by the line of mortality, one phase being located on
earth and the other in heaven. But when at the last day the redeemed of
earth have access to the tree of life in its perfect sense, there will
be henceforth only one phase to the New Jerusalem, or church of God,
which will be in its relation to the new earth, as specially described
in the prophecy under consideration, when "_all things_" are made new
and "the former things are passed away."

5. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all
things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true
and faithful.

6. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of
the fountain of the water of life freely.

7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be
his God, and he shall be my son.

8. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The declarations contained in these verses proceed from God himself and
announce the fact that he hath now fulfilled all that he designed. His
promises to his faithful children are brought to pass, as well as his
threatening to his foes. All things are made new and the