CHAPTER XIV. POMEGRANATE HARBOR, AND THE HALL OF REVE- Now as they pursued their course, humble and penitent, and rejoicing in the Divine goodness, they beheld, one fine day, an Island rising before them, which they found, on examining the Chart, to be the Island of the Communion of Saints. They were exceedingly glad at this, for there was a noble harbor in that Island, where they were to stop for a season, and receive fresh water and provisions; and here also they could feel secure, being in one of the King's own ports. It was a sweet day as they entered the Harbor, and behold, the flags of very many nations were flying, with the King's flag high above them all, a sight which it did the heart good to look upon. The Harbor they found was large enough to hold all the fleets of the whole world, and never had they beheld so magnificent and goodly a scene. Moreover, it was surrounded by mountains, green and wooded to the very tops, sheltering it from every wind that could blow, so that there was nothing to be compared with it for safety and beauty. 2 Here the crews of the ships that visited the place were regaled, as long as they stayed, with choice grapes from the King's own vineyards, and apples most delicious to the taste. Here were trees, whose fruit was for meat, and the leaves for medicine.1 Here were orchards of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits, spikenard, cinnamon, and all trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, with all the chief spices. Here were fig-trees, with ripe delicious figs, also fragrant vines with many kinds of grapes, also the flowers appeared upon the earth, and the singing of the birds made the air melodious. There was a fountain of gardens, and a well of springing waters, and there were streams from the mountains, and whether the North or the South winds blew upon the gardens with their beds of spices, the fragrance went forth upon the sea.3 In this region all that came in the name of the King were welcome, and they were entertained at the King's own expense, so that everything reminded them of his loving kindness. There was a grand banqueting house of cedar and fir, where the guests assembled with holy joy, and ate and drank in Ezek. xlvii. 12. 2 Cantic. iv. 14. 3 Cant. ix. 15. memory of the sufferings and death of their King. It was a spacious, vast, magnificent temple, in the midst of an open plain at the foot of the mountains, sloping down, green and beautiful, to the very borders of the harbor. In that House they spake a language that all understood, from whatever nation under heaven the guests might have been gathered, and it was said to be a dialect very like the language of the Celestial Country, a dialect taught of God, and understood only by the Spirit of God. Now in this House there was a large Room, the sides of which were all filled with round windows, through which those that looked could see grand instructive panoramas of various scenes. It was a place where one might have studied all his life-time, and still found something always new, instructive, and entertaining. But though the windows were the same to everybody, yet the wonders that were seen depended very much upon the state of mind in the persons that looked through them; and some would go away, having seen very little, while others could never be tired nor satisfied with gazing, and some were ready to exclaim with Peter on the Mount, Let us build here three tabernacles,' and never more depart from such blissful visions. But some went away as ignorant as they came; for they are not all Matt. xvii. 4. Israel, which are of Israel; and the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness with him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.3 Over the door of this room was written in large golden shining letters this motto: OPEN THOU MINE EYES, THAT I MAY BEHOLD WONDROUS THINGS OUT OF THY LAW. Moreover, the Keeper of this room, who was a grave, but very affable and gentle personage, encouraged all the visitors, saying, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God. He also told them, If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." Now when Peter and John came into this room, the Keeper of it looked pleasantly upon them, and kindly and lovingly bade them welcome, and forthwith carried them to a place, where was a succession of very important sea-views to be seen, besides other things full of instruction, and bade them look earnestly. Then they looked, and saw a ship, riding in a storm at night, tossed fearfully by the tempest; 2 Rom. ix. 18. 51 Cor. ii. 9, 10. 3 1 Cor. ii. 14. 4 Psa. cxix. 18. and making for a light that blazed upon the coast, which seemed to be at no great distance. But they saw plainly that that light was burning at a point where there was no harbor, and nothing but sharp, perpendicular, jagged rocks. Then they looked again, and behold the ship had struck upon the reef, just where the light was stationed, and was breaking to pieces, with the sea dashing over her, and every soul perishing. Then their Conductor told them that this was a representation of the false lights that allured unstable souls to ruin, pretending to guide them to a safe harbor, where no har bor was. But you perceive, said the Conductor, that these lights of falsehood are various-colored and revolving lights, whereas, the King's light-houses are all lighted with a light that shines like the sun, and is fixed, and not changeable. Now if those on board this ship had studied the King's Chart, and kept their right reckoning, they would have known where they were, and would have been in no danger from mistaking those lights for the King's harbor. And if they had studied the Coast Pilot, they would have known the false lights in a moment. But those lights are put up to lure souls to perdition, by the same firm that made the life-boats of the yacht you encountered, Security, Save-all and Company, under the superin |