It was a garden in the primal age

It was a garden in the primal age

But at the end it is a city square;

Creation’s center in the garden was

God’s building issues in the city fair.

Both in the garden and the city fair

A river and the tree of life are seen

Christ typifying as the life supply

The Spirit showing as the living stream.

Both in the garden and the city bright

Three kinds of precious substances are found;

There are the gold

the pearls

and precious stones

Which for the building work of God abound.

But in the garden all these precious things

Are just materials lying in the earth

Yet in the city all are builded up

And form that dwelling of transcendent worth.

Man in the garden of the clay was formed

In nature as the Lord created him;

The tree of life was then without the man

Not having yet become his life within.

But in the city glorious the tree

Within the corporate “man” doth grow

thereby

Revealing Christ Himself as life divine

Being to man his inward life supply.

’Tis for the city man is wrought upon

Therefore regenerated and transformed

To purest gold

to pearls and precious stones

As Christ’s own Body

to Himself conformed.

Within the garden also was a bride

Who was to Adam as his counterpart;

Lastly

the city is itself the bride

As Christ’s own fulness

precious to His heart.

The city is God’s building work replete

A composition of the justified;

A habitation it affords to God

And is to Christ His own beloved bride.

’Tis God’s expression

ultimate and full

Corporate and universal

marvelous;

God’s glory it completely manifests

And is Christ’s counterpart most glorious.